Shane Bieber's record strikeout streak ends, as Seattle Mariners chase Cleveland Indians ace early

SEATTLE -- Mitch Haniger hit two doubles and the Seattle Mariners snapped Shane Bieber's record strikeout streak, beating the Cleveland Indians and their ace 3-2 on Sunday.

Bieber (4-3) had fanned at least eight in 20 straight games, but the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner fell short with seven. He was pulled after issuing his fourth walk and finished his shortest outing of the season at 4⅔ innings, trailing 3-0.

The victory was Seattle's third straight following a season-high five-game losing streak. Cleveland has lost three in a row.

Seven Mariners pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts. Opener Robert Dugger went three innings and Paul Sewald (1-0) pitched the next two to pick up his first win since 2019.

Kendall Gravemen worked the ninth for his fifth save.

Haniger, tied for the major league lead with 12 home runs, doubled and scored on Kyle Lewis' single in the first.

Bieber walked Haniger and Kyle Seager to start the third, setting up J.P. Crawford's two-run single.

Bieber walked Lewis and Crawford to load the bases with two outs in the fifth, ending his appearance. Reliever Phil Maton got out of the jam with a strikeout.

Bieber leads the majors with 92 strikeouts after starting the season with 10 or more in his first four outings, another major league record.

The Indians scored twice in the sixth with help from third baseman Donovan Walton's error that allowed Jose Ramirez to reach base. The Mariners turned a double play to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.

Bieber allowed a run in the first inning Sunday. In 2020, he allowed only one total run in all of his first innings.

But while Bieber's string of games with eight-plus strikeouts came to an end, another continues. The pitcher moved into a tie for second with former Mariners pitcher Randy Johnson for the most consecutive games with at least seven strikeouts at 22. He's got a ways to go to catch Johnson, who sits in first place with a separate string of 34 straight games with seven or more.

The last time Bieber didn't strike out at least eight in a regular-season game was his final start of the 2019 season. He also struck out seven last year in a playoff start against the Yankees.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.