Seattle Mariners Blow 5-0 Lead in Walk-Off Loss Against Texas Rangers
The Seattle Mariners had a 5-0 lead and were in prime opportunity to sweep the Texas Rangers and make up some ground in the American League Wild Card race on Sunday
But it didn't go that way.
The Mariners held the advantage through the top of the sixth inning before letting up six unanswered runs to the Rangers en route to a 6-5 loss at Globe Life Field. The loss dropped Seattle to 80-76 on the season. It bumped the Mariners down to 2.0 games out of the final AL Wild Card spot and kept them 5.0 games behind the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West.
The Minnesota Twins (1.5 games ahead of Seattle) were still yet to play Game 2 of a doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday when the Mariners game concluded.
"Offensively, did a lot of great things to get the lead and then they just started to chip away," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview Sunday. "I thought (starting pitcher Bryan Woo) gave us what we needed. Six innings and they were able to get to him at the end. This is a tough one to swallow, obviously. We win the series. That's a positive. We got a big series ahead of us and we got to turn the page quickly on this and move on, which we've been able to do."
The Mariners built their 5-0 lead through a collection of small-ball approaches and one home run. Dylan Moore put Seattle on the board first with an RBI single in the top of the second. Cal Raleigh followed and hit his 31st home run of the season one inning later — a solo shot to left field — to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead through three.
Raleigh's homer set a new single-season career-high for the fourth-year catcher.
No. 3️⃣1️⃣ for No. 2️⃣9️⃣! pic.twitter.com/Xl7ho0Wlgg
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) September 22, 2024
Victor Robles accounted for the next three Mariners scores — all in the top of the sixth. First he hit a two-RBI single to give Seattle a 4-0 lead. He then ran to third and scored at home on a pair of errors from Texas second baseman Marcus Semien and shortstop Josh Smith.
Robles' hat trick of scores gave the Mariners their finals runs of the game and a 5-0 lead.
But the Rangers, who showed some fight in their 8-4 loss to Seattle on Saturday, started to mount their comeback.
Texas put up four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Smith accounted for the first with an RBI single and and Wyatt Langford nearly made up the difference with a three-run homer to left center field.
A little something for the home crowd. #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/yhnFgoLJaw
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 22, 2024
Woo entered the sixth having allowed just two hits and no earned runs and didn't give up a free base. He allowed five hits, four earned runs and walked a batter all in the sixth.
"I mean, honestly, pretty sloppy for most of the night," Woo said in a postgame interview Sunday. "Falling behind (in counts), not usually how it's been this year. But they got a couple of hits, nothing I was really too concerned about. ... Just can't fall behind like I did and have success."
The Rangers were able to tie it one inning later with a solo home run to right field that was hit by Leody Taveras.
The Mariners had two opportunities to retake the lead in the eighth and ninth innings but were retired in order. Seattle's All-Star reliever Andres Munoz took the mound in the bottom of the ninth to try and send the game into extras.
Munoz got two quick outs but let up a single to Taveras. Taveras stole second base right after.
Marcus Semien rewarded Taveras' hustle with the walk-off RBI single that gave Texas the 6-5 win.
Simmy's first walk-off as a Ranger!@1053thefan x #StraightUpTX pic.twitter.com/A08cnLKRpq
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) September 22, 2024
This was probably the best opportunity Seattle has had in the last week. The Kansas City Royals, Twins and Astros all lost. If the Mariners won, they'd be one game out of the Wild Card with an opportunity to be half a game back if Minnesota lost the second of the doubleheader. They'd have been four games behind Houston with a three-game series coming up.
Instead, there's six games left in the season and Seattle is 2.0 games out of the Wild Card and 5.0 out in the AL West.
The Mariners have to be almost perfect. They can't afford to lose more than one more game, and even that might be too much.
The Royals and Twins are both sliding, opening up the door for the Detroit Tigers and Seattle to claim the final two Wild Card spots.
Now the Mariners just have to actually walk through that door.
Seattle will begin a three-game series against the Astros at 5:10 p.m. PT on Monday at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
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