Cubs rally from 7-0 deficit to topple Mariners

[April 12, 2023]   Nelson Velazquez's grand slam highlighted an eight-run third inning and Dansby Swanson had four hits with two RBIs before exiting due to injury as the Chicago Cubs erased an early 7-0 deficit to beat the visiting Seattle Mariners 14-9 on Tuesday night.

Velazquez, called up from Triple-A Iowa this week, also singled and doubled, while Trey Mancini had a two-run homer and three RBIs for the Cubs, who trailed by seven after 1 1/2 innings but rallied to win for the fifth time in the last six games.

However, Swanson, batting .400 during the first few weeks of his Cubs' tenure, pulled himself off the field prior to the start of the sixth with tightness in his lower left side.

Eugenio Suarez had a two-run home run and three RBIs and Jarred Kelenic homered for one of his two hits for Seattle, which has dropped three straight.

Suarez's drive off Chicago starter Hayden Wesneski gave Seattle a 2-0, first-inning lead. The Mariners then scored five runs in the second.

Ty France (three hits) delivered a run-scoring bloop single, Suarez had a sacrifice fly and Cal Raleigh and Teoscar Hernandez each added RBI singles. After a one-out walk to Kelenic loaded the bases, Wesneski was pulled after 64 pitches and was charged with seven runs (two earned) while yielding five hits and four walks. He did not record a strikeout.

Seattle got its fifth run of the frame on Kolten Wong's RBI groundout against Michael Rucker (1-0). However, the Cubs then got the best of Mariners starter Chris Flexen (0-2).

Yan Gomes' infield single in the second made it 7-1, then Mancini's homer ignited the third-inning surge. Eric Hosmer delivered an RBI single before Velazquez went deep for an 8-7 Chicago lead.

That ended the night for Flexen, who yielded eight runs and 10 hits over 2 1/3 innings. The Cubs added their final run of the third on Swanson's RBI single.

Following Kelenic's second homer in as many nights in the fourth, the Cubs scored twice in the fifth on run-scoring singles from Swanson and Mancini. Chicago made it 14-8 in the sixth after a two-run double by Nico Hoerner, who scored on Nick Madrigal's single.

--Field Level Media

[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.