Tanner Bibee pitched six scoreless innings and struck out a career-high 12 batters as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 8-0 Wednesday night.
Josh Naylor hit two home runs to surpass Jose Ramirez for the team lead and Steven Kwan also went deep for the Guardians, who snapped a three-game skid.
The Mariners had a four-game winning streak come to an end and suffered just their second loss in the past 10 games.
Bibee (5-2) gave up three hits — doubles by Josh Rojas and Dominic Canzone and a single by Julio Rodriguez — and walked one. The right-hander surpassed his previous best of 11 strikeouts set in his last start June 12 at Cincinnati.
Scott Barlow, Hunter Gaddis and Emmanuel Clase each pitched a hitless inning of relief.
The Mariners’ Bryan Woo (3-1) took the loss. Woo, making his first start since June 6 because of right forearm discomfort, gave up three runs on four hits in four innings, with one walk and one strikeout.
The Guardians scored in each of the first two innings to take a 3-0 lead.
Kwan drew a leadoff walk in the first and came around to score on one-out singles to right by Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor.
In the second, Bo Naylor lined a two-out double to center and Kwan followed with a two-run shot off the right-field foul pole on an 0-1 fastball from Woo.
The Guardians doubled their lead in the fifth. Andres Gimenez drew a two-out walk, stole second and scored on Ramirez’s infield single. After Ramirez stole second, Josh Naylor belted a homer to right.
The Guardians made it 7-0 in the sixth as Daniel Schneemann walked with one out, stole second and scored on Bo Naylor’s two-out single to right.
Josh Naylor hit a solo shot in the seventh, his 19th of the season.
Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford and manager Scott Servais were ejected for arguing a called third strike by home-plate umpire Doug Eddings that ended the top of the fifth inning.
–Field Level Media