Rhys Hoskins’ tiebreaking two-run double capped a five-run eighth inning as the Cleveland Guardians rallied for a 6-5 victory against the visiting Seattle Mariners on Sunday afternoon.
Guardians reliever Matt Festa (2-1) got the victory and Cade Smith earned his 26th save despite allowing an unearned run on second baseman Travis Bazzana’s throwing error. Cleveland took two of three games in the series.
The Mariners snapped a franchise record-tying streak of 13 consecutive games scoring three runs or fewer, set in 2015.
With the Guardians trailing 4-1, Brayan Rocchio led off the bottom of the eighth by lining a single to right field off reliever Michael Rucker (0-1) and Cooper Ingle walked. Daniel Schneemann grounded a run-scoring single to center and Patrick Bailey put down a sacrifice bunt, advancing the runners to second and third.
After Steven Kwan walked to load the bases, the Mariners brought in left-hander Josh Simpson. Bazzana popped out to third, then Chase DeLauter, who was activated from the injured list (rib) earlier in the day, lined a two-run single to center to tie the score at 4-4. Hoskins hit a liner that landed on the left field foul line, with Kwan and DeLauter scoring on the play.
Seattle opened the scoring in the second as Cal Raleigh singled to left, advanced to second on a groundout and came home on Mitch Garver’s two-out single to right off Guardians starter Gavin Williams.
The Mariners scored twice more in the third. Julio Rodriguez drew a one-out walk and tallied on Josh Naylor’s double into the right field corner. Naylor scored on shortstop Rocchio’s throwing error on Randy Arozarena’s grounder to make it 3-0.
The Guardians got on the scoreboard in the fifth. Gabriel Arias led off with an infield single, Austin Hedges blooped a single to center and Kwan bunted for a hit, loading the bases with no outs. Bazzana hit a sacrifice fly to center but Seattle starter Emerson Hancock got out of the inning by getting a pair of flyouts.
The Mariners made it 4-1 in the sixth as Victor Robles bunted for a single, stole second and third and scored on Rodriguez’s groundout.
Hancock allowed one run on five hits, walked three and struck out six.
Williams gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits over five innings. He walked three and fanned six.
The Mariners’ Dominic Canzone (hamstring) and Luke Raley (elbow) started the game on the bench despite facing a right-handed starter. Canzone struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth.
