Field Level Media
Jun 14, 2023
George Kirby pitched six strong innings and Mike Ford hit two home runs as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Miami Marlins 9-3 on Tuesday night.
Cal Raleigh also went deep for Seattle, which has won the first two games of the interleague series. The Nos. 7-9 batters in Seattle's order -- Raleigh, Ford and Jose Caballero -- went a combined 6-for-10 with a triple, three homers and nine RBIs.
Kirby (6-5) allowed one unearned run on three hits. The right-hander didn't walk a batter and had a career-high 10 strikeouts.
The Marlins' Garrett Cooper hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning off Chris Flexen.
Miami right-hander Edward Cabrera (5-5) gave up five runs on four hits in four innings, with three walks and four strikeouts.
Kirby retired the first 13 batters he faced before Yuli Gurriel hit a soft liner to left field with one out in the fifth. Outfielder Jarred Kelenic charged the ball in an attempt to preserve Kirby's gem, but the ball landed just in front of him.
The Marlins finally touched Kirby for an unearned run in the sixth. With one out, Garrett Hampson lined a single to right and took second on a passed ball. After Luis Arraez lined out to short, Jorge Soler grounded a run-scoring single to center.
Arraez went hitless for a second straight game as his major-league-leading average dropped to .382.
Raleigh snapped an 0-for-21 slump with a three-run shot in the second inning. Raleigh hit a 1-0 curveball deep into the lower deck in right field.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kelenic walked, stole second and took third on catcher Jacob Stallings' throwing error on the play. With two outs, Ford hit a towering blast to right center on a 2-1 changeup from Cabrera to make it 5-0.
The Mariners pulled away on Caballero's three-run triple in the bottom of the sixth off Archie Bradley, recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville earlier in the day.
Ford homered to right center off JT Chargois leading off the eighth.
--Field Level Media