Seattle Mariners Game Recap: M’s Beat Cleveland 5-2

Mar 4, 2015; Peoria, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (32) pitches against the San Diego Padres during a spring training baseball game at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners rode a strong outing from Taijuan Walker as they cruised to victory over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday night in Peoria. Despite allowing a run in his lone inning of work, David Rollins (1-0, 1.42 ERA) picked up his first win of the spring. TJ House (1-1, 4.97 ERA) was tonight’s losing pitcher after struggling in relief for Cleveland.

The M’s struck first in the second inning on Thursday evening following a string of singles. All Star third baseman Kyle Seager led off the second by singling on a sharp ground ball to right field. Logan Morrison followed with a single of his own on a ground ball to right field. The M’s had runners on first and second with none out. Dustin Ackley made it three singles in a row when he lined the first pitch he saw into center field. Michael Bourn had trouble fielding the ball in center, and Seager hustled around to score from second base to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead.

Cleveland stormed back to tie the game at 1 in the top of the fifth inning. After receiving four shutout innings from Taijuan Walker, the M’s turned to stellar southpaw David Rollins. Erik Gonzalez hit a groundball into right field to lead off the frame for Cleveland. After Rollins was able to retire the next two hitters, Michael Brantley cashed in Gonzalez on a single to left field.

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The momentum gained by Cleveland in the top of the fifth was quickly squashed by the Mariners in the bottom half of the inning. Austin Jackson led off the frame by lining a single to center field. Following a Seth Smith walk, Robinson Cano laced a two run double into the right-center field gap. Cano’s double was a laser beam that rolled all the way to the wall. Dustin Ackley drove in his second run of the game when he hit a two out single to center field. The Mariners took a 4-1 lead into the sixth inning.

The M’s extended their lead in the bottom of the seventh. Patrick Kivlehan is opening some eyes this spring, and he collected another hit tonight by singling to center field. Youngster Jabari Bash bashed a double into the left-center field gap to bring the sprinting Kivlehan around to score all the way from first base. However, Bash was a bit bashful, and he was thrown out trying to turn his double into a triple. The Mariners led 5-1 after seven innings on Thursday night in Peoria.

Cleveland must have been inspired by some of the March Madness action on Thursday morning because they attempted a last second comeback of their own. Top prospect Francisco Lindor narrowed the gap to three when he took a Matt Anderson offering over the wall in right field. Lindor has star written all over him, and tonight he gave Cleveland fans a sampling of what the future holds.

Thankfully, that was as close as Cleveland could get tonight, and the Mariners held on for a 5-2 win.

Click here for the entire box score from Thursday night’s game.

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