Indians 4, Mariners 3
SEATTLE -- The Cleveland Indians jumped out to an early lead and held on to beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Saturday night.
Right fielder Jerry Sands, who was called up from Triple-A two days ago, hit a two-run homer to give the Indians a 3-0 lead in the second inning. Pinch-hitter David Murphy, who was batting for Sands in the sixth, added an RBI single to give Cleveland some breathing room at 4-2.
The Mariners pulled within a run in the seventh and had several chances to tie or take the lead but couldn't get the clutch hit. Seattle was 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Indians closer Cody Allen came on to get the final out of the eighth and ended up with his 11th save of the season. He pitched more than an inning for the first time this season.
After giving up a leadoff single to Austin Jackson in the ninth, Allen got Seth Smith to fly out and finished the save when Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano grounded into a game-ending double play.
Cleveland starter Shaun Marcum (2-0) picked up the win after giving up five hits and two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings.
The Indians (22-27) overcame a two-run homer from Cano, who was in the starting lineup for the first time since Wednesday because of flu-like symptoms. Cano hit his second home run of the season in the third, pulling the Mariners to within 3-2.
Seattle has now hit at least one home run in nine consecutive games.
Mariners starter Roenis Elias (2-2) allowed four earned runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings, walking four with three strikeouts. Elias had allowed just three runs in his previous three starts, a span of 20 innings.
A sixth-inning RBI single from Murphy gave the Indians a 4-2 lead before Seattle got the run back with a Dustin Ackley RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.
Trailing 4-3, Seattle loaded the bases in the seventh but couldn't capitalize, as third baseman Kyle Seager struck out to end the inning. Seager had two doubles in the loss.
The Mariners (24-25) were hoping to go above .500 for the first time since coming out of Opening Day with a 1-0 record.
A two-run homer from Sands in the top of the second helped give Cleveland a 3-0 lead. Sands, who was promoted Thursday to fill in while first baseman Carlos Santana is on paternity leave, hit a 1-2 pitch over the right-field fence for his first major league home run since June 16, 2014.
Seattle cut the deficit to 3-2 on a two-run homer by Cano in the third. Cano's two-out blast, his second home run of the season, came in his first game back in the starting lineup since being overcome by flulike symptoms late Wednesday night.
The Indians took a 1-0 lead on designated hitter Nick Swisher's bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the first.
NOTES: The Mariners are shutting down injured starter James Paxton (strained finger ligament) for two weeks before re-evaluating the injury. Saturday's news means it's unlikely Paxton will be coming off the 15-day disabled list when he is eligible to on June 13. The left-handed Paxton was placed on the DL on Friday, having strained a ligament in the ring finger of his pitching hand Thursday night. ... Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano was back in the lineup Saturday after sitting out most of the previous two games with flulike symptoms. ... Mariners reliever Joe Beimel returned to the Mariners on Saturday after spending one day on the restricted list to attend his son's high school graduation. Lucas Luetge, who was called up Friday to fill in but didn't throw a pitch, was optioned back to Triple-A Tacoma. ... Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana is expected to be back with the team for Sunday's series finale in Seattle. Santana is currently on the paternity list, having welcomed the birth of a daughter on Thursday.