Takeaway
Wade Miley took a no-hitter into the seventh and lost the lead on a play at the plate reviewed and overturned. Then he nearly saw Kris Bryant steal home on him in the same frame on another play reviewed at the dish. But he emerged the winner Saturday after Leonys Martin had wo-run double in the eighth that lifted the Mariners to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field (box).
Miley matched Chicago’s Jake Arrieta, the 2015 NL Cy Young winner, pitch-for-pitch before losing his bid for a perfect game in the seventh by walking Dexter Fowler, then allowing a single to Bryant. Fowler was ruled out at home when he attempted to score from third on a ground ball to Shawn O’Malley at short, but a review overturned the call for a 1-0 lead. Bryant then attempted a steal of home. The ump ruled him safe, but a review overturned it.
Essential moment
Down 1-0 in the eighth, C Mike Zunino walked and yielded to pinch runner Guillermo Heredia, who made his MLB debut Friday night. After O’Malley also walked, ending Arrieta’s afternoon, the runners advanced on Luis Sardinas’ sacrifice. Heredia nearly scored on LF Nori Aoki’s fielder’s choice — Heredia was ruled out at home on a play that was upheld on review — then Seattle broke through when Martin gapped to left center a 100 mph fastball from newly acquired closer Aroldis Chapman, plating O’Malley and Aoki.
Hitters
The Mariners added their third run when Martin came home on Chapman’s wild pitch. In the ninth, the final run scored on Addison Russell’s throwing error that plated RF Franklin Gutierrez . . . The Mariners managed five hits off four pitchers. Only Martin’s eighth-inning double went for extra bases. Martin went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base . . . Nelson Cruz had Seattle’s other multi-hit game, also 2-for-4 . . . The Mariners went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranded six.
Pitchers
Miley (7-8, 4.98) snapped a six-game losing streak, winning for the first time since June 7 against Cleveland. Miley allowed one run on one hit in seven innings with nine strikeouts and a walk. He threw 92 pitches, 65 for strikes . . . Edwin Diaz, who took over for Miley, fell behind early in the eighth but recovered with two strikeouts, stranding a pair of Chicago runners . . .Steve Cishek worked the ninth for his 25th save . . . Mariners pitchers allowed only three hits and recorded 14 strikeouts with two walks . . . Arrieta also worked seven innings, allowing two runs on two hits with four strikeouts. But the two walks he allowed to start the eighth proved his undoing.
Words
“That’s one of the better wins we’ve had all year, even the walk-offs, especially against that team in this environment. That’s as good as it gets. Miley was very aggressive and as good as he’s been all year. He brought his ‘A’ game. Leonys (Martin) has put good swings on velocity all year and we won that matchup (vs. Chapman) today. Three reviews at home plate in one game? You don’t often see that. They all could have gone either way.” — Mariners manager Scott Servais
“I didn’t try to do too much, just put the ball in play. I was thinking he (Chapman) was going to throw me a fastball away and he did. That was a tough game today. Both guys (Miley and Arrieta) threw pretty good.” — Martin on his game-winning hit
“I knew about the no-hitter. The guys were starting to move away from me in the dugout and I don’t like that. Martin came up huge for us. I was lucky for the first six innings, that’s the way I look at it. Those guys (Cubs) know how to put at-bats together.” — Miley
Noteworthy
Seattle snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 52-50. The Mariners have won six of their past 10, are 11-5 in interleague play and 6-8 all-time against the Cubs . . . The Mariners, 16-11-6 in overall series, have 23 come-from-behind wins . . . The Mariners Saturday recalled RHP Cody Martin from AAA Tacoma and placed RHP Nathan Karns on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain. Martin, 26, was 9-6 with a 3.95 ERA in 22 games (17 starts) with the Rainiers. In one prior stint with Seattle this season, he went 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in two games. Martin earned the win in his Mariners debut, tossing a scoreless inning June 2 at San Diego.
Next
The final in the three-game is Sunday at 5:08 p.m. PT, in a contest that will be televised nationally on ESPN. RHP Felix Hernandez (5-4, 3.45) will throw for Seattle opposite RHP Kyle Hendricks (9-7, 2.39). The Mariners begin a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox Monday night at Safeco Field.
5 Comments
Nice win against the future champs. Hope they can do it again tomorrow.
Nice win. Well done. And again, I hate to be the purveyor of somber news (who knew?) but since May 27th, Friday of memorial Day weekend, when I had on my calendar – Larry for tennis – drinks? – since that date the M’s are 8 games under .500. Basically 8 under for the summer. Not to worry. Jet steam will stream our summer through September and M’s will compete right to the end. Not sure it’s a happy end though. But since Wade Miley believes he’s Sandy Koufax (who knew?) anything is possible.
May 27 was the day the Minnesota Minotaurs came to town and swept.
<<o. ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★::::::!fn172m:….,….
<<o. ★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★✫★★::::::!fn240m:….,…..