SEATTLE — (AP) Zach Plesac came within six outs of ending Cleveland's 40-year no-hitter drought, keeping the Seattle Mariners hitless into the eighth inning of the Indians' 4-2 win.
The anticipated debuts of Seattle prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert were overshadowed by a masterful pitching performance by Plesac. His bid for the Tribe's first no-no since 1981 ended when J.P. Crawford led off the eighth inning with a line-drive single that just cleared the glove of leaping shortstop Amed Rosario.
Plesac lost the shutout moments later when Dylan Moore hit a two-run homer, and that sent the Indians' bullpen into a frenzy to get ready. The 26-year-old still managed to finish the inning, allowing just two hits and walking three to pick up his third win.
The Indians (21-14) struck first in the second on a solo home run by Franmil Reyes, and in the third José Ramírez made it 4-0 with his American League-leading 11th homer of the year. After Moore cut the Mariners' (18-20) deficit in half late, Emmanuel Clase came on in the ninth to try to close it out, but after getting the first two outs on three pitches, he walked the next three, and was pulled in favor of Bryan Shaw.
Shaw took the mound with the bases loaded, and put the fire out when he struck out Luis Torrens swinging. The 33-year-old veteran becomes the fourth Cleveland pitcher to earn a save this season.
The Tribe has now won four in a row and 13 of its last 16, allowing them to remain a game behind the Chicago White Sox for first place in the American League Central Division. They'll face the Mariners again Friday night with Aaron Civale (5-0, 2.91 ERA) starting against Chris Flexen (3-1, 3.78 ERA).