MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Robbie Ray, the most recent American League Cy Young winner, pitched a solid seven innings in his Seattle debut, Mitch Haniger homered as the Mariners opened with a 2-1 win over the Twins. Minnesota on Friday.
Ray (1-0) allowed just three hits, walked four and struck out five. He started in the opening game after leaving Toronto and signing a five-year, $115 million deal with Seattle.
The 30-year-old left-hander was part of the reinforcements that came to the Mariners in a dynamic offseason that saw the team sign Adam Frazier, Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suarez and Sergio Romo.
Drew Steckenrider allowed a hit to start the ninth inning but secured the save when Gary Sanchez flied off the left-field fence.
Haniger is the Mariners’ longest tenured player on the team, having joined in 2017. He hit a two-run homer in the first inning off rookie Joe Ryan.
Carlos Correa singled in his first at-bat with Minnesota after signing a three-year, $105.3 million contract. He also put up a flashy play at shortstop with a run-saving haul, but he and Byron Buxton, who received a seven-year, $100 million extension, combined to leave eight baserunners as the top two in the order. .
Ryan (0-1), the losing pitcher, struggled with control on a cold day in Minnesota.
For the Mariners, the Venezuelan Eugenio Suárez 4-0 and the Dominican Julio Rodríguez, 4-0.
For the Twins, Colombian Gio Urshela 3-1 with a run scored and an RBI; the Dominicans Gary Sánchez 4-0, Jorge Polanco 3-0, Miguel Sanó 3-0; Puerto Rican Carlos Correa 4-1 and Venezuelan Luis Arráez, 1-1.
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Mariners beat Twins in J-Rod’s debut