After a disappointing start, the defending AL Central champions appeared to have sorted out some of their problems as a five-game winning streak got them back to .500.

The Indians (12-14), though, then dropped the final two games of their four-game set with the New York Yankees. They only managed four hits in support of ace C.C. Sabathia in a 1-0 loss on Sunday, then were held without an extra-base hit in a 5-2 defeat Monday.

Cleveland played both games without leadoff hitter Grady Sizemore, who is struggling with a sprained right ankle. Sizemore had played 382 consecutive games before the injury, but the Indians are being cautious with their center fielder.

"It's still April and we're going to look at the big picture here," Cleveland manager Eric Wedge said. "We have to be careful about this thing."

A number of the Indians' other big bats are slumping. Travis Hafner was held hitless in the last two games as his batting average fell to .219, while Ryan Garko doesn't have a hit since last Thursday, a drought spanning 23 at-bats.

Victor Martinez extended his hitting streak to 10 games Monday, but he still hasn't homered and only has two RBIs in his last eight games.

"Individuals need to step up their game offensively," Wedge told his team's official Web site.

Wedge will also look for a better effort from starter Fausto Carmona, who leads the AL with 22 walks in 28 innings.

Carmona (3-1, 2.89 ERA) had appeared to be making progress after walking just one and allowing one run in 6 2-3 innings against Detroit on April 17, but he allowed nine hits, four walks and four earned runs in just five innings against Kansas City last Thursday.

He'll face a struggling lineup in the Mariners (12-14). Seattle has scored five or more runs just twice in its last nine games, losing six times.

The Mariners lost 4-2 to the Athletics on Sunday, their final game before starting a six-game trip at Cleveland and the New York Yankees. Raul Ibanez went 0-for-4 for the second straight game, while Ichiro Suzuki was 1-for-5 as his average fell to .257.

"There are some positives, but we are still not running on all cylinders," Seattle manager John McLaren said. "Too many guys (are) not swinging the bat well, not driving in runs when they are out there."

The Mariners will send Carlos Silva (3-0, 2.83) to the mound. The right-hander left Seattle's game against Baltimore last Wednesday in the seventh inning with a right thigh injury, but vowed to make this start.

He allowed two runs in six innings versus the Orioles, and didn't factor in the decision of the Mariners' 3-2 defeat. He's still trying to become the first pitcher to start his Mariners career 4-0 since Jeff Fassero in 1997.

A former AL Central rival with the Minnesota Twins, Silva struggled against Cleveland in 2007, going 0-3 with a 6.65 ERA in four starts.