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 The Mariners second baseman belted two doubles off reigning American
League Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to help lead Seattle to a
3-2 win over the Cleveland Indians.
Cano came into the game hitting .169 in his last 15 games, but he
was 2-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI to help the Mariners begin
an eight-game road trip with a win.
"The stuff inside him that makes him great is the stuff that is
going to get him out of this," said McClendon of Cano's slump.
Left-hander Roenis Elias (3-3) got the win. Kluber (3-7) took the
loss. Right-hander Carson Smith pitched the ninth to pick up his
second save.
Cleveland catcher Yan Gomes belted two solo home runs to account for
Cleveland's runs.
Elias was the losing pitcher to Cleveland in a 4-3 Indians victory
in Seattle on May 30. In that game, Elias gave up four runs on five
hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
He was much better Tuesday night. In six innings he held the Indians
to one run on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
"He gives you a lot of different looks from a lot of different
angles," said Cleveland manager Terry Francona. "He doesn't give in
and has a real good feel for pitching."
After giving up the solo home run to Gomes in the second inning
Elias held Cleveland scoreless over the next four innings.
"He didn't have his best stuff, but as usual, he fought me when I
took him out," said McClendon, with a smile.
"I just try to go out there and do my job. All I'm thinking about
when I'm on the mound is winning," said Elias.
Kluber gave up one run in each of the first two innings, but held
Seattle scoreless on three hits over the next five innings. In seven
innings overall, Kluber gave up two runs on seven hits with four
strikeouts and three walks.
"It was one of those days where I wasn't as sharp as I'd like to be,
but I battled through it, and put together a decent start," Kluber
said. "They didn't really hit a lot of balls hard after the first
couple innings. It wasn't like they were hitting rockets off the
wall."
Left-hander Nick Hagadone relieved Kluber to start the eighth
inning, and Seattle quickly scored a run to make it 3-1. Left
fielder Dustin Ackley led off with a walk, and he went to third on a
double by third baseman Kyle Seager.
Right fielder Seth Smith followed with a single to right field,
scoring Ackley to extend the Mariners lead to 3-1.
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Smith came on to pitch the ninth leading 3-1, but Gomes, leading off
the inning, hit a 2-2 pitch into the left field bleachers to cut the
lead to 3-2. But Smith got the final three outs to end the game.
Seattle came into the game having scored three runs or fewer in each
of its last 12 games, but the Mariners scored two runs in the first
two innings. In the top of the first, first baseman Logan Morrison
extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a leadoff single.
Morrison was forced at second on a grounder to short hit by center
fielder Austin Jackson. Cano banged a double off the left field
wall, scoring Jackson with the first run of the game.
Seattle made it 2-0 with another run in the second inning. With one
out, Miller singled and stole second. Catcher Mike Zunino popped out
for the second out, but Morrison doubled to left field, driving in
Miller and giving the Mariners a 2-0 lead.
Gomes led off the bottom of the second with his first home run of
the season, over the wall in center field, cutting the Seattle lead
to 2-1.
NOTES: The Indians have optioned the left side of their infield to
Triple-A Columbus. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall, hitting .209, and SS Jose
Ramirez, hitting .180, were both optioned to Columbus. ... 3B
Giovanny Urshela and INF/OF Zach Walters were recalled from Triple-A
Columbus. Urshela will take over at third base for the demoted
Chisenhall. Manager Terry Francona said INF/OF Mike Aviles will get
the bulk of the playing time at shortstop, in place of the demoted
Ramirez. ... Seattle 2B Robinson Cano came into the game in a slump,
but he had two hits in one of his favorite ballparks to hit. Cano is
a career .320 hitter at Progressive Field. . . Mariners OF Nelson
Cruz the game in the middle of an at bat in the fifth inning with
tightness in his back. He is day-to-day.
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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