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Seattle Mariners

Mariners Log: M’s embarrassed in record-breaking slugfest

Minnesota Twins’ Eddie Rosario rounds third on his two-run home run off Seattle Mariners pitcher Casey Lawrence in the third inning on June 13, 2017, in Minneapolis. Rosario homered three times in 20-7 win. (Jim Mone / Associated Press)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

TWINS REGISTER TEAM-RECORD 28 HITS IN SHELLACKING

What happened: The Minnesota Twins had a record-breaking day and beat up the Seattle Mariners 20-7 on Tuesday at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Eduardo Escobar led the Twins 28-hit attack, going 5 for 5 with two RBIs as the Twins set a team record for hits – a season high for MLB – and the teams combined for a record number of hits (42) in Target Field. It was also a Mariners record for number of hits allowed. It was the third time in M’s history to allow 20-plus runs.

Five Twins – Escobar, Eddie Rosario, Kennys Vargas, Jason Castro and Max Kapler – had three or more hits. Castro drove in four, while the Twins clobbered five homers – three by Rosario and one each for Kepler and Brian Dozier. Rosario drove in five and scored three times.

Mariners starter Christian Bergman was pounded for nine runs on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings. Relievers Casey Lawrence and Marc Rzepczynski were no batter. Catcher Carlos Ruiz gave up a run on two hits and two walks with a strikeout in the eighth inning, qualifying as the best M’s pitcher of the night to record more than one out.

Line Outs

  • LF Ben Gamel led off the game with a double. After Mitch Haniger struck out (including a bunt attempt), Robinson Cano singled Gamel to third, then Gamel scored on Nelson Cruz’ ground out to second. Kyle Seager hit an opposite field ground-rule double that brought home Cano to make it 2-0.
  • The M’s added to that in the second, as Jarrod Dyson barreled one up and clobbered it over the tall wall in right center and into the middle deck for his third home run of the season, setting a new personal record. Seattle put two more runners on with back-to-back singles by Mike Zunino and Taylor Motter but the M’s couldn’t continue the rally.
  • In the bottom half, Max Kepler crushed his eighth homer of the season to roughly the same spot Dyson did. Kennys Vargas and Eduardo Escobar followed with singles. Vargas moved up to third on a flyout, then scored on a comebacker to Bergman, who seemed to forget Vargas was on third. Eddie Rosario followed by crushing a 91 mph four seamer to the upper deck in right, and the Twins owned a 4-3 lead.
  • Things unraveled in the third. Bergman gave up five more runs, then reliever Casey Lawrence came on and his first pitch was clubbed by Rosario for a two-run shot, and his third pitch was crushed by Brian Dozier for a solo shot. All told, it was 11-3 after three innings.
  • The M’s jumped back on Gibson in the fourth. Dyson led off with a double and scored on Zunino’s line drive off the wall that missed being a homer by mere inches. One out later, Gamel drilled a double to the left-center gap to plate Zunino.
  • With two down in the bottom half the Twins picked up another run on three straight singles by Vargas, Escobar and Jason Castro.
  • The M’s got that one back in the fifth. Cruz led off with a single, went to second on Seager’s ground out and scored on Danny Valencia’s single.
  • Nice play by Haniger in the sixth to throw out Escobar at second trying to stretch a single off the short wall down the right field line into a double.
  • The Twins got another run in the seventh off Lawrence, with Dozier driving in Jorge Polanco with a double.
  • Catcher Carlos Ruiz came in to pitch the eighth. He was greeted by a solo home run by Rosario – his third. Ehire Adrianza walked and catcher Chris Gimenez – who pitched for the Twins in Monday’s blowout – doubled off the top of the left field wall and Kepler walked. But Ruiz struck out Vargas on a ball 4 inches inside and Escobar grounded to first to end the embarrassment.

The Takeaway

Where to begin? Some times things like this just happen. Bergman, Lawrence, Rzepczynski…they all got clobbered. And it wasn’t like things were just dropping in – the Twins hammered the ball all night. The M’s would be best to just put this one behind them and move on, but they face the Twins’ best pitcher, the resurgent Ervin Santana, on Wednesday.

Tweet of the Day

Players of the Game

Hero: Eddie Rosario. Props where it’s due. 4 for 5, three homers, five RBIs.

Goat: Christian Bergman. Nine earned runs on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings. Didn’t walk anyone though. That’s hard to do.

Next Game

The Seattle Mariners () vs the Minnesota Twins () on Wednesday at 5:10 p.m. at Target Field in Minneapolis. Sam Gaviglio (2-1, 2/79) vs. Ervin Santana (8-3, 2.20).

What others are saying (and writing)

A franchise-record 28 hits given up. A 20-7 loss. Nice Tuesday night. The meltdown began with the starting pitching, continued through the bullpen and finally finished up with Ruiz on the mound. … The draft continued yesterday and the M’s seemed to be saving money to sign one of their Monday picks. … It looks as if the Mariners will have one all-star starter. … So long Safeco Field. We knew your name well.