Mariners Outlast Rangers in Homer-Filled Finale
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Texas and Seattle combined for nine home runs as the Mariners defeated the Rangers 10-9 in 11 innings on Thursday night at T-Mobile Park.
The Rangers (66-89) ended up losing the series. Texas has now lost 22 of its last 30 games and is 25-40 since the All-Star Break.
Despite the power surge for both teams, the game went to extra innings, with the Rangers and Mariners exchanging a run in the 10th.
In the 11th, the Mariners overcame the Rangers’ run in the top half of the frame with an RBI single by pinch-hitter Luis Torrens and an RBI single by J.P. Crawford that went off the glove of Rangers third baseman Josh Jung to score the winning run.
Before extra innings, the ball left the yard early and often. Seattle’s Mitch Haniger and Jerred Kelenic each hit two home runs, with Kelenic’s second homer, a solo shot, giving the Mariners a 7-4 lead in the sixth.
For the Rangers, Marcus Semien homered twice, while Nathaniel Lowe, Sam Huff and Adolis García went deep once. Huff, Semien and García did so in the third inning, which marked the first time that Texas hit three out in an inning since Sept. 22, 2019 against Oakland. It was one shy of the team record of four home runs in an inning against Houston on May 21, 2005.
The Rangers had not hit five home runs in a game since Sept. 20, 2020 against the Los Angeles Angels. It was the 10th time the Rangers have hit five home runs against the Mariners and the second time they’ve done it at T-Mobile Park.
Semien now has 26 home runs, making him the fourth Rangers hitter to amass 25 or more home runs this season, joining Corey Seager, García and Lowe. García and Lowe also reached 26 on Thursday.
It was Semien’s second multi-home run game of the season.
But the Rangers tied the game in the top of the eighth without a home run. Catcher Kevin Plawecki grounded into a double play that scored Bubba Thompson from third, making it 7-7.
The Mariners (85-70) continued to close in on clinching an American League Wild-Card berth. Entering Thursday, the Mariners’ magic number to clinch was three. The number dropped to two after Baltimore lost to Boston earlier on Thursday. Before the Mariners took the field, Tampa Bay lost, putting the Mariners in a tie for the second Wild Card, which is important from a seeding standpoint.
With the win, the Mariners trimmed the magic number to one.
Both starters had trouble and ended up with no-decisions. Rangers starter Jon Gray gave up six runs and three home runs in five innings. Mariners starter Marco Gonzalez gave up four runs and three home runs in five innings.
The Rangers open a three-game series at the Los Angeles Angels on Friday. Texas will start right-hander Glenn Otto against Angels left-hander Reid Detmers. Texas goes with left-hander Cole Ragans on Saturday against Angels left-hander José Suarez. Neither team has announced its starter for Sunday’s finale.
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