Colt Emerson lined a run-scoring single through a drawn-in infield with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Minnesota Twins 7-6 Sunday afternoon after blowing a six-run lead.
Leadoff hitter Cole Young had his first career four-hit game and Cal Raleigh homered for the Mariners, who took the final two games of the series after losing the opener. Seattle starter George Kirby tossed seven scoreless innings before the bullpen squandered the lead.
The Twins’ Luke Keaschall led off the ninth inning with a homer just over the right field wall off Mariners closer Andres Munoz (5-4) to tie the score.
Josh Naylor led off the bottom of the inning by lining a single to right field off Yoendrys Gomez (2-1). An out later, Victor Robles lined a single to center, with Naylor advancing to third on an ugly belly-flop slide on which he bloodied his face. The Mariners brought in Stuart Fairchild to run for Naylor and Emerson hit his single to right to win the game.
Trailing 6-0, the Twins scored five times in the eighth off Seattle’s bullpen. Ryan Kreidler reached on a throwing error by shortstop Emerson and Trevor Larnach went deep to right off Eduard Bazardo. With one out, Josh Bell doubled to right-center.
Kody Clemens greeted Jose A. Ferrer with an infield single off the reliever’s glove. Royce Lewis then hit a three-run shot to straightaway center to pull Minnesota within one.
The Mariners scored twice in the first inning for the third consecutive game. Young led off by lining a single to center field and Randy Arozarena walked. Twins starter Taj Bradley got Dominic Canzone to fly out to left and struck out Julio Rodriguez before Naylor lined an opposite-field double down the left field line to score both runners.
The Mariners extended their lead with a two-out rally in the sixth. Emerson singled just off the glove of leaping shortstop Ryan Kreidler and Leo Rivas walked. Young grounded a run-scoring single to center to make it 3-0.
Seattle doubled its advantage in the seventh off reliever Kendry Rojas. Canzone reached on an infield single and Rodriguez walked. With one out, Raleigh went deep off the out-of-town scoreboard beyond the Mariners’ bullpen in left-center field, his 12th homer of the year.
Kirby allowed five hits, walked one and struck out three.
Bradley made a quality start, giving up three runs on seven hits over six innings. He walked four and fanned two.
