The Milwaukee Brewers handed the Seattle Mariners a 6-3 loss at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Sunday in spring training play. Despite Leo Rivas's 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI effort at the plate, the Mariners could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, George Kirby turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 1-run ball with two strikeouts. The Brewers out-hit the Mariners 7-6 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Mariners continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Leo Rivas was the standout at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Mariners will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Brennen Davis added to the attack, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, Brock Rodden provided support, going 1-for-1, and Andrew Knizner also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a double. The Mariners showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Ethan Murray led the Brewers offense with a 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI day. Jake Bauers also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and an RBI. Andrew Vaughn added a 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI effort as well. The Brewers offense proved to be too much for the Mariners pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
George Kirby got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 55 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.3 innings of work, allowing 5 earned runs while striking out nine. The Mariners continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Will Childers recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Josh Simpson stood out with 1.0 innings of 2-run work, striking out three. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
The Mariners struck first, plating two runs in the second inning. Brewers responded with four runs in the fourth. Brewers pushed across two runs in the fifth. The Mariners struck back with a run in the sixth. Brewers out-hit the Mariners 7-6, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 7,161 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Mariners will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.
