SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Mariners blanked the Giants for six innings Thursday, riding a masterful pitching performance behind their ace, Felix Hernandez. The Giants could muster only one hit through the first six innings as Seattle went on to a 9-2 triumph.
Hernandez was in rare form in his first start since pitching a pair of games for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. The Mariners' Opening Day starter was perfect through 3 2/3 innings before Jarrett Parker hit a grounder to third that went into left field for a double. The Mariners infield was shifted far to the right side of the diamond, leave a gaping hole at third. No other Giant reached base in Hernandez's six innings on the hill.
"Today was the same thing," Hernandez said of carrying his strong performance for Venezuela over to a smooth 73-pitch outing. "Good mechanics, good pitches, around the zone, trying to finish hitters. It was really good."
The Mariners had a big second inning, sending nine men to the plate and taking an early 4-0 lead. Catcher Mike Zunino led it off with a ground-rule double over the left-field fence. Tyler Smith, Leonys Martin, Mitch Haniger and Kyle Seager each had RBI singles, with Haniger's two-out hit knocking Giants starting pitcher Matt Moore from the game.
Moore had his shortest outing since his first Cactus League start Feb. 26. He lasted 1 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on four hits, two walks, a balk and a wild pitch while striking out three. All of the hits and runs came in the second, when he faced seven batters in an extended inning that saw his Cactus League ERA skyrocket to 5.60. Moore was consistently ahead of hitters before ultimately losing the battle.
"If there's an important pitch, it's the one with two strikes," Moore said. "You don't want to give them something too good. I think I maybe got in my own head and tried to be too fine with a couple 3-2 pitches, one to Seager. ... It's a good sign I was able to get to two strikes, but I've got to be more consistent with the pitch and the at-bat."
Seattle added three more in the fifth, when the first five batters reached base against reliever Hunter Strickland. Haniger sparked the rally with a leadoff double and scored on Danny Valencia's single to left. Taylor Motter capped the rally with a two-run single, and Ben Gamel added his third homer of the spring with a two-run shot in the seventh.
Mariners Up Next:Hisashi Iwakuma gets the ball for Friday's split-squad game against the Royals, bumped up from an expected Minor League outing because of illness to James Paxton for the 1:10 p.m. PT start at Peoria Stadium. Ariel Miranda starts Seattle's other split-squad contest at 5:10 p.m. PT against the Angels in Tempe. Both games can be seen live on MLB.TV
Giants Up Next:Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford, fresh off their Team USA championship run in the World Baseball Classic, should be in Thursday's lineup along with Brandon Belt, who was originally in Thursday's lineup, but opted out so he could start Friday instead against a division foe when the Giants face Rockies right-hander Jon Gray at 1:05 p.m. PT, live on MLB.TV. The Giants send Jeff Samardzija to toe the rubber. Samardzija has been lit up in his last two outings, giving up a combined 11 runs on 17 hits and four walks while striking out nine in 7 2/3 innings against the Rangers and Brewers.
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