Bryce Miller shuts down Cubs as Seattle Mariners get 4-2 win
SEATTLE - Julio Rodríguez delivered a pair of RBIs, Bryce Miller pitched into the seventh inning without allowing an earned run, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Friday night.
It's the second straight start by Miller without allowing an earned run as he pitched seven scoreless innings against the Milwaukee Brewers last week. Miller allowed three hits and three walks with four strikeouts in his outing against the Cubs.
"Bryce Miller's on a roll," manager Scott Servais said. "The addition of the split-finger and some other things he's added to his repertoire has really paid off and it's been fun to watch."
Last season, Miller relied almost entirely on the strength of his fastball. Miller used his four-seam fastball on nearly 60 percent of his pitches last season with a slider as he primary off-speed option. Miller added the splitter this offseason, and it has already become a go-to pitch for Miller.
"Last year if I was getting hit early, it's like 'I don't really know where to go' and right now I feel like I have options," Miller said. "If they're adjusting, I can adjust as well. So like I said it's been big and it helps the confidence in getting the lineup through the third time and just knowing that more than likely I still have pitches that they haven't seen yet and I can throw any pitch in any counts so they're not just sitting heater."
Miller now has a 1.96 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 18 ⅓ innings pitched this season for Seattle.
While Miller shined, the Mariners took advantage of control issues by Jordan Wicks as walks came back to burn the Chicago starter. Wicks allowed four runs on five hits and four walks along with a wild pitch. Wicks walked the bases loaded in the fourth inning before Rodríguez delivered the biggest hit of the night for Seattle.
"Big thing for me tonight is we took the walks," Servais said. "Something we have not been doing. We got to get better at that and it paid off tonight."
Mitch Haniger and Jorge Polanco each singled, and Mitch Garver walked to set the table for the bottom half of the lineup. But after a Cal Raleigh strikeout and Dylan Moore flyout, it took Luis Urías being hit by a pitch to ultimately drive across a run.
Raleigh ultimately struck out four times in the game for the Mariners.
Wicks then walked three batters in the fourth inning to provide the Mariners another prime opportunity to break the game open. And this time, Rodríguez obliged.
Rodríguez's liner to center field dropped just in front of Cody Bellinger as Garver and Moore scored to give Seattle a 3-0 lead.
"I expect myself to come up to the plate and deliver in those situations for the team," Rodríguez said. "That's what I prepare for and I feel like every time that happens it's something that I expect for myself."
Ty France followed with a single to right field as J.P. Crawford scored for a four-run lead.
Miller left the game after walking Nico Hoerner on his 100th pitch of the night with one out in the seventh inning.
Hoerner advanced to second on an errant pick-off throw to first base by reliever Trent Thornton. That extra base then allowed Hoerner to score when Urías' throw to first off a groundball to third base ran into the baseline with France dropping the ball as Yan Gomes clipped his glove. The ball got away and Hoerner sped home to get the Cubs on the board with an unearned run.
On a chilly and breezy night at T-Mobile Park, there were only two extra base hits by either team in the game both coming via Cubs first baseman Michael Busch. Busch had a two-out double into the right field corner in the top of the fourth inning that Miller kept off the board. Busch then homered off Ryne Stanek in the ninth inning for the line earned run of the night for Chicago in the loss.
Stanek picked up his second save of the season for Seattle.
