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Seattle Mariners

Kyle Seager’s slam powers Mariners to streak-busting 9-3 victory over Indians

M’s Logan Morrison is on career-high 16-game hit streak. (Associated Press)
Bob Dutton Tacoma News Tribune

CLEVELAND – One swing changed everything and closed the book on an unwanted franchise record for scoring futility.

Kyle Seager hit a grand slam in the third inning Wednesday night that propelled the Seattle Mariners to a 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.

That’s not all.

Seager’s slam also ended a club-record streak of failing to score four runs that had reached 13 games. It’s been 43 years since an American League club stumbled through such futility.

That was the 1972 Texas Rangers…one season before the A.L. adopted the designated hitter. That’s right: These Mariners are the only A.L. club in the DH era to go 13 straight games without scoring at least four runs.

So this was long overdue.

“I think we all knew it was coming,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “It was like a volcano, so to speak. It finally erupted. It was nice to see.”

There were two outs when Seager turned on a 1-1 fastball from Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer, who had loaded the bases with three walks.

“I walked a couple of guys and gave up a homer,” Bauer said. “That about sums it up. If I knew what happened, I’d fix it.”

Oddly, or perhaps coincidentally, Seager hit a slam on May 26 – the last time the Mariners scored more than three runs. That was in a 7-6 victory at Tampa Bay when Seager’s solo homer in the 10th provided the winning run.

The Mariners stretched their lead to 6-0 on Logan Morrison’s two-run double in the fourth inning, which also extended Morrison’s career-best hitting streak to 16 games.

Seager and Seth Smith had RBI doubles in a three-run seventh that blew the game open. Mark Trumbo added an RBI single. The lead climbed to 9-1.

Now add another encouraging start from Taijuan Walker, who pitched around some early jams and then held the line after his error in the fourth inning permitted the Indians to score their first run.

Walker was covering first when he failed to catch a throw from shortstop Brad Miller on what began as a potential double-play grounder to first.

“I wasn’t happy about (the error),” Walker said, “and I was a little gassed running over there. I had to regroup. Earlier in the year, situations like that, I’d kind of fold. Now, I have the confidence to keep going after them.”

Overall, Walker (3-6) was solid in a third straight quality start. He gave up one run in six innings.