Steven Kwan matched a career high with five RBIs as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the host Seattle Mariners 9-4 on Friday night.
Kwan had a sacrifice fly in the second inning, a tiebreaking two-run double in the fourth and a two-run single in the fifth.
Five Guardians relievers combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out nine. Right-hander Nick Sandlin (1-0) got the victory.
Mariners starter Robbie Ray (0-1) lasted just 3 1/3 innings. The left-hander allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits and five walks with three strikeouts.
The Mariners opened the scoring in the bottom of the first as Julio Rodriguez led off with a double and scored on Kolten Wong’s single to right-center.
Cleveland took the lead in the second. Oscar Gonzalez singled to center, Andres Gimenez reached on a bunt and Mike Zunino walked to load the bases.
Myles Straw hit a shallow fly down the right field line that Teoscar Hernandez caught, but his throw to the plate glanced off Zunino as he retreated to first base and caromed halfway down the third base line. Ray tracked down the ball, but his off-balance throw to the plate was wild, allowing a second run to score on the play.
Kwan’s sacrifice fly made it 3-1.
Seattle tied it in the third off Cleveland starter Hunter Gaddis as Wong walked with one out and Ty France singled. After a wild pitch, both runners scored on Cal Raleigh’s two-out double.
The Guardians regained the lead in the fourth after Gimenez led off with a walk and moved to second on Straw’s one-out single. Both runners scored on Kwan’s double to left.
The Mariners got a run back in the bottom of the inning as Cooper Hummel was hit by a pitch and scored on Rodriguez’s two-out double that made it 5-4.
Cleveland pulled away with three runs in the fifth off Trevor Gott.
Josh Naylor led off with a single, and an out later, second baseman Wong dropped shortstop J.P. Crawford’s throw on a potential inning-ending double play. Zunino singled, and after a forceout at the plate, Kwan hit a two-run single to left. Amed Rosario greeted reliever Penn Murfee with an RBI single to make it 8-4.
Cleveland tacked on a run in the eighth as Jose Ramirez doubled and scored on Naylor’s single to left-center.
–Field Level Media
