SAN FRANCISCO -- When Julio Rodríguez took Justin Verlander deep on just the fourth pitch of the game, it sure seemed like the Mariners and Giants were in for an eventful day by the Bay on Friday afternoon.
But after seven lead changes, a tie game going into the ninth, 10th and 11th innings and a combined 17 pitchers used, the Mariners found themselves on the gut-punch side of a 10-9, walk-off loss in front of a roaring sellout crowd at San Francisco¡¯s home opener.
One out away from victory, reliever Carlos Vargas surrendered a two-run, go-ahead single to Willy Adames on a first-pitch cutter that bled out of the strike zone and away but was up just enough for the Giants¡¯ marquee free-agent signee to punch to the opposite field.
Victor Robles had a read on the ball in shallow right field, but a delayed exchange from his glove to throw allowed Tyler Fitzgerald -- racing with a 29.6 feet-per-second sprint speed -- just enough time to slide around the tag from Cal Raleigh at the plate.
¡°Baseball is a beautiful, amazing sport,¡± Raleigh said. ¡°But it can also be a [struggle] sometimes.¡±
Vargas was the caboose in an all-hands-on-deck bullpen effort, and he was nearly forced to exit after tweaking his left hip on a groundout against his first batter. He also had to labor through a few close calls, including ball four to Fitzgerald instead of strike three on the outer black for the would-be second out, which put the speedster on base to score the winning run.
Vargas was looking to preserve a one-run lead after Seattle pulled ahead when Luke Raley scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 11th.
¡°It was a down-to-the-wire game, and those are the tougher ones to swallow,¡± Mariners manager Dan Wilson said.
Making the day sting more was that it spoiled what was easily Seattle¡¯s best showing so far at the plate.
The Mariners had a season high in runs and hits (15) and raised their team batting average by 26 points from a .172 clip that was MLB¡¯s second-worst entering play. Rodr¨ªguez had the big homer then two more knocks, finishing the day with five batted balls over 99.5 mph. But Jorge Polanco, who returned from the paternity list, was probably the day¡¯s MVP, collecting four RBIs for the first time since joining the Mariners ahead of last season.
Raleigh also had a 1-for-4 day with two walks, including a 13-pitch battle that helped balloon Verlander¡¯s pitch count to 35 in the third inning alone and force the ageless veteran to exit before escaping that jam.
¡°I thought there were a lot of productive at-bats that really didn't show up in the box score,¡± Raleigh said.
This was one that the Mariners needed, at least given that these types of breakouts weren¡¯t common for this offense last year -- and that there are going to be days when the lineup must pick up the pitching staff, especially with George Kirby¡¯s spot in limbo until he returns from right shoulder inflammation. The Mariners went 15-1 last year when plating nine runs, the lone loss being a massive blown lead on June 7 in Kansas City.
Seattle re-slotted its rotation after Thursday¡¯s off-day, bringing up Luis F. Castillo from Triple-A Tacoma to make what¡¯s expected to be just one spot start. In his first MLB appearance since 2022, ¡°The Pebble¡± was expectedly shaky at times and lasted just three innings, putting the onus on a bullpen that¡¯s been heavily taxed in the early-season stages.
Nonetheless, Castillo departed with a 3-3 tie but Tayler Saucedo, Collin Snider and Eduard Bazardo surrendered another five runs, bringing that trio¡¯s ERA to 8.25. At full strength, the Mariners won¡¯t need those three pitching in leverage -- even if leverage manifests early in games.
Conversely, Gabe Speier, Trent Thornton, Gregory Santos and Andr¨¦s Mu?oz -- the arms they want pitching in tight games -- were scoreless in order with an inning apiece from the seventh on.
Matt Brash (Tommy John surgery) played catch in the outfield on Friday at Oracle Park and is on his way toward a late-April return; so, too, is power arm Troy Taylor (right lat strain), who¡¯s on a rehab assignment with Tacoma. Then there¡¯s Kirby, the 2023 All-Star who finished with 191 innings last season.
Once the Mariners are healthier, they shouldn¡¯t necessarily experience tightropes to pitch on when their offense gives them run support like Friday. But that doesn¡¯t make this defeat hurt any less.