Tampa Bay Rays vs Seattle Mariners Match Player Stats On Jun 04, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jun 4, 2017

SEATTLE -- Ariel Miranda pitched a four-hitter and struck out a career-high nine as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-1 on Sunday afternoon at Safeco Field.

It was the first career complete game for Miranda (6-2), a 28-year-old left-hander from Cuba who has won five consecutive decisions. He walked one.

Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his 14th home run of the season, as the Mariners completed a three-game sweep.

Miranda's shutout bid ended in the eighth inning when David Robertson led off with a fly ball that center fielder Jarrod Dyson lost in the sun. Dyson turned his back at the last moment with the ball glancing off his left shoulder. Robertson reached third on the play and was credited with a triple.

Jesus Sucre's grounder with one out brought home Robertson for the Rays' only run.

Miranda didn't allow a hit until Kevin Kiermaier's infield single with one out in the fifth. Kiermaier hit a chopper to the right side of the infield that first baseman Danny Valencia fielded and flipped to Miranda covering first. With Kiermaier racing down the line, Miranda tried to barehand the ball but dropped it.

Tim Beckham blooped a single down the right field line with one out in the seventh, and Steven Souza Jr. had a two-out single in the eighth, the only other hits off Miranda.

Seattle doubled its lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning against Rays starter Erasmo Ramirez (3-1). Mike Zunino hit a two-run single to right field with two outs and the bases loaded. Zunino hit a grand slam the previous night.

The Mariners scored three times in the sixth, with the big blow a two-run double by Dyson down the right field line.

NOTES: Mariners 1B Danny Valencia singled in his first two at-bats to tie the franchise record with nine consecutive hits. Raul Ibanez set the mark in 2004. ... Seattle 2B Robinson Cano saw a potential run-scoring double turn into a groundout in the third inning. Cano hit a ball down the first base line that got past Rays 1B Rickie Weeks Jr. but hit umpire Gerry Davis. The ball bounced back toward Weeks, who picked it up and touched the base for the inning-ending out. ... Mariners LF Boog Powell made a diving, rolling catch on the warning track on an Evan Longoria liner in the fourth inning. ... Seattle manager Scott Servais celebrated his 50th birthday. ... The Mariners are off Monday but continue a 11-game homestand when the Minnesota Twins arrive for a three-game series starting Tuesday. ... The Rays also get a day off and return home after going 4-5 on a nine-game trip. They open a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.