Guardians vs. Mariners: Live updates from 2023 Opening Day in Seattle

Baseball is back in Seattle.

The Mariners, a few months after ending a postseason drought that lasted more than two decades, open the 2023 season Thursday evening with high expectations and championship aspirations.

Can this promising young club dethrone the reigning World Series champion Astros in the American League West this season?

Can the Mariners return to the playoffs for a second consecutive year following their first trip since 2001 last fall?

Can they reach the World Series for the first time in club history?

The path begins at 7:10 p.m. Thursday, when the Mariners host Cleveland in their season-opener at T-Mobile Park.

Follow along with The News Tribune for live updates throughout the day as another season of baseball opens in Seattle.

GAME RECAP

Ty France collected the first hit of the season for the Mariners on a single to left with two outs in the first inning.

Seven innings later, Seattle’s first baseman also produced the club’s first runs of the season, ending a scoreless tie with a three-run home run to right that electrified T-Mobile Park.

That was enough to lift the Mariners to a 3-0 win, and give the club a 1-0 start to a season already buzzing with expectations.

“We needed a big hit, we had the right guy up there, and he came through,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said.

The decisive eighth inning began with a leadoff walk from J.P. Crawford, which included the first pitch clock violation of the season at T-Mobile Park. Two batters later, Kolten Wong reached on a hit by pitch.

With the crowd roaring, France needed only three pitches to send a high fastball from Cleveland reliever James Karinchak over the fence in right.

“Honestly, it feels like we never left,” France said of the noise level in the eighth. “This place is just — you really can’t say enough about these fans. The amount of love that they show us, and just how loud they are every single game, it felt like October all over again.”

Servais noted the impact the crowd noise — which seemed to crescendo following Karinchak’s pitch clock violation — had in helping key the late rally.

“Credit to our crowd,” Servais said. “They got loud. They made it hard for him to focus and concentrate, and that’s truly the impact home field advantage can make in our game. … It made a huge difference in the ballgame today.”

“With James, it was getting loud, he was having trouble hearing,” Guardians manager Terry Francona told reporters postgame. “ ... I don’t know if it was the clock or the situation, but it was noisy, the atmosphere really got more live in that inning.”

France’s late home run ended a stretch of more than 30 scoreless innings for the Mariners, dating back to last year’s playoff run, including the 18-inning shutout loss to the Astros that ended the 2022 season.

“We left the season last year on such an empty feeling, and you’re just one hit away or whatnot,” Servais said. “We’ve got a lot of games to play, it’s one game, there’s 161 to go, but it’s a great way to start. It’s a nice confidence boost for us.”

The decisive home run finally ended another scoreless duel Thursday night that featured shutdown pitching from both clubs most of the way.

Mariners starter Luis Castillo was brilliant in his first outing of the season, tossing six scoreless innings and allowing only one hit while striking out six on 76 pitches.

Castillo retired the first six batters he faced before Will Brennan singled on a comebacker to the mound to lead off the third, which hit Castillo in the head.

Castillo remained in the game after being evaluated by Seattle’s medical staff. He then struck out former Mariners catcher Mike Zunino, Myles Straw and Steven Kwan to retire the side.

Castillo retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced, and each of the final 12.

This was Castillo’s third career Opening Day start, and first with Seattle.

“It meant a lot,” he said postgame through an interpreter. “We came here to put on a show for the fans, and you can tell the fans were having a good time. We played good ball, and I felt like we came out to do our job and it was a good game.”

Cleveland starter Shane Bieber was nearly as efficient, also tossing six scoreless innings and allowing six hits while striking out three on 87 pitches.

The Mariners tallied a hit in every inning against Bieber — but only one per frame.

France recorded Seattle’s first hit of the season on a two-out single to left in the first, but Bieber ended the inning with a strikeout.

Eugenio Suarez doubled in the second, and advanced on a wild pitch, but was stranded at third.

Crawford’s leadoff single in the third didn’t produce a run. Neither did Cal Raleigh’s single in the fourth, or Jarred Kelenic’s leadoff base hit in the fifth.

France doubled with one out in the sixth, but Bieber again ended the inning with the game still scoreless.

The Mariners had four runners in scoring position during Bieber’s outing, but none scored. Seattle was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position through the first six frames.

“I think we were under control the whole game,” France said. “I don’t think we got frustrated. There was a couple times where we had a guy on third or a guy on second we could have brought them in, but I don’t think that really came into our minds.

Trevor Stephan retired the Mariners in order in the seventh, but Seattle finally scored the game’s deciding runs in the eighth.

Matt Brash, Paul Sewald and Andres Munoz each tossed scoreless frames for the Mariners in relief with Munoz earning the save.

“Timely hits, really good pitching and we’re on the good side of it, so awesome way to start,” Servais said.

The Mariners host the Guardians in the second game of the four-game series Friday night, with Seattle left-hander Robbie Ray set to oppose Cleveland right-hander Hunter Gaddis.

LIVE GAME UPDATES

Update, 9:25 p.m. — Munoz allowed back-to-back two-out hits in the ninth, on a single from Rosario and double from Ramirez, but got a groundout to end the game. The Mariners open the season with a 3-0 win, and have now won each of their past three Opening Day games.

Update, 9:18 p.m. — The Mariners will head to the bullpen in the ninth, bringing in reliever Andres Munoz with a 3-0 lead. Sewald tossed one inning, retiring the side in order.

Update, 9:11 p.m. — The Mariners are on the board in the eighth. France launched a one-out, three-run home run just over the fence near the right field foul pole to give Seattle a late 3-0 lead. J.P. Crawford walked to open the frame, and Kolten Wong later reached on a hit by pitch.

Update, 8:49 p.m. — Paul Sewald will enter the game in relief for the Mariners in the eighth. Brash allowed one hit — a two-out single to Josh Bell — in his one scoreless inning of work, and struck out both Rosario and Ramirez swinging.

Update, 8:43 p.m. — Cleveland will bring in right-hander Trevor Stephan in relief in the seventh. Bieber tossed six scoreless innings, allowing six hits while walking three on 87 pitches. The Mariners tallied a hit in every inning against Bieber, and advanced four runners to scoring position, but did not score.

Update, 8:35 p.m. — The Mariners will head to the bullpen in the seventh. Castillo tossed a brilliant outing in his first start of the season, completing six scoreless innings and allowing the one hit while striking out six on 76 pitches. Castillo retired 18 of the 19 batters he faced, including the first six to open the game, and the final 12. Right-hander Matt Brash enters the game in relief.

Update, 7:46 p.m. — Castillo retired the first six batters faced before Will Brennan singled on a comebacker to lead off the third that hit Castillo, who remained in the game after being examined by Seattle’s medical staff. Castillo struck out Mike Zunino, Myles Straw and Kwan to end the inning.

Update, 7:20 p.m. — First baseman Ty France collected the first hit of the season for the Mariners on a single to left off Cleveland starter Shane Bieber with two outs in the first.

Update, 7:14 p.m. — Mariners starter Luis Castillo retired the side in order in the first, ending the inning in less than five minutes on 12 pitches. Steven Kwan popped up to third, Amed Rosario struck out swinging and Jose Ramirez grounded out to first.

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PREGAME UPDATES

‘THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT OPENING DAY’

It may be Scott Servais’ eighth Opening Day as Mariners manager, but Thursday felt different to the skipper, coaches, and players alike.

The club’s 21-year postseason drought was — and has been — over. The proverbial rain cloud had passed.

“Yes, it does feel different,” he said inside T-Mobile Park’s home dugout. “In a good way.”

It’s also the one day each year the 11-year catching veteran misses playing the game himself.

“There’s just something about Opening Day,” he said. “You’re excited to get the season going. Everybody’s (thinking), ‘This is my year.’ ... Everybody’s at a different point in their career, and it all starts tonight.”

INJURY UPDATES

▪ Outfielder Taylor Trammell (right hamate fracture) and utility player Dylan Moore (left oblique muscle strain) will begin the season on the 10-day injured list, the team announced Thursday.

▪ Trammell began swinging a bat earlier this week when the Mariners departed Peoria, Arizona, for the start of the regular season, Servais said.

The 25-year-old remains “two, maybe three” weeks from game action and will embark on a rehab assignment before rejoining the club.

▪ Moore will remain at camp in Arizona “until he’s ready to join us”, Servais said. The skipper is hopeful Moore can return by mid-April.

OPENING DAY MATCHUP

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS. SEATTLE MARINERS

7:10 p.m. Thursday at T-Mobile Park

TV: ROOT Sports, MLB Network | Radio: 710 Seattle Sports | Tickets

LAST SEASON

Guardians — 92-70, won AL Central, advanced to ALDS

Mariners — 90-72, second in AL West, advanced to ALDS

STARTERS

Guardians — RHP Shane Bieber (13-8, 2.88 ERA in 2022)

Mariners — RHP Luis Castillo (8-6, 2.99 ERA in 2022)

LINEUPS

SEASON PREVIEWS

▪ The Seattle Mariners are back. What to know as Opening Day of promising ’23 season nears

▪ Can the Mariners win the World Series this year? Here’s what the national media say

▪ Meet the Mariners: Seattle announces 2023 Opening Day roster