Late-inning homers not enough for Mariners

April 16th, 2019

SEATTLE -- Make it 19 straight games with a home run for the Mariners as the long-ball show continued at T-Mobile Park on Monday, though Seattle waited until the eighth inning to unleash back-to-back blasts by and in a 6-4 loss to the Indians.

The two late homers extended the Mariners’ Major League record for consecutive games with a home run to start the season, well beyond the previous mark of 14 set by the 2002 Indians.

Despite the late push, the Mariners endured their fourth straight loss and fell to 13-6, while Cleveland snapped a three-game skid of its own and is now 9-7.

“It was tough to get much going early tonight against [Trevor] Bauer,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Obviously he had good stuff and threw the ball well. We’ve seen some good pitching lately.”

Bauer and a pair of relievers kept the Mariners in the yard until Encarnacion and Narvaez unloaded on lefty Oliver Perez. Encarnacion’s two-run bolt was his fifth of the season and Narvaez's solo shot his third.

The Mariners’ 19-game homer streak ties for the second-longest in club history at any point in a season. Seattle’s record for consecutive games with a homer is 23 set from June 20 to July 19, 2013, while the Mariners also had a 19-game streak in September of 1999.

The Major League record for consecutive games with a home run at any point in a season is 27 by the '02 Rangers.

The two homers cut the Indians’ lead to 5-4 after Cleveland scored twice in the top of the eighth -- without recording a hit -- when Seattle relievers Zac Rosscup, Connor Sadzeck and Shawn Armstrong combined for four walks, a hit batter and two wild pitches.

Bauer struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings while allowing five hits, three walks and one run. Mariners lefty Yusei Kikuchi took the loss, giving up five hits, three walks and three runs over six innings and is now 0-1 with a 4.23 ERA in five starts.

The Mariners got to Bauer once in the sixth on a double by Mitch Haniger and a run-scoring single by Domingo Santana. They threatened again in the seventh, but Indians reliever Adam Cimber struck out Haniger with the bases loaded.

Santana went 3-for-4 to hike his average up to .354 with 24 RBIs, which leads the Majors.