Mariners ignore pressure, pull even with Indians 5-1

SEATTLE -- Pressure? What pressure? Jamie Moyer and the Seattle Mariners handled their biggest game this season -- and the Cleveland Indians -- just like they've done 116 times since April.

With an easy win.

Moyer took a shutout into the seventh inning and Seattle used three homers to bounce back and even their AL playoff series at one game apiece Thursday with a 5-1 win over the Indians.

"This was as close to a must-game win as you would want to be in," Mariners manager Lou Piniella said. "This was a game we wanted to have, and Jamie got it done. He gave us exactly what we needed."

The 38-year-old Moyer, who won a career-high 20 games during the regular season and beat Cleveland twice, allowed five hits and one run in just the second postseason appearance of his 14-year career.

In 1997, he was forced out of his only playoff start with a strained elbow and last season he missed a chance to pitch in October when he broke his kneecap during a simulated-game tuneup before the ALCS.

"Getting to the playoffs healthy, and winning a playoff game is a dream come true," Moyer said.

Mike Cameron and Edgar Martinez hit two-run homers in the first inning off losing pitcher Chuck Finley and David Bell added a solo shot for the Mariners, who refused to panic after losing Game 1.

Another loss at home, and Seattle would have been in jeopardy of having its AL record-setting, 116-win season end prematurely. But as they did in winning the West by 14 games, the Mariners opened a big, early lead and never looked back.

For the second straight game, the Mariners managed just six hits. But this time, three homers gave them six runs.

"We've taken control of a lot of games like that this year," Moyer said. "Guys felt like they needed to do a little bit more, and we were able to do that."

Following an off-day on Friday, the best-of-five series resumes Saturday at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. Indians rookie C.C. Sabathia, who won 17 games but didn't face the Mariners this season, will start for Cleveland against Aaron Sele.

Staked to a 4-0 lead in the first, Moyer, who was 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA against Cleveland in the regular season, had the Indians swinging over, through and above his assortment of breaking pitches.

"He's not a power pitcher, obviously," Piniella said. "There's different ways to skin a cat, and he does it the sly way. He does it with guile."

Finley waited 15 years to make his first postseason start, and after just 14 pitches he was already behind 4-0 following the shots by Cameron and Martinez.

"The first inning wasn't what I envisioned it to be like," Finley said. "Hopefully, I'll get a chance to redeem myself."

Ichiro Suzuki walked leading off and Cameron followed with a line shot into the left-field seats for his first career postseason homer and just his second hit in 18 at-bats against Finley, 19-8 in his career against the Mariners.

Bret Boone singled and Martinez jumped all over Finley's first pitch, hitting a meaty fastball 421 feet to center giving a Safeco record sellout crowd of 48,052 more reason to believe the Mariners' remarkable season was far from over.

Bell made it fifth, leading off with his homer -- Seattle's first hit since Martinez's homer.