Mariners' Casey Lawrence: Strong long-relief effort Saturday

Lawrence fired 2.2 scoreless innings in Saturday's 6-5 loss to the Indians, recording two strikeouts.

He served as a mid-game stabilizer after starter James Paxton was touched up for six earned runs on six hits and four walks over 4.2 innings, racking up eight outs in efficient fashion. The performance was a carryover from Lawrence's impressive spring, in which he generated a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings. The 30-year-old projects to serve in a similar long-relief role while on the big-league roster this season, as his 168 career starts at the minor-league level corroborate his ability to pitch extended outings when necessary.