Hancock's Unhittable: 6 Innings of Pure Dominance as M's Shutout Guardians 8-0
Emerson Hancock just put the league on notice. The 26-year-old right-hander threw six hitless innings with nine strikeouts, and Brendan Donovan crushed a three-run homer to power the Seattle Mariners past the Cleveland Guardians 8-0 on Sunday. This wasn't just a win. This was a statement, and it gave Seattle a four-game split in the season-opening series at home.
Hancock Was Untouchable
Look, Hancock earned his rotation spot largely because Bryce Miller got hurt, but on Sunday he looked like a guy who belonged there all along. The dude set a career high with nine strikeouts. The only baserunners he allowed came via a first-inning walk to José Ramírez and a hit-by-pitch to CJ Kayfus in the sixth. That's it. Two baserunners in six innings.
Cooper Criswell came in for relief and finished the two-hitter for his second career save. But here's the thing: Chase DeLauter of the Guardians lined a clean single to right field leading off the seventh, and that was that. The combined no-hitter bid was over.
Still, 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 it when he threw a perfect game back in 2012. That's elite company right there.
The Bats Finally Showed Up
The Mariners offense didn't need much help, but they piled it on anyway. Leo Rivas started the scoring with an RBI single in the fourth. Then Donovan connected for his second homer with Seattle to make it 3-0. 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.
Meanwhile, Guardians starter Slade Cecconi couldn't find the zone and fell to 0-1. The Mariners just kept adding on.
What's Next
Luis Castillo takes the mound Monday night for Seattle against the New York Yankees' Ryan Weathers in the first of three home games at Climate Pledge Arena. The Yankees come in undefeated at 3-0, so this is going to be a test. The M's need to keep this momentum rolling.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.