Haniger, Mariners win 4-3 as Twins' trouble in 10th persists

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Mitch Haniger homered and hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the 10th inning, giving the Seattle Mariners a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

All three of Minnesota's losses this season have come in the 10th, with the bullpen struggling with baseball's new-as-of-2020 rule that starts each extra inning with a runner on second base.

For Seattle, that was Taylor Trammell, who homered earlier in the game.

Taylor Rogers (0-1) picked up Braden Bishop's bunt in front of the mound, but he couldn't get a clean grip and held off on a throw as a precaution. Haniger hit a one-out fly deep enough to left for Trammell to come home.

Kendall Graveman (1-0) worked the ninth for the victory, and Keynan Middleton pitched a perfect 10th for the save.

Mariners closer Rafael Montero took the eighth against the middle of Minnesota's lineup and walked Nelson Cruz — who hit a two-run homer earlier — with one out. Pinch runner Jake Cave eventually scored the tying run on a wild pitch, with nary a hit in the inning for the Twins.

Kyle Seager's two-out, two-strike single in the eighth inning had given the Mariners the lead they first built in the third inning when Trammell hit his first career home run and Haniger went deep two outs later. Michael Pineda shook off the power surge and finished six innings with only two other baserunners. The Mariners were outhomered 13-3 over their first seven games.

Cruz erased Seattle's lead on one pitch from Yusei Kikuchi, reaching out to drive a slider into the planters above right field. Kikuchi settled in, too, finishing six innings for the second straight turn.

The Mariners needed a lift like this from Kikuchi, their lefty with the jerky leg kick whose increased velocity this spring has helped him progress from two...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Haniger-Mariners-win-4-3-as-Twins-trouble-in-16091780.php