Inside The Mariners

Seattle Mariners Shut Down New York Mets With Trio of Two-Run Hits

Seattle Mariners starter Bryce Miller pitched six scoreless innings and Ryan Bliss, Leo Rivas and Cal Raleigh each had two-run hits to down the New York Mets 6-0 on Friday.

Teren Kowatsch

Seattle Mariners second baseman Ryan Bliss celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the New York Mets on Friday at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle Mariners second baseman Ryan Bliss celebrates after hitting a two-run home run against the New York Mets on Friday at T-Mobile Park. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
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SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners started the final leg of their nine-game homestead almost as well as they could.

Seattle got a combined shutout from their pitchers and had a trio of players connect for two-run hits en route to a 6-0 win over the New York Mets on Friday. The win improved the Mariners' record to 61-56 and kept it even with the Houston Astros in the American League West standings.

Rookie Ryan Bliss got his first start since July 4 on Friday and made the most of it. With two outs and Mitch Haniger standing at first — Bliss connected for a two-RBI, 410-foot home run to left field to put Seattle up 2-0 in the bottom of the second. It was his first home run since June 7 against the Kansas City Royals and just his second of the season. It was his Bliss' first home run at T-Mobile Park.

"I was just looking for a heater up," Bliss said in a postgame interview Friday. "(Cal Raleigh) had come in and he had just had a good at bat. He was like 'You can see the heater.' So I was just on it and it popped. Had a pretty good swing on it. ... It felt really good. First home run was special. But especially here at T-Mobile — it was a pretty cool moment and it was fun."

Bliss' home run was the only worthwhile offense until late in the game. Mariners starting pitcher Bryce Miller went six innings deep and blanked the Mets. He allowed three hits and and walked one batter while striking out six.

"Pitching is what it's about with the 2024 M's," Mariners manager Scott Servais said in a postgame interview Friday. "Bryce Miller — outstanding tonight. I thought that might have been the best stuff we've seen out of him all year long. ... It's great to see a young pitcher like that at this time in the season have so much in the tank because we have so many big games ahead of us. Really excited the way he's been throwing the ball."

New York left runners stranded in the first four innings. Runners were left in scoring position in two of them.

Seattle made the Mets pay for not taking advantage of those opportunities.

With two outs and runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh — Leo Rivas grounded a two-RBI single just under the glove of New York second baseman Jeff McNeil.

Three at-bats later and with the bases loaded — Raleigh connected for a single to shallow right field that brought another two in for the eventual final of 6-0.

The Mets had more chances in the final two innings to score. They left a combined three players stranded. Two of them were in scoring position. They left eight runners stranded total and went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position for the game.

The Mariners got through the first of two solid left-handed New York starters they'll face this series (Jose Quintana) and the rookies showed they're capable of showing up in big spots. Now Seattle has to get through the second lefty starter Sean Manaea on Saturday — a pitcher who's had double-digit strikeouts in two consecutive starts.

First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. PT. Logan Gilbert will get the start.

Related Stories on Seattle Mariners

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BLISS GETTING HIS SHOT: Seattle Mariners rookie infielder Ryan Bliss is set to get the start in just his second game back up with the team on Friday against the New York Mets. CLICK HERE

MARINERS TO FACE ARMADA OF LEFT-HANDED PITCHING: The Seattle Mariners will have interesting pitching battles in the final three-game series of a homestead against the New York Mets. CLICK HERE

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