(Photo credit: Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports)
Cal Raleigh’s chopper to the right side of the infield brought home the winning run in the 10th inning as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Minnesota Twins 3-2 on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.
J.P. Crawford began the inning as the runner at second base and advanced to third as Julio Rodriguez grounded out to short. Raleigh hit a ball that was fielded by Twins reliever Cole Sands (2-1), but Sands’ off-balance throw to the plate sailed wide as Crawford slid home with the deciding run.
Mariners reliever Ryne Stanek (5-1) retired the side in order in the top of the inning to earn the victory.
The Mariners tied it in the bottom of the eighth off reliever Griffin Jax.
Mitch Haniger drew a leadoff walk and Josh Rojas grounded a single to right, sending pinch runner Luke Raley to second. After Crawford popped out on a bunt attempt, Rodriguez hit a chopper to third baseman Jose Miranda, who fanned on his attempt to tag Raley and then made a low throw to first, the ball skipping past Carlos Santana to allow Raley to score the tying run.
The Mariners broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. Haniger drew a two-out walk and Rojas followed with a double into the right field corner. The relay throw to the plate bounced off the end of catcher Christian Vazquez’s mitt, allowing Haniger to score.
The Twins responded immediately. Willi Castro led off the sixth and was hit by an 0-2 pitch from Mariners starter Logan Gilbert. Carlos Correa then deposited a 2-1 curveball into the Twins’ bullpen in left field to make it 2-1.
It was the ninth homer of the season for Correa, who was considered questionable for the series opener after sustaining a right wrist contusion when hit by a pitch Thursday at Arizona.
Both starters pitched well.
The Twins’ Bailey Ober allowed one run on two hits in six innings. The right-hander walked three and struck out nine, one shy of the career high he matched last Saturday when he threw a four-hitter in a 10-2 victory at Oakland.
Gilbert had a streak of 21 consecutive scoreless innings snapped in the sixth. He gave up two runs on four hits over six innings, with no walks and three strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
