Gutierrez goes very deep, Mariners beat Reds 4-0
CINCINNATI – Franklin Gutierrez timed the ball so perfectly that he didn’t even feel it touch the bat.
The outfielder hit the longest homer of his career on Saturday, a three-run shot that landed high in the upper deck and was estimated at 473 feet, leading Felix Hernandez and the Mariners over the Cincinnati Reds 4-0.
The Mariners won on a day when the Reds honored the teams’ shared star. They gave away Ken Griffey Jr. bobbleheads depicting him in both uniforms, and they played a message from him on the videoboard. And then Gutierrez hit one Junior-like.
“It’s amazing,” Gutierrez said of his 473-foot homer. “You don’t feel anything in the bat. You just watch it.”
Junior became a star in Seattle and was later traded to his hometown team. The Reds had him in mind when they designed Great American Ball Park with a short distance in right field. Gutierrez sent his a long way the other way in the fourth inning off John Lamb (0-2).
Leonys Martin also had a solo homer, running the Reds’ total to 75 homers allowed in 43 games – by far the most in the majors. After they matched their season high with their sixth straight loss, the Reds sent three relievers back to the minors in their latest bullpen shakeup.
The Reds have been outscored 55-19 during their slump. Cincinnati pitchers have retired the side in order only nine times in the 55 innings during the losing streak. On Saturday, the offense dried up, too.
“It didn’t work out today,” manager Bryan Price said. “We didn’t put too much pressure on them from an offensive standpoint.”
Hernandez (4-3) gave up four singles in six innings. He has handled the Reds in his two career starts against them, throwing a five-hitter for a complete game in 2010. He walked three, struck out five and twice retired Joey Votto with the bases loaded for the final out of an inning.
“That wasn’t ideal, not a situation Felix likes to get into,” manager Scott Servais said. “But he dialed it up, made the pitches. That’s what separates him from other guys.”
His best moment was watching Gutierrez’s homer.
“That was unbelievable, man,” Hernandez said. “If I hit a home run like that, I would be so happy.”
The Mariners have dominated Junior’s hometown team, winning 12 of 14 in their interleague series.
Seattle improved to 17-7 on the road, the A.L.’s best mark. The Mariners have won seven of their eight road series and split the other one.
The Reds have six starters on the disabled list and got a fright in the fourth when Nelson Cruz lined a ball off Lamb’s left arm. Lamb threw a practice pitch and stayed in the game. Dae-Ho Lee reached on third baseman Eugenio Suarez’s error, and Gutierrez hit his second homer to snap an 0-for-12 skid.