Inside The Mariners

Seattle Mariners Survive Texas Rangers in Extra Innings, Hang on to Win 7-6

The Mariners secured at least a .500 record on their current road trip with a 12th-inning victory over their American League rivals.
Teren Kowatsch|
Seattle Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo celebrates after securing a win against the Texas Rangers on June 27 at Globe Life Fied.
Seattle Mariners reliever Eduard Bazardo celebrates after securing a win against the Texas Rangers on June 27 at Globe Life Fied. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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It took 12 innings, nearly the entire bullpen and around 30 combined base runners, but the Seattle Mariners managed to pull out a win against the Texas Rangers on Friday at Globe Life Field. The Mariners improved to 42-39 with the win, stayed 6.5 games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West and bolstered their hold on the final AL Wild Card spot to 1.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Angels.

Seattle reliever Eduard Bazardo, who has arguably been the team's best bullpen in arm in June, was tasked with closing the game out in the 11th and 12th innings. He walked three batters, but didn't allow a hit or earned run. He struck out Josh Jung on three pitches for the final out of the game and was credited with the win. He's 3-0 on the season.

"It felt good," Bazardo said in a postgame interview via translator Freddy Llanos. "Going out there with the intention of winning the game, and that's what I did and that's what we ended up doing. ... Just going up there try to control the ball as much as I can, attack the zone."

Before Bazardo closed out the game in the 12th, he got some heroic contributions from Miles Mastrobuoni.

Mastrobuoni, who entered the game at third for Ben Williamson, made a sprinting catch to end the 11th inning and send the game to the 12th tied 6-6. In the top of the 12th, Mastrobuoni hit a two-out RBI single for the eventual final of 7-6.

For most of the game, it seemed like Mastrobuoni and Bazardo's extra-inning heroics wouldn't be necessary.

The Mariners led the Rangers 5-1 through the top of the sixth. Jorge Polanco hit an RBI single in the first and a groundout in the third to score J.P. Crawford. Also in the third, Randy Arozarena hit a sacrifice fly to score Julio Rodriguez. Williamson scored on a groundout hit by Rodriguez in the fourth and Crawford scored on a wild pitch in the sixth.

Despite the multi-run lead, Seattle had several opportunities to bolster the lead even further. The Mariners finished 4-for-23 with runners in scoring position and stranded 14. Through the away half of the sixth, Corey Seager's solo home run in the bottom of the first was Texas' only run of the game.

The Rangers started to mount their comeback in the bottom of the sixth. Marcus Semien hit an RBI double and Adolis brought another two home with a single. Former Mariner Sam Haggerty tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single.

Haggerty's hit ultimately sent the game to extras. Donovan Solano continued his solid road trip and pulled the Mariners in front with an RBI single in the top of the 10th. Garcia brought home Haggerty on a sac fly in the bottom of the 10th to knot the game back up 6-6. Neither side scored in the 11th.

Texas, like Seattle, also had several opportunities it failed to capitalize on. The Rangers went 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position and left 13 on base.

The Mariners will try to secure the series win and a winning road trip in Game 2 of the series at 1:05 p.m. PT on Saturday. Bryan Woo will start for Seattle and Kumar Rocker will start for Texas.

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Teren Kowatsch
TEREN KOWATSCH

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