Bobby Witt Jr. hit a game-tying triple with one out in the ninth inning and then scored the winning run as the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 10-9 victory against the visiting Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
MJ Melendez launched a three-run homer for the Royals, who trailed 8-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.
Seattle’s Ryan Bliss hit his first major league homer, capping a seven-run first inning.
Royals reliever Nick Anderson (3-1) got the victory and Seattle’s Ryne Stanek (3-1) took the loss.
With Kansas City trailing 9-7 in the bottom of the ninth, Nick Loftin drew a leadoff walk and Garrett Hampson hit an infield single to third on which Josh Rojas made an errant throw, leaving runners at second and third. Maikel Garcia grounded out to short to pull the Royals within a run before Witt tripled into the left field corner to tie the score.
The Mariners intentionally walked Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez to load the bases for Nelson Velazquez, who hit a hard one-hopper to shortstop. Seattle’s J.P. Crawford made a diving stop but was unable to turn a double play.
All seven of Seattle’s runs in the first scored with two outs. Dylan Moore was hit by a pitch with one out, Julio Rodriguez lined a single to left and France was plunked to load the bases. With two outs, Mitch Garver drew a walk to score the first run. Mitch Haniger lined a three-run double to center and Victor Robles doubled to left-center to make it 5-0. Bliss then launched a 2-2 fastball just to the left of the fountains in left field, a 421-foot blast.
The Mariners added a run in the fourth on a leadoff single by Crawford, a one-out walk to Rodriguez and France’s ground-rule double down the right field line.
The Royals cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the inning. Witt led off with an infield single and Pasquantino walked. Both runners advanced on a groundout by Perez and Witt scored on an infield single to third by Velazquez. Melendez hit the next pitch 406 feet to right field to make it 8-4.
The Mariners scored in the sixth as Moore led off with a double to left and Garver doubled him home with two outs to push Seattle’s lead to 9-5.
Again, the Royals responded in the bottom of the inning. Pasquantino hit a leadoff single to right and Perez and Velasquez walked to load the bases, ending Bryce Miller’s night. Lefty Tayler Saucedo got Melendez to ground out to first to score one run before Hunter Renfroe blooped a single to center, scoring two to make it 9-7.
Both starting pitchers struggled. Miller was charged with seven runs on six hits in five-plus innings. Royals lefty Daniel Lynch IV allowed eight runs on six hits over four innings.
–Field Level Media
