Cubs hammer trio of homers to sink Mariners |
SEATTLE, Wash. — Playing a late-night West Coast game for the first time this season, the hot-hitting Chicago Cubs (15-12) showed no signs of fatigue with a 10-hit performance against the Seattle Mariners (18-14) at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday. Thriving by way of the home-run ball, the Cubs hit three dingers, including their first homer out of the leadoff spot in 2019, and were able to stave off a ninth-inning rally by the Mariners and earn a thrilling 6-5 win on the road.
Game one of the 2-game interleague set started with a bang, as Cubs leadoff man Daniel Descalso started the matchup off by clubbing the first round-tripper tallied by a Cub batting in the leadoff spot this season. The 393-foot blast to right-center provided the Cubs with a 1-0 lead just one at-bat into the game. Chicago went up 2-0 in the top of the fourth, thanks to a 2-out single hit up the middle by Albert Almora Jr. that plated David Bote. Veteran Mariners ace Felix Hernandez started on the mound for Seattle and produced a 6-inning start, in which he gave up four runs on eight hits and struck out eight. Maybe it was the toasted crickets.#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/kPWyYRA9da Cole Hamels got the nod to toe the rubber for the Cubs, with the left-hander fanning seven in 5 1/3 innings of work. Hamels struggled in the bottom of the third, as the Mariners pushed three runs across to go up 3-2. Defensive blunders did not help Hamels' cause, as errors suffered by third baseman David Bote and shortstop Javier Baez on back-to-back plays contributed to Seattle scoring runs two and three with two outs. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo made up for it with a 2-run blast that placed Chicago back in front in the ensuing inning. The 389-footer marked Rizzo's sixth long ball of the season, and it scored Kris Bryant, who led off the fifth frame with a double to left field. Mariners second baseman Dee Gordon went on to knot the game up at 4-4 with an RBI single in the bottom half of the next inning that chased Hamels from the game. Cubs reliever Brandon Kintzler then entered and, after issuing a walk, was able to escape a bases-loaded jam by forcing Domingo Santana to hit into an inning-ending double play. You’re thinking “tie,” @ARizzo44 is thinking “lead.” #TeamRizzo#EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/rOKigtaTkM Kintzler was not so fortunate in the seventh, as he gave up a leadoff home run to slugger Edwin Encarnacion that pushed the Mariners in front by a score of 5-4. In the top of the eighth, the Cubs came through again with their third go-ahead homer of the evening. Smacking a mammoth 440-foot rainmaker beyond right field, Chicago left fielder Kyle Schwarber tagged Seattle reliever Brandon Brennan with a 2-run bomb to provide the Cubs with a 6-5 lead. .@kschwarb12 is not DH-ing tonight. #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/SxN47J4Pvk Former Mariner Steve Cishek pitched 1 1/3 innings in relief for the Cubs and collected his first save of the spring. The reliever gathered himself after getting off to a rocky start in the bottom of the ninth and drew a pivotal double play that was followed by a game-ending punch out of designated hitter Jay Bruce to secure the 6-5 win for the Cubbies. All in all, Seattle left nine men stranded on base and went 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
