Jarred Kelenic homered for the fourth consecutive game as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Colorado Rockies 5-3 in the opener of a three-game interleague series on Friday night.
Kelenic hit a two-run shot to straightaway center field off Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber (0-3) in the second inning, giving Seattle a 2-1 lead.
Kelenic, Julio Rodriguez and Ty France all doubled in a three-run fourth, knocking Gomber out of the game.
Kris Bryant hit a solo shot in the first inning for Colorado, which took its third consecutive loss.
With scheduled starter Marco Gonzales going on the paternity list, the Mariners called up veteran lefty Tommy Milone from Triple-A Tacoma to start. Milone allowed one run on three hits in 4 2/3 innings, with two walks and three strikeouts.
With Milone one out shy of qualifying for the victory, it went to reliever Matt Brash (1-1). Paul Sewald worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save of the season.
The Rockies scored twice in the sixth to pull within 5-3. Charlie Blackmon and C.J. Cron led off with singles off Trevor Gott, and Ryan McMahon drew a one-out walk to load the bases. Yonathan Daza reached on an infield single to score the first run.
The Mariners brought in Brash, who struck out pinch hitter Mike Moustakas for the second out. Ezequiel Tovar walked on a 3-2 pitch to bring home the second run, before Brash fanned Jurickson Profar to end the threat.
Seattle’s Teoscar Hernandez led off the bottom of the second by grounding a single into center. An out later, Kelenic hit a 1-0 pitch an estimated 414 feet.
Kelenic doubled to right leading off the fourth. Tom Murphy flew out to deep right-center, with Kelenic taking third. After Sam Haggerty lined out to third, Gomber walked No. 9 hitter J.P. Crawford to bring up Rodriguez, the American League’s reigning Rookie of the Year. Rodriguez doubled to shallow left-center, scoring Kelenic and sending Crawford to third. France then hit a two-run double off the base of the wall in center to make it 5-1.
Gomber gave up five runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings, with four walks and two strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
