Colt Emerson homers in homecoming, M’s beat Guardians 3-1

J.P. Crawford hit the go-ahead single in the seventh and Luis Castillo earned his first win this month.

BY JOE REEDY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jun 26, 2026, 7:11 PM

Watch: Mariners 8 Games Under .500: What's Really Wrong? w/ Jordan Shusterman | 18 mins

CLEVELAND (AP) — Colt Emerson homered, J.P. Crawford singled in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 on Friday night.

Seattle Mariners 3, Cleveland Guardians 1: Box Score

Luis Castillo (3-7) allowed a run on four hits in six innings for his first victory since May 31. Andrés Muñoz retired the Guardians in order in the ninth for his 15th save in 20 opportunities.

Kahlil Watson had his seventh RBI in eight games for the Guardians, who fell to 3-7 since All-Star third baseman José Ramírez was placed on the injured list after he broke a bone in his left hand June 13 against Detroit.

Cooper Ingle went 0 for 2 with a walk in his debut in the majors.

Emerson, who grew up two hours south of Cleveland in New Concord, Ohio, evened it at 1-1 in the third when he connected on a high changeup just inside the strike zone from Cleveland starter Joey Cantillo and drove it into the stands in right field.

“I felt like I was floating,” Emerson told Mariners TV in a postgame interview. “A lefty-lefty changeup is something you don’t really practice, and he kind of threw it in a good spot and by the grace of God in touched my bat and got out. Didn’t know it was gonna go out. But yeah, I was floating around the bases. Excited to see the boys getting into the dugout.”

Crawford put the Mariners on top in the seventh with a single when second baseman Travis Bazzana wasn’t able to make a play on the ground ball, allowing Cal Raleigh to score. Cleveland’s Tim Herrin (0-3) walked the first two batters in the inning, but looked like he might get out of it when Josh Naylor grounded into a double play.

Julio Rodríguez provided an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI single to drive in Emerson.

Cleveland took a 1-0 lead in the first when Watson’s double off the left-field wall brought home Kyle Manzardo.

Cantillo tied a season high with nine strikeouts and allowed only two hits in six innings.