Mariners begin Wilson era with wild comeback, walk-off win
Daniel Kramer
@DKramer_SEATTLE -- Dan Wilson said that he learned how to command respect from one of the greatest to ever do it in Seattle, and he intends to channel those efforts gleaned from Lou Piniella as he takes on his new role as Mariners manager.
¡°He demanded our best every day,¡± Wilson said as he was formally introduced into his new role on Friday at T-Mobile Park. ¡°I think those are things that hopefully I can instill as well.¡±
Wilson took over for Scott Servais after the latter was let go as manager Thursday after nine years at the helm, as the Mariners look to salvage their season by marching their way to the playoffs.
And they took a strong first step in that direction under Wilson, storming back from a four-run deficit and rallying to a 6-5 win over the Giants in the 10th inning on Friday night.
Leo Rivas blooped a single into shallow center field that easily scored Dylan Moore, who began the inning as the automatic runner on second base then stole third. Rivas fell into a 2-2 count then sat on a low-and-away slider from lefty Erik Miller to send the ticketed 38,762 into a frenzy.
¡°This is the start of something great, we hope,¡± Wilson said. ¡°And this is a great way to kick it off.¡±
Nearly all of the Mariners¡¯ damage was done in the eighth, when they began the inning with six straight singles -- all against San Francisco lefty submariner Tyler Rogers -- the first time they¡¯d had at least that many consecutive hits since June 23, 2023, at Baltimore.
The switch-hitting Rivas was front-and-center in that sequence as well, batting righty, when he kept the rally alive with an opposite-field knock on a slider up-and-in.
¡°I thought he was going to hit my face, being honest, if I don't swing [at] it,¡± Rivas said. ¡°Yeah, it's a tough pitcher. Everything moved more than normal. But thank God I hit it.¡±
Wilson arrives representing a new voice, but also, a familiar one -- given that his role as a special assignment coordinator for the past six seasons, and 11 overall on the front-office side, has helped him foster relationships with many in the Mariners¡¯ clubhouse.
¡°He has so much experience,¡± said Julio Rodr¨ªguez, who¡¯s known Wilson since his time in the Minors. ¡°And obviously he's been here in this organization for quite a bit, quite a long time. He was part of a few of the best teams this organization has ever had, so he knows the history. He's a big baseball head, too, so I'm excited for what he has to bring to the team.¡±
Added Mitch Haniger: ¡°I¡¯ve never had a bad interaction with that guy. He's been great to have around through the years and talk to, and I'm excited to play for him.¡±
Friday marked Wilson¡¯s first game of managing at any professional level, outside of a six-game stint at Triple-A Tacoma in 2022 filling in for Tim Federowicz when the Rainiers¡¯ skipper was sidelined due to COVID protocols. Yet, Wilson¡¯s lack of experience wasn¡¯t a detractor in his candidacy, given that his previous role was so wide-ranging.
Wilson regularly roamed the Mariners' Minor League affiliates throughout the season, checking in as both a coach and mentor. He also was a supplemental analyst on ROOT Sports, occasionally traveling with the big league team. He¡¯s been heavily involved in the club¡¯s community efforts. And he¡¯s one of just 11 members of the Mariners Hall of Fame.
¡°I think a big part of the manager's job is building relationships and helping to bring those relationships to life on the field as well,¡± Wilson said. ¡°And I think that's a big part of what we do as managers. And so I'm thankful that I've had the opportunities in the Minor Leagues, in other roles, to be able to have the relationships that are already established.¡±
Wilson¡¯s title also comes without an interim tag, which played a significant factor into him accepting the role after conferring with president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto earlier this week.
¡°When you look beyond just this next stretch here that we have, I think the idea is to try to start something new,¡± Wilson said. ¡°And you can't do that in 34 games. I think there's quite a bit of time where that needs to happen. We're going to make a great run at this thing here at the end, but there's also this idea of looking long-term as well.¡±
Wilson also spoke at length with his wife, Annie, before accepting.
¡°When it does come up, you really have to take time to consider it and think about it,¡± Wilson said. ¡°So it was a lot of contemplating. It was a lot of understanding what it actually all meant, and remembering what it was like to be here on a daily basis.¡±
Beyond Piniella, Wilson also said he¡¯s learned greatly from Servais and his opponent this weekend, Giants manager Bob Melvin, who was Seattle¡¯s skipper from 2003-04.
¡°Dan has always kind of been that guy,¡± Melvin said. ¡°He¡¯s been around this organization as a player and instructor and knows all the people in development. He knows all the people in the front office. If ever there was kind of a natural way to do something in the middle of the season, it¡¯s probably him.¡±
Beyond the faith from Seattle¡¯s front office, Wilson also has conviction that the Mariners can overcome their 4 1/2-game deficit in the American League West and reach the postseason.
¡°It's going to get done on the field,¡± Wilson said. ¡°I think that this team, we have seen over time, can catch fire, and it can catch fire very quickly. And it becomes very contagious very quickly. And this is a good team.¡±