Nola drives in 4, Mariners snap Dodgers streak with 6-4 win

SEATTLE (AP) — When he was younger and probably a little more stubborn, Seattle's Taijuan Walker would have struggled to make a major in-game adjustment that called for abandoning the original game plan.

With the Los Angeles Dodgers sitting on Walker's fastball on Wednesday night and clubbing it for three early home runs, there had to be a change.

“I faced the Dodgers a lot when I was at Arizona and my attack plan was mostly fastball, changeup to them,” Walker said. “But this year I have a curveball now and a pretty good slider, and the confidence I have with them let me be able to go out there and make that adjustment and really trust my pitches.”

Walker overcame the early long-ball issues to throw seven strong innings, Austin Nola hit a three-run homer run and had four RBIs, and the Mariners beat Los Angeles 6-4, snapping the Dodgers' seven-game win streak.

Nola had an RBI single in the first inning and added his third home run of the season in the third as the Mariners snapped a seven-game skid. Dylan Moore added a solo home run in the sixth inning.

Walker (2-2) was outstanding once he stopped giving up home runs. Max Muncy, Joc Pederson and Cody Bellinger hit solo homers and Walker seemed destined for an early exit.

But after Bellinger’s home run in the third inning gave the Dodgers a 3-1 lead, Walker settled down. He found success with his curveball and retired 13 of the final 14 batters he faced. The only batter to reach came on an error.

Walker allowed just four hits and struck out eight.

“The last time that Taijuan was a Mariner here a few years ago, he couldn’t have made that adjustment mid-game,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “He’s learned. He went to some changeups, a lot of curveballs, got the cutter going, and it really slowed...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Nola-drives-in-4-Mariners-snap-Dodgers-streak-15497210.php