Seven-run 10th inning sinks Seattle Mariners in 9-3 loss to Nationals

SEATTLE - The Washington Nationals scored seven runs off reliever Collin Snider in the 10th inning as the Seattle Mariners lost 9-3 in extra innings on Thursday night.

Snider's first pitch went to the backstop for a wild pitch that foreshadowed the struggles ahead. José Tena moved up to third on the wild pitch and scored on a 375-foot sacrifice fly to deep right-center field from Daylen Lile that gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead.

C.J. Abrams followed with a double to the wall on the exact same line as Lile's fly. After James Wood was intentionally walked, Nathaniel Lowe singled to drive in Abrams and push the lead to 4-2. Snider forced Keibert Ruiz to chop back to the mound, but he misfired wide of second base trying to start a double play to load the bases.

Luis Garcia Jr. doubled to the same deep corner of the ballpark to score two more runs, and Josh Bell homered to right field to make it a 9-2 lead as Snider's outing mercifully came to a close.

"It looked to me like there were just some balls that caught a lot of the plate," manager Dan Wilson said. "We give some credit to them. That's a team like we've said is aggressive and they can make things happen quickly and that's what they were able to do there in the 10th."

It spoiled what had been a really competitive game through the first nine innings.

The game was a pitcher's duel through five innings between Emerson Hanock and MacKenzie Gore. Each pitcher allowed just two hits, with Hanock also issuing one walk through the first five innings as the game remained scoreless.

"Emerson has thrown the ball well," Wilson said. "This lineup can be explosive. They're aggressive and he threw the ball well tonight again. He's had a lot of these where he's attacked the zone and gotten ahead and this was another good one.

But Hancock walked two of the first three batters he faced in the sixth inning, which brought his night to a close after only 65 pitches. Wilson elected to turn to lefty Gabe Speier to face James Wood, who has been one of the top 10 hitters in all of MLB this season.

"Wood has been very hot and he's swung the bat well and our bullpen was very rested," Wilson said. "With Gabe out there, who has thrown the ball so well for us, we thought that was the spot for him right there.

"It was a tough one because (Emerson) was continuing to throw the ball well, but just felt with that matchup it was a good time to do it."

Speier left a sinker in the middle of the plate and Wood drove it into the left field corner to score both José Tena and C.J. Abrams for a 2-0 Washington lead. It closed the book on Hancock's effort as he finished with two hits, two runs, three walks and four strikeouts in 5 ⅓ innings.

Hancock lamented the two walks that spoiled a pretty stellar start otherwise.

"Just a couple misses there in a row," he said. "You know, was committed to each pitch. It's just sometimes you just miss and try to find a groove as quick as you can and get back on track.

"I want to do the little things right. We want to throw a lot of strikes and just in that inning, it comes back to hurt you. Free bases are killer and two walks in a row, especially when you had some momentum going into it, it's tough that they came around to score. I'll clean that up and do a better job of that."

Leody Taveras and Ben Williamson each singled off Gore to lead-off the bottom of the sixth as the Mariners looked to respond. However, J.P. Crawford was called out on strikes with a strike three call from home plate umpire Andy Fletcher that was six inches off the outside corner of the plate. Crawford was incensed by the call and turned to argue in Fletcher's face and got tossed from the game.

Gore struck out Julio Rodríguez before hitting Cal Raleigh with a pitch to load the bases, but Gore gassed three fastballs by Randy Arozarena to end the threat and preserve the 2-0 lead for Washington.

The Nationals threatened to extend the lead in the seventh inning against Carlos Vargas, but Daylen Lile lined out to first base to end the inning.

Miles Mastrobuoni walked to lead-off the bottom of the inning against Nationals reliever Jorge López. Mastrobuoni advanced to second base on a groundout by Jorge Polanco, and Taveras singled to drive in Seattle's first run. Taveras stole second base to get into scoring position and advanced to third on a wild pitch from López. Williamson then came through with a single to score Taveras and tie the game at 2-2.

Matt Brash quickly struck out Abrams and Wood in the eighth inning before the Nationals tried for a two-out rally. Nathaniel Lowe and Keibert Ruiz delivered consecutive singles off Brash to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Luis Garcia Jr. followed with a sharp single to right field directly at Taveras, who quickly delivered a perfect throw to home plate to cut down Lowe and preserve the tied game.

Taveras went 3-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base, a run scored, and the outfield assist as part of a really strong effort.

Seattle quickly got two runners on in the eighth inning as well as Cole Henry hit Rodríguez with a pitch and walked Raleigh, but Henry and José A. Ferrer combined to escape the jam for Washington.

Neither team managed a baserunner in the ninth inning before the game headed to extras and fell apart for Seattle.

Notes:

Logan Gilbert made his first rehab start with Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday night. He pitched 1 ⅔ innings, allowing a run on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. He threw for 45 pitches with 24 for strikes.

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