Trevor Larnach hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run in the eighth inning as the Minnesota Twins defeated the host Seattle Mariners 5-3 Sunday afternoon.
Larnach’s blast to right-center off Mariners reliever Ryne Stanek (5-2), following a one-out single by Jose Miranda, gave the Twins home runs in a franchise-record 19 consecutive games.
Minnesota reliever Cole Sands (3-1) got the victory and Jhoan Duran worked the ninth for his 12th save as the Twins took two of three games in the series. The Mariners had won their previous nine home series, two shy of the team mark set in 2001-02.
The Twins took the lead in the first inning. Willi Castro grounded a leadoff single to right field, stole second and scored on Larnach’s one-out single to center.
Minnesota extended its advantage to 3-0 in the fifth. Max Kepler led off with a grounder into right field and scored on Austin Martin’s double to left. Martin moved to third on Christian Vazquez’s sacrifice bunt and came home on Miranda’s two-out single to left.
The Mariners finally got on the board in the bottom of the inning. Dylan Moore hit a leadoff triple to left and, an out later, Josh Rojas reached on a fielder’s choice, putting runners on the corners. Julio Rodriguez hit a chopper back to the mound that Joe Ryan fielded as he stumbled to his knees. Ryan threw home and Moore was initially ruled out, but a video review determined he got under the tag by Vazquez.
Cal Raleigh then singled to right to load the bases. Luke Raley hit a grounder to the right side of the infield that eluded diving first baseman Carlos Santana before being scooped up by second baseman Martin. But Ryan, who was attended to by the Twins’ training staff after the earlier play, failed to cover first and a second run scored.
The Mariners tied it at 3-all in the seventh as Raley lined a one-out single to left, took second on a groundout and scored on Jorge Polanco’s line-drive single off the right field wall.
Ryan pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and struck out 10.
Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo went five innings and gave up three runs on six hits, with no walks and three strikeouts.
Mariners catcher Mitch Garver left in the second inning with a right wrist contusion after being hit by a pitch. That forced designated hitter Raleigh to take over behind the plate and caused Seattle to lose the DH spot. Castillo batted in the fourth inning and struck out by looking at three straight called strikes.
–Field Level Media
