A flying bat and a baserunning mistake cost Mariners chance to make up ground in playoff race

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A flying bat and a baserunning mistake cost Mariners chance to make up ground in playoff race

2024-09-19 14:23 Last Updated At：14:30

SEATTLE (AP) — With their playoff chances slipping away, the Seattle Mariners found a painful new way to lose.

A flying bat. A momentary memory lapse. And a bizarre double play.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before in a game. Just a strange situation,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said.

The Mariners fell to the New York Yankees 2-1 in 10 innings Wednesday night, but it was how the bottom of the 10th played out that will be remembered in Mariners lore as another chapter in a season that has gone awry.

With runners at the corners, Julio Rodríguez was picked off third base after dodging a flying bat that slipped out of the hands of Randy Arozarena when he struck out swinging.

“I’ve asked a few guys and all of them said, ‘I’ve never seen that on a baseball field,'" Rodríguez said.

Seattle trailed 2-1 when Cal Raleigh’s leadoff single in the 10th advanced Rodríguez, the automatic runner, from second base to third. Ian Hamilton fanned Arozarena with a 2-2 slider, and his bat went sailing out of his hands.

Right at Rodríguez's head.

“Honestly, I saw the bat flying right up to my face,” Rodríguez said.

Seattle’s young star scampered out of the way into foul territory as the bat bounded behind third base, and it took him a moment to regroup. But the play wasn’t dead, and catcher Austin Wells made a quick throw to third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., picking off Rodríguez before he could get back to the bag.

Rodríguez said he thought the play was over because the bat went flying.

“After I saw the bat I thought it was going to be a dead play, and then they were going to pick up the bat and I was going to go back to third. I got away and turned my back to the field and I heard (third base coach) Manny (Acta) yelling, ‘Get back to third.’ That’s when I got back to third,” Rodríguez explained.

“Honestly, at that moment I wasn’t really thinking about the game, just trying to get away from the bat coming at me. That’s what happened. That was a first for me, for sure.”

Hamilton struck out Justin Turner to end it, clinching a playoff berth for the Yankees.

Rodríguez's mistake came a night after Victor Robles made the very questionable decision to try stealing home in the first inning against New York while Turner was at the plate with a 3-0 count. Robles was out and the Yankees rolled to an easy victory.

This defeat was more frustrating for Seattle as both Houston and Minnesota lost earlier Wednesday, meaning the Mariners missed a chance to make up needed ground in the AL West and wild-card races. Seattle is five games back of first-place Houston in the division and three behind Minnesota for the final AL wild card.

“It all happened fast and again, just very reactionary. I think we’d all jump out of the way. But just unfortunate it ended up that way,” Wilson said.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Adolis García's home run backs Cody Bradford as Rangers beat Blue Jays 2-0

2024-09-19 14:24 Last Updated At：14:30

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Adolis García hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning, Cody Bradford pitched seven strong innings after the worst start of his career, and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0 on Wednesday night.

The win kept the defending World Series-champion Rangers alive in the AL West race, trailing first-place Houston by nine games with 10 to play. They are seven games back in the wild card race.

García launched an inside sinker over the left-field wall off Toronto starter Bowden Francis (8-5) after Wyatt Langford singled.

“He swings hard, he swings a lot,” Francis said of García. “I guess the velo was dropping during that time.”

Bradford (6-3) allowed five hits and no walks while striking out six.

The seven shutout innings are the most in a game during his two-year career. He was knocked out of his previous start after allowing career highs in hits (nine), runs (eight) and homers (three) in 3 2/3 innings in a 14-4 loss at Arizona.

“Throughout the week, you’ve got to try and digest what happened, see where I can make adjustments, whether it was just game plan went wrong or just poor execution, or a little bit of both,” Bradford said. “Then you flush it.”

Bradford was perfect through four innings before Alejandro Kirk opened the fifth with a smash back to the mound that caromed off Bradford’s left foot and rolled into right field for a single. It extended Kirk’s hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.

Spencer Horwitz’s double to left-center put runners on second and third with no outs before Bradford retired the next three batters.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider credited Bradford’s “deceptive fastball.”

“When you’re throwing 89, 92, you’ve got to have pretty good deception with that at this level,” Schneider said. “Kept us off balance.”

Kirby Yates pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 31st save in 32 opportunities.

Francis, who took no-hitters into the ninth inning in two of his previous four starts, allowed a double to Marcus Semien, the Rangers’ first hitter of the game. He gave up five hits and one walk in six innings.

Francis has a 1.96 ERA in nine starts with 54 strikeouts and seven walks since being moved back into the starting rotation in late July.

“I don’t even want to get complacent, on cruise control,” Francis said. “Just keep attacking.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: SS Bo Bichette was a late scratch with a right middle finger contusion suffered during infield practice. Schneider said the team will get back X-rays on Thursday. Bichette was activated Tuesday following a calf injury and played for the first time in two months, going 2 for 5 with one RBI at the plate. ... INF Will Wagner (left knee inflammation) will have the knee scoped on Thursday. Schneider said Wagner should be ready to start spring training. Wagner, son of former major leaguer Billy Wagner, was acquired from Houston at the trade deadline.

UP NEXT

Rangers rookie RHP Kumar Rocker (0-0, 2.25 ERA) will make his home debut against Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (12-11, 4.02) in the series finale. Rocker allowed one run in four innings at Seattle last Thursday in his major league debut.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb