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Seattle Mariners

Mariners Log: Andrew Moore impressive in debut as M’s sweep Tigers

Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais embraces starting pitcher Andrew Moore in the dugout after Moore finished throwing in the top of the seventh inning in his MLB debut against the Detroit Tigers on June 22, 2017, in Seattle. The Mariners won 9-6. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)
Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais embraces starting pitcher Andrew Moore in the dugout after Moore finished throwing in the top of the seventh inning in his MLB debut against the Detroit Tigers on June 22, 2017, in Seattle. The Mariners won 9-6. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

CANO HOMERS TWICE WITH SLAM IN SUPPORT OF ROOKIE’S DEBUT

What happened: Andrew Moore impressed in his Major League debut and the Seattle Mariners completed a four-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 9-6 win at Safeco Field in Seattle.

The Mariners eclipsed the .500 mark (38-37) for the first time this season.

Robinson Cano provided much support for his young hurler, hitting a pair of home runs, a two-run shot in the third and a grand slam off Francisco Rodriguez in the seventh. Ben Gamel had a two-run double to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.

Moore gave the Mariners seven innings in his debut and allowed three runs on six hits and – most importantly – no walks, with four strikeouts. He threw 100 pitches, 69 for strikes and generated five flyouts and groundouts apiece.

Righty Max Povse, the M’s third-ranked pitching prospect and fifth overall, made his MLB debut in the eighth with a six-run lead.

Line Outs

  • Moore tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the first, striking out left Alex Avila. In the second, he gave up his first base hit, a double to left by Nicholas Castellanos, but stranded the runner.
  • The M’s built a lead for their young starter in the bottom of the second. Nelson Cruz led off with a walk and went to second on Danny Valencia’s one-out walk. Ben Gamel – who else? – doubled to right to plate both runners with double and extended his hitting streak to 14 games. Guillermo Heredia followed with a single and Gamel scored.
  • Moore gave up his first MLB run – and home run – in the third, as Ian Kinsler took him deep on a 3-1 90 mph fastball.
  • Slugger Robinson Cano blasted his 12th homer of the campaign, with one on and one out in the bottom half to make it 5-0.
  • The Tigers picked up two more in the fifth. Castellanos led off with a single and with one out, went to third on former M’s John Hicks’ double. Jose Iglesias’ groundout plated a run, then Kinsler singled to score Hicks. Kinsler stole second, but Moore got Avila to pop out to end Detroit’s rally.
  • Cano busted his second homer of the night – a grand slam the barely got over the wall in right center – to provide insurance in the seventh. Cano grimaced thinking he didn’t get enough of it off the bat.
  • It’s not often a team debuts its second and third ranked pitching prospects in the same game, but the M’s did it, turning to Max Povse with a six-run lead in the eighth. His debut didn’t go quite as smoothly as Moore’s – he gave up a double to Avila then a two-run shot to Miguel Cabrera to cut M’s lead to 9-5. A double and RBIs single later, trimming the lead to a save situation, brought manager Scott Servais out.
  • Reliever Tony Zych came on and walked Castellanos, but struck out Andrew Romine to get out of the inning.
  • With Edwin Diaz off after pitching four straight days, Steve Cishek came on for the save situation in the ninth.

The Takeaway

An impressive debut for Moore. Gave up the solo shot and had a rough patch there in the fifth, but came back to put two more zeros. He came as advertised – worked quickly, economically and attacked the strike zone. Without a big fastball he’s not going to fill up his line score with strikeouts every night, but he has a real good idea about how to pitch.

Tweet of the Day

Players of the Game

Hero: Robinson Cano. Moore was solid in his debut, but a two-homer, six RBI performance wins it.

Goat: Kyle Seager. 0 for 4.

Next Game

Houston Astros (50-24) at Seattle Mariners (38-37) on Friday at 7:10 p.m. at Safeco Field. Felix Hernandez (2-2, 4.73) hosts Joe Musgrove (4-6, 5.09).

What others are saying (and writing)

It has been a long time since the best pitcher in Mariner history, Felix Hernandez, has been on the mound in Seattle. He returns from the disabled list tonight to open the series with first-place Houston. … The sweep is the first ever four-game sweep of Detroit in Seattle. Will it cause changes for the Tigers? … Moore was everything the M’s might have wanted. He even struggled at one point but showed something by getting himself out of trouble and righting the ship for a couple innings. … Cano hadn’t homered in weeks. … Edwin Diaz got the save the other night even though he wasn’t at his best.