Mariners Game Recap: Mariners Win Streak Reaches 5 as They Beat the Royals

Seattle Mariners

6

Final

Kansas City Royals

4

The Seattle Mariners extended their wining streak to five games on Monday afternoon against the Kansas City Royals with the help of three home runs.

The Seattle Mariners (15-12-2) beat the defending World Series Champion Kansas City Royals (12-18) 6-4 on Monday afternoon in Peoria, AZ.  Joaquin Benoit (1-0, 1.80 ERA) was credited with the win, and John Lannan (0-2, 5.23 ERA) was tagged with the loss for the Royals. Joel Peralta closed the door with a 1-2-3 9th inning to earn his first save of the spring.

Nate “the Great” Karns, who had just been announced as the fifth starter took the mound for the Mariners.  He allowed 5 hits in 6 innings of work this afternoon and just 2 earned runs and had 5 strikeouts.    A solid spring afternoon for the Mariners fifth starter against a split squad Royals team.

Karns allowed a run in the first inning after giving  up a triple to lead off the game to Alcides Escobar and a ground out by Kendrys Morales to second base to score Escobar.  Karns allowed a leadoff single in the second inning to Reymond Fuentes and was able to retire the next three batters consecutively.  In the third inning he gave up a leadoff single to Clint Barmes who would score on a throwing error by Kyle Seager on a ground ball hit by Alcides Escobar.  Alex Gordon then singled off of Seager’s glove to score Escobar.    Karns then settled down to have a quiet fourth and fifth inning facing the minimum amount of batters.  In the sixth, Frank Schwindel reached on a throwing error by Mariners shortstop Rayder Ascanio.   Schwindel would go on to score on a ground out by Paulo Orlando.

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The Mariners started their scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning Monday afternoon.  Nelson Cruz started the scoring with a line drive solo home run to left field off of the starter Kris Medlen.   Chris Iannetta reached on an error by the Royals short stop Humberto Arteaga.  Then after a single by Ketel Marte, Leonys Martin singled to score Iannetta.

In the bottom of the fifth Robinson Cano continued his current tear by crushing a home run to center field.  Cano has been scorching hot as of late.  He called his shot to Felix Hernandez in the dugout.

Marte would follow with an RBI single to score Nelson Cruz before the fifth inning was over.  In the bottom of the seventh after an Iannetta walk, minor leaguer Brock Hebert homered to give the Mariners a 6-4 lead that they would not relinquish.

The Mariners relievers had a very good day today.  Joaquin Benoit had a 1-2-3 seventh inning.  Vidal Nuno gave up a double before retiring the side in the eighth.  And Joel Peralta closed it out in the ninth.  This is exactly what the Mariners have been looking for from their bullpen.  If the bullpen can reproduce this for an entire season this team can be pretty special.

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The Seattle Mariners (15-12-2) will visit the Cleveland Indians (13-12) in Goodyear, Arizona. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm from Goodyear Park. Taiwan Walker (1-2, 6.88 ERA) will take the mound for the Mariners. Josh Tomlin (0-0, 7.15 ERA) will be on the bump for Cleveland tomorrow.