Bullpen Realignment Works for the Indians

If this was the battle of the bullpens, Cleveland was a lopsided winner.

But homers by Seattle’s power-hitting quartet of Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez and Russ Davis each homered Tuesday, making the Indians only a 10-9 winner on opening night.

Cleveland’s relievers--Paul Shuey, Jose Mesa, Paul Assenmacher and Mike Jackson--were perfect, retiring all 13 batters they faced.

In contrast, Seattle’s bullpen, which blew 27 save chances last season, was up to its old tricks as loser Tony Fossas and Mike Timlin combined to yield two hits and five walks in the eighth.

Mesa pitched 2 1/3 perfect innings for the win as a setup man and Jackson got the save.

Manager Mike Hargrove said he decided after a Monday during the Indians’ workout in the Kingdome to not use Mesa as his closer--at least to start the season.

Last October, Mesa failed to hold a ninth-inning lead in Game 7 of the World Series, and Florida wound up winning in the 11th.

“I’ve been thinking about it the last 10 days or two weeks of spring training,” Hargrove said. “I just never really saw Jose turn it up to where I felt like he was prepared to go back into the closer’s role. But that doesn’t mean in two weeks he’s not going to be the closer again.

“Going into spring training, we realized that probably the last three to four years that the strength of our pitching has been our bullpen. So far so good. These guys are good pitchers.”

The Mariners got six runs with three homers off Charles Nagy in the fifth to take a 9-3 lead.

Seattle’s Randy Johnson gave up six runs and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings before the bullpen took over.

Next Series for Angels

Who: Cleveland Indians

Where: at Anaheim

When: Friday, 7 p.m., Saturday, 7 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.