Woo strikes out 9 in 6 scoreless innings as Mariners beat Braves 3-1
SEATTLE (AP) — Bryan Woo tied his season best with nine strikeouts in six scoreless innings, Julio Rodríguez homered, and the Seattle Mariners beat Atlanta 3-1 on Wednesday to hand the Braves their first series loss of the season. Atlanta had won eight consecutive series and was 10-0-1 this season. The Braves became just the fifth team in the Wild Card era (since 1995) to go unbeaten in at least 11 straight series to open a season, joining the LA Dodgers (2020, 13 series), Arizona (2018, 12), Baltimore (1997, 14) and Philadelphia (1995, 12).
Woo (1-2) allowed one hit, walked two and threw a season-high 98 pitches, 66 strikes. José A. Ferrer pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his second save.
Cole Young went 3 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI. Jhonny Pereda was 2 for 2. Pereda led off the third with a single, Leo Rivas doubled and J.
P. Crawford walked to load the bases before Pereda opened the scoring when Cal Raleigh grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Rodríguez hit a 436-foot shot to center field that made it 2-0 in the sixth.
Braves starter Martín Pérez (2-2) gave up two runs and five hits and had five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Seattle reliever Eduard Bazardo came on to start the eighth inning and gave up back-to-back singles to Mike Yastrzemski and Sean Murphy, who was replaced by pinch-runner Jorge Mateo. Yastrzemski scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Dominic Smith to make it a one-run game.