Randy Arozarena broke a tie with an RBI single in a four-run seventh inning as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Cleveland Guardians 7-2 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.
Rowdy Tellez and Jorge Polanco each had a double and a homer for the Mariners, who snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the second time in their past 10 games.
Nolan Jones and Steven Kwan hit back-to-back homers for the Guardians, who have lost six of eight.
Mariners reliever Carlos Vargas (2-5) got the victory.
With the game tied at 2 in the bottom of the seventh, Cal Raleigh drew a leadoff walk against Tim Herrin (4-2) and Polanco doubled to left field. The Guardians brought in Hunter Gaddis to face Arozarena, but he lined a single past diving third baseman Jose Ramirez to put Seattle ahead.
With one out in the inning, Dominic Canzone grounded a two-run single through a drawn-in infield, Ben Williamson singled off Kolby Allard and rookie Cole Young hit a run-scoring double to left to make it 6-2.
Polanco homered to left with one out in the eighth to cap the scoring.
The Guardians broke a scoreless tie in the third. With one out, Jones just cleared the fence in right-center field and Kwan then hit a ball to nearly the same spot that bounced off the top of the wall and over.
The Mariners tied the score in the fourth. Tellez led off with a blast off the facade of the second deck in right field. With one out, Williamson grounded a double into the left field corner, advanced to third on Young’s flyout to the warning track in center and scored on J.P. Crawford’s line-drive single to left.
Neither starter factored into the decision.
The Mariners’ Luis Castillo made his seventh quality start in his past nine outings, going six innings and allowing two runs on three hits. The right-hander walked three and struck out a season-high seven.
Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams lasted just four innings as he struggled with his command. He gave up two runs on six hits, with three walks and one strikeout.
There was a scary moment in the bottom of the fifth when Tellez hit a 106.6-mph liner off the bill of the cap of Guardians reliever Cade Smith, with the ball ricocheting into shallow right-center field as Tellez lumbered into second with a double. There appeared to be a slight welt on Smith’s forehead as a trainer came out to attend to him, but the right-hander completed the inning.
–Field Level Media
