SEATTLE -- Given their schedule to begin the 2026 season, the Guardians securing a split in Seattle after Sunday's 8-0 loss is a victory. But they also recognize they had an opportunity for more.
“Obviously, we would have loved to have won the series,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “But to walk away with a split to start the year, we feel pretty good.”
The Guardians went 2-2 in their four-gamer against the Mariners. Next up is a three-game set against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Then, they’ll return to Cleveland for their home opener against another postseason hopeful in the Cubs.
For now, here are a few moments that mattered most from Sunday’s finale.
The outfield
It was an interesting night for CJ Kayfus, who was making his second career big league start in left field. He did not come up with a few plays in important spots that ultimately helped spark a pair of Mariners rallies.
With Slade Cecconi on the mound in the fourth, Kayfus chased a two-out fly ball that Dominic Canzone hit near the foul line. Kayfus ultimately entered a slide, but appeared to start his slide too early. The ball deflected off his chest and fell in for a double.
Mariners shortstop Leo Rivas followed with an RBI single, and Brendan Donovan then hit a two-run homer to give Seattle a 4-0 lead.
“I just didn't make the play,” Kayfus said. “But unfortunately, that led to a big inning.”
The Guardians are playing Steven Kwan in both left and center field this season in an effort to help inject more offensive punch into the lineup through the outfield corners. There is a natural sacrifice they are making defensively as a result; Kwan has won four straight Gold Glove Awards in left.
Ultimately, the Guardians' best left fielder started in center on Sunday. To some degree, there were some unfortunate circumstances. Kayfus was positioned toward the left-center-field gap and relatively deep with Canzone at the plate. He ultimately covered 107 feet before coming up just shy of making the play.
Cal Raleigh hit a ball to a similar spot in the sixth against right-hander Peyton Pallette. Kayfus was again positioned deep and toward the gap. He covered 114 feet, though he appeared to pull up early as the ball dropped in fair and bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double. Donovan scored to give the Mariners a 6-0 lead.
Canzone and Raleigh are each pull hitters, and the Guardians were playing them as such, given Kayfus’ positioning. Entering Sunday, Canzone’s career pull percentage was 40.3, and Raleigh’s was 49.5 percent. That is the highest for both in any direction.
Nonetheless, both plays were makeable.
“He was in the right position,” Vogt said of Kayfus. “They had a couple of balls that found the line. It's a relatively new position for CJ. A couple of unfortunate plays that went their way. They made us pay for them.”
A tale of two heaters
Cecconi had some tough luck in his first start of the season. He woke up feeling under the weather and sounded like it after Sunday’s loss. He was ultimately charged with six runs on six hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings.
“I gave everything I had. Just all my velocities were down,” Cecconi said. “Still, I think I executed pretty well. I think they got a few runs on some executed pitches and a few that weren't.”
Cecconi’s four-seamer averaged 94.3 mph in 2025, but averaged 92.3 mph on Sunday. After Canzone’s double fell in on a sliding Kayfus, Rivas hit an RBI single on an 89.5 mph four-seamer up and away. Donovan’s homer came on a 92.1 mph fastball at the top of the zone.
“That had nothing to do with why the runs came across,” Cecconi said of the Canzone double. “That was just one play on a not-so-easy catch that ended up letting the inning continue. Look at two 1-1 fastballs that were executed well at the top rail. They just didn't have as much giddy-up as they usually do, and they were able to get to them.”
The Guardians expect their rotation to be a strength this year. It is early. Thus far, they’re tied for the MLB lead in walks, with 14. One of Cecconi’s free passes on Sunday directly preceded Donovan’s homer.
DeLauter’s streak ends
With the Mariners leading 7-0, David Fry replaced Chase DeLauter in right field in the eighth inning. DeLauter (whose single in the seventh was the Guardians’ first hit of the night) finished 1-for-3. This ended the home run streak he’d built to start his Major League career, as he’ll continue to be tied with former Mariner Kyle Lewis (‘19) and Trevor Story (‘16) as the only players to hit a home run in each of their first three career regular-season games.