Major League Baseball: Mariners 4, Royals 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) The weather finally turned Wednesday and gave Seattle a warm, sun-splashed afternoon in Kansas City, and the Mariners made sure to relish the spring-like temperatures. Kyle Seager hit a go-ahead homer with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Mariners held on to beat the Royals 4-2 to wrap up a winning seven-game journey that covered 10 days and about 5,200 miles.
Nick Vincent (1-0) worked a perfect seventh, and Juan Nicasio retired three in a row after putting runners on the corners, before closer Edwin Diaz entered for the ninth.
Diaz worked around shortstop Jean Seguras second error of the game to earn his fourth save.
The Royals Danny Duffy and Brad Keller turned a 2-2 game over to reliever Justin Grimm (0-1), and he quickly got the first two outs in the eighth. But after walking Mitch Haniger, the reliever hung a 1-1 pitch that Seager popped into the Royals bullpen in right field.
Seager also drove in a run with sacrifice fly in the first to provide most of Seattles offense.
After the first inning really good, but you dont get to subtract any inning from any outing, Duffy said. When I take the ball, I expect the bullpen not to be used much, and that hasnt been the case. I was off in the first inning. There was no excuse for that.
What turned into a pitchers duel Wednesday looked as if itd be a high-scoring affair early.
Duffy gave up a single, walked three, withstood an ugly error by his catcher and at one point loaded the bases, only to escape the inning having surrendered just two runs.
Paxton countered by walking his first batter and allowing a single, but came through unscathed when Jon Jay was thrown out trying to steal third and Cheslor Cuthbert grounded out to end the inning.
The Royals eventually knotted the game at 2 in the fourth on Paulo Orlandos two-out double.
Duffys pitch count did him in, and the left-hander was lifted after getting the first out in the fifth inning. He allowed four hits and three walks but also struck out seven.
Paxton scattered six hits and a walk while keeping the Royals at bay.
Paxton did a great job of bearing down when we got runners in scoring position. We were 1-for-11, Royals manager Ned Yost said. Not real productive in that phase of our game today.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy tries to build on a solid start to his season when the Royals begin a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.
