Jorge Polanco and Mitch Haniger hit home runs, and Seattle’s struggling offense had its best game of the season, scoring nine runs to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 9-3 on Monday night.
It was the Mariners’ highest-scoring game since August 26, 2023, when they scored 13 runs against the Kansas City Royals. Before Monday’s game, the Mariners had been batting just .204.
“We made good contact with the ball, showed patience at the plate, and got a couple of home runs,” said Seattle manager Scott Servais. “We did everything we’ve been working on during the offseason.”
George Kirby (2-2) bounced back for Seattle, giving up two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks in six innings. The 26-year-old right-hander had struggled in his previous outings, allowing 13 runs in his last 7 1/3 innings.
“It’s a positive step forward,” Kirby commented. Polanco, acquired from the Minnesota Twins in the offseason, hit his second home run in as many days. J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodríguez walked against Frankie Montas, and Polanco followed with a homer to cap a three-run first inning for Seattle.
Montas (2-2) lasted only two innings, giving up five runs, including two home runs, and issuing five walks. He had trouble finding the strike zone, throwing just 34 strikes out of 66 pitches.
Haniger’s two-run homer in the third inning extended Seattle’s lead to 5-1 and ended Montas’s night. Nick Martinez replaced Montas in the third inning.
“Our aim is always to get to the bullpen as quickly as possible, especially early in the series,” Haniger said.
In his first Major League Baseball game after being called up from Triple-A Tacoma, Jonatan Clase, the Mariners’ No. 10 prospect, got his first MLB hit and RBI with a single in the sixth inning.
He almost had his first hit in the fourth inning, but was denied by a fantastic sliding catch from Elly De La Cruz in shallow left field.
