Mariners Game Recap: Deja Vu, Mariners Walk-off White Sox Again in Seattle

The Mariners walked off the White Sox for the second time in three days on Wednesday at Safeco field.

It took eleven innings, but the Seattle Mariners edged the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon, winning 6-5 to take the series. Vidal Nuno (1-1, 3.08 ERA) picked up the win in relief for the Mariners, and Dan Jennings (3-2, 1.77 ERA) took the loss for Chicago.

The Pale Hose jumped all over the King in the top of the first inning. After Hernandez struck out Adam Eaton leading off the ballgame, Melky Cabrera doubled on a line drive to left field. Jose Abreu grounded out, but Justin Morneau kept the inning alive with a 2-out walk. Todd Frazier made the Mariners pay, launching a 3-run homer over the wall in left field. Frazier’s 28th home run of the season gave Chicago an early 3-0 lead.

The White Sox added to their lead in the top of the second inning. After retiring the first two men he faced, Felix allowed a 2-out single to Tyler Saladino. Eaton followed with a single of his own, and Cabrera cashed in Saladino on a single to right field. Cabrera’s RBI single gave Chicago a 4-0 lead.

Seattle cut into the White Sox’s lead in the home half of the second inning. Kyle Seager led off the frame by working a free pass. After Adam Lind flied out, Leonys Martin yanked a first pitch slider over the wall in right field for a 2-run shot. The home run was Martin’s 12th on the season, but just his first since June 23. After two innings, the Mariners trailed 4-2.

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Melky Cabrera had King Felix’s number all day, and he led off the fifth inning by ripping a line drive down the right field line. The ball bounced around in the corner, and Cabrera ended up at third base with a triple. Morneau plated Melky with a line drive single to right field, making it a 5-2 game.

Felix Hernandez was lifted from the game after allowing 5 runs on 10 hits across 6.2 innings pitched. The King only stuck out 2 White Sox this afternoon and issued a pair of walks. Obviously, Hernandez’s numbers left something to desired, but he settled down nicely after getting roughed up in the first couple innings. Hopefully he was able to shake the rust off today, and will fare better his next time out.

Mike Zunino was recalled from Tacoma prior to Wednesday’s game, and the M’s backstop made his presence felt during the seventh inning. Lind started the inning by working a walk before Z muscled up on a first pitch fastball from Zach Duke for a 2-run homer. Zunino crushed the ball, launching it nearly 400 feet into the bullpen in left field. All three of Mike’s hits so far in 2016 have left the yard.

Still in the seventh, Shawn O’Malley was plunked, Nori Aoki walked and Franklin Gutierrez was issued a free pass to load the bases for Robinson Cano with only 1 out. With the tying run just 90 feet away, Robbie grounded into a 4-6-3 inning ending double play. Regardless, Zunino’s dinger trimmed the White Sox lead to just a single run.

Scott Servais turned to Edwin Diaz in the top of the eighth inning. NEWS FLASH: Diaz is absolutely filthy. The flame throwing right-hander struck out the side for the second consecutive game to keep the Mariners in contention. Diaz’s fastball and slider make for as deadly of a combo as there is in baseball today. He truly is a delight to watch.

Adam Lind is feeling it right now, and he clubbed another clutch home run today in the eighth inning. Lind hit a walk-off homer on Monday night, and he tied the game with a solo shot this afternoon. The veteran first baseman came through with an opposite field blast that just snuck over the wall in left field to knot the game at 5.

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Steve Cishek was called on to work the ninth for the Mariners with the score tied. The M’s closer made quick work of the first two men he faced, but then hit Abreu and walked Morneau to give Chicago a pair of baserunners. Thankfully, Cishek got Frazier swinging to end the threat.

The game remained deadlocked after nine innings, and fans were treated to free baseball. The Mariners squandered a golden opportunity to end the game in the home half of the tenth, but wasted little time in getting the job done in the eleventh.

With Dan Jennings on the hill, Leonys Martin stepped into the batters box with the bases empty and 1 out. After falling behind 0-2, the Mariners center fielder demolished a hanging slider deep to right field for a walk-off home run. The homer was Martin’s second of the contest, and proved to be the pivotal blow of the game.

The Mariners have a flair for the dramatic, and have now won 6 times this season via the walk-off home run. Today’s series win was the first for Seattle since the M’s swept the Baltimore Orioles on July 3.

Next: Jose Quintana Dominates M’s in Seattle

Looking ahead, the Mariners (48-47) will travel north of the border on Thursday before taking on the Toronto Blue Jays (54-42) Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 4:07 pm PT from the Rogers Centre. James Paxton (2-4, 4.56 ERA) will be on the mound for the M’s in his home country, and Marco Estrada (5-3, 2.93 ERA) will get the ball for the Blue Jays.