Abraham Toro homered and drove in four runs to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 9-6 win against the visiting Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night, completing a doubleheader sweep.
Toro drove in the game-winning run in the first game, a 7-6 victory in 10 innings that helped Seattle clinch the American League’s second wild card.
Cal Raleigh had three hits, including a home run, and Dylan Moore contributed three RBIs for the Mariners (89-72), who will make their first playoff appearance in 21 years on Friday when they open a best-of-three set against the host Toronto Blue Jays.
Mariners left-hander Justus Sheffield (1-0) lasted five innings in his first start of the season. He allowed five runs and seven hits, struck out four and walked four.
Kody Clemens hit a grand slam and Spencer Torkelson had three hits, including a home run, for the Tigers (66-95).
Toro belted a two-run homer in the fourth inning to extend Seattle’s lead to 4-1. He was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma earlier in the day after left fielder Sam Haggerty went on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left groin.
The Tigers loaded the bases with three straight one-out singles in the fifth before Clemens belted a 1-2 pitch over the fence in right for his first career grand slam and a 5-4 lead.
Raleigh tied the score 5-5 with a one-out homer off reliever Elvin Rodriguez (0-4) in Seattle’s half of the fifth. Toro came up later in the inning with the bases full and delivered a two-run single to put Seattle ahead 7-5.
Torkelson went deep in the sixth to trim the deficit to 7-6, but the Mariners tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the inning, the first when Moore was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for the second time in the contest.
Will Vest started for Detroit and gave up a single, two walks and a hit batter before departing after allowing one run in two-thirds of an inning.
The Tigers tied it 1-1 on a sacrifice fly by Jeimer Candelario in the third inning, but Moore quickly answered in the bottom of the frame with a two-out RBI single to give Seattle a 2-1 lead.
–Field Level Media