Field Level Media
Mar 31, 2018
Yonder Alonso stunned his former teammates with a first-inning grand slam Saturday afternoon, giving the Cleveland Indians a lead they never relinquished in a 6-5 win over the Seattle Mariners in Seattle.
Andrew Miller pitched out of jams in the seventh and eighth innings, preserving a one-run lead, and closer Cody Allen worked a perfect ninth inning for his first save, getting the Indians even with the Mariners after a 2-1 loss on Opening Day.
Alonso, who signed with Cleveland as a free agent in the offseason after finishing 2017 with the Mariners, came through with his first home run as an Indian following a double by Jason Kipnis and two-out walks to Edwin Encarnacion and Rajai Davis in the first.
It was the third grand slam of Alonso's career. He had joined the Mariners in a trade with the Oakland Athletics last August.
Alonso also played a role in the Indians' other two runs, drawing a leadoff walk in the fourth inning off Mariners starter James Paxton (0-1) before Yan Gomes belted a two-run homer, putting Cleveland up 6-3.
Paxton took the loss, allowing all six Indians runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He walked four and struck out four.
Mitch Haniger had a solo home run in the second inning, and Jean Segura and Robinson Cano had RBI singles in a two-run third inning for the Mariners, who found themselves playing catch-up the entire game.
Nelson Cruz, who lined into an inning-ending double play with two runners aboard to end the third inning with Seattle trailing 4-3, smacked a two-run home run after a Cano single in the sixth, drawing Seattle within one again at 6-5.
But Miller struck out Segura after two-out singles by Ichiro Suzuki and Dee Gordon in the seventh, and stranded Cano at second as the potential tying run in the eighth, before yielding to Allen in the ninth.
Indians starter Carlos Carrasco (1-0) got the win despite allowing five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Kipnis had two hits for the Indians, whose six hits included two homers and a double.
Cano finished with three hits for the Mariners, who out-hit the Indians 10-6. Gordon and Suzuki added two hits apiece.
--Field Level Media