Nationals handle Mariners thanks to MacKenzie Gore, 3 HRs

MacKenzie Gore pitched seven strong innings as the Washington Nationals defeated the visiting Seattle Mariners 6-1 Friday night in the opener of a three-game interleague series.

Luis Garcia Jr., Keibert Ruiz and Eddie Rosario each homered to account for all of the runs for the Nationals, who snapped a two-game skid and won for just the second time in their past nine games.

J.P. Crawford homered for the American League West-leading Mariners, who lost their third in a row and dropped to 3-5 on their 10-game trip to Baltimore, New York and Washington. Seattle, which was blanked by the host Yankees 5-0 on Thursday, managed just five hits, two by Crawford, and struck out 10 times against Washington.

The only run Gore (3-4) allowed came on Crawford's leadoff homer in the first inning. The left-hander gave up four hits, walked one and struck out eight.

Nationals reliever Hunter Harvey pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and Dylan Floro allowed an infield single and struck out two in a scoreless ninth.

The Mariners' Julio Rodriguez, dropped to the No. 6 spot in the batting order earlier in the week, went 0-for-4.

Seattle right-hander George Kirby (4-5) took the loss, his second in a row. He allowed five runs on six hits, with one walk and three strikeouts.

Kirby retired the side in order in each of the first three innings before CJ Abrams led off the fourth by lining a single to left field. An out later, Joey Meneses singled to left and Garcia followed by driving a first-pitch slider into the Mariners' bullpen in left field to give Washington a 3-1 lead.

The Nationals added to their advantage in the sixth after former Mariner Jesse Winker drew a two-out walk. Ruiz went deep to right-center on a 3-2 sinker to make it 5-1.

Rosario led off the bottom of the eighth with a homer to right on a 1-1 cut fastball from Mariners reliever Austin Voth, a former National.

--Field Level Media