MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Seattle Mariners felt right at home at Miller Park even though it had been nine years since their last visit.
“The ball does fly here. It’s a very hitter-friendly ballpark,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “It’s a new place for us and our guys were anxious to get up there tonight.”
Daniel Vogelbach hit a two-run homer and the Mariners had 12 hits in an 8-3 win over the Brewers on Tuesday night for their first interleague win in five tries this season.
“He’s having fun playing and coming to the park every day, and he’s got big-time power,” Servais said of his burly first baseman.
Marco Gonzales (9-6) pitched five innings to earn his fourth consecutive win for the Mariners. Four Mariners’ relievers shut out the Brewers over the final four innings.
After the Brewers got a run in the first, the Mariners scored four times in the third off Milwaukee starter Zach Davies (7-2). J.P. Crawford drove in a run with a triple and Domingo Santana plated another with a double off the glove of Milwaukee shortstop Orlando Arcia. Vogelbach capped it with his 19th homer, a two-run, 419-foot shot into the second deck in right.
Seattle added two more runs in the fourth, aided by shoddy fielding by the Brewers. Mac Williamson drew a lead-off walk, reached second on one throwing error and scored on another. A second run came across on a Crawford’s ground out.
“The game is a different game if we put up a zero in the fourth,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. “We gave them two runs. That’s the inning that cost us as much as anything.”
Dee Gordon’s run-scoring double in the fifth extended the lead to 7-1.
Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer and Jesus Aguilar had a run-scoring single for Milwaukee in the fifth off Gonzales, who gave up eight hits and three runs.
Davies gave up six hits and six runs in four innings in his second consecutive ineffective outing.
“I just need to go back to my mentality I had before – being aggressive, controlling the game myself and not being passive,” Davies said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: RHP Sam Tuivailala, who is recovering from a torn right Achilles tendon sustained last year, surrendered five runs (four earned) and five hits in just two-thirds of an inning in a rehab assignment on Sunday for Class A Everett.
Brewers: OF Lorenzo Cain sat out after having a cryotherapy procedure on his right thumb in Los Angeles earlier in the day. “It just got to the point where we have to do something a little more to give him a chance to get past the pain,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It has been affecting him, there’s no question about it.” Cain, who sat out Sunday’s game against Cincinnati before Milwaukee’s off-day on Monday, likely will miss Wednesday’s game against Seattle. Ben Gamel took Cain’s spot in the lineup.
HOUSER GETS CHANCE
RHP Adrian Houser’s scheduled start on the mound on Wednesday won’t be a one-time deal, Counsell said. “We’re going to move him into the rotation and give him a shot to do this because he’s earned it. He’s pitched really, really well at the big-league level.”
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Braun had two doubles for the second consecutive game. He has doubled twice in a game six times this season. “He’s starting to do a really nice job against left-handed pitching,” Counsell said. “That’s something we really need.”
THANKFUL FOR DH
The first-ever plate appearance for Seattle reliever Austin Adams wasn’t an enjoyable experience.
“I got to hit and that was not fun,” said Adams, who struck out against Jimmy Nelson. “I never want to do that again. I got a piece of three (pitches), and they were waving the white flag over there in the first-base dugout. Hitting is extremely hard.”
RESPECT FOR GIANNIS
Counsel spoke glowingly of the emotional speech delivered by Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo after he captured the NBA’s MVP during the league’s televised awards show on Monday night. “Our whole family was sitting there,” Counsell said. “We all cheered, and he just gave an incredible speech. It was so heartfelt, real. Just like who he is. He didn’t have anything written down. I respect him on the court, but I respect him so much for delivering that. He just nailed it.”
UP NEXT
Mariners: Seattle will use a yet-to-be announced opening pitcher before turning to Wade LeBlanc (4-2, 5.44 ERA). LeBlanc is 4-1 with a 3.82 ERA in 13 career appearances against Milwaukee.
Brewers: Houser (2-1, 2.27) will make his third start of the season, replacing Nelson, who has struggled as a starter. Houser has made 14 relief appearances this season.
