Rookie DeLauter Hits 2 HRs in Debut, Guardians Win 6-4

In Seattle, rookie outfielder Chase DeLauter delivered a memorable major league regular-season debut, hitting two home runs to lead the Cleveland Guardians to a 6-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night at T-Mobile Park. The win opened the 2026 season for both teams, with DeLauter's power display providing the spark in a back-and-forth contest marked by timely hitting and defensive stands.

DeLauter, a 24-year-old top prospect who first appeared in the majors during last fall's American League Wild Card Series, wasted no time making his mark. In his first at-bat of the top of the first inning, he crushed an 85-mph slider from Mariners starter Logan Gilbert 358 feet over the right-field wall for a solo home run, giving Cleveland an early 1-0 lead. The blast made DeLauter the fifth player in the Guardians' 126-year franchise history to homer in his initial regular-season plate appearance and the first since Jhonkensy Noel in June 2024.

Seattle quickly answered in the bottom of the first when third baseman Brendan Donovan, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in the offseason, led off with a solo home run that stayed just inside the right-field foul pole, his first...