DENVER — Five runs. Six runs. And now 10 runs. Maybe the Seattle Mariners really have finally broken free from their extended late May slumber.
Kyle Seager fueled a 19-hit attack Tuesday with a two-run homer and a two-run double as the Mariners stretched their winning streak to three games with a 10-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.
The 19 hits are a season high.
Jean Segura had four of them, while Seager, Ben Gamel and Guillermo Heredia each had three. Robinson Cano contributed a 443-foot homer. On and on.
“It gets contagious,” Seager said. “Look at Segura. He had four hits today and very easily could have had a couple of more. He gets the ball rolling, and we can all feed off that.
“He just needs to get four hits every game, and we’ll be pretty good.”
The Mariners scored just nine runs in eight games before breaking loose Sunday for a 5-0 victory at Boston. They followed that Monday with a 6-5 victory over the Rockies.
Three straight victories enabled the Mariners to go 4-4 on an eight-game trip that began with three games in Washington and continued with three at Boston before their two games at Coors.
“Our offense did a great job of adding on tonight,” manager Scott Servais said, “which is great to see. I said the other night in Boston that I thought we hit rock bottom. I certainly believe that. We’ve turned it around since.”
That “other night in Boston” was Saturday’s 6-0 loss to Brian Johnson, who was recalled prior to the game from the minors and sent back to the minors after pitching a five-hit shutout.
“We as players, we know what we have in here,” Seager said. “We weren’t going to stress. That one game there, especially, was tough. But he threw the ball really well.”
Ariel Miranda (5-2) lasted just five innings but limited the Rockies to two runs and three hits. Miranda admitted he fell victim to the Mile High altitude.
“When I was trying to throw my fastball for a strike in the fifth inning,” he said, “I couldn’t do it. No power. I was tired. It’s very tough to pitch here in Colorado.”
The bullpen then covered the final 12 outs for a second straight game at Coors. First up was Casey Lawrence, who pitched 2 2/3 strong innings before the Mariners’ short-relief corps closed out the victory.
The four-game split series continues Wednesday night at Safeco Field.
Seager’s two-run homer in the second inning opened the scoring. It followed Nelson Cruz’s leadoff walk. Colorado starter Tyler Anderson (3-5) then walked Heredia, who came around on Mike Zunino’s double past third.
Left fielder Ian Desmond misplayed the ball, and it was judged that Heredia scored because of it. The scoring was an error and no RBI. Either way, it was 3-0.
The Mariners added three more runs in the third inning.
Cano led off with a single and went to third when Gamel, who replaced an ailing Cruz, pulled a double into the right-field corner. Both scored when Seager pulled an 0-2 cutter into right field for a double.
Heredia’s single up the middle scored Seager for a 6-0 lead.
Miranda responded to each three-spot with a shutdown inning. In the third he pitched around Trevor Story’s leadoff double.
Colorado broke through in the fifth inning after Miranda, clearly flagging, loaded the bases with a pair of two-out walks. D.J. LeMahieu then floated a two-run single into right field before Miranda ended the inning.
Cano’s leadoff homer in the seventh against reliever Mike Dunn extended the Mariners’ lead to 7-2. Gamel followed with a triple to deep center and tried to score on Heredia’s one-out grounder to second.
Gamel was initially called safe. Colorado challenged, and the call was overturned. The Mariners then challenged that catcher Ryan Hanigan didn’t allow Gamel a lane to the plate, but the out call stood.
“I felt like I (had a lane) at first,” Gamel said. “Then all I saw was leg. It happens fast.”
Colorado nicked Lawrence for one run in the eighth before the Mariners put the game away with a three-run ninth.
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