Guardians rally to beat Mariners 6-5 in dramatic comeback

A heated exchange between former teammates highlighted a dramatic late-inning comeback as the Cleveland Guardians defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-5 on Sunday at Progressive Field. The win gave the Guardians the series victory after the teams split the first two games.

The confrontation occurred in the sixth inning after Guardians reliever Tim Herrin hit Mariners designated hitter Josh Naylor with a curveball on a 1-0 count. Naylor was awarded first base, but Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges and other players were heard accusing Naylor of intentionally sticking his elbow out to draw the walk. As Naylor walked to first, he made a comment that sparked a verbal retaliation from Hedges, his former teammate. Hedges yelled at Naylor, telling him that nobody liked him.

Naylor and Hedges were teammates with the Cleveland Guardians from 2021 through 2024 and briefly with the San Diego Padres before that. Hedges is currently under a $4 million contract with Cleveland, while Naylor signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal with Seattle prior to the season.

The Mariners, who entered the day leading the American League West, could not capitalize on Naylor's walk, and the game remained close....