SEATTLE — Bryce Miller threw six innings and combined with three relievers on Seattle’s 12th shutout of the season, Ryan Bliss hit a two-run shot for the second home run of his career and the Mariners beat the New York Mets 6-0 on Friday night.
Seattle’s pitching was again terrific, with Miller (9-7) overpowering the Mets before turning it over to the bullpen. And it was a couple of role players at the bottom of the batting order who had the key hits.
Batting eighth in the order, Bliss hit the first pitch he saw from Mets starter Jose Quintana (6-8) an estimated 410 feet into the Seattle bullpen for a two-run homer in the second inning. His only other home run came back on June 7 in Kansas City.
“First home run was special, but especially here at T-Mobile (Park), it was a pretty cool moment,” Bliss said. “It was fun.”
Then in the seventh, it was No. 9 hitter Leo Rivas ending Quintana’s outing. After Mitch Garver walked and Dylan Moore reached on an infield single, Rivas poked a 3-2 pitch with two outs past diving second baseman Jeff McNeil to score a pair.
“Can’t say enough about the guys in the middle of the field tonight, the little guys,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “What Bliss and Rivas did, they didn’t get out of their game.”
Cal Raleigh added a two-run single off reliever Adam Ottavino later in the inning as Seattle sent nine batters to the plate and scored four times.
Quintana retired 13 straight prior to walking Garver to begin the seventh. He allowed five runs, four hits and struck out eight.
“Obviously, when you look at the box score he gave up five, but he pitched way better than the line score,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He was one strike away from giving us seven innings in a two-run ball game.”
But Quintana would have needed to be perfect to equal Seattle’s pitching.
Miller gave up three hits, struck out six and walked one. No base runner advanced past second and he retired 10 of the final 11. It was Miller’s sixth start tossing at least six shutout innings this season.
Miller said he’s felt like there’s been more life on his fastball the last couple of starts to go along with his expanded offspeed pitches.
“Last year I was getting fatigued at this point and last year the fastball was my pitch. So if that’s my pitch and I’m fatigued then it’s just like everything is kind of down,” Miller said. “But this year I feel I’m getting better, getting stronger as the year goes on and I feel better with all the offspeed.”
Reliever Collin Snider faced trouble in the seventh walking J.D. Martinez and allowed a single to Jeff McNeil to start the seventh. Snider recovered by getting a double play off the bat of Mark Vientos and a fly out from Francisco Alvarez to end the threat.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mets: OF Starling Marte (knee bruise) is expected to begin a rehab assignment next week at Double-A Binghamton. … RHP Reed Garrett (elbow) joined the team in Seattle following a second rehab stint for Triple-A Syracuse and could be activated from the 15-day IL this weekend.
UP NEXT
Mets: LHP Sean Manaea (8-4, 3.30) has thrown seven shutout innings in each of his past two starts. Manaea has 21 strikeouts and one walk combined in those two outings.
Mariners: RHP Logan Gilbert (6-8, 3.05) will try and snap a three-start losing streak. In two of those starts, Gilbert allowed only one earned run, but received no run support.
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