SURPRISE, Ariz. – The Mariners scored in five different innings as they defeated the Texas Rangers, 9-7 before a crowd of 9,013 on Friday afternoon at Surprise Stadium. Daniel Vogelbach went 2-for-4 with 1 double, 1 home run and 3 RBI while Mike Zunino and Jean Segura each had 3 hits.
Vogelbach is now batting .405 (15×37) with 6 runs, 6 doubles, 3 home runs, 9 RBI and 9 walks in 14 games this spring.
Seattle and Texas went back-and-forth early in the game, combining for 11 runs and 16 hits over the first 3 innings.
The Mariners took a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st as Dee Gordon and Segura led off the ballgame with back-to-back singles before Guillermo Heredia brought home Gordon with a sacrifice fly. Texas answered back with two runs in the bottom of the 1st on four consecutive hits.
Kirk Nieuwenhuis started the top of the 2nd with a single to right field, and after Danny Muno reached base on a fielding error, Jean Segura drove a two-out, two-run single to left field. The Mariners lead was short-lived, however, as the Rangers evened the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the 2nd on a sacrifice fly.
Seattle plated two runs in the top of the 3rd to take a 5-3 as Zunino began the frame with a double before Vogelbach belted a two-run home run to right field. Texas hit two home runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 6-5 lead.
The Mariners scored the deciding runs of the ballgame in the top of the 7th. Heredia lined a double into the right field corner, stole 3rd base and scored on Zunino’s single. Vogelbach narrowly missed his second home run of the game, settling for an RBI-double. Pinch-runner Taylor Motter scored on Nieuwenhuis’ fielder’s choice. Seattle got an insurance run in the 8th on Zach Vincej’s first home run of the spring.
In his 5th Cactus League start of the spring, Mike Leake worked 4.0 innings, allowing 6 runs on 9 hits while striking out 3. Dan Altavilla pitched 2.0 innings for the first time this spring, retiring each of the six batters he faced. Marc Rzepczynski allowed 1 hit but tossed 1.0 scoreless inning. Chasen Bradford earned the save, allowing 1 run in 2.0 innings pitched.
The Mariners (9-12-1) return to Cactus League action tomorrow (Saturday, March 17) to play a home-road, split-squad doubleheader. Seattle will face the Los Angeles Angels at 1:10 pm at Peoria Stadium. Left-hander Marco Gonzales is scheduled to start for the Mariners against Angels left-hander John Lamb. The Mariners matchup vs. the Angels will be broadcast live on 710 ESPN Seattle, the Mariners Radio Network and Mariners.com. It will also be televised live in HD on ROOT SPORTS NW. The Mariners will also travel to Hohokam Stadium for a 1:05 pm first pitch against the Oakland Athletics. Right-hander Casey Lawrence is slated to start for the Mariners opposite Athletics left-hander Sean Manaea.
