CLEVELAND - It didn't appear that Doug Fister would have to carry the Seattle Mariners for most of six-plus innings.

The way the Mariners began Saturday night's contest, with three first-inning runs - two on Russell Branyan's career-best 30th homer of the season - a rout seemed in order. But quite the opposite would happen to the Mariners in this 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Cleveland Indians, with the offense going into sputter mode the rest of the way.

Mariners reliever Randy Messenger, brought up from Class AAA earlier in the day, got the first two outs of the 11th inning, then yielded a solo home run to former M's farmhand Luis Valbuena that ended the game.

If not for the efforts of Fister, making just his third major-league start, the Mariners might have found themselves trailing by the middle innings. While Fister failed to earn a decision - a two-base error by left fielder Michael Saunders on a line drive in the seventh taking care of Seattle's lead - he did well enough with the pressure on to ensure the Mariners at least had a shot in the end.

But the Mariners failed to take advantage, stranding Mike Sweeney at third with none out in the eighth. Seattle had a leadoff walk in the ninth, but did nothing with it, then stranded Jose Lopez at third with one out in the 10th - a third straight strikeout by Branyan contributing to that rally's demise.

The Mariners don't know quite what they've got yet in Fister, a speed-changing, 6-foot-8 mystery arm of sorts out of Class AAA Tacoma. His minor-league numbers, while solid, were nothing to go crazy over, yet he has three "quality starts" of at least six innings and three earned runs or fewer allowed in his first three major-league tries.

Fister appears to have earned his way into a shot next spring at one of the back-end rotation jobs. He showed veteran poise in the third inning, when the Indians loaded the bases with none out and had the crowd of 28,942 at Progressive Field poised in anticipation.

But Fister got the ground ball he needed from Asdrubal Cabrera - one of three recent Mariners prospects in Cleveland's starting lineup - and a 4-6-3 double play. One run scored, but the escape hatch was open.

Fister completed that getaway with a ground out to second by Shin-Soo Choo and took a 3-1 lead into the fourth.

But the Mariners failed to add to their early damage off Indians starter Aaron Laffey. They'd had him on the ropes in the first, with a walk to Franklin Gutierrez, a single by Mike Sweeney and an ensuing throwing error by right fielder Choo that brought a run home.

Branyan then cranked a full-count offering by Laffey into the right-center bleachers some 437 feet away. It was the first 30-homer season by a Mariners player since Richie Sexson and Raul Ibanez hit 34 and 33, respectively, in the 2006 season.

But that was pretty much it aside from the continued torrid streak by backup shortstop Josh Wilson, who collected three more singles and reached base a fourth time on a walk. Newly acquired Bill Hall, who made a number of fine glove plays at third base, also collected two singles and now has four hits his first two games with Seattle.

Still, the Mariners could not find a way to score.

And that proved costly when Travis Hafner got his team closer in the fourth with a solo shot to right-center off Fister. It was the first home run at home for the Indians after a 10-game drought, the team's longest since 1991.

Fister clung to the one-run lead, an infield single by Matt LaPorta in the fifth and then retiring six in a row until Saunders failed to squeeze Valbuena's line drive to left in the seventh. Saunders seemed to misjudge the ball slightly, then tried to adjust and make a catch with his glove extended high above his head.

The ball hit the glove, but kept on going and Valbuena - traded to Cleveland in the J.J. Putz deal last winter - chugged into second base. Fister then hit Kelly Shoppach with a pitch to put two on. LaPorta grounded out on a checked swing, but both runners advanced a base and Fister was lifted with his pitch count at 86.

Mark Lowe came on and yielded a tying sacrifice fly to center by Andy Marte, and the game headed for extra innings soon after.

Seattle Cleveland

ab r h bi ab r h bi

ISuzuki rf 5 0 0 0 Sizemr cf 4 0 1 0

FGtrrz cf 4 1 0 0 ACarer ss 4 0 0 0

JoLopz 2b 5 0 1 0 Choo rf 5 0 1 0

MSwny dh 4 1 3 0 JhPerlt 3b 5 0 0 0

Lngrhn pr-dh 0 0 0 0 Hafner dh 5 1 1 1

Branyn 1b 5 1 1 2 Valuen 2b 5 2 1 1

Hall 3b 5 0 2 0 Shppch c 2 0 0 0

Johjim c 5 0 0 0 LaPort lf 4 1 2 0

JoWilsn ss 4 0 3 0 AMarte 1b 3 0 1 1

MSndrs lf 5 0 1 0

Totals 42 3 11 2 Totals 37 4 7 3

Seattle 300 000 000 00 - 3

Cleveland 001 100 100 01 - 4

Two outs when winning run scored.

E-M.Saunders (1), Choo (6). DP-Seattle 2. LOB-Seattle 10, Cleveland 6. 2B-Jo.Lopez (32), M.Sweeney 2 (11). HR-Branyan (30), Hafner (12), Valbuena (7). CS-Hall (1). S-Langerhans. SF-A.Marte.

IP H R ER BB SO

Seattle

Fister 61/3 6 3 2 1 4

M.Lowe BS,6-7 12/3 0 0 0 0 0

Kelley 2 0 0 0 1 3

Messenger L,0-1 2/3 1 1 1 0 0

Cleveland

Laffey 7 8 3 3 2 2

C.Perez 1 1 0 0 0 2

K.Wood 1 0 0 0 1 1

Sipp 2/3 1 0 0 0 1

Jo.Smith 1 0 0 0 0 1

R.Perez W,2-21/3 1 0 0 0 0

HBP-by Fister (Shoppach), by Kelley (Shoppach). WP-C.Perez.

T-3:20. A-28,942 (45,199).