Jesus Sanchez’s home run capped a six-run fifth inning and the Miami Marlins went on to defeat the host Seattle Mariners 8-4 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.
Agustin Ramirez, called up from Triple-A Jacksonville earlier in the week, went 2-for-4 with a double and his first major league homer for the Marlins, who have won four of their past five games. Xavier Edwards had two hits and two RBIs for Miami.
Dylan Moore and Jorge Polanco went deep for the Mariners, who had won four of their previous five.
Seattle ace right-hander Logan Gilbert left after pitching three perfect innings with what the team called tightness in his right forearm.
Moore hit a solo shot to left with two outs in the second inning to break a scoreless tie.
The tally remained 1-0 until the fifth, when the Marlins scored six unearned runs with a two-out rally off reliever Casey Lawrence (1-1).
With one out, Kyle Stowers grounded a single into right field. An out later, Matt Mervis reached on a fielding error by second baseman Moore, sending Stowers to second. Liam Hicks singled on a fly ball to shallow left-center to tie the score. Javier Sanoja lined a run-scoring single to center and Xavier Edwards grounded a two-run single to left before Sanchez hit a two-run shot to right to make it 6-1.
Marlins starter Cal Quantrill (2-2) allowed just one hit through the first five innings before the Mariners struck in the sixth.
Ben Williamson, making his home debut after being recalled on Seattle’s nine-game trip, and J.P. Crawford led off the inning with line-drive singles. After Julio Rodriguez lined out to shortstop Edwards, Polanco hit a three-run shot to right-center to pull Seattle to within 6-4.
After Quantrill struck out Cal Raleigh, Luke Raley lined a single to right. With the potential tying run at the plate, Marlins manager Clayton McCullough turned to Jesus Tinoco, who didn’t have to do much as Raley was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.
Ramirez hit a two-run shot to deep left-center off Lawrence with one out in the eighth to complete the scoring. Lawrence yielded 10 hits and eight runs (two earned) in five innings, struck out three and didn’t issue a walk.
Quantrill gave up four runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and fanned five.
