Mariners Game Recap: Speed Thrills, but M’s Fall to the Tribe

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Mar 1, 2016; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians players and coaches look on during the national anthem before facing the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 1, 2016; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cleveland Indians players and coaches look on during the national anthem before facing the Cincinnati Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Indians staged a late rally to beat the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday afternoon in Goodyear, AZ.

The Cleveland Indians (2-4) edged the Seattle Mariners (3-4) on Tuesday afternoon, winning 4-3 in Goodyear, AZ. The M’s put up a good fight, but a late push by the Indians was just enough to come away with the win. Dan Otero (1-1, 3.00 ERA) earned the win for the home side, and Vidal Nuno (0-1, 6.75 ERA) took the loss for the M’s. Bryan Shaw shut the door on Seattle in the ninth for his first save of the spring for the Tribe.

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Nate Karns got the start for Seattle, and required just 8 pitches to retire the side in the first inning. However, he was tested more in the second frame. The 28-year-old right-hander allowed runners to reach second and third base with none out, but he managed to escape unscathed. Karns ran into more trouble in the third, and this time he was unable to dance out of danger. Cleveland plated a pair of runs off Karns in the third. Nate exited the game after allowing two runs on five hits across three innings of work. This afternoon’s outing was a decent showing for Karns, who is battling James Paxton for the final spot in the M’s starting rotation.

Tony Zych took over for Karns in the fourth inning. Zych is one of the M’s top young arms, and he struck out a pair of Indians en route to pitching a perfect inning. Joe Wieland retired the side in order in the fifth for the Mariners, but he allowed the a run to score in the sixth. Wieland was called on again in the seventh, and he responded with a spotless inning to keep it a one-run game. Vidal Nuno allowed a leadoff triple in the eighth, which led to the go-ahead run crossing the plate.

Mike Zunino plated the first run of the game for the Mariners on a sacrifice fly to center field in the second inning. Zunino had a rough season in 2015, but it was nice to see him come through in the clutch this afternoon. Shawn O’Malley had another nice game, going 1 for 2 with a run scored and a pair of stolen bases against the Tribe. The Southridge, WA product is hitting .500 this spring, and he has swiped 4 bases thus far.

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Dan Robertson‘s great spring training continued on Tuesday. The Oregon State alum surprised everyone in the ballpark with a two-out RBI bunt single in the 5th inning. Robertson also worked a walk in his first at bat, and made a great running catch on the warning track in left field. He is now hitting .545 this spring, and he may just force his way onto the M’s opening day roster.

Mariners’ fans got their first opportunity to see Drew Jackson play this afternoon. The 22-year-old top prospect took over for Chris Taylor at shortstop in the sixth inning. He was robbed of an extra-base hit by a diving James Ramsey in right field during his first at bat, and flied out deep to center field in the ninth. The Stanford alum was awarded with the Northwest League MVP last season after hitting .358 with 2 home runs, 26 RBI and 47 stolen bases across 59 games with the Everett AquaSox. Hopefully we will get more chances to see Jackson play this spring with the big league club.

Next: Mariners Roundtable: Grading the M's Offseason

The Seattle Mariners (3-4) will return home to Peoria, AZ on Wednesday afternoon to host the Kansas City Royals (3-5). First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 pm PT from the Peoria Sports Complex. Taijuan Walker (0-1, 4.50 ERA) will be on the bump for the M’s, and Matt Strahm (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will toe the rubber for the defending World Series champs. Root Sports will carry the game live locally, and MLB.tv subscribers can watch worldwide on connected devices.

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