For six innings, this was a tight, low-scoring contest decided by a single run. Then the seventh inning arrived, and the Mariners turned a nervy 1-0 lead into an 8-0 rout. Seattle scored six runs in that frame alone, punctuated by a Cal Raleigh grand slam, and George Kirby made sure none of it mattered for the Reds' comeback hopes.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| SEA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | X | 8 | 13 | 0 |
Kirby was the story before the floodgates opened. He worked 6.0 innings, allowing 3 hits and no runs while striking out 6 and walking just 1 across 80 pitches. Cincinnati's lineup managed little against him, and by the time he handed things off, the Mariners already led. Raleigh finished 1-for-5 but made it count in the biggest way, driving in 5 runs on the strength of his home run. Victor Robles set the tone at the top, going 4-for-4 with 2 runs scored.
The Seventh Inning
Seattle's breakthrough came in the fifth, when Rodríguez reached on an infield single to shortstop and Robles scored, giving the Mariners a lead they would never relinquish. The margin held at 1-0 into the seventh, when Emerson's sacrifice fly to left brought home Robles, and We. Wilson followed with a double to right that scored Raley. Then Raleigh delivered the decisive blow of the inning, a 408-foot home run to left center that plated Arozarena, We. Wilson and Canzone, pushing the score to 7-0. Seattle added one more in the eighth when Raleigh grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Emerson, capping the 8-0 final.
Andrew Abbott gave Cincinnati a chance, allowing 1 run over 6.0 innings with 4 hits, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts, but he took the loss to fall to 5-6 on the season with a 3.89 ERA. The Reds' bullpen could not hold the line behind him, surrendering 7 runs over 2.0 innings, and Cincinnati finished with just 3 hits and an error while being shut out for the game.
The win improved Seattle to 51-50 and extended its winning streak to three games, while Cincinnati fell to 45-54. Kirby improved to 8-8 with a 3.57 ERA in earning the win.