Eugenio Suarez homered with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning off Kenley Jansen to cap one of the wildest finishes of the season as the Seattle Mariners edged the visiting Atlanta Braves 8-7 Sunday afternoon.
The winning blast came one out after rookie Julio Rodriguez homered to left to tie the score.
Suarez, Rodriguez and Atlanta rookie Michael Harris II each homered twice — with all three players going deep in the ninth inning.
Harris launched a three-run shot against Diego Castillo — the ball went off the facade of the third deck in right field — with two outs in the top of the inning to pull the Braves within 6-5.
Pinch-hitter Eddie Rosario greeted Mariners closer Paul Sewald with a single to right and Robbie Grossman hit an 0-1 pitch over the right-field wall to give the Braves their first lead of the day.
But it proved to be short-lived as Rodriguez tied it and Suarez just cleared the wall in left to beat Jansen (5-2). Sewald (4-4) got the victory.
The Mariners won the final two games in the three-game series to move into a tie with Tampa Bay for the American League’s wild-card lead and knock the Braves 1 1/2 games behind the New York Mets in the National League East.
Mariners starter Marco Gonzales allowed one run — a solo homer by Austin Riley — on two hits in six innings. The left-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out five.
Braves right-hander Jake Odorizzi, facing the Mariners for the fourth time this season after three starts with Houston before being acquired at the trade deadline, lasted just 3 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs on five hits, with three walks and three strikeouts.
Rodriguez hit Odorizzi’s second pitch of the game over the fence in right-center field.
After the Braves tied it on Riley’s solo shot to left-center with two outs in the fourth, the Mariners responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Cal Raleigh and Carlos Santana drew back-to-back walks and Adam Frazier lined a two-run triple high off the wall in right-center. With two outs, Sam Haggerty slapped a single to left to score Frazier and give Seattle a 4-1 lead.
Suarez went deep to straightaway center off Collin McHugh with one out in the fifth.
The Mariners tacked on another run in the sixth against Tyler Matzek as Frazier drew a leadoff walk and scored on J.P. Crawford’s one-out double to center.
Harris led off the eighth with a homer down the right-field line to make it 6-2.
–Field Level Media
