Andre Ethier‘s RBI single in the first inning was followed by Scott Van Slyke‘s two-run double. The Dodgers added one run in the second inning on three walks from Walker and an RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez, then another run in the third inning on Joc Pederson‘s RBI single. Gonzalez’s two hits gave him 19, setting a Dodgers record for the first nine games of the season.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
With bat and glove: Van Slyke, starting in left field because of a minor ankle injury to Carl Crawford, had a two-run double in a three-run first inning for the Dodgers’ first first-inning lead of the season. Van Slyke, son of Mariners coach Andy Van Slyke, also made a diving catch of a Cano sinking liner in the fourth.
Van Slyke’s diving catch
SEA@LAD: Van Slyke makes a terrific grab in left
4/15/15: Scott Van Slyke charges a sinking liner and makes a great diving catch in left to take a hit away from Robinson Cano
All he does is hit homers: Cruz continued his long-ball barrage for the Mariners with another blast in the fourth inning off Anderson. It was Cruz’s fourth home run of the series and sixth in the last five games. After starting the season 1-for-15 with no home runs or RBIs, the big man has racked up six long balls and nine RBIs in the past five days, while going 9-for-19. Only one Mariner has ever homered in more than five straight games, as Ken Griffey Jr. shares the MLB record with eight straight in 1993. More >
Gold Glove Joc: Pederson, who stole an extra-base hit from Mike Zunino with a diving catch in the second inning, threw out Zunino trying to score from second on pinch-hitter Justin Ruggiano‘s one-out single in the fifth inning. More >
Pederson’s diving catch
SEA@LAD: Pederson makes a marvelous catch in center
4/15/15: Joc Pederson races hard toward a sinking liner and makes a terrific diving catch in center, robbing Mike Zunino of a hit
Don’t walk this way: Cano made a colossal mental error in the sixth inning when he apparently thought the bases were loaded and began strolling home after Logan Morrison drew a one-out walk. But there actually were only runners on second and third and the Dodgers threw out Cano as he tried to scamper back to third once pitcher Paco Rodriguez spotted the miscue and fired to catcher Yasmani Grandal. What had looked like a promising rally quickly died when Zunino grounded out for the third out to leave Seattle trailing, 5-2. More >
Cano’s baserunning mistake
SEA@LAD: Cano tagged out after mental miscue
4/15/15: Robinson Cano starts trotting home after a walk to Logan Morrison, but forgets that the bases were not loaded and is tagged out
QUOTABLE
“I think we missed the boat a little bit. The guy had success all the way through [the Minor Leagues]. You think maybe it’s not as good as it looks. He comes up [last year] and maybe they haven’t seen him yet. Ten years later, hey, he’s pretty good. That [radar] gun doesn’t always tell the story.”
— Dodgers manager Don Mattingly on how rookie reliever Yimi Garcia was overlooked
WHAT’S NEXT
Mariners: Veteran lefty J.A. Happ makes his second start as Seattle opens a nine-game homestand Friday against the Rangers in a 7:10 p.m. PT game at Safeco Field. Happ threw well in a no-decision in his debut against the A’s. He’s 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA against the Rangers, whom he hasn’t faced since 2012.
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw looks for his first win, coming off an underwhelming loss in Arizona. Kershaw’s last start against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium was a no-hitter June 18. He was 3-0 with a 0.41 ERA against Colorado last year. The Dodgers are hopeful Yasiel Puig (hamstring) and Crawford (ankle) return from injuries.
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Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.