Josh Bell hit a three-run homer and Luis Garcia Jr. contributed a two-RBI double in a seven-run 10th inning as the Washington Nationals defeated the host Seattle Mariners 9-3 Thursday night.
Daylen Lile’s first career RBI, on a sacrifice fly, brought home the tiebreaking run in the 10th against Mariners reliever Collin Snider (1-1).
Garcia, who had four hits, just missed a grand slam with a drive off the top of the wall in right field. Bell followed by clearing the fence in the Nationals’ highest-scoring inning of the season.
Washington’s Jose A. Ferrer (2-2) got the victory with 1 2/3 innings of perfect relief.
The Mariners snapped a 15-inning scoreless streak with two runs in the seventh off reliever Jorge Lopez to tie it at 2-2.
Miles Mastrobuoni drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a groundout and scored on Leody Taveras’ two-out single to left. Taveras stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored the tying run as Ben Williamson blooped a single just over leaping second baseman Garcia.
Taveras and Williamson, the Nos. 8-9 batters in the lineup, combined for five of Seattle’s seven hits.
The Nationals threatened in the eighth on two-out singles by Nathaniel Lowe, Keibert Ruiz and Garcia, but Lowe was thrown out on the latter by right fielder Taveras as he attempted to score from second.
Both starters pitched well but neither factored into the decision.
Washington left-hander MacKenzie Gore gave up four hits over six scoreless innings, didn’t walk a batter and fanned eight to give him an major-league-leading 101 strikeouts this season.
Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock opened with five scoreless innings before walking Jose Tena to lead off the sixth and issuing a base on balls to CJ Abrams an out later.
With the Nationals’ lineup filled with left-handed batters, Mariners manager Dan Wilson turned to lefty Gabe Speier to face James Wood, who hit tape-measure home runs in each of the previous two nights. Speier tried to sneak in a sinker, but Wood lined it the opposite way, the ball rattling around the left field corner as both runners scored on a double.
Hancock was charged with two runs on two hits in 5 1/3 innings, with three walks and four strikeouts.
–Field Level Media
