PEORIA, Ariz. – The Mariners allowed six home runs to the Arizona Diamondbacks, dropping their Cactus League tilt, 15-6, to the D-backs in front of 6,546 fans on Tuesday afternoon at Peoria Stadium.
In his final tune-up start of Spring Training before making his 10th career Opening Day start on Monday, April 3 at Houston, Felix Hernandez allowed 1 run on 1 hit while striking out 4 in 2.0 innings of work. After surrendering a solo home run with two outs in in the top of the 1st, Felix bounced back to retire each of the last four batters he faced, three via strikeouts.
Mitch Haniger went 2-for-3 with a run scored, a double, an RBI and a walk, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Since March 14, Haniger is batting .417 (15×36) with 6 runs, 7 doubles, 1 triple and 5 RBI in his last 10 games. His 11 doubles this spring lead both the Cactus League and the Grapefruit League.
The scoring opened with a solo home run by the Diamondbacks in the top of the 1st inning. The Mariners answered right back with a run in the bottom frame. Jean Segura doubled to lead off the inning, advanced to 3rd on an infield single from Haniger and scored on a Robinson Canó sacrifice fly.
Beginning with the 3rd, Arizona scored a run in 5 of the last 7 innings of today’s game. The Diamondbacks tallied a run in the 3rd, five in the 4th, a pair in the 5th, one in the 6th and five in the 8th.
Segura and Haniger keyed another Mariners rally in the bottom of the 3rd, as Segura singled to start the inning and Haniger followed with a run-scoring double. Nelson Cruz brought home Haniger with a double to the base of the wall in left field. Mike Zunino belted a two-run home run – his team-leading 4th homer of the spring – in the bottom of the 6th to make it 10-5 in favor of the D-backs. The Mariners scored their final run of the afternoon in the 7th as Haniger drew a one-out walk, and pinch-runner Guilermo Heredia came around to score on an RBI-single off the bat of Danny Valencia.
Casey Fien allowed 6 runs (3 earned runs) on 6 hits while striking out 1 in 2.0 innings pitched. Dean Kiekhefer got one out in the top of the 5th before surrendering a solo home run and being lifted for Jonathan Aro. In his 10th Cactus League appearance this spring, Aro worked 1.2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and 1 walk with 4 strikeouts. Dan Altavilla tossed a scoreless top of the 7th and fanned 2 batters. Minor league call-up Joe Pistorese gave up 5 runs on 4 hits, including a grand slam home run, while walking 1 and striking out 1 in the 8th. Minor leaguer Jack Anderson retired the Diamondbacks in order in the 9th on three flyouts.
Seattle (19-14) returns to Cactus League play to face the Los Angeles Dodgers tomorrow (March 29) at 1:10 p.m. at Peoria Stadium. Right-handed pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma is slated to make his sixth Cactus League start for the Mariners against Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw.
(Seattle Mariners)
