Subscribe now
Seattle Mariners

Mariners Log: Bats break out again as M’s pound Phillies

Seattle Mariners’ Robinson Cano, left, rounds the bases past Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis after hitting a two-run home run off starting pitcher Zach Eflin during the third inning on Wednesday, May 10, 2017, in Philadelphia. (Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

CARLOS RUIZ DELIVERS BIG THREE-RUN DOUBLE AGAINST OLD TEAM

What happened: Robinson Cano and Danny Valencia both homered among their four hits apiece, while Carlos Ruiz had a three-run double and sac fly RBI and the Seattle Mariners pounded the Philadelphia Phillies 11-6 in the second of a two-game series at Citizen’s Bank Park on Wednesday.

Ruiz made his only hit of the day count – a double off toe base of the wall in left that plated three in a five-run seventh inning. He added a sac fly RBI in a three-run eighth.

Cano went 4 for 5 with two run and three RBIs, while Valencia went 4 for 6 with two runs and two RBIs. Ben Gamel and Guillermo Heredia both added a pair of hits.

Starter Yovani Gallardo – the last of the M’s projected opening day rotation on the active roster – went five innings and allowed three runs on four hits and three walks. He needed 96 pitches to get through five though as wasn’t the beneficiary of the Mariners mid-inning offensive fireworks. TOny Zych (2-0) tossed an inning of scoreless relief and piked up the win.

Line Outs

  • M’s wasted no time taking a lead against Phils starter Zach Eflin. Ben Gamel singled with one out, went to third on a single by Robinson Cano, and scored on a flyout to right by Kyle Seager.
  • Gamel-Cano struck again in the third. With one down, Gamel singled to center and Cano followed with a fly to left that carried into the first row of the stands, putting the M’s up 3-0.
  • Gallardo got into some trouble in the bottom half. Eflin, the pitcher, singled with one out, then Cesar Hernandez walked. Gallardo came back to get Odubel Herrera to pop out, but Aaron Altherr turned on a slider that hung in the middle of the plate and bounced it off the facing of the upper deck in left for a three-run shot.
  • M’s loaded the bases in the fifth. Again, Gamel led off with a walk and Cano followed with a single. Seager and Danny Valencia both popped out, then Heredia was hit on the arm. But Jarrod Dyson flied out to center to quash the rally.
  • Mariners broke the tie in the seventh. Cano led off with a single against reliever Joaquin Benoit, then Seager walked. Danny Valencia sliced a liner the other way for a double – Cano scored easily and Seager settled at third. Heredia’s short fly couldn’t score Seager, then the Phils gave Dyson a free pass to bring up Carlos Ruiz, the former Phillies longtime catcher.
  • Ruiz – who drew an ovation every time he came to bat in his former stomping grounds – then crushed a double off the wall in left to clear the bases to make it 7-3. Pinch-hitter Nelson Cruz walked, and that was it for Benoit. Edubray Ramos took over and after Jean Segura popped out, Gamel walked to load the bases, and Cano walked to force in a run. Seager flailed at a fastball for strike three.
  • Jake Thompson took over in the eighth for Philly and it didn’t get any better. Valencia launched a no-doubt solo shot to left, his fourth of the campaign, and off a right-hander to boot. Heredia followed with a single, and then Dyson – yes, Jarrod Dyson – crushed one off the wall in right-center for a triple. He came in on a sac fly by Ruiz to make it 11-3.
  • Relievers Dan Altavilla and Dillon Overton gave up “cosmetic” runs in the eighth and ninth innings. The runs prettied the score for the Phillies a bit and uglied up Altavilla and Overton’s ERAs – both over 6.00.

The Takeaway

The lumber broke out big again today. Cano showed no lingering effect from the quad strain that lifted him from Tuesday’s game, Valencia showed signs of life against right-handed pitching and just a nice day from Ruiz in the park he made home for so long.

Tweet of the Day

Players of the Game

Hero: Robinson Cano. 4 for 5, two-run homer, three RBIs. Good to see this the day after getting lifted for injury.

Goat: Kyle Seager. 0 for 3, five left on base. Still hasn’t really shaken his annual April blues yet.

Next Game

Seattle Mariners (17-17) at Toronto Blue Jays (12-21) at 4:07 p.m. at Rogers Centre. RHP Chase De Jong (0-2, 6.75) faces RHP Marco Estrada (1-2, 3.14).

What others are saying (and writing)

There is a different tone in sports writing from the East Coast. Believe it. Just read these stories on the Phillies from yesterday. The Philly folks aren’t happy. Not one bit. … From these here parts, the stories can be divided into two distinct areas: There are the game stories that note the team is back to the .500 level after the 11-6 victory; and there are stories that detail the latest injuries, which mean more roster churn is coming. … Ruiz hurt his former team.