Ingle's Historic First Hit
Cooper Ingle's first major league hit drives in two runs, Guardians edge Mariners 4-3
Cooper Ingle delivered a two-run single in the fourth inning — his first major league hit — to power the Cleveland Guardians past the AL West-leading Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Saturday Newsday. The 24-year-old rookie, called up just two days earlier from Triple-A Columbus, provided the winning margin in only his second career MLB game.
Slade Cecconi held Seattle scoreless for six innings, and closer Cade Smith earned his 25th save — first in all of baseball — to lock down the win WRAL. The Guardians are now 4-7 since a brutal June 13 injury wave wiped out three starters.
Ingle's First Hit Comes at the Perfect Moment
The fourth inning set the game's tone. Khalil Watson opened the scoring with an RBI double. Then Ingle stepped in and slapped a sharp grounder to right field for a two-run single, putting Cleveland up 3-0 WRAL. Brayan Rocchio added an RBI double in the fifth to make it 4-0.
Ingle came into Saturday slashing .284/.416/.551 in Triple-A, with a 1.352 OPS in the week before his call-up WTOP. Manager Stephen Vogt acknowledged the growing pains ahead for his young roster, saying "they're seeing pitches for the first time that they've never seen in their life" but added, "they're answering it."
Cecconi Silences Seattle's Lineup for Six Innings
Cecconi was dominant through six innings, allowing just three hits and striking out four without giving up a run Newsday. He was pulled after a leadoff walk to Cal Raleigh in the seventh. His final line: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 K, good enough to improve his record to 4-6.
Seattle starter Logan Gilbert turned in a strong outing of his own but absorbed the loss — his first since May 16. The Mariners had now scored three runs or fewer in 13 straight games, a stunning offensive drought for a division leader WTOP.
Arozarena's 427-Foot Homer Makes It a Nail-Biter
Seattle's Randy Arozarena kept the Mariners alive with a 427-foot, three-run blast to center field off Shawn Armstrong in the eighth inning Winnipeg Free Press. The shot scored Julio Rodriguez and Dominic Canzone, cutting Cleveland's lead to 4-3 and sending tension through Progressive Field.
Cade Smith entered in the ninth and ran into trouble, allowing two baserunners. But he buckled down to get the final three outs and close out the save WRAL. His 25th save leads all MLB closers in 2026.
Injuries Forced Cleveland's Youth Movement Into Action
The Guardians' path to this moment was painful. On June 13, All-Star third baseman José Ramírez fractured his left hamate bone, Chase DeLauter broke a rib, and Angel Martínez fractured his left foot — all in one game against Detroit WTOP. Ramírez visited the locker room before Saturday's game and told reporters, "I want to play, bro."
To fill the gap, Cleveland promoted a wave of prospects including Travis Bazzana, Khalil Watson, and now Ingle. Ingle is primarily a catcher but was trained at DH and in the outfield to get his bat into the lineup faster Newsday. The Guardians sit at 43-40 overall, one game behind the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.
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