SEATTLE (AP) — Cole Young hit a fielder’s choice in the 11th inning in his major league debut for his first RBI, giving the Seattle Mariners a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night.
Promoted from Triple-A Tacoma prior to the game, Young hit a dribbler up the first-base line off Cole Sands (3-2) to plate Miles Mastrobuoni. The throw from first baseman Ty France was not in time.
Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh hit 22nd home run of the year in the third to tie the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani for the major league lead.
For the second straight game, the Mariners blew a lead in the ninth inning. Trevor Larnach singled to tie it for Minnesota, with Byron Buxton scoring after reaching base on reliever Carlos Vargas' fielding error.
The Mariners took their first lead of the night on J.P. Crawford's two-run home run in the seventh inning.
The Twins took a three-run lead in the second inning when Matt Wallner hit a two-run home run in his first game back from the injured list, and Buxton added a two-out RBI single.
But a strong showing from the Mariners’ bullpen kept Minnesota’s bats mostly at bay. Collin Snider (2-1) tossed scoreless innings in the 10th and the 11th.
Key moment
Wallner tried to score from second on a single up the middle by Kody Clemens in the 10th inning. But Julio Rodriguez flashed a rocket arm with a perfect strike to home to gun down Wallner. Harrison Bader grounded into an inning-ending double play shortly after.
Key stat
Raleigh is the first catcher in major league history to hit 22 home runs before the end of May.
Up next
Seattle right-hander Luis Castillo (4-3, 3.32) was set to start Sunday agaunst right-hander Chris Paddack (2-5, 3.92) in the series finale.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Andrew Destin, The Associated Press
