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Seattle Mariners

Jarred Kelenic announces arrival as Mariners top Indians 7-3

Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners' Jarred Kelenic reacts to the home run of Mitch Haniger as he heads in to score against the Cleveland Indians during the seventh inning of a baseball game Friday, May 14, 2021, in Seattle. (Associated Press)
By Tim Booth Associated Press

SEATTLE – Prized prospect Jarred Kelenic made his first major league hit memorable with a two-run homer and later added a pair of doubles, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 7-3 win over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.

After going hitless in his big league debut Thursday night, Kelenic brought the crowd to its feet with his first career long ball in the third inning. He stayed with an off-speed pitch from Aaron Civale, but still had the power to drive it 403 feet out to right-center field.

The ball was clocked at 109.3 mph off the bat and Kelenic’s sprint around the bases seemed just as fast. He embraced fellow young Seattle star Kyle Lewis in the dugout with a bear hug and tipped his cap to the fans when their standing ovation didn’t stop.

The 21-year-old Kelenic became the youngest Mariners player to homer since Adam Jones in 2006 and joined Lewis in hitting a home run for their first major league hits. Lewis did it in September 2019.

Kelenic added a pair of hustling doubles in the fifth and seventh, the second scoring Sam Haggerty to give Seattle a 5-1 lead. Mitch Haniger followed with a two-run homer off reliever Phil Maton, his 11th of the season, to cap the four-run inning for Seattle.

Kyle Seager also homered in the first off Civale, his eighth of the season.

Civale (5-1) allowed a season-high five earned runs in 6⅔ innings. He gave up seven hits and struck out six.

Seattle starter Chris Flexen allowed just one run in 5⅔ innings and won his third straight decision. The only run Cleveland managed off Flexen (4-1) was Jordan Luplow’s RBI single in the fifth. Flexen permitted five hits and failed to record a strikeout for the second time in three starts.

Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer in the ninth for Cleveland. Rafael Montero got the final out for his fifth save.

More on Kelenic: Kelenic became the fifth player in Mariners history with three or more hits in his first two career games, and the first since Carlos Guillén in 1998. Kelenic also is the 18th player in baseball history with three or more extra-base hits in his first two career games.

Homers at home: Seager’s first-inning drive was his 83rd career home run at T-Mobile Park, tying him with Nelson Cruz and Raul Ibanez for the most in the history of the 22-year-old stadium.

Trainers’ room: Indians: Eddie Rosario was hit on the left foot with the first pitch of the ninth inning by JT Chargois. Rosario was lifted for a pinch-runner.

Mariners: Placed two starters on the 10-day injured list as 1B Evan White (hip) and INF/DH Ty France will both be sidelined. White was hurt diving to field a grounder in Thursday’s game. France has been bothered by his left wrist for a little while. There was no timetable given for either player. The Mariners recalled INF Donnie Walton and INF Jack Mayfield from Triple-A Tacoma.