Out of Right Field: Recap, takeaways from the Mariners’ 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs
Kyle Schwarber hit a two-run homer with two outs in the top of the eighth inning as the Chicago Cubs defeated the Mariners 6-5 Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park.
Anthony Rizzo also hit a two-run shot for the Cubs, who opened the two-game series with their third consecutive victory.
Right-hander Brad Brach (3-0) got the victory with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and Steve Cishek pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his first save of the season.
Edwin Encarnacion homered for the Mariners, who lost their third in a row.
Trailing 5-4 with two outs in the eighth, Willson Contreras lined a double to center field off Mariners right-hander Brandon Brennan (1-2). Schwarber followed by hitting a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right-center field.
Of note
The M’s sent CF Mallex Smith down to Triple-A Tacoma and recalled OF Braden Bishop, a former University of Washington standout. Smith, acquired in the offseason trade with Tampa Bay for C Mike Zunino, was batting .165 and made fielding errors in both Saturday’s and Sunday’s lopsided losses to Texas. … GM Jerry Dipoto announced Ichiro Suzuki, who retired March 21, will work as an instructor for the major-league team and with the Triple-A Rainiers, with a focus on outfield play, baserunning and batting.
By the numbers
30: Number of RBIs by Mariners LF Domingo Santana by the end of April, tying Ken Griffey Jr.’s franchise record set in 1997.
Our take from Right Field
Taking a player in the Rule 5 draft can be a crapshoot. The player must remain on the major-league roster all season or be offered back to their original team for $50,000. RHP Brandon Brennan was selected from Colorado this offseason and has proven to be the M’s best reliever, despite taking the loss Tuesday by giving up a two-run homer to the Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber.
Up next
The two-game series concludes at 3:40 p.m. Wednesday at T-Mobile Park. LHP Marco Gonzales (5-0, 2.80) is scheduled to face Cubs LHP Jon Lester (1-1, 2.37).