Cole Young gave the Mariners the only early cushion they would need Sunday, opening the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning of a 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks. He finished 1-for-4, and his swing helped set the tone in a game decided by a single run.
That mattered because the Mariners did not create much separation after Young’s blast. His home run stood as the difference between playing from behind and holding the lead, a small edge that proved enough in a tight game that moved quickly toward the finish.
The hit also landed at a useful time for Young, whose May was uneven overall even as he collected a hit in seven of his last eight games to close the month. That late stretch suggested he was finding the ball more often, but it did not erase the fact that the month as a whole was a struggle.
For Seattle, the result gives Young another reminder of how quickly one swing can shape a game. The unanswered part is whether that recent run of contact carries into his next outing, because Sunday’s homer showed the upside without settling the question of consistency.
