Arozarena hits first homer against former team, Mariners rout Cardinals 10-4

ST. LOUIS -- Randy Arozarena and Jorge Polanco hit two-run home runs and the Seattle Mariners scored five times in the first inning on their way to a 10-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

After getting shut out for the ninth time this season, Seattle started the game with five straight hits and all five batters came around to score.

Julio Rodríguez led off with a double to left field and scored on Cal Raleigh’s single. Luke Raley followed Arozarena’s single with a two-run double. He and Justin Turner would eventually score on Mitch Garner’s two-out single that made it 5-0.

“I just think that we kind of came to the park a little mad today and took advantage of some pitches left over the plate." Raley said. "To start the game off with five straight hits is a great start.”

Arozarena’s 390-foot drive to left field off Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (8-11) in the second inning pushed the lead to seven. It was the first career home run at Busch Stadium — and first against the Cardinals —for the outfielder who started his career with St. Louis before emerging as a postseason sensation and MVP of the 2020 AL championship series with Tampa Bay.

“At that point, it was going to be up to us to hold that lead, and the guys kept adding on,” manager Dan Wilson said. “It was a really nice offensive day for us.”

Polanco added a 419-foot shot into the center-field bleachers in the fifth against Steven Matz for a 9-2 lead.

Mariners starter Luis Castillo exited after three-plus innings with a left hamstring strain, walking gingerly off the field after throwing his 59th pitch. Through a translator, Castillo said he first felt discomfort when Iván Herrera stole second, speculating that he might have injured himself when he ducked down to get out of the way of a potential throw to second. He remained in the game for a couple more pitches before the trainer visited the mound.

“That last pitch is when it felt worst, so that’s when I decided to just stop so it wouldn’t get any worse,” Castillo said.

Trent Thornton (4-3) threw two innings of scoreless relief for the victory.

José Fermín had a two-run single in the second inning for St. Louis, and Jordan Walker doubled in two runs in the eighth.

Mikolas lasted just two innings, giving up nine hits and seven runs — six of them earned. St. Louis’ opening day starter is 1-6 with a 6.54 ERA at Busch Stadium this season.

“He’s a strike thrower. There’s days he’s going to get hit and there’s days those are going to be at people,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “Just didn’t have the ability to execute and get some of his pitches glove-side the way he wanted to and they ran back over the plate, and they hit it hard.

“They didn’t miss a whole lot, they took some big swings and they connected on quite a bit of them. At the end of the day, they beat him.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: RF Victor Robles (elbow) was out of the lineup for a second straight game after being hit by a pitch Friday. Raley made his first start in right field since Aug. 4 as Seattle shuffled its defensive alignment.

Cardinals: Manager Oli Marmol indicated RHP Lance Lynn (right knee inflammation) will be activated off the injured list to start Wednesday against Cincinnati. Lynn has been sidelined since the end of July. … 2B/LF Brendan Donovan (foot infection) missed his second straight game.

UP NEXT

Both teams have the day off Monday. The Mariners return home to face San Diego, with RHP George Kirby (11-10, 3.61 ERA) scheduled to start the opener Tuesday night. Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (6-7, 4.07 ERA) will start Tuesday at Cincinnati.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb