MESA, Ariz. (AP)—Richie Sexson hit his first home run of spring training and starter Jesse Foppert pitched three scoreless innings to lead the Seattle Mariners over the Chicago Cubs 4-2 Tuesday.
Sexson’s two-run drive off Ryan Dempster in the fifth extended the Mariners’ lead to 4-0. He is 7-for-16 this spring—a .562 average.
Bobby Livingston and Luis Gonzalez each pitched two scoreless innings, and Matt Lawton and Carl Everett had two hits each for the Mariners.
Chicago’s Jerome Williams allowed two runs, four hits and three walks in four innings. Dempster—the Cubs’ closer—relieved and allowed two runs and three hits in the fifth.
Angel Pagan hit his first homer of spring training, a two-run drive off George Sherrill in the sixth that pulled the Cubs to 4-2. With two runners on in the ninth, Chicago’s Scott Moore hit a game-ending flyout.
After being bothered by a blister on his right middle finger in his previous start against the Chicago White Sox, Foppert somehow cut his right ring finger with thumb, leading manager Mike Hargrove to joke: “We’ve got to pull all of his nails out.”
But neither finger bothered the pitcher.
“I just kept the ball down, carried it through the zone and was getting ahead of guys,” Foppert said.
He gave up a double to Jacque Jones leading off the second but stranded him there.
“That was a pretty good pitch he hit,” Foppert said. “I’d throw that one again and take my chances.”
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