Game Recap 4/1/24 | Guardians Lose to the Mariners 5-4

Post-Game Recap

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3 Things Around The Game

1 – McKenzie

Triston McKenzie had some troubles with his command, and it cost him with a Dominic Canzone three-run home run with both runners coming on walks.   McKenzie went 3.1 innings, four earned with two strikeouts.

2 – Outfield guns

The Guardians kept the Mariners from pulling away with two putouts from the outfield: one by Tyler Freeman, who threw out Ty France in the bottom of the 4th, and the other by Steven Kwan, who threw out Julio Rodriguez in the bottom of the 7th.   The Guardians’ outfield defense early on has been impressive through five games.

3 – Walks

Cleveland’s pitching had six walks, three of which came around to score.  Reliever Nick Sandlin forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk and eventually scored the game-winning run. 

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Game Summary

Dominic Canzone smashed a three-run homer, while Julio Rodríguez electrified the crowd with two sensational catches as the Seattle Mariners clinched a narrow 5-4 victory against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night.

Canzone’s decisive blow came during the second inning against Guardians’ starter Triston McKenzie (0-1). Earlier in the inning, Ty France ignited the Mariners’ offense with an RBI single, setting the stage for Canzone’s heroics. Launching a towering 411-foot shot to center field, Canzone extended the Mariners’ lead to 4-0 with his first home run of the season.

Cleveland fought back with determination, tallying two runs in the top of the third. Ramón Laureano, struck by a pitch, joined forces with Bo Naylor and Brayan Rocchio to load the bases, allowing Laureano to cross the plate on a groundout by Steven Kwan. Andrés Giménez then brought home Naylor with a sacrifice fly, closing the gap to 4-2.

Meanwhile, Rodríguez showcased his defensive prowess by denying Guardians’ DH Will Brennan twice. With a spectacular leaping grab near the center field wall in the second inning and a sliding catch in left-center in the fourth, Rodríguez left the crowd roaring in approval, punctuating each catch with his trademark “No Fly Zone” gesture towards the fans in center field.

Luis Urías widened the Mariners’ lead in the fourth with a bases-loaded walk, pushing the score to 5-2.

Cleveland’s Tyler Freeman narrowed the deficit with a solo homer off Mariners’ starter Emerson Hancock in the sixth, but Hancock (1-0) held his ground, pitching 5 1/3 innings and securing his first MLB win with resilience.

In the eighth, Josh Naylor’s solo homer brought the Guardians within one run, but Mariners’ reliever Andrés Muñoz held firm to maintain the lead.

Ryne Stanek sealed the victory with a scoreless ninth inning, notching his first save of the season for the Mariners.

Reflecting on the game, Mariners manager Scott Servais commended his team’s resilience, particularly after struggling offensively over the weekend. With seven hits and six walks, the Mariners displayed a marked improvement at the plate, signaling positive momentum moving forward.

Up Next

Cleveland right-hander Shane Bieber (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will pitch Tuesday against Seattle righty Luis Castillo (0-1, 7.20 ERA).

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