Rookie gets his first MLB win as Mariners rout Indians

Associated Press

CLEVELAND — Rookie Erik Swanson didn’t give up a hit until the sixth inning and got his first win, and Jay Bruce blasted a grand slam as the Seattle Mariners snapped a six-game losing streak with a 10-0 blowout of the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

Making his fourth career start, Swanson (1-3) had little trouble handling the Indians, who came in batting an AL-low .215. The right-hander, who grew up in Ohio, lost his no-hit bid with two out in the sixth when Jose Ramírez doubled.

Swanson was pulled after six innings and 106 pitches. Brendon Brennan, Mike Wright and Zac Rosscup completed the combined two-hitter.

Bruce homered in the first off Cody Anderson (0-1), Mitch Haniger hit a solo shot in the second and Edwin Encarnación belted a two-run homer in fifth as the Mariners ended a slide that threatened to drop them to .500 after a 13-2 start.

They also salvaged the series finale and last game this season against the Indians, who had beaten them five consecutive times.

Seattle leads the majors with 68 homers.

The Mariners staked Swanson to a big lead, and he did the rest.

He was perfect through three innings and worked around a pair of walks in the fourth. He got two outs in the sixth before the switch-hitting Ramírez pulled a 3-2 pitch into the right-field corner.

Bruce connected for his eighth career slam in the first off Anderson, who didn’t make it through one inning of his first start since Sept. 24, 2016. The right-hander was called up from Triple-A Columbus because the Indians needed a starter after placing ace Corey Kluber on the injured list Friday with a broken arm.

Anderson missed most of the past two seasons following Tommy John surgery. Before the game, Indians manager Terry Francona said he wanted Anderson to “attack while he’s in there.”

That wasn’t long.

Anderson walked two and gave up a one-out single in the first before Bruce launched his 11th homer over the wall in right-center. It’s been feast or famine this season for Bruce, who came in with just 18 hits, and the slam was a nice change for the Mariners after they hit four solo homers in Saturday’s 5-4 loss.

Haniger made it 5-0 in the second with his eighth homer, a lined shot into the left-field bleachers. Encarnación’s 10th homer — and second in two days — off Dan Otero put the Mariners up 8-0.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: 3B Ryon Healy was out of the lineup for the second straight day because of groin tightness, but he took grounders before the game. He was removed from Friday’s game in the fifth inning.

UP NEXT

Mariners: Félix Hernández (1-2, 4.31 ERA) opens a four-game series in New York, matching up against CC Sabathia. The right-hander is 7-2 with a 1.99 ERA in 12 career starts against the Yankees.