Hancock tosses 6 no-hit innings, Donovan homers as Mariners beat Guardians 8-0

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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock walks to the dugout after holding the Cleveland Guardians hitless through six innings of a baseball game, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) — Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Emerson Hancock throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Audio By Carbonatix

9:20 PM on Sunday, March 29

By ANDREW DESTIN

SEATTLE (AP) — Emerson Hancock threw six hitless innings and Brendan Donovan launched a three-run homer as the Seattle Mariners beat the Cleveland Guardians 8-0 on Sunday to earn a four-game split in their season-opening series.

Hancock (1-0), who won a spot in the Mariners’ rotation in large part because of an injury to Bryce Miller, set a career high with nine strikeouts. The only baserunners the 26-year-old right-hander allowed came when he walked José Ramírez in the first inning and hit CJ Kayfus with a fastball in the sixth.

Guardians rookie Chase DeLauter lined a clean single to right field leading off the seventh against reliever Cooper Criswell, ending Seattle’s bid for a combined no-hitter. Daniel Schneemann also singled in the eighth off Criswell, who finished the two-hitter for his second major league save.

Hancock joined Félix Hernández as the only Mariners pitchers to strike out nine or more in a hitless outing of at least six innings. Hernández did so when throwing a perfect game in 2012.

Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi (0-1) struggled to keep the Mariners’ offense at bay.

Leo Rivas hit an RBI single in the fourth and Donovan connected for his second homer with Seattle. Randy Arozarena added an RBI double in the fifth and Luke Raley had a run-scoring single.

Cal Raleigh, the AL MVP runner-up in 2025, drove in Donovan with a ground-rule double in the sixth. Arozarena knocked in Seattle’s final run in the eighth with an RBI single.

Up next

Guardians LHP Parker Messick gets the ball Monday in Los Angeles against RHP Roki Sasaki and the World Series champion Dodgers.

RHP Luis Castillo starts Monday night for Seattle against LHP Ryan Weathers in the first of three home games against the New York Yankees.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb