WASHINGTON (Interstat) — Miles Mikolas pitched seven innings of three-hit shutout ball and the Washington Nationals erupted for five runs in the fourth inning to beat the Seattle Mariners 10-1 on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park in front of 27,264 fans in a game that lasted 2 hours, 14 minutes.

The Nationals evened the three-game series at a win apiece after losing Friday 10-2 and winning Saturday 8-3. Washington improved to 37-35, while Seattle fell to 37-36. Mikolas earned his second win against five losses, striking out three without allowing an earned run. Emerson Hancock took the loss for Seattle, dropping to 5-3.

The game started with both teams scoring a run in the first inning. Seattle struck first when Cole Young singled on a soft grounder to pitcher PJ Poulin. Julio Rodríguez flew out, but Josh Naylor doubled sharply to center field. Center fielder Jacob Young committed a fielding error, allowing Cole Young to score from first. Naylor advanced to third on a groundout but was left stranded when Dominic Canzone flew out.

Washington answered immediately in the bottom of the first. James Wood launched his 20th home run of the season to right-center field, tying the game at 1-1. Luis García Jr. singled, but the rally ended when Dylan Crews grounded into a double play and CJ Abrams popped out.

After a quiet second and third inning, the Nationals broke the game open in the fourth. With one out, Dylan Crews doubled to left field. CJ Abrams singled sharply to center, moving Crews to third. Keibert Ruiz then singled to left, scoring Crews and sending Abrams to second. Daylen Lile doubled to right, plating Abrams and moving Ruiz to third. Nasim Nuñez singled to center, scoring Ruiz and Lile and putting Washington ahead 5-1. Jorbit Vivas reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Nuñez, making it 6-1. Jacob Young flew out, and James Wood singled, but Luis García Jr. grounded into a forceout to end the inning with the Nationals holding a 6-1 lead.

The five-run outburst chased Hancock from the game. He had allowed six earned runs on seven hits over four innings, striking out one and walking none.

Washington added a run in the seventh when Keibert Ruiz hit his sixth home run of the season to right-center field off reliever Michael Rucker. The Nationals scored three more in the eighth. Jorbit Vivas walked, and Jacob Young doubled to left, scoring Vivas. James Wood doubled to center, scoring Young. After a strikeout and a groundout, Dylan Crews grounded out to shortstop, but James Wood scored on the play to make it 10-1.

Mikolas was in command throughout. He allowed only three hits, all in the first three innings, and did not walk a batter. He retired 12 of the final 13 batters he faced. His start came on the heels of a no-decision against San Francisco on June 8, when he allowed no earned runs over 4 2/3 innings, and a loss to Miami on June 2, when he gave up six earned runs in six innings.

Clayton Beeter pitched a perfect eighth inning with two strikeouts, and PJ Poulin allowed one earned run on two hits in the ninth to close out the win.

James Wood finished 3 for 4 with a home run, a double and two RBIs. Keibert Ruiz also went 3 for 4 with a homer and two RBIs. Jacob Young had two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. For Seattle, the only bright spots were Cole Young’s first-inning single, Josh Naylor’s RBI double, Colt Emerson’s third-inning single, Dominic Canzone’s seventh-inning single and Victor Robles’ fourth-inning single. The Mariners managed only five hits total and did not score after the first inning.

Seattle’s bullpen showed flashes of effectiveness. Nick Davila struck out two in a perfect sixth inning. José A. Ferrer struck out one in a scoreless seventh. Alex Hoppe allowed one earned run on one hit in the eighth with a strikeout, and Michael Rucker gave up one earned run on one hit in the seventh with two strikeouts.

The Mariners entered the series having split a six-game road trip against Baltimore and Detroit, winning three of six. Washington had lost two of three in San Francisco before splitting the first two games of this series.

Seattle returns home Tuesday to begin a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles. The Nationals welcome the Kansas City Royals on Monday for a three-game set.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Seattle 5, Washington 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Seattle a 57.00 percent probability to win. The Mariners were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total of 11 runs went under the over-under line of 9.5.