by SeattleMariners.com
PEORIA, Ariz. – The Seattle Mariners allowed five runs over the final three innings to have their six-game winning streak snapped in a 7-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs Thursday night in Cactus League play at Peoria Stadium.
The Mariners dropped to 17-8 in Cactus League play, but still have the second-most wins amongst all teams in spring training play trailing only the Kansas City Royals (18-6-1).
Mariners starting pitcher Jon Garland allowed five hits and two runs over 6.0 innings, allowing two home runs. The right-hander struck out three and walked one. Relief pitcher Erasmo Ramirez (2-1) suffered the loss allowing six hits and four runs in 2.0 innings. Garland and Ramirez combined to allow three home runs, tying a team high this spring.
The Mariners built a 4-2 led through the first six innings. Jason Bay opened the scoring with a single to score Jesus Montero (who doubled) in the second inning. Seattle added two more runs in the third on a run-scoring single by Raul Ibañez and a sacrifice fly by Justin Smoak. Smoak hit his fourth spring homer in the sixth to extend the Mariners lead to 4-2. Bay finished 3-for-4 to raise his spring batting average to .371 (13x35).
The split-squad Cubs scored two in the seventh, two more in the eighth and capped the comeback with a single tally in the ninth to improve to 13-15 in Cactus League play. Jeff Samardzija (#2), Alfonso Soriano (#4) and Brad Nelson (#3) all homered for the Cubs.
The Mariners (17-8) continue Cactus League tomorrow with a "road" game vs. the San Diego Padres at Peoria Stadium at 7:05 p.m. The game will be broadcast on 710 ESPN Seattle and the Mariners Radio Network. Right-hander Felix Hernandez (0-1, 3.60) is scheduled to make his third Cactus League start against Padres right-hander Tyson Ross (3-2, 2.76).
LINESCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
CUBS 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 2 1 - 7 12 1
MARINERS 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 - 4 11 2
WP: Russell (1-0) LP: Ramirez (2-1) SV: Fujikawa (1)
CHI – Samardzija, Russell (7), Marmol (8), Fujikawa (9) and Navarro
SEA – Garland, Ramirez (7), Smith (9) and Montero, Sucre (7)
Home Runs – SEA: Smoak (4); CHI: Samardzija (2), Soriano (4), Nelson (3)
Attendance – 8,672 Time – 2:41
