Ty France grounded a tiebreaking, bases-loaded single down the right field line with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the host Seattle Mariners a 5-4 victory against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday afternoon in their regular-season finale.
Julio Rodriguez, Mitch Haniger and Luis Torrens homered for the Mariners (90-72), won their final three games and took the second wild card in the American League to punch their ticket to the postseason for the first time since 2001. Seattle will play the best-of-three wild-card round at Toronto, beginning Friday.
Mariners right-hander Erik Swanson (3-2) got the victory and lefty Gregory Soto (2-11) took the loss for the Tigers (66-96).
With the score tied at 4 in the ninth, Seattle’s Curt Casali drew a one-out walk. J.P. Crawford hit a comebacker to the mound, but Soto threw the ball into the dirt while attempting to start an inning-ending double play. Casali took third on a wild pitch and, after a walk to Jarred Kelenic loaded the bases, France hit a 1-2 fastball just inside the bag at first to win it.
Rodriguez led off the bottom of the first with a homer to left off Detroit starter Tyler Alexander. An out later, Haniger went deep to left-center.
The Tigers tied it at 2-2 in the fourth. With two outs, Spencer Torkelson walked, and Eric Haase doubled to left. Jeimer Candelario reached on an infield single, with both runners scoring on third baseman Abraham Toro’s throwing error.
The Tigers took the lead in the fifth as Brendon Davis drew a leadoff walk, stole second and scored when Javier Baez grounded a two-out single into right field to make it 3-2.
The Mariners regained the lead in the sixth as Haniger drew a leadoff walk and, an out later, Torrens went deep to left-center.
The Tigers knotted the score at 4-4 in the seventh. Davis led off with a single to center and took third on Akil Baddoo’s one-out single to right. With two outs, Riley Greene lined an RBI single to center.
Alexander, a left-hander, allowed four runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings, with one walk and five strikeouts.
Mariners starter Marco Gonzales gave up four runs (three earned) on eight hits over seven innings. The lefty walked two and fanned five.
–Field Level Media
