CLEVELAND (AP) — José Ramírez slid past catcher Cal Raleigh’s tag to score the winning run in the 12th inning, giving the Cleveland Guardians a 7-6 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
Teoscar Hernández’s two-out single gave the Mariners a 6-5 lead in the top of the 12th, but Seattle’s bullpen faltered again.
Ramírez beat the throw from second baseman Kolten Wong on Josh Bell’s ground ball. Amed Rosario began the inning at second base and Penn Murfee (1-2) walked Ramírez intentionally. The runners moved up on Murfee’s wild pickoff throw to second base. Josh Naylor’s groundout tied the game.
Cleveland rookie Will Brennan tied the game twice — with a two-out, two-run double in the ninth and an RBI single in the 11th.
The Mariners took the lead again in the 12th. Nick Sandlin struck out two with Julio Rodríguez at second. Cal Raleigh was intentionally walked before Hernández’s single to left field.
The Guardians loaded the bases with two outs in the 11th, but JB Bukauskas, called up from Triple-A Tacoma before the game, struck out Rosario looking on a 3-2 pitch.
Jarred Kelenic’s one-out double and Wong’s sacrifice fly in the 11th gave Seattle a 5-3 lead. Andrés Giménez’s double off Bukauskas scored automatic runner Josh Naylor in the bottom of the inning. Following a groundout, Brennan delivered again, bouncing a single to right through a drawn-in infield.
Rookie Tim Herrin (1-0) recorded the final out in the 12th for his first major league win.
Seattle starter George Kirby allowed one run in six innings. Raleigh hit a two-run homer in the first for the Mariners.
Tommy La Stella’s RBI groundout added a run in the ninth, but Matt Brash couldn’t hold the 3-1 lead. Naylor walked and Giménez singled with one out. Bell struck out, but Brennan hit a 2-0 pitch over the head of right fielder Hernández, scoring both runners.
The season series between the teams is already over with the Guardians winning four of seven.
Cleveland’s Zach Plesac allowed two runs in six innings. He remained in the game after being struck in the back of the right shoulder by Hernández’s line drive in the fourth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: Andrés Muñoz, who led AL relievers in strikeouts last season, was put on the 15-day injured list because of a right deltoid strain.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will pitch the opener of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday night.
Guardians: RHP Shane Bieber (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will start against the New York Yankees in the first of a three-game series Monday night at Progressive Field.