Takeaways From Seattle Mariners 8-3 Cactus League Win Against Cincinnati Reds
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Seattle Mariners put together a solid all-around showing and got back in the win column with an 8-3 Cactus League win against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz.
Here's some takeaways from the Mariners latest spring training win.
Bryce Miller nearing midseason form
The starting pitchers moved back to a five-day rotation instead of the seven days they had to start spring training. Seattle's starters will go longer into games as spring training reaches its conclusion. Bryce Miller had arguably the best outing of Cactus League action for the Mariners on Sunday in his first start this spring on a five-day rotation.
Miller went five innings and allowed one earned run on two hits. He walked a batter and struck out seven.
"Feels good," Miller said after his start Sunday. "Today was the first five day. I think body-wise I feel fine for being on a five day. Yeah, everything felt really good. I think this is the best I've located the heater. And that was kind of my plan going into today — treat it like an in-season game. Attack with the heater and work from there. Even going back to last year, I don't think there's been too many games where I was able to be at the top of the zone as consistently as I was today with the fastball. So that was good."
Miller threw 62 pitches on Sunday. 43 of them were strikes. Miller said later in his interview that he could have located his secondary throws better. But he still generated a strikeout apiece with his knuckle curve, splitter and slider per the MLB Gameday boxscore. Four of his strikeouts were with the fastball.
"I thought Bryce had really good stuff today," Mariners manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview. "Good fastball, continuing to mix in the stuff that he's developing. Threw some good cutters, I thought, to the lefties. Had really good stuff today. Looked strong through the five."
Birthday bomb for Rowdy Tellez
One of Seattle's most recent additions to the roster, Rowdy Tellez, celebrated his 30th birthday on Sunday. He rang in his third decade of life with three hits. He went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. His RBI was on a no-doubt solo home run to right field in the top of ninth. The homer traveled 406 feet and had an exit velocity of 113.7 mph.
Tellez nearly had another home run earlier in the game to the exact same location, but the wind caught it in the air and it fell just bellow the yellow line at Goodyear Ballpark. The hit ended up being a single.
"(Tellez) is putting up a good at-bat every time," Wilson said. "He's got the threat of going deep every time. I think probably the thing that's impressed me the most is his left-on-left at-bats. He's been using up the middle quite a bit left-on-left and has picked up several hits, had one today up through the middle on a lefty. And continues to see the ball and swing the bat well."
Tellez is hitting .294 (10-for-34) with seven runs, three home runs and four RBIs in Cactus League play.
Rowdy Tellez with a 432ft HR?
— EastCoastM’s🔱 (@EastCoastMs_) February 26, 2025
In a Seattle Mariners uniform? Never thought I’d say that… pic.twitter.com/pxKICgqd2I
Seattle's reserves shine
The Mariners have blown several leads late in Cactus League play after the reserves have been subbed in. That wasn't the case Sunday. After Tellez's homer (which upped Seattle's lead to 5-1), three players brought in one run apiece the same frame. Rhylan Thomas had an RBI double, Blake Hunt had an RBI single and Spencer Packard brought in the Mariners eighth and final run with a single.
Several other hitters had highlight moments earlier in the game. Dominic Canzone hit a solo home run to left field in the top of the fifth, Leo Rivas had an RBI single in the sixth and Austin Shenton brought in two runs with a single in the seventh.
Up next
Seattle will face their American League West rivals, the Athletics at 1:05 p.m. PT Monday at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Ariz.
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