By Tim Booth / Associated Press
SEATTLE — Rookie Bryce Miller and two relievers combined on a one-hitter, Ty France, Eugenio Suárez and Tom Murphy homered, and the Seattle Mariners opened an important six-game homestand with an 8-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Monday night.
Following a disappointing 2-6 road trip that saw Seattle fall 10 games back in the AL West, the Mariners rediscovered a winning formula of strong starting pitching and a few big swings.
Miller was superb, throwing six innings and allowing only Nick Fortes’ solo home run with two outs in the fifth inning. Ty Adcock pitched two innings of relief in his major league debut, and Gabe Speier worked the ninth, finishing off the one-hitter.
Miller (4-3) rebounded from his previous two starts in which the rookie was badly knocked around by the Yankees and Rangers to the tune of 19 hits and 15 earned runs. The 24-year-old right-hander again relied mostly on spotting his fastball, but mixed in just enough sliders to keep the Marlins off balance.
Miller struck out six and walked three.
Miami’s Luis Arraez went hitless in four at-bats and his batting average dipped to .391. Arraez was hitless for the second time in his last 17 games, and for the 11th time this season.
Miller was provided support from the outset — and a chance to pitch with the lead. The Mariners scored six runs with two outs in the first two innings combined, highlighted by Teoscar Hernández’s RBI double in the first and France’s three-run homer in the second.
Bryan De La Cruz’s error in left field later in the first inning allowed Hernández to score, and Julio Rodríguez’s RBI single in the second set the stage for France to hit his sixth homer of the season. Suárez hit a solo shot in the fifth inning, and Murphy hit a solo homer in the eighth.
All of Seattle’s early offensive damage came off Miami starter Jesús Luzardo, who lasted just four innings in his shortest outing of the season. Luzardo (5-5) allowed five earned runs, six hits and struck out three.
ROSTER MOVE
Seattle placed RHP Penn Murfee on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation on Monday. Murfee was removed from Sunday’s game in Anaheim after feeling discomfort in his pitching arm. Murfee had missed 29 games in May and early June with the same issue. Seattle selected Adcock from Double-A Arkansas to take Murfee’s spot and transferred LHP Robbie Ray to the 60-day IL.
UP NEXT
Marlins: RHP Edward Cabrera (5-4, 4.29) won his second straight start in his last outing, allowing one run and two hits in five innings against Kansas City.
Mariners: RHP George Kirby (5-5, 3.50) looks to rebound after getting battered for 11 hits and five runs in 3.2 innings in his last start against San Diego.
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