CLEVELAND _ For the first time in the 2018 season, the Mariners rolled out all nine of their position players for the projected every day lineup. Because of injuries they had to wait till game No. 24 of their season to see what it might be really like in a game.
The early reviews were positive in the Mariners' 5-4 win over the Indians on Thursday.
Every run was needed after the middle relievers in Seattle's bullpen, which had been so dominant in the previous two games in Chicago, gave up a two-run lead in the seventh inning. But Kyle Seager, who had three hits on the night, drove in the decisive run in the top of the eighth, doubling high off the wall in left field and scoring pinch runner Ichiro with the go-ahead run.
Relievers Juan Nicasio and Edwin Diaz made the lead hold up.
Nicasio worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning, while Diaz worked around a one-out walk to Francisco Lindor to pick up his MLB-leading 11th save of the season.
The new lineup provided starter James Paxton some early run support and looked like it might put up some big numbers against Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger. But they settled for just a combined four runs off Clevinger.
In his first at-bat off the disabled list, Ryon Healy produced a two-out single up the middle. He scored moments later on Dee Gordon's triple to left-center. Jean Segura followed with a double into the left-field corner to make it 2-0. Robinson Cano capped off the inning with a line drive single to left that scored Segura.
The Mariners added to the lead an inning later as Mike Zunino made it 4-0. Seattle probably should have had a fifth run in the fifth when it appeared that Cano hit a homer to left field. But MLB replay overruled the call on the field despite some sketchy video evidence.
Paxton gave the Mariners another solid outing, but he still has yet to work seven complete innings this season _ a barrier that he needs to break through at some point.
Paxton pitched six innings, giving up two runs on five hits with three walks and 10 strikeouts.
While throwing too many pitches early that snowballed his pitch count, it was one of his final pitches that he'll want back. Paxton had worked the first 5 2/3 innings without allowing a run. But in a protracted at-bat with former teammate Yonder Alonso, Paxton left a 98 mph fastball over the middle of the plate. It was the ninth pitch of the at-bat and it was crushed over the wall in right field for a two-run homer.
