PEORIA, Ariz.
(AP) — Taijuan Walker faced his first bit of trouble so far in spring training but escaped a second-inning jam to help the Seattle Mariners defeat the Cleveland Indians 5-2 on Thursday night.
Walker, unscored upon in eight innings entering his fourth start of the spring, struck out five in four shutout innings. He walked two, gave up two hits and hit a batter with a pitch, but didn’t damage his bid to make the Mariners’ opening-day rotation.
“I was up with the fastball and threw too many fastballs,” Walker said. “Everything’s feeling good. Just that one inning I got in trouble, so I have to try to fix that and limit that, but I feel strong.”
Kyle Seager had three hits and Robinson Cano drove in two runs with a fifth-inning double for the Mariners. Dustin Ackley went 2 for 3 with two RBIs, raising his spring average to .455.
“Guys got some good swings on the ball and we were able to find some outfield grass,” Ackley said.
Courtesy Keith Allison
Ackley drove in the Mariners’ first run with second-inning single off Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco, who allowed a run and six hits in 3 2-3 innings. He struck out two and walked two.
Michael Brantley tied the game at 1 in the fifth with a two-out RBI single.
Ackley made a diving catch in left field to end the second inning.
Courtesy Keith Allison
Cleveland third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall took a hit away from Seth Smith in the third. Chisenhall lunged to his right for a hard-hit ball down the line and made a strong throw to first to get Smith.
The Indians turned a first-to-home-to-first double play in the fourth with no outs and the bases loaded.