LDN - Sports

Seager, M's pull out 15-inning win over Tigers

[August 10, 2016] SEATTLE -- Kyle Seager was kicking himself after a sixth-inning strikeout left the bases loaded and squandered one of several opportunities for the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

Little did Seager know, he would get plenty of additional chances.

In the longest game played by either team this season, Seager delivered score-tying hits in the eighth and 15th innings before Seattle teammate Mike Zunino drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly in the 15th as the Mariners rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 6-5.

"That was crazy," Seager said. "Frustrating in the beginning, and it got real long (4 hours, 51 minutes), but it worked out well in the end."

Seager's three-run homer in the eighth inning tied the score 4-4, and he added a one-out, RBI single in the bottom of the 15th, deadlocking the game at 5. An error by Detroit left fielder Justin Upton allowed baserunner Adam Lind to move to third, and Lind scored easily on Zunino's fly ball to center.

The throw from Tigers center fielder Tyler Collins was way off target as Lind slid across the plate to give the Mariners (59-53) another walk-off win.

"I was hoping it was deep enough," Zunino said.

Victor Martinez gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead with a leadoff home run in the top of the 15th inning. Martinez's 400-foot shot was his 20th home run of the season, and it came off Ariel Miranda, a converted starter who was supposed to pitch this Friday at Oakland.

The teams combined to use 16 pitchers in the game.

Closer Francisco Rodriguez, the eighth Detroit pitcher of the night, blew the save and took the loss. Rodriguez (1-3) was charged with two runs, only one of them earned.

"Give them credit," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "They fought back against the back end of our bullpen, and their hitters got the job done."

Miranda (1-0) got the win after yielding two hits and one run in his lone inning.

Seattle extended its winning streak to a season-high five games while staying within 2 1/2 of Boston in the race for the second American League wild card. Detroit (61-52) dropped a game behind the Red Sox and is now 3 1/2 back of the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central standings.

"Every win matters," Seager said. "Playing a team like Detroit, those wins are big."

The Tigers had a chance to win the game in the top of the 14th inning, when two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. However, Jose Iglesias struck out, and then Miguel Cabrera swung at the first pitch and popped out to right to end the threat.

Tigers starter Daniel Norris, recalled from Triple-A over the weekend, survived a rocky outing and got a lot of help from the Detroit bullpen in the sixth. Norris gave up three consecutive singles to open that inning, loading the bases before handing the ball over to the bullpen. Alex Wilson came on and got the Tigers out of the jam without allowing a run, closing the book on Norris after he allowed seven hits and one run over five innings.

Wilson barely avoided disaster when pinch hitter Lind hammered a bases-loaded pitch down the right field line -- only to watch it drift foul by a foot or two.

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Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (15) celebrates with second baseman Robinson Cano (22) after hitting a three-run homer against the Detroit Tigers during the eighth inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Cabrera went 3-for-6 but was hitless in his final three at-bats. He struck out on a 100 mph Edwin Diaz fastball to end the top of the ninth and flied out to right with the bases loaded to end the threat in the 14th.

Seager, Guillermo Heredia and Robinson Cano had three hits apiece for Seattle. Detroit's J.D. Martinez finished 3-for-7.

Mariners relievers Nick Vincent, Vidal Nuno, Diaz, Arquimedes Caminero, Drew Storen and Tom Wilhelmsen combined to throw nine scoreless innings before Miranda served up a home run that ended a streak of 17 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings by Seattle relievers.

Detroit reliever Justin Wilson threw three scoreless innings.

Cabrera drove in runs with a first-inning single and a third-inning solo homer as the Tigers jumped out to a 3-0 lead.

The Mariners finally got on the board in the fourth, when Nelson Cruz followed a Cano double with an RBI double to cut the deficit to 3-1.

The Tigers got that run back on J.D. Martinez's leadoff homer in the top of the fifth.

Seattle starter Wade LeBlanc allowed four runs on 10 hits over five innings.

NOTES: Detroit CF Cameron Maybin (thumb) will be placed on the 15-day disabled list, manager Brad Ausmus said before Tuesday's game. Maybin has been out since last Thursday, and Ausmus said that the most recent tests revealed a Grade 2 sprain. ... Seattle SS Ketel Marte was in the lineup after being activated from the disabled list Tuesday. To make room for Marte, the Mariners optioned INF Michael Freeman to Triple-A Tacoma. ... The Tigers claimed RHP Donn Roach, a reliever who was designated for assignment by the Mariners over the weekend, off waivers. Roach was assigned to Triple-A Toledo, and the Tigers designated RHP Jeff Ferrell for assignment. ... Seattle hopes to get LHP James Paxton back throwing as soon as Wednesday, and he is listed as Saturday's starter at Oakland. Paxton took a line drive off his left elbow on Sunday, but there was no structural damage. He is scheduled to have a light throwing session Wednesday afternoon.

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