Mariners drop series opener to Twins 11-4

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kody Clemens homered and drove in five runs, Byron Buxton also went deep and Connor Prielipp earned his first big league win as the Minnesota Twins beat the Seattle Mariners 11-4 on Monday night.

Minnesota Twins 11, Seattle Mariners 4: Box Score

Prielipp (1-0) entered the season as the Twins’ No. 5 prospect, according to MLB.com. He was called up from Triple-A St. Paul and made his MLB debut against the Mets on Wednesday. Against the Mariners, the 25-year-old left-hander gave up two runs on one hit with three walks and five strikeouts.

Ryan Jeffers had two hits and two RBIs for Minnesota.

Luis Castillo (0-2) gave up seven runs on seven hits over five innings for the Mariners. Cal Raleigh hit his seventh homer of the season and Randy Arozarena added two hits.

Luke Keaschall’s two-out double drove in Josh Bell from first base to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead in the second. Castillo needed 30 pitches to get out of the inning, but limited the damage by retiring Buxton on a pop fly, leaving the bases loaded.

In the third, the Twins’ Trevor Larnach tripled with one out, Bell walked and Jeffers flared an RBI single to right. Clemens followed with a 379-foot homer to right, giving Minnesota a 5-0 lead after three innings.

Buxton made it 7-0 with a two-run homer off Castillo in the fourth.

Prielipp held the Mariners hitless through four innings. After walking the first two batters in the fifth, Mitch Garver hit an RBI single and Cole Young added a sacrifice fly as Seattle cut its deficit to 7-2.

Raleigh’s two-run homer in the eighth off reliever Andrew Morris cut the Twins’ lead to 8-4, but Clemens added a two-run single in Minnesota’s three-run eighth.

Up next

RHP Joe Ryan (1-1, 3.90) of the Twins faces Seattle RHP Logan Gilbert (1-3, 4.36) on Tuesday.

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