Zunino drives in 7 as Mariners beat Rays 9-2

Published 1:30 am Saturday, June 3, 2017

By Jim Hoehn

Associated Press

SEATTLE — Mike Zunino hit his first grand slam and drove in a career-high seven runs to power the Seattle Mariners to a 9-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night.

Zunino, sent down to Triple-A Tacoma for two weeks in May after struggling offensively, had a two-run double in the second, an RBI single in the fourth, and capped a five-run fifth with his slam that put the Mariners up 9-1.

Rookie right-hander Sam Gaviglio (2-1) allowed one run — a homer by Corey Dickerson to lead off the game — and four hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked none in his fourth start since being called up May 10.

Alex Cobb (4-5) was rocked for nine runs and 14 hits in five innings.

Nelson Cruz had three hits, including a solo homer, and Danny Valencia had four singles and scored three times for the Mariners, who won for the sixth time in seven games.

The Mariners erased a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the second on Valencia’s RBI single and Zunino’s two-run double to the gap in right-center.

Seattle made it 4-1 in the fourth on singles by Valencia, Taylor Motter and Zunino. The Mariners failed to add on when Motter was out at home attempting to score from third on a ball that initially got away from catcher Derek Norris.

Cruz got Seattle’s five-run fifth started with his 13th homer, a one-out solo shot to left. The Mariners loaded the bases on a single by Valencia, a walk to Motter and Jarrod Dyson’s bunt single. Zunino, who had five RBIs in 103 at-bats before Saturday, then drove a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left for his second homer.

Logan Morrison hit a solo homer in the ninth for the Rays, his 16th.