Seattle Mariners Drop to 3-3 in Cactus League

The Cincinnati Reds (3-3) thrashed the Seattle Mariners (3-3) 10-1 on Sunday afternoon in Goodyear, AZ. Jason Marquis (2-0, 0.00 ERA) pitched 3 shutout innings en route to picking up his second victory of the spring. 25-year-old Raisel Iglesias shut the door in the 9^th inning for the Reds to earn his first save of the spring. J.A. Happ (0-1, 9.00 ERA) took the loss after struggling in his Mariners debut.

What Went Wrong:

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The Reds opened the scoring in the bottom of the 2^nd inning. After J.A. Happ allowed a 1 out single to Zack Cozart, first baseman Donald Lutz stepped to the plate and delivered a two run dinger to deep right field. Happ managed to stop the bleeding, but the damage had already been done. The Reds took a 2-0 lead into the 3^rd inning.

The Mariners cut the lead in half in the top of the 4^th inning. Right fielder James Jones beat out an infield single to lead off the frame. After Jones stole second, Austin Jackson drove him in on a double to center field. Kyle Seager, Nelson Cruz, and D.J. Peterson were set down in order, stranding AJ at second base. The Mariners trailed by just a single run heading into the bottom of the 4^th. That was the closest the M’s would get today.

The Mariners brought in Danny Farquhar to pitch the 4^th inning, and Jay Bruce welcomed Lord Farquhar to the ballgame by clubbing a solo home run to right field. Farquhar looked out of sync all inning, and was lucky to escape the frame surrendering just the one run. The Reds took a 3-1 lead into the 5^th inning, and they never looked back.

Southpaw Charlie Furbush was called upon to pitch the 6^th inning for the Mariners. Furbush walked Irving Falu on four straight pitches to open the inning. After Yorman Rodriguez doubled, the Reds had runners on second and third with none out. Felix Perez plated Falu on a double of his own. As is often the case in baseball, the leadoff walk came back to bite Furbush. The Reds exited the 6^th inning with a 4-1 lead.

The Reds put the game out of reach in the 8^th inning. Veteran southpaw Joe Saunders continues to look overmatched this spring, today allowing 6 runs on 5 hits. With the bases loaded and none out, Eugenio Suarez cleared the bases with a triple down the left field line. Saunders’ troubles continued as Chad Wallach singled on ground ball back up the middle scoring Suarez. After retiring Josh Satin, Saunders got lit up by Kyle Waldrop for a two-run home run. Waldrop’s blast made the score 10-1.

The entire box score can be found here.

What Stood Out:

J.A. Happ’s problems with the home run ball have followed him to Seattle. Happ has allowed 1.1 home runs per 9 innings over the course of his 8 year career. Happ’s afternoon was doomed by yet another long ball this afternoon against the Reds. Pitching in Safeco Field this season should help curb his issues, but his ability to keep the opposition in the yard will likely determine Happ’s effectiveness in 2015. Hopefully the 32-year-old southpaw is able to rebound in his next outing.

Mar 8, 2015; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher

Fernando Rodney

(56) reacts after walking a batter in the third inning against the Cincinnati Reds during a spring training baseball game at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Fernando Rodney got his first action of the spring this afternoon, and he looked pretty good. Rodney was called on to pitch the 3^rd inning today, and he managed to keep the Reds off the scoreboard. The archery enthusiast struck out Jason Bourgeois on a nasty changeup, and induced two groundouts. The only blemish was a two out walk to Skip Schumaker. Rodney is a regression candidate after leading the league with 48 saves in 2014, but he will enter the season as the undisputed 9th inning man for the M’s.

James Jones got the start in right field and hit leadoff for the Mariners this afternoon. Jones appears to be the odd man out in the M’s outfield this spring, but he put on a nice showing today against the Reds. Jones busted down the line to beat out an infield single in the 3^rd, and proceeded to get himself into scoring position by stealing second base. Jones swiped 27 bags in 2014, and his speed is a game changer. Nobody else on the Mariners possesses his wheels, and I expect Jones to bungee back and forth between Seattle and Tacoma all season.

Looking Ahead:

The Seattle Mariners (3-3) will continue their Ohio theme by playing host to the Cleveland Indians (2-3) in Peoria, AZ. First pitch is set for 1:05 PST from the Peoria Sports Complex. Taijuan Walker (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the spring for the Mariners on Monday afternoon. Right-hander Carlos Carrasco will make his first start of the spring for the Indians.

Monday’s game will be broadcast live on Root Sports Northwest, so make sure you tune in to watch the M’s play the Indians at 1:05 pm!

Next: Seattle Mariners Spring Training Updates

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