Mitch Haniger Walks it Off For Seattle Mariners Against Detroit Tigers
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners had two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and were down 3-1 to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.
Mitch Haniger was down 1-2 and was already caught chasing earlier. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat — Haniger sent Will Vest's 97-mile-per-hour fastball to right field. It fell just under Tigers right fielder Ryan Vilade's glove and Luke Raley, Randy Arozarena and Ryan Bliss sprinted home to give the Mariners a 4-3 win.
Mitch magic ✨ pic.twitter.com/cqOsqJUjKw
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 9, 2024
Seattle improved to 60-56 with the win and, once again, pulled even with the Houston Astros in the American League West standings.
It was Haniger's eighth walk-off with the Mariners — the most in franchise history. It was his second walk-off this homestead. The other was a walk (also with the bases loaded) on Saturday in a 6-5 win against the Philadelphia Phillies.
"We always know we have a chance here — especially when you're at home," Haniger said in a postgame interview Thursday. "You get last-ups and we've done this before. So it's just putting pressure on them, having good at-bats, hitting the ball hard. And luckily we had really good bats that inning. ... When I hit it I just thought it was going to be a base hit. It carried a little more than I thought and luckily he dove and couldn't come up with it."
Seattle was working behind Detroit for most of the game. Starter Bryan Woo had a quality start. He pitched 6.2 innings and struck out seven batters. But he allowed three runs (all earned) in the top of the fifth.
Bryan Woo's 2Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/OJVryXz44L
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 9, 2024
Parker Meadows connected for an RBI double and Zach McKinstry brought in two more runs with a double of his own.
The Tigers had a chance to put more on the board in the top of the seventh. Yimi Garcia relieved Woo and got Vilade to chase for strike three. Two Detroit runners were left on base.
The Mariners scored their first run in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of Luke Raley's third homer in six games — a 363-foot solo-shot to right field that cut the Tigers' lead down to 3-1.
Luke gets us on the board! #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/LpPoWC8MWg
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 9, 2024
Garcia and JT Chargois retired Detroit in order in the top of the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to set Seattle up with a walk-off opportunity.
Raley and Arozarena both singled in consecutive at-bats. Cleanup hitter Cal Raleigh and Justin Turner both struck out swinging to give the Mariners two outs with two on. Jorge Polanco was walked (Bliss pinch ran for him) to set up Haniger with the bases-loaded situation.
"Eerily similar game to last night. Except they caught it last night and they didn't catch it tonight," Mariners manager Scott Servais said in a postgame interview Thursday. " ... Raley had a big night again. Another homer. And Randy — tough at-bat. Finds a way to get bat on the ball. And then I got to give (Polanco) a ton of credit. Will Vest threw some really good pitches that (Polanco) was able to lay off. ... And with the game on the line (Haniger) finds a way to get the bat on the ball."
Seattle avoided a sweep and will now head towards the final leg of its nine-game homestead against the New York Mets.
Bryce Miller will get the start against New York left-hander Jose Quintana. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. PT on Friday.
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