EditorsNote: revises headline; rewords fourth graf
Kyle Lewis and Tom Murphy hit solo homers Wednesday as the visiting Seattle Mariners downed the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1.
Dylan Moore added a two-out, two-run double for the Mariners (64-88), who have won four straight and six of eight. They will go for a three-game series sweep Thursday afternoon.
Seattle's Justin Dunn, serving as an opener, gave up one hit in two scoreless innings, walking three and striking out one. Tommy Milone (4-9) relieved as the "bulk" pitcher. He went five shutout innings, giving up two hits with one strikeout and no walks.
After Anthony Bass allowed Pittsburgh's run in the eighth, Matt Magill gave up two singles to being the ninth before retiring the next three batters to record his fifth save.
Cole Tucker tripled and scored for the Pirates (65-87), who have lost five straight. Kevin Newman had one of Pittsburgh's six hits, a single in the third, to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.
Pittsburgh rookie starter Dario Agrazal (4-5) pitched five innings, giving up four runs and six hits with six strikeouts and one walk. Chris Stratton, Geoff Hartlieb, Yacksel Rios, Yefry Ramirez and Williams Jerez held Seattle off the scoreboard after that.
The Mariners took a 2-0 lead in the second. Kyle Seager led off with an infield base hit. An out later, Murphy walked. Another out later, Moore doubled to the corner in left to send Seager and Murphy home.
With one out in the fourth, Lewis and Murphy hit homers on consecutive pitches from Agrazal. Lewis' shot to right was his fifth home run in eight major league games. Murphy's 18th, to right-center, made it 4-0.
In the eighth, Tucker had a pinch-hit triple to right with one out and scored on Newman's groundout, closing the gap to 4-1. It was the first run the Pirates scored after a 21-inning drought dating to Sunday.
Seattle loaded the bases in the ninth against Ramirez on Seager's single and, an out later, consecutive walks to Murphy and Dee Gordon. Ramirez struck out Moore and gave way to Jerez. Pinch hitter Daniel Vogelbach lined out to left to keep it from being a laugher.
--Field Level Media
