Tyler Naquin delivered a two-run home run in the eighth inning to help carry the Indians to a 5-3 victory over the Mariners that secured a split of the four-game series at Safeco Field on Thursday night.
“There’s something to be said for continuing to plug away,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “We fought back to take a lead and we had it for about 30 seconds, then off some pretty good pitchers, we found ways to score. We had to hang on like crazy.”
With the score tied, 2-2, in the eighth, Rajai Davis reached on a one-out walk. Naquin then sent an 0-2 pitch from Joaquin Benoit over the right-field wall for his fourth homer. The Indians added another unearned run set up by Benoit’s two-base throwing error.
“Benoit’s got some good stuff. I know his best secondary’s a split,” Naquin said. “That was always in the back of my mind, but he’s always had the heater. To see that split up, it wasn’t really that up in the zone, but just enough.”
The Mariners didn’t go down easy, however. Robinson Cano hit a solo homer, his second of the game and 18th of the season, off Bryan Shaw in the bottom of the eighth to cut the lead to 5-3. Then Kyle Seager singled and Adam Lind walked with two outs, prompting the Indians to turn to closer Cody Allen, who escaped the jam en route to a four-out save, his 13th save in 14 opportunities this season.
“That was a big game,” Allen said. “We needed that game, especially on our way out. To win that last game of a series, even though it’s a split. A four-game series is tough to win, take three out of four or even sweep, so to split. That’s a good team over there, so to split with them and get out of here and head off on a good note, that will be good for the rest of our trip.”
The late fireworks came after an early-game pitcher’s duel.
Click here to read more of this story.
About Marion Online Sports
