Bryce Miller pitched for 6 1/3 innings and only allowed one unearned run. Julio Rodríguez’s two-out, two-run single played a crucial role in the Seattle Mariners’ 4-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday night.
Miller performed well against the Cubs, who had been scoring over six runs per game, the second-highest in baseball. This solid performance followed his previous game against Milwaukee, where he pitched seven shutout innings.
Since his first start on March 31 against Boston, Miller hasn’t allowed an earned run. He struck out four batters and left the game after issuing a four-pitch walk to Nico Hoerner on his 100th pitch.
Miller showcased a diverse range of pitches, expanding from primarily using a rising fastball last year as a rookie. Now, he includes a sinker, sweeper, and splitter in his repertoire to keep hitters guessing.
While Miller was pleased with his pitch mix, Cubs manager Craig Counsell emphasized the effectiveness of his fastball, noting Miller’s ability to locate it well and prevent the Cubs from making solid contact.
Despite Miller’s strong performance, a couple of errors by the Seattle defense in the seventh inning allowed Hoerner to score with two outs. Although it seemed that Yan Gomes grounded out to third to end the inning, Luis Urías’ throw to first base was off-target, and Ty France couldn’t make the catch.
In the ninth inning, Michael Busch hit a solo homer off Ryne Stanek, but Stanek secured the final two outs to earn his second save.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Urías was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Rodríguez then delivered with a crucial hit with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, driving in two runs with a single to center field. France followed with an RBI single to complete the three-run inning.
