Mariners' Hisashi Iwakuma: Earns quality start win over Pirates

Iwakuma (7-6) gave up two runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 6.2 innings in a win Tuesday over the Pirates.

Analysis:

Iwakuma was reeling, having allowed nine runs over 11.2 innings in his previous two starts. This marks the first time he has held an opponent under three runs since May 3, so he really needed to show he could put together a stingy start like this one. Critically, Iwakuma didn't allow a home run Tuesday night -- he had allowed 17 in his first 15 starts of the season, including seven in his past three starts. He'll need to keep the ball in the yard to bring his 4.34 ERA back to his 3.33 career mark.