SEATTLE — James Paxton and three relievers combined on a four-hitter to help the Seattle Mariners beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0 on Wednesday night.
Paxton (4-0), activated off the disabled list earlier in the day, retired 16 of the first 17 hitters he faced, allowing only a two-out infield single in the third inning. Paxton, making his first start since May 2, struck out Pat Valaika to open the sixth, but then allowed consecutive singles to Tony Wolters and Charlie Blackmon, ending his 74-pitch outing. The pitcher had been sidelined with a left forearm strain. He struck out six and walked one. Steve Cishek retired all five hitters he faced and James Pazos pitched the eighth. Nick Vincent allowed a single in the ninth, to finish the four-hit shutout.
Rockies rookie Antonio Senzatela (7-2) allowed four runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in five innings, losing for just the second time in 11 starts.
The Mariners took a 3-0 lead in the second. Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager opened with consecutive singles, each advanced on a wild pitch, and Danny Valencia followed with a two-run double to the gap in right-center. Mike Zunino doubled in Valencia.
Seattle extended it to 4-0 in the fifth when Jarrod Dyson walked to open, advanced on a balk, took third on a wild pitch and came home on Ben Gamel’s single down the left-field line.
The Mariners added a run in the seventh on singles by Zunino and Segura, a wild pitch, and Gamel’s sacrifice fly.
TRAINER’S ROOM:
Mariners: Nelson Cruz, who left Tuesday’s game at Colorado in the second inning with right calf tightness while playing right field in the interleague game, was back in the lineup as DH. . RHP Felix Hernandez (right shoulder inflammation) and RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (right shoulder inflammation), each on the 10-day DL, each looked good in recent bullpen sessions. Manager Scott Servais said Hernandez is expected to throw a couple innings in a simulated game Friday or Saturday and then go out on a rehab assignment after that.
UP NEXT:
Rockies: Left-hander Kyle Freeland (5-3, 3.43) makes his first career start against the Mariners in the Thursday afternoon finale of the two-game series at Safeco Field. He has pitched at least 5 2/3 innings in each of his last seven starts.
Mariners: Right-hander Yovani Gallardo (2-5, 5.76) has never beaten the Rockies. He is 0-5 with a 5.70 ERA in 11 career games against Colorado, including 10 starts. Gallardo has won only once in his last six starts.
