Conforto homers twice in Mets' win over Mariners
The Sports Xchange
Jul 29, 2017
SEATTLE -- Michael Conforto hit two home runs as the New York Mets defeated the Seattle Mariners 7-5 on Friday night.
Conforto, a native of nearby Redmond, Wash., who was playing a major league game at Safeco Field for the first time, led off the third and eighth innings with solo homers. His eighth-inning liner off Marc Rzepczynski tied the score at 5-5.
Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a single off David Phelps (0-1), the fourth Seattle pitcher, before Yoenis Cespedes looked at a called third strike. Jay Bruce, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning, singled to right but was then forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Wilmer Flores.
Neil Walker, playing in his first game since June 15, lined a single down the left-field line to bring home the go-ahead run. Curtis Granderson followed with a single off first baseman Danny Valencia's glove to make it 7-5.
Mets reliever Jerry Blevins (5-0) got the victory, with Addison Reed pitching the ninth for his 19th save of the season.
Mike Zunino homered for Seattle (51-53), which failed to get back to the .500 mark.
The Mariners threatened in the eighth against Mets reliever Paul Sewald. Valencia led off with a single and Mitch Haniger was hit by a pitch. Jarrod Dyson's sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out. But Sewald rebounded to strike out Zunino and got Jean Segura to ground out to short to end the inning.
Ben Gamel led off the ninth with an infield single off Reed, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. But Reed got Robinson Cano to ground into a double play and Nelson Cruz to fly out to left field to close out the victory.
Mariners left-hander Ariel Miranda overcame a shaky start to pitch six solid innings.
He was in line for a victory until Conforto's second homer of the night tied the score.
Miranda allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in six innings, with one walk and a career-high 10 strikeouts.
Mets right-hander Rafael Montero allowed just one hit through the first four innings, a solo homer by Zunino, but couldn't make it through the fifth.
Haniger led off the fifth with a double off the right-field wall, snapping an 0-for-19 slump. Dyson then grounded a single up the middle, with Haniger stopping at third. Zunino walked to load the bases. Haniger scored and the other runners advanced on a wild pitch, reducing the Mets' lead to 4-2. Segura then walked to reload the bases. Cano's sacrifice fly to right field pulled Seattle within a run, then Cruz walked to load the bases again, signaling the end of Montero's night.
Mets manager Terry Collins called on left-hander Josh Edgin to face the left-handed-hitting Kyle Seager. The move backfired as Seager grounded a two-run single into left field, giving the Mariners a 5-4 lead. Hansel Robles relieved Edgin and struck out Valencia to end the inning.
Montero went 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on three hits, with five walks and five strikeouts.
The Mets wasted little time against Miranda.
With one out in the top of the first inning, Cabrera singled to left field. An out later, Bruce cranked his 27th homer of the season, a two-run shot to right-center field.
The Mets doubled their lead in the third. Conforto led off with a home run to right field.
Cabrera singled and went from first to third on a wild pitch and a throwing error by catcher Zunino. After Bruce walked, Wilmer Flores hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right to make it 4-0.
Zunino got one run back in the bottom of the inning, hitting a 416-foot homer, his 16th, into the Mariners bullpen in left-center field.
NOTES: Mariners RHP Nick Vincent pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, breaking the single-season franchise record with his 25th consecutive scoreless relief appearance at home. Vincent, who hasn't allowed a run at Safeco Field this year, eclipsed the mark of 24 set by George Sherrill in 2007. ... Mets 2B Neil Walker was activated from the 10-day disabled list and started Friday. Walker had been sidelined with a partial tear in his left hamstring. The Mets also activated OF Brandon Nimmo, who had been on the DL since July 5 with a partially collapsed lung, and optioned RHP Tyler Pill to Triple-A Las Vegas. ... The Mariners traded RHP Steve Cishek to Tampa Bay for RHP Erasmo Ramirez. Seattle also optioned RHP Andrew Moore to Triple-A Tacoma and called up RHPs Casey Lawrence and Cody Martin. INF Tyler Smith was designated for assignment. ... Mets RHP Jacob deGrom (12-3, 3.30 ERA) is scheduled to face Mariners RHP Yovani Gallardo (4-7, 5.58) on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of the three-game series.
Jul 29, 2017
SEATTLE -- Michael Conforto hit two home runs as the New York Mets defeated the Seattle Mariners 7-5 on Friday night.
Conforto, a native of nearby Redmond, Wash., who was playing a major league game at Safeco Field for the first time, led off the third and eighth innings with solo homers. His eighth-inning liner off Marc Rzepczynski tied the score at 5-5.
Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a single off David Phelps (0-1), the fourth Seattle pitcher, before Yoenis Cespedes looked at a called third strike. Jay Bruce, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning, singled to right but was then forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Wilmer Flores.
Neil Walker, playing in his first game since June 15, lined a single down the left-field line to bring home the go-ahead run. Curtis Granderson followed with a single off first baseman Danny Valencia's glove to make it 7-5.
Mets reliever Jerry Blevins (5-0) got the victory, with Addison Reed pitching the ninth for his 19th save of the season.
Mike Zunino homered for Seattle (51-53), which failed to get back to the .500 mark.
The Mariners threatened in the eighth against Mets reliever Paul Sewald. Valencia led off with a single and Mitch Haniger was hit by a pitch. Jarrod Dyson's sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third with one out. But Sewald rebounded to strike out Zunino and got Jean Segura to ground out to short to end the inning.
Ben Gamel led off the ninth with an infield single off Reed, extending his hitting streak to 14 games. But Reed got Robinson Cano to ground into a double play and Nelson Cruz to fly out to left field to close out the victory.
Mariners left-hander Ariel Miranda overcame a shaky start to pitch six solid innings.
He was in line for a victory until Conforto's second homer of the night tied the score.
Miranda allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits in six innings, with one walk and a career-high 10 strikeouts.
Mets right-hander Rafael Montero allowed just one hit through the first four innings, a solo homer by Zunino, but couldn't make it through the fifth.
Haniger led off the fifth with a double off the right-field wall, snapping an 0-for-19 slump. Dyson then grounded a single up the middle, with Haniger stopping at third. Zunino walked to load the bases. Haniger scored and the other runners advanced on a wild pitch, reducing the Mets' lead to 4-2. Segura then walked to reload the bases. Cano's sacrifice fly to right field pulled Seattle within a run, then Cruz walked to load the bases again, signaling the end of Montero's night.
Mets manager Terry Collins called on left-hander Josh Edgin to face the left-handed-hitting Kyle Seager. The move backfired as Seager grounded a two-run single into left field, giving the Mariners a 5-4 lead. Hansel Robles relieved Edgin and struck out Valencia to end the inning.
Montero went 4 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on three hits, with five walks and five strikeouts.
The Mets wasted little time against Miranda.
With one out in the top of the first inning, Cabrera singled to left field. An out later, Bruce cranked his 27th homer of the season, a two-run shot to right-center field.
The Mets doubled their lead in the third. Conforto led off with a home run to right field.
Cabrera singled and went from first to third on a wild pitch and a throwing error by catcher Zunino. After Bruce walked, Wilmer Flores hit a sacrifice fly to the warning track in right to make it 4-0.
Zunino got one run back in the bottom of the inning, hitting a 416-foot homer, his 16th, into the Mariners bullpen in left-center field.
NOTES: Mariners RHP Nick Vincent pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, breaking the single-season franchise record with his 25th consecutive scoreless relief appearance at home. Vincent, who hasn't allowed a run at Safeco Field this year, eclipsed the mark of 24 set by George Sherrill in 2007. ... Mets 2B Neil Walker was activated from the 10-day disabled list and started Friday. Walker had been sidelined with a partial tear in his left hamstring. The Mets also activated OF Brandon Nimmo, who had been on the DL since July 5 with a partially collapsed lung, and optioned RHP Tyler Pill to Triple-A Las Vegas. ... The Mariners traded RHP Steve Cishek to Tampa Bay for RHP Erasmo Ramirez. Seattle also optioned RHP Andrew Moore to Triple-A Tacoma and called up RHPs Casey Lawrence and Cody Martin. INF Tyler Smith was designated for assignment. ... Mets RHP Jacob deGrom (12-3, 3.30 ERA) is scheduled to face Mariners RHP Yovani Gallardo (4-7, 5.58) on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of the three-game series.
