De La Rosa struggles as he bids for rotation spot

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Taijuan Walker, who is making a bid to win a spot in the Mariners rotation, looked sharp while Rubby De La Rosa looked anything but as the Mariners beat the D-backs, 11-4, on Saturday afternoon at Salt River Fields.

Walker has not allowed a run in three spring appearances -- two Cactus League outings and one charity game. Saturday he did not allow a hit while walking one over three innings.

De La Rosa, who is competing for a D-backs rotation spot, struggled for the first time this spring. The right-hander allowed three runs while walking four and hitting a batter.

Dustin Ackley continued his hot start to the spring. He entered the day with five hits in his last six at-bats and after being hit by a pitch in the second inning, he drove home a run with a single to center in the third.

Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano, who was playing for the first time since missing six games following the death of his grandfather in the Dominican Republic, went 1-for-3 with a single.

The Mariners held the D-backs hitless until Jake Lamb led off the fifth with a single off Tom Wilhelmsen.

The D-backs went on to score a pair of runs in the frame when a groundout by Nick Buss scored Lamb from third and Ender Inciarte's double brought home Tuffy Gosewisch.

Seattle added to a 5-4 lead with six runs in the top of the ninth on RBI singles by Ketel Marte and Marcus Littlewood, an RBI double by Carlos Rivero and a two-run single by James Jones. Another run scored when John Hicks walked with the bases loaded.

Up next: Top prospect Archie Bradley will get the start Sunday afternoon when the D-backs take on the Giants at Scottsdale Stadium at 3:05 p.m. MST. Earlier in the day on a back field at Salt River Fields, the D-backs will play the Rockies in a "B" game during which starting rotation candidates Trevor Cahill and Vidal Nuno will pitch.