Mariners Steal Victory! Crawford's Homer Stuns Rangers in the 9th!
SEATTLE -- J.P. Crawford delivered a clutch two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, propelling the Seattle Mariners to a thrilling 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night. The electrifying moment sent the home crowd into a frenzy and solidified the Mariners' position in the American League Wild Card race.
Dominic Canzone ignited the rally with a leadoff single against Rangers closer Robert Garcia (1-6). That brought Crawford to the plate, who, on the third pitch he saw, blasted a 95 mph fastball deep into the right-field seats for a walk-off home run. It was Crawford's first walk-off homer in his major league career.
The win allowed Seattle to gain ground on the AL West-leading Houston Astros and extend their lead over the Rangers in the Wild Card standings to two games.
The Rangers initially took a 3-1 lead in the third inning thanks to RBI hits from Rowdy Tellez, Josh Smith, and Marcus Semien. However, Seattle newcomer Josh Naylor responded with an opposite-field double in the fifth, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
Eduard Bazardo (5-0) earned the win after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.
Looking ahead, Merrill Kelly (9-6, 3.22 ERA) is scheduled to make his Rangers debut on Saturday, while Luis Castillo (8-6, 3.19 ERA) will take the mound for the Mariners.
In other MLB action: Jordan Beck's three-run homer powered the Colorado Rockies to an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, ending Paul Skenes' scoreless streak. Romy Gonzalez's leadoff homer and Trevor Story's two-run shot led the Boston Red Sox to a 7-3 win against the Houston Astros. And Bo Naylor's RBI double in the eighth inning helped the Cleveland Guardians secure a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins, their fourth straight win.
Key Moments of the Game
- J.P. Crawford's walk-off home run in the 9th inning.
- Dominic Canzone's leadoff single to start the 9th-inning rally.
- Josh Naylor's RBI double in the 5th inning.