- Randy Arozarena contributed five RBIs as Seattle scored seven runs, including a grand slam and a bases-loaded walk.
- Julio Rodríguez equalized the game in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run double.
- The Mariners secured their initial series triumph of the season thanks to this victory.
SEATTLE - Randy Arozarena hit a two-out grand slam for the Seattle Mariners in the eighth inning and secured the victory with a bases-loaded walk, leading to an astounding 7-6 come-from-behind triumph against the Houston Astros on Wednesday afternoon.
"Winning the series like this, following such a hard loss last night, truly demonstrates their character. I must say, my team did an outstanding job today," manager Dan Wilson stated.
In the top of the eighth inning, Seattle fell behind 5-0 and hadn’t mustered much offense throughout most of the day. Against Houston’s starting pitcher, Hunter Brown, they could only manage two hits over the first six innings. Additionally, they couldn’t capitalize when they had runners on base with one out in the seventh.
However, Seattle filled the bases with nobody out in the eighth frame against Luis Contreras as they initiated their comeback. Miles Mastrobuoni got a single hit, followed by a walk issued to J.P. Crawford; subsequently, Julio Rodríguez provided Seattle with its initial significant offensive push during the match. Then, Arozarena launched a two-run home run off Steven Okert right into the Houston bullpen, abruptly narrowing the gap to just one point at 5-4.
Arozarena stated via his interpreter, Freddy Llanos, 'I believe much of this success can be attributed to the batting practice prior to the game,' he explained. ‘It helped me feel great out there which contributed significantly to our performance today. Once that home run opportunity arose, I anticipated seeing a fastball. Given they had been delivering plenty of them, even though I missed a few earlier pitches, being ready allowed me to connect successfully.'
Arozarena crushed a 91 mph fastball from Okert that was on the inner part of the plate, sending it over the left-field fence and into the bullpen beyond.
He's incredibly dynamic, and as you know, he really stepped up big for us in that position," Rodríguez stated. "That’s exactly what he brings every time. When he steps into the batter’s box, he has the potential to create numerous problems for the opposing team, and he certainly made a significant impact for us in that moment.
Jeremy Peña responded for the Astros with a lead-off double off Casey Lawrence in the ninth inning. Seattle subsequently tagged out Peña between the bases; however, they failed to make an accurate throw to Mastrobuoni at third base, allowing Peña to slide in safely. On Lawrence’s following pitch, which went erratically towards the fence, Peña seized the opportunity to score, giving the Astros a 6-4 advantage.
The Mariners managed to hit back once again in the ninth inning.
Donovan Solano hit a single to start the inning, and Mastrobuoni continued with another single and promptly stole second base. The pivotal moment occurred shortly after when Crawford tapped a ground ball along the third-base line as Isaac Paredes tried to tag the retiring Solano at the bag. Initially deemed out, Solano was eventually declared safe following a replay review, which then filled the bases for Rodríguez.
Rodriguez hit a two-run double down the right-field line, scoring Solano and Mastrobuoni and tying the game at 6-6. He managed to punch a 98 mph fastball from the outer part of the plate thrown by Bryan Abreu to the opposite field, bringing in the runners. Prior to this hit, Rodriguez was mired in an 0-for-22 slump.
"What I’m aiming to achieve is simply execute a strong swing and attempt to hit the ball hard, maybe sending a liner back towards the pitcher, and fortunately, I managed to make solid contact,” Rodríguez stated.
Mitch Garver strolled up to load the bases once more when Arozarena delivered a game-winning walk-off hit against Abreu, securing Seattle's first series victory of the season.
On the heels of their 12-inning loss on Tuesday night, the Mariners' bullpen was already stretched and in need of as much length as they could get from spot starter Luis F. Castillo.
Following a pristine opening frame, Castillo faced significant trouble for the remainder of his appearance. Walks issued to Peña and Victor Caratini haunted him in the second inning.Jake Meyers, Cam Smith, and Jose Altuve all contributed singles, driving in three runs and taking the lead early on.
During the third inning, Castillo issued a walk to Christian Walker followed by allowing him to reach first on a single from Peña, advancing another runner to base. When Caratini tapped a ball back towards the pitcher’s mound, Castillo threw a low pass intended for second base which Crawford failed to manage, thus loading the bases. Adding insult to injury, a subsequent walk to Brendan Rodgers increased the Astros' lead to 4-0.
In the eighth inning, Houston tacked on another run as extra insurance; they would soon realize how crucial this turn of events was. Pitching against Lawrence—who had been included in the roster just prior to the game for additional relief support—Smith, Altuve, and Isaac Paredes managed consecutive singles, filling up the bases. A sacrifice fly hit into left field by Yordan Alvarez allowed Smith to cross home plate, extending their advantage to 5-0.
In the meantime, the Mariners' batting stayed largely silent throughout the day.
In the third inning, Crawford delivered a double with two outs, and in the fifth, Arozarena did the same; these were the sole occasions Seattle got runners on base against Brown over six innings. Several impressive defensive maneuvers aided Brown in maintaining near-perfect control, despite striking out just three batters.
In the seventh inning, Bennett Sousa issued walks to Arozarena and Luke Raley, but Contreras entered the game and neutralized the danger by striking out Solano and inducing a fly ball from Dominic Canstone.
If you watched the match, during the entire initial phase, they continuously made play after play, and we thought we were going to identify gaps within their defense," Rodriguez explained. "Fortunately, as the game progressed, they began to experience some missteps with a walk or two, and Randy consistently stepped up.
I believe it will occur. We'll likely see significant home runs, allowing us to continually advance runners.
In the top of the eighth inning, with no one out and the bases loaded against Contreras, Seattle began to exert significant offensive pressure. Mastrobuoni got things started with a single, followed by a walk for Crawford, and Julio Rodríguez continued the rally. This sequence marked Seattle’s initial substantial threat to score during the contest. However, Arozarena truly turned up the heat when he hit a two-out grand slam off Okert, sending the ball deep into the Houston bullpen and narrowing their deficit to just 5-4.
In the top of the ninth inning, Peña hit a lead-off double off Lawrence. Despite catching Peña midway between bases, Seattle failed to make an accurate throw to Mastrobuoni at third base, allowing Peña to slide into home safely. The following pitch from Lawrence went awry, hitting the backstop which enabled Peña to advance further and secure a 6-4 advantage for his team.
Arozarena's clutch performances later in the game then secured the win.
In his appearance as a reliever for Seattle, Lawrence pitched three innings and secured the victory despite giving up two runs on four hits along with walking one batter.
Wilson mentioned, 'Casey performed exceptionally when throwing the ball,' adding, 'Having someone with such pitching skills is truly irreplaceable. As an experienced player, he has seen a lot and managed to maintain control throughout the match, keeping everything as it should be. His contribution today cannot be overstated.'
Initial report by FOX 13 Seattle.
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