Dominic Canzone hit a three-run homer, and Julio Rodríguez impressed the crowd with two amazing catches as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Cleveland Guardians 5-4 on Monday night.
Canzone’s home run came in the second inning against Guardians pitcher Triston McKenzie (0-1). Ty France scored earlier in the inning with an RBI single, and Canzone extended the lead to 4-0 with a 411-foot home run to center field, his first of the season.
Cleveland responded with two runs in the third inning. Ramón Laureano was hit by a pitch, and Bo Naylor and Brayan Rocchio singled to load the bases. Laureano then scored on a groundout from Steven Kwan, while Naylor scored on an Andrés Giménez sacrifice fly, making it 4-2.
Rodríguez made two impressive catches, robbing Guardians’ DH Will Brennan of a hit with a leaping grab near the center field wall in the second inning and making a sliding catch in left-center in the fourth inning.
After each catch, Rodríguez celebrated with his signature “No Fly Zone” sign to the fans in the center field seats. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt, who was the Mariners bullpen coach last year, praised Rodríguez’s skills, calling him one of the best players in the game.
The Mariners added another run in the fourth inning when Luis Urías drew a bases-loaded walk, making it 5-2.
Cleveland’s Tyler Freeman hit a solo homer in the sixth inning, which ended Mariners starter Emerson Hancock’s night. Hancock (1-0) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs for his first MLB win.
Josh Naylor hit a solo homer in the eighth inning for Cleveland, making it a one-run game. Ryne Stanek pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his first save of the season. After struggling offensively over the weekend, the Mariners had seven hits and six walks on Monday.
Mariners manager Scott Servais expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, saying they bounced back well. He acknowledged that there’s still room for improvement offensively but noted that they are moving in the right direction.
