Seager HR lone blemish on Kershaw's night

SEATTLE -- Kyle Seager won the battle, but young brother Corey’s team won the war -- or at least Thursday’s game and the four-game series -- as the Dodgers topped the Mariners, 6-1, in their final meeting at T-Mobile Park.

Facing off for the first time in their Major League careers, Kyle capped off the Seager Derby with a solo blast off Clayton Kershaw in the series finale, giving him a 2-1 advantage in the home run department as Corey sat out Thursday’s game.

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But that was about the only plus for the Mariners as the Dodgers took three of four -- including both games at Dodger Stadium to start the week -- and wrapped up the set with a lopsided win behind another dominant outing by Kershaw.

Kyle wound up going 5-for-13 with four walks, two homers, a double, three RBIs and four runs in the four games. Corey went 4-for-13 with one walk, one homer, one double, four RBIs and two runs scored in his three games.

If there is such a thing as brother bragging rights, Kyle wasn’t about to claim any victories, however.

“I don’t know,” said the elder Seager. “They took three out of four from us, so I don’t think he’s going to let that one go.”

No matter the outcome, however, Seattle’s Seager relished the four-game series and the chance to finally spend time on a Major League field with his brother.

“I legit had a lot of fun,” he said. “That was something that was really special for me. Being the older brother, getting to work with him in the winter and all that is great, and I enjoy that time. But to actually get out and compete against him was something special.”

While the Seagers often work out together back home in North Carolina during the winters, they take separate paths from mid-February until October each year. So just the chance to stand at third base together and chat, or exchange glances when each rounded the bases after homering against the other’s team, provided memorable moments.

“You’d think since we do the same thing as our jobs that we’d cross paths eventually, but it doesn’t happen,” Kyle said. “It hasn’t happened even in Spring Training. That’s part of what made these last four days pretty special. Even when he wasn’t playing today, to look over there and see my brother was pretty cool.”

Kershaw was the headliner in Thursday’s wrap-up game, however, as the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner held Seattle to four hits and just the one run over seven innings. Kershaw struck out 11, moving past Don Drysdale into second place on the Dodgers’ all-time strikeouts list.

The only Mariner to solve him was Seager, who also happened to be the only Mariner who’d ever faced Kershaw before. Seattle started five rookies, and that group went 2-for-13 with seven strikeouts against the Dodgers’ ace.

“Oh, they’ve seen him, they just haven’t stood in the batter’s box against him,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “That’s the difference, no question about it. They’re learning. Against a veteran pitcher like that on top of his game, it’s a struggle. You’re not going to get a ton of pitches to hit, and when you do, you need to put them in play. Give him credit. He was really good today. Our guys learned a lot.”

Leave it to Seager to take Kershaw deep. Since his MLB debut in 2011, Seager now has 72 home runs against left-handed pitchers, the most of any left-handed hitter in the Majors in that span. His 252 RBIs off southpaws is just four back of Robinson Canó for the most there as well.

“Seags has a knack,” Servais said. “He hits those lefties, and he hits ‘em out of the park.”

As for the young Mariners? Seager has been through it enough to understand.

“There’s going to be a learning curve,” he said. “We’re unbelievably inexperienced. Unfortunately you’re going to have days like this. Fortunately for all the young guys, there’s not many Clayton Kershaws out there.”