The Sports Xchange
Jun 1, 2017
SEATTLE -- James Paxton, making his first appearance in nearly a month, pitched 5 1/3 innings as the Seattle Mariners extended their winning streak to four games with a 5-0 victory against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night at Safeco Field.
Paxton (4-0), who has allowed one earned run or none in six of his seven starts this season, lowered his ERA to 1.26. He gave up three hits and struck out six without issuing a walk. Of his 74 pitches, 57 were strikes.
Three Seattle relievers combined to allow only one hit in 3 2/3 innings to complete the shutout.
Paxton, making his first start since May 2 after being activated from the disabled list before the game, retired the side in four of his five full innings. He had been sidelined due to a left forearm strain.
Tony Wolters, the No. 9 hitter, was the only Colorado player to reach base in the first four innings -- via an infield single with two outs in the third.
Rockies rookie Antonio Senzatela (7-2) yielded four runs on five hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out seven and threw two wild pitches.
After retiring the side in order in the first inning, Senzatela struggled in the second. He allowed back-to-back singles up the middle by Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager to open the inning, then threw a wild pitch to allow the runners to advance to second and third. Danny Valencia lined the next pitch into the right-center-field gap for a two-run double.
After getting two outs, Senzatela allowed a run-scoring double to Mike Zunino into the left field corner as the Mariners took a 3-0 lead.
Senzatela ran into trouble again in the fifth. Jarrod Dyson led off the inning with a walk and then moved to third on a balk and a wild pitch. After a walk to Jean Segura, Ben Gamel hit a single down the left field line to give the Mariners a 4-0 advantage.
Gamel's seventh-inning sacrifice fly completed the scoring.
NOTES: Seattle 1B Danny Valencia hit into a scary 1-6-4-3 double play in the sixth inning. Valencia's broken-bat liner was headed for Colorado RHP Jordan Lyles' face before Lyles got his glove up to deflect the ball, which caromed to SS Trevor Story. He flipped to 2B DJ LeMahieu for the force at second, and LeMahieu completed the double play with a strong throw to first. ... Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (5-3, 3.43 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Seattle RHP Yovani Gallardo (2-5, 5.76) on Thursday afternoon in the series finale.