Tulowitzki homers in return, Rockies beat Mariners 4-1

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) Troy Tulowitzki homered for his first hit in a game since last July and looked strong in the field in the Colorado Rockies' 4-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

The Rockies' shortstop, back from left hip surgery that cut short his 2014 season, leaped far to his right to take away a hit from the Mariners' Kyle Seager in the bottom of the first inning. His home run came with two out in the top of the first, going opposite field over the right-field fence.

''It was a good day. Just keep building,'' Tulowitzki said. ''Building my confidence, building day to day and not looking too far down the road. It's only my second game so I've got a lot of work to do.''

Seager hit his first home run of the spring in the third, a solo shot to tie the score at 1.

Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon made his spring debut after recovering from abdominal soreness and went 0 for 2.

''Good to be back out there with my teammates,'' Blackmon said. ''We were pretty cautious with this, especially with it being the time of the year where we can afford to make sure this goes away without having to risk anything. ... I don't expect to have any issues.''

Mariners left-hander Danny Hultzen, a top prospect out all of last season after left shoulder surgery, pitched in his first game since Sept. 1, 2013, in the minors. The former first-round draft pick walked one in a three-up, three-down inning of work.

Hultzen was beaming after his outing.

''I had a couple of butterflies going so I wanted to get out there as soon as I could,'' Hultzen said. ''I've been looking forward to this for a really long time and it's been a long road. To be able to come back and pitch again is incredible. There's times where I doubted myself if I could ever come back again.''

Colorado scored three runs in the top of the ninth and is undefeated with two ties in the Rockies' last six exhibition games.

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STARTING TIME

Rockies: Christian Bergman, competing for spot in the starting rotation after 10 starts in the majors last season, was charged with a run on four hits with a walk, a strikeout and a wild pitch in 2 2/3 innings.

Mariners: Erasmo Ramirez allowed a run on two hits with two strikeouts in three innings. He's in contention for a spot in the starting rotation.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: LHP James Paxton threw batting practice before Wednesday's game and is on schedule to start a spring training game next week. . Top-end starter Hisashi Iwakuma is not injured, but will pitch a simulated game Thursday in Peoria.

FERRELL'S FOLLIES

Actor and comedian Will Ferrell will play in five spring games on Thursday, including the Mariners' contest against Oakland in Mesa, Ariz. Ferrell plans to play every position on the field for 10 different teams on the same day, as part of special episode of Funny or Die in partnership with Major League Baseball and HBO.

The episode airs later this year.

Ferrell's stunt forced a change in the start times of the five games. Seattle's game, the first on his schedule, will start at 12:05 p.m. local time. He is dedicating the project to the fight against cancer and is honoring an historic feat accomplished by Bert Campaneris in 1965 when he played all field positions for the Kansas City Athletics on the same day.

''I've spent my entire career, including since my arrival in Seattle as general manager, looking to identify and procure talent,'' Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik said in a tongue-in-cheek-toned statement from the club. ''I can say with confidence that I've never scouted a talent like Will before.''

RODNEY HEARS FANS' WISHES

Mariners closer Fernando Rodney, known for his save celebration after finishing games, heard the fans clamoring for the gesture after he recorded the third out of the top of the fifth. So he reached back and let fly as if he was pulling the string on a bow and shooting an imaginary arrow into the sky.

That drew applause from the crowd and smiles from the Mariners' dugout. Rodney walked two and struck out one in his inning of work.

UP NEXT

Rockies: RHP Gus Schlosser, acquired in a trade with Atlanta in the offseason, pitches Thursday against the Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix.

Mariners: RHP Jordan Pries, the Mariners' minor-league co-starting pitcher of the year in 2014 after going 10-8 with a 3.86 earned run average between Class AA and AAA, starts against Oakland