Marjama hits inside-the-park HR, M’s top Reds 5-2

Published 1:30 am Saturday, March 10, 2018

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Seattle Mariners scored five runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by Mike Marjama’s three-run, inside-the-park home run, in a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night at Goodyear Ballpark.

Seattle’s bullpen of Dan Altavilla, Marc Rzepczynski, Christian Bergman and Art Warren combined for six scoreless innings in which they did not walk a batter. They allowed two hits and struck out three.

The Reds took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run home run from Devin Mesoraco. Cincinnati threatened to score again in the bottom of the third, loading the bases with one out. Mesarco lifted a fly ball to center field, but Dee Gordon glided under it and threw a strike to Tuffy Gosewisch at home plate to complete the 8-2 double play.

In the fifth, Gordon singled and stole second base with one out before Kyle Seager worked a two-out walk. Mike Ford then followed by ripping a double — his second of the game — down the right-field line to score both Gordon and Seager.

Andrew Aplin drew a walk to put two runner on for Marjama, who drove a 1-0 pitch that caromed off the wall in right-center field and raced around the bases for a three-run, inside-the-park home run.

In his third start of the spring, Ariel Miranda went three innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out four.

Altavilla worked a clean fourth inning and has now retired 15 of 16 batters faced this spring for the Mariners (6-9-1).