Polanco's RBI single in ninth inning secures Mariners' win over Guardians
Published
SEATTLE (AP) — Jorge Polanco hit a walk-off RBI single in the ninth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Saturday night.
With one out and the bases loaded, Polanco smacked a single up the middle off Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase (4-1), who blew a save opportunity earlier in the frame when he threw a wild pitch that allowed Dylan Moore to score and tie the game at 3-all.
The Mariners jumped to an early lead by plating a pair of runs in the second off Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee. Cal Raleigh hit an RBI double to left and Polanco added a sacrifice fly. Bibee gave up two runs and four hits in five innings.
But the Guardians scored the game’s next three runs, including a solo home run by José Ramírez in the fifth, which increased his career-long on-base streak to 39 games, the longest active on-base streak in the majors.
Those offensive contributions weren’t enough to keep the Mariners from coming back, though, and Jackson Kowar (1-0) from earning his first victory of the season with a perfect ninth.
Key moment
Dominic Canzone led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, and pinch runner Dylan Moore stole second base. Moore advanced to third on a textbook sacrifice bunt by Cole Young, then Moore scored with ease on Clase’s wild pitch.
Key stat
Seattle starter George Kirby’s streak of 68 consecutive starts walking two or few batters was snapped on Saturday with three walks. It is the third-longest streak in major league history, trailing only right-handers Carlos Silva and Cy Young.
Up next
RHP Emerson Hancock (2-2, 5.04 ERA) will start for the Mariners on Sunday. RHP Luis Ortiz (3-7, 4.26) will start for the Guardians in the final game of the three-game set.
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