The Seattle Mariners continue to be confounded by National League teams. In the first game of a three-game interleague series against the San Francisco Giants at Safeco Field on Friday night, the Mariners took the loss by a final score of 4-2. They have now lost six straight games; all to National League teams.
The Giants struck first in the second inning, as Buster Posey launched an upper-deck solo home run to left field to open the scoring. In the top of the fourth inning, Brandon Belt doubled Angel Pagan to third base and Joaquin Arias brought Pagan home with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0 Giants.
Mariners starter Jason Vargas stayed strong into the eighth inning, hoping to hang around long enough to get some run support behind him. Vargas' quality start went up in smoke as Melky Cabrera hit a two-run shot to left center field to make it 4-0 Giants.
Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong held the Mariners to just four hits over seven-plus innings. Two of those hits led off the eighth inning, after which Vogelsong was lifted for left-handed specialist Javier Lopez. Mariners manager Eric Wedge countered with right-handed pinch hitter Casper Wells, who hit a single through the hole into left field to load the bases with no outs. The Mariners broke up the shutout as Ichiro Suzuki grounded into an RBI fielder's choice. Another run came home as Pablo Sandoval booted a double-play grounder and had to settle for an out at first. The RBI groundout from Franklin Gutierrez cut the led to 4-2, but Kyle Seager also grounded out to end the inning.
The Mariners were unable to make anything further happen in the bottom of the ninth against Giants closer Santiago Casilla.
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