Mariners hitters Lewis, Marmolejos, Lopes, Gordon combine for reverse cycle in win
There was a fun and rarely seen development in the second inning Friday afternoon at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
The first four batters the Seattle Mariners sent to the plate in the inning combined to hit for the cycle in reverse, ultimately giving the club a two-run lead it never lost in a 6-2 victory over the Diamondbacks.
Here’s how it unfolded:
▪ The home run: Mariners rookie slugger Kyle Lewis, who hammered six homers during his month-long stay with the Mariners last September, turned on a pitch from Alex Young and sent it flying high toward the fence in left. The ball ricocheted off the top of the Diamondbacks’ bullpen and bounced back into the outfield, prompting Lewis to momentarily stop at second thinking he’d doubled, but the umpires waved him around. The Mariners took a 1-0 lead on the solo shot.
▪ The triple: Jose Marmolejos, a minor league non-roster invite, stepped up to the plate next, and drove a pitch deep to the gap in left center. The ball hung in the air for seconds before dropping onto the warning track and taking an awkward bounce off the wall that fooled Arizona’s left fielder. Marmolejos lumbered around second and slid into third without a throw.
▪ The double: Maybe this was expected from Mariners utility infielder Tim Lopes — he’s been roping doubles all spring. He added his fifth in four games here, ripping a long fly ball into straightaway center that landed just in front of the wall, which is 410 feet away from home plate. Marmolejos trotted home to give Seattle a 2-0 lead.
▪ The single: Always reliable for a base hit, Mariners infielder Dee Gordon was up next, and methodically dropped a pitch into shallow right center to complete the cycle.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow will we cover spring training in 2020?
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Looking to the future
While the Mariners aren’t exactly expected to contend for a playoff spot in 2020, these six weeks of preseason workouts and games will give us a closer look at some of the top prospects — like outfielders Jarred Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez, and former first-round draft pick Logan Gilbert — expected to be key pieces of the club’s future, and some of the young players battling for Opening Day roster spots. We’ll also be able to catch up with the more experienced players — like veteran third-baseman Kyle Seager and ace pitcher Marco Gonzales — already in Seattle’s clubhouse.
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This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Mariners hitters Lewis, Marmolejos, Lopes, Gordon combine for reverse cycle in win."
