Mike Ford crushes game-tying HR in 9th inning, but Mariners fall to Orioles in extras
BALTIMORE — As Ryan McKenna walked to the plate in the bottom of the 10th, it seemed like a fortuitous situation for the Mariners.
The No. 3 spot in the batting order had been previously occupied by Anthony Santander, also known as the player the Mariners struggle to get out in the series.
The All-Star outfielder had four hits in four plate appearances in the game, including a solo homer and an RBI single.
But in the top of the ninth inning Saturday with his team leading by one run, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde substituted McKenna, a superior defensive player, in for Santander.
It’s been a common move this season.
McKenna got a good view of Mike Ford’s stunning solo homer off Baltimore closer Felix Bautista in the ninth inning to tie the game and force extra innings.
So with one out and McKenna, who is a career .215 hitter with five career homers, coming to the plate and automatic runner Jorge Mateo on second base, the Mariners and reliever Justin Topa seemed to have caught a break.
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Instead, McKenna produced an outcome almost more surprising than Ford’s homer in the ninth. He took advantage of a 2-1 fastball that Topa left in the middle of the plate, sending a line drive over the wall in right-center for a two-run walkoff homer and a 6-4 victory for Baltimore.
“A crazy Saturday afternoon here in Baltimore,” manager Scott Servais said. “They got the big, big hit at the end of the game. We weren’t able to get it. We got one from Mike Ford, but we needed one more.”
Indeed, the Mariners were held scoreless in the top of the 10th by reliever Michael Baumann, something that simply can’t happen in extra-inning road games. With automatic runner Kolten Wong on second, Baumann speared J.P. Crawford’s hard bouncer back to the mound for an out. He then struck out Julio Rodriguez and Ty France to end the inning.
BIG MAC WALKS IT OFF!! pic.twitter.com/gWdNnexQxT — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 24, 2023
With a healthy downpour before the game followed by 80 degree temperatures, Camden Yards was a sticky and sweaty place for back-and-forth baseball where neither team got ahead by more than a run until the 10th inning.
“In my opinion, we played clean,” Servais said. “We did all the things that are customary for us to do and to keep you in the game and all of a sudden you get a big hit late. We just needed one more big hit today. We didn’t get it, but our guys are competing. We have turned it around here after a shaky start to this road trip with a chance to win the series tomorrow.”
Mike Ford: The Power from Princeton. pic.twitter.com/AZJeHfDrvc — Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) June 24, 2023
The Mariners had their script for success in their previous two games flipped on them. Instead of forcing a starting pitcher out earlier, the Orioles did it to rookie Bryce Miller, who failed to make it out of the fifth inning and allowed three runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
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“They’ve got a team that can put the bat on the ball,” Servais said. “They don’t swing and miss a ton and he didn’t really have swing and miss stuff today. Being able to execute and trying to stay ahead in counts, he struggled with that today. When he’s at his best, that’s what he’s doing.”
Seattle gave Miller a 2-1 lead in the top of the third when Ford and Crawford, who returned from a shoulder injury, each hit solo homers off Orioles starter Dean Kremer.
Miller threw first-pitch strikes to just 10 of 20 hitters and worked behind in most counts. He didn’t give up heavy damage. He gave up an RBI single in the second inning to old friend Adam Frazier and a solo homer to Santander in the third inning.
But the lack of command just made his pitch count snowball. He needed 25 pitches to get out of the second inning and threw 28 more in the third inning. In the heavy humidity, his velocity was starting to wane in the fifth inning, which has happened a few occasions this season.
Miller never made it out of the fifth inning. He gave up a leadoff single to Frazier, struck out Cedric Mullins and then walked the ultra-selective Adley Rutschman, which ended his outing with the scored tied at 2-2.
Servais called on Matt Brash to end the inning. But the hard-luck reliever gave up a ground ball to the right side from Santander that got past Wong for a run charged to Miller.
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“There was a lot of long at-bats and some tough at-bats,” Miller said. “It doesn’t help whenever I walk four guys also. Today was one of those days where I was falling behind and they were relatively patient. You’ve got to get ahead, it just makes everything way easier.”
Down a run, the Mariners tied the game in the sixth when Julio Rodriguez sent a line drive solo homer into the Orioles bullpen. But the Mariners bullpen gave back the lead in the bottom of the inning when Aaron Hicks sent a solo homer to center off lefty Gabe Speier.
The Mariners seemed done when the massive Bautista came jogging in from the bullpen to lock down his 21st save of the season. He got Eugenio Suarez to fly out and struck out Cal Raleigh to bring Ford to the plate.
“It’s a lot of moving parts,” Ford said of Bautista. “He’s really big, but I was just kind of focusing on his release point and getting a good swing off was my objective. I was looking fastball and it just happened to be middle-middle.”
It was only the third homer Bautista has allowed this season. His last homer allowed was May 23 to Aaron Judge.
“Awesome day by Mike Ford,” Servais said. “He can’t get any more clutch than that off one of the best relievers in the league.”
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Source: The Seattle Times
