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Seattle Mariners

Mariners Log: M’s pound Angels, snap skid at four

Seattle Mariners’ Robinson Cano celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Friday, June 30, 2017, in Anaheim, Calif. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

M’S MASH FOUR HOMERS IN 17-HIT ATTACK

What happened: Ariel Miranda turned in another gem, Robinson Cano gave him plenty of support at the plate, and the Seattle Mariners snapped a four-game skid in a big way with a 9-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

Miranda (W, 7-4) limited the Angels to two hits and two walks over seven innings with four strikeouts.

Cano, meanwhile, homered twice and drove in five, finishing 3 for 5 with two runs. Mike Zunino homered, but fell short of tying Edgar Martinez and Mike Blowers’ team record for RBIs in a month by two. Ben Gamel had a four-hit night, upping his season average to .348, and Kyle Seager went 4 for 5 with a dinger.

Line Outs

  • It was scoreless until the third, when Mike Zunino went down for a curveball and muscled it out to center, estimated at 446 feet, for his 11th home run of the season. It was his 31st RBI of the month, two shy of Edgar Martinez’ team record for a month. Zunino has 10 of his 11 HRs and 31 of his 35 RBIs on the season in June.
  • The M’s hit into some bad luck in the early innings. In both the second and fourth innings, Mitch Haniger smoked line drives right at fielders that then turned into double plays to end innings.
  • In the fifth, Jarrod Dyson led off with a double to right. With one down, Bridwell’s pickoff play went wild, and Dyson scooted over to third. Jean Segura then ripped one to center for a double and Dyson trotted home to make it 2-0.
  • OF Ben Gamel moved Segura up with a single and both scored on Robinson Cano’s blast to right-center, his 15th homer of the season. Nelson Cruz followed that with a double to left, but Kyle Seager flied out and Danny Valencia lined out to end the rally.
  • Meanwhile, Ariel Miranda cruised through the first five innings on just 66 pitches, allowing two hits and one walk with four strikeouts.
  • Cano dialed deep again in the seventh, launching one into the first row above the high wall in right, with Gamel aboard via his third hit of the night.
  • The M’s added to the onslaught in the eighth. Haniger was hit by a pitch and Dyson doubled to left. With a chance to tie the M’s record for RBIs in a month, Zunino ripped a line drive right at Yunel Escobar at third for an out, but Gamel’s liner to left fell safe and both runners scored.
  • Seager’s bomb in the ninth was the exclamation point on a much-needed win.

The Takeaway

After dropping a pair at Safeco to the Phillies – the worst road team in the Majors – the Mariners really needed to have a good game. They pounded out 17 hits, including four homers, and Miranda dominated the Mike Trout-less Angels lineup.

Tweet of the Day

Players of the Game

Hero: Ariel Miranda. The revelation of the season. Seriously, where would they be without him with all the other injuries?

Goat: Danny Valencia. 0 for 4, two Ks.

Next Game

Seattle Mariners (40-41) at Los Angeles Angels (42-42) on Saturday at 7:07 p.m. at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

What others are saying (and writing)

The M’s bats broke out in a big way, sure, but even if they hadn’t Miranda’s pitching was enough to get them at least a tie. The lefty continues to impress. … Andrew Moore will be back and get another start with the team. … The 10-0 victory over the Angels included Cano’s two home runs. That’s two more than Nelson Cruz has had in almost a month.