SEATTLE (AP) — Jorge Polanco and Mitch Haniger homered, and Seattle’s slumping offense produced a season high in runs as the Mariners beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-3 Monday night.
The Mariners had their highest scoring game since August 26, 2023, when they scored 13 times against the Kansas City Royals. Seattle entered Monday’s game batting .204.
George Kirby (2-2) returned to form for Seattle, allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and no walks in six innings. The 26-year-old right-hander had yielded 13 runs over his last 7 1/3 innings pitched.
Polanco, acquired from the Minnesota Twins in the offseason, hit his second home run in two days. J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodríguez reached on walks by Frankie Montas, and Polanco followed with a three-run shot that capped a three-run first inning for Seattle.
Montas (2-2) lasted only two innings, surrendering five runs on two homers with five walks. He struggled with command, throwing 34 strikes out of 66 pitches.
Haniger chased Montas, belting a two-run homer in the third that gave Seattle a 5-1 lead. Montas was replaced in the bottom of the third by Nick Martinez.
In his first MLB game after being recalled from Triple-A Tacoma, Jonatan Clase, the Mariners’ No. 10 prospect, recorded his first MLB hit and RBI in the sixth with a single to left. He nearly had his first big league hit in the fourth, but was robbed by Elly De La Cruz, who made a fantastic sliding catch in shallow left field.
Jeimer Candelario and Jake Fraley added solo homers for the Reds. Fraley also added a check swing RBI double in the fourth, going 2 for 4 with the two RBIs.
Along with an early homer in the third, Haniger added an RBI double down the left field line that extended Seattle’s lead in the seventh. It was followed by a sacrifice fly from Ty France and an RBI triple by Luke Raley.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Cincinnati: LHP Sam Moll (left shoulder) continues his rehab and plans to pitch Wednesday and Saturday. … RHP Ian Gibaut (right forearm) is scheduled to pitch Tuesday and Wednesday.
Seattle: OF Dominic Canzone had an MRI on Monday and was diagnosed with a left shoulder strain. There is no timeline for his return, but he is expected to be out for a couple of weeks.
UP NEXT
Reds RHP Hunter Greene (0-1, 4.86) will face Seattle RHP Logan Gilbert (0-0, 2.66) on Tuesday.
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Mariners call up 21-year-old prospect Jonatan Clase in hopes of sparking an underperforming offense
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners called up top prospect Jonatan Clase on Monday, looking to help spark an offense that has underperformed in the first 2 1/2 weeks of the season.
Clase was in the lineup batting eighth and playing left field in Monday’s series opener against Cincinnati. He said it was surreal seeing a locker waiting for him in the Seattle clubhouse.
“That was crazy to see my name,” Clase said.
Clase, a 21-year-old switch-hitting outfielder, was hitting .311 with four doubles, two triple and two homers in 12 games with Triple-A Tacoma to begin the season. He spent last season split between Single-A Everett and Double-A Arkansas. He appeared in 15 spring training games with the Mariners, who so far are batting .204 in the regular season and have an .590 OPS.
Clase is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in Seattle’s organization.
“He’s an interesting player,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “He has a great tool set. He can really run; he’s a switch hitter. He’s really worked to get his body in the shape he’s gotten in.”
He takes the roster spot of outfielder Dominic Canzone, who landed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder suffered after crashing into the outfield wall while making a catch in Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Cubs. There’s no timeline on his recovery, Servais said Monday, but Canzone will be out for at least a few weeks.
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