SAN FRANCISCO — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Alex Cobb had seven strikeouts in six crisp innings and combined with three relievers on a seven-hitter, and the San Francisco Giants ended their four-game losing streak by beating the Seattle Mariners 2-0 on Wednesday night to avoid a series sweep.
Making his second start since coming off the Injured List at the end of June, Cobb (6-2) allowed six hits and didn't walk a batter to anchor the Giants' eighth shutout of the season.
"It was great for him to come out and just pound the strike zone, use all his pitches, mix them well, hit spots," Giants manager Gabe Kapler said. "I'm not sure his stuff was like A-plus. It was solid but plenty to get us through those six innings. We think he's going to be critical for us down the stretch."
Taylor Rogers and Tyler Rogers each retired three batters. All-Star closer Camilo Doval pitched the ninth for his 25th save.
Luis Matos had two hits and a walk to make up for a costly dropped ball in center field. Wilmer Flores added two singles for San Francisco, which had lost four of its previous six games at Oracle Park.
Seattle All-Star Julio Rodríguez, J.P. Crawford and Cal Raleigh each had two hits. The Mariners had won their previous four games.
Cobb worked efficiently most of the night and didn't allow a runner past second base. He calmly escaped a jam in the sixth after Rodríguez's deep fly to center glanced off Matos' glove and fell in for a double. After Rodríguez was balked to third, Cobb struck out Teoscar Hernández, then retired Mike Ford on a comebacker and got Eugenio Suárez on a groundout.
Cobb was happy after the game with the win but said he wasn't as sharp as the stats indicate.
"I just was battling some delivery things," Cobb said. "I just really wasn't getting the shapes on the pitches I rely on. I can definitely navigate a lineup without my best stuff but it makes it a little more challenging."
Rodríguez dropped a ball in center that led to an unearned run for San Francisco in the fifth. Rodríguez tracked down LaMonte Wade Jr.'s fly at the warning track but couldn't hold onto the ball after running into the fence. Austin Slater, who walked and advanced to third on a Flores hit, scored easily on the error.
Brandon Crawford walked in the second and took third when Flores hit a sharp grounder that bounced off the third base bag and over Seattle third baseman Jose Caballero into left field. Wade's sacrifice fly off Mariners starter Tommy Milone (0-1) drove in Brandon Crawford.
Wade finished 1 of 3 with a walk. The 29-year-old is batting .279 against left-handers this season after not going higher than .135 in the three previous seasons.
"I think every team around baseball needs some players that they can depend on, sort of in an everyday way," Kapler said. "He's been so good in this first half of the season, so dependable at first base, such a tough out against left-handed pitching, it's really hard not to have him in the lineup, period."
Milone, called up from Triple-A Tacoma before the game to take the rotation spot of injured Bryce Miller, struggled with his control and matched his career high of four walks. The lefty pitched with runners on base in each inning and allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in 4 1/3 innings.
WEB GEM
Giants second baseman Casey Schmitt made a stellar defensive play with a sliding backhanded stop on J. P. Crawford's sharp grounder that had an exit velocity of 107.8 mph. Schmitt then threw to first for the easy out.
ROSTER MOVES
Mariners: RHP Darren McCaughan was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to make room for Milone. … RHP Penn Murfee (right elbow inflammation) was transferred to the 60-day Injured List. UP NEXT
Mariners: All-Star RHP George Kirby (7-7, 3.21) faces the Astros on Thursday in the opener of a four-game series in Houston leading into the All-Star break.
Giants: Kapler has not announced his rotation for the three-game series against the Rockies beginning in San Francisco on Friday.