SEATTLE — Sean Rodriguez doubled in consecutive at-bats and drove in four runs, David Freese hit a solo home run and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Seattle Mariners 8-1 on Wednesday night to split a brief two-game interleague series.
Rodriguez was responsible for breaking the game open in the fifth inning with a three-run double into the left-field corner off Seattle reliever Donn Roach. Rodriguez doubled an inning earlier off starter Wade Miley (6-4) to score Starling Marte.
If the pitching performances from Miley and Roach weren’t bad news enough, the Mariners lost catcher Steve Clevenger in the third inning to a broken bone in his right hand after taking a foul ball square on the exposed hand off the bat of Andrew McCutchen. Clevenger fractured the third metacarpal, and Seattle will require a roster move to fill the backup catcher role.
Freese got it all started with a solo home run on the first pitch of the second inning. It was a three-run inning for Pittsburgh, capped by a two-run double from Josh Harrison.
All that offense backed a strong start from rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon, who pitched six innings, giving up just one run and six hits.
Making his fifth career start, Taillon (2-1) overcame a shaky first inning and retired 10 straight at one point. He struck out six and didn’t allow a walk.
Miley was making his first start since June 12 after a brief stint on the disabled list due to an impingement in his left shoulder. He was lucky to make it through the fourth, leaving pitches up in the strike zone and watching them get hit hard.
Freese’s opposite-field home run into the first row down the right field line was just the start. Rodriguez’s double in the fourth gave Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead and he scored on Jordy Mercer’s sharp single. Roach took over in the fifth and was greeted by consecutive one-out singles by Freese and Jung Ho Kang. Marte walked and Rodriguez’s hard shot just inside third base bounced into the corner and allowed all three runners to score.
Rodriguez doubled his RBI output for the entire month of June entering the game. Between June 1 and June 23, Rodriguez appeared in 21 games without an RBI.
Trainer’s Room
Pirates: RHP Ryan Vogelsong will throw a simulated game this weekend in Oakland after throwing a bullpen session on Tuesday. Vogelsong suffered facial fractures when he was hit in the left eye with a pitch in late May. He’s eligible to come off the disabled list on July 23.
Mariners: Seattle placed reliever Nick Vincent on the 15-day disabled list with a back strain to clear a spot for Miley. Vincent said he’s been dealing with the discomfort for about two weeks and finally decided rest was the best course. Vincent has made a team-high 35 appearances.
Up Next
Mariners: Seattle opens a four-game series with Baltimore on Thursday and Taijuan Walker (3-6) on the mound after missing his last start due to a sore ankle.
