The youth movement is here. Smith, Crawford clutch in Mariners’ walk-off win over Detroit
Mallex Smith has walked to the plate with the game on the line before, searching for a pitch he could send over the fence, and nothing less.
But, with “age,” the 26-year-old Seattle Mariners center fielder quipped, comes knowledge. Friday night, Smith knew he didn’t need such a grand finale. He just needed a hit when he came up to bat with two outs in the ninth inning.
“I’ve had chances many times before,” Smith said. “I just told myself, ‘Don’t try to be more than who you are. We don’t need a homer. We don’t need a double. We just need a hit.’ ... I just tried to keep it as simple as possible.”
Simplicity worked just fine. Smith watched three offerings from Detroit’s Jose Cisnero pass by for balls. He stayed steady when the next two pitches were called for strikes. And, with the count full, Smith coolly sent a walk-off single — the first walk-off hit of his four-year career — into center, securing a 3-2 win for the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
A wave of teal jerseys cleared the dugout and spilled onto the infield to ambush Smith. Fireworks lit up the open sky. The crowd of 26,702 roared. And the Mariners (43-63) celebrated winning a third consecutive game for the first time since June.
“We’ve been playing hard,” Smith said. “At this time of year, every win is magnified. We just want to get some reward for us playing hard. This is a good win.”
This season won’t end in the playoffs, just as the previous 17 seasons in Seattle haven’t, but there is plenty to take away from a win like this.
That it was Smith, a player who should figure into the Mariners’ future, who received a Gatorade bath from injured veteran Dee Gordon — clad with two bottles and a Seahawks helmet — during a postgame interview is important.
That J.P. Crawford, who is billed as Seattle’s next franchise shortstop, made the mind-blowing stop and incredible throw to retire the side in the top of the ninth is important.
That the Mariners are getting big league contributions from players who haven’t been in the big leagues very long is important as this team develops — hopefully — into a playoff contender in the next two or three years.
“You’ve got to learn how to win,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “It’s making big plays. It’s executing big pitches late in the game. It’s calling the right pitch. It’s everybody doing their job. You get instant feedback in this game, whether it’s good or bad. It’s so result driven.
“But, our process continues to be really good with our guys. They continue to work. They want to learn. They take constructive feedback really well. It’s nice when you get the results once in a while. It helps build the confidence and helps grow something.”
Crawford’s play in the top of an inning that had a little bit of everything was the trigger in helping the Mariners eventually break a 2-2 tie. Moments after he made a solid play on a Brandon Dixon grounder to record the second out behind Roenis Elias, Jeimer Candelario sent a screaming grounder that seemed a sure base hit through the hole between Crawford and Kyle Seager at third.
But, Crawford made a diving stop. He hadn’t even completely reached his feet before firing the ball to Austin Nola at first, with barely a look, and beating Candelario by half-a-step. The play was reviewed, but Crawford clearly had the out, and let out a scream as the Mariners jogged back to the dugout in position to record their third walk-off win of the season.
“It looked like he threw it over his head, like Hakeem Olajuwon over the top,” Nola said. “It was unbelievable. It just came out of nowhere. I was surprised at how much juice it had. I’ve never seen a throw like that. I’m going to rewatch it and see how it really played out. I was just focused. When I saw the ball I’m like, ‘Alright, I’m going to stretch as hard as I can.’ ”
Elias roared in excitement at Crawford. Smith said he was so wowed by the play, he smacked Crawford on the behind. Servais called it a “phenomenal play,” not just because of Crawford’s physical strength, but his internal clock and awareness to release the ball quickly.
“Great body control,” Servsai said. “The first thing you’ve got to do is catch it, and have the body control and wherewithal to get it out of your glove, and get it on target all the way across the diamond. I don’t know if people realize how hard that is to do. You just don’t see that very often.
“He’s really grinded through this period of time right now, playing every day. He’s going to be off tomorrow. He’s earned an off day. He’s learning how to play when he’s tired and he’s performing when he’s tired, which is great.”
The Mariners wasted no time capitalizing on the energy. Seager singled back up the middle to open the bottom of the inning, and Nola laid down an effective sacrifice bunt to put Seager in scoring position.
The Tigers then intentionally walked pinch hitter Omar Narvaez before 31-year-old rookie Ryan Court, who was promoted from Triple-A by the Mariners earlier in the day, made his MLB debut as a pinch hitter. He received a standing ovation from the crowd before hitting a sharp liner to left on the first pitch, though Niko Goodrum was there to make the catch.
“Even Ryan’s lineout was very exciting,” Smith said. “His first major league at-bat, swinging at the first pitch and almost walked it off? That’s exciting.”
A wild pitch from Cisnero moved both runners up a few pitches later, and then Smith’s base hit ended it. It was just the fifth game the Mariners have won this season scoring less than five runs.
“We don’t win many 3-2 games,” Servais said. “I can’t remember the last time we won a 3-2 game. It was nice to see all of the guys up at the rail, really pulling for each other. ... We’ve got a lot of guys that are young, fresh, they’ve got a lot to prove. We’re having a good time right now. We’re playing well.”
For the first six innings, Seattle’s offense produced nothing against Tigers starter Daniel Norris, who matched a season-high eight strikeouts in 6 1/3, kept the Mariners off-balance with his changeup, and allowed just three hits in the first five innings.
But, backup catcher Tom Murphy finally broke up the shutout in the seventh. Daniel Vogelbach checked in with a double to open the inning before Murphy’s 10th homer of the season scraped over the wall in left.
“Obviously getting it in the air is never a bad thing, so I was happy about that,” Murphy said. “And then seeing Goodrum kind of run back, I was hoping it had enough so he couldn’t catch it somehow.”
Murphy’s homer got Mariners starter Yusei Kikuchi off the hook for what could have been a frustrating loss. Kikuchi delivered his most efficient start since the All-Star break, allowed just two earned runs on seven hits across 6 2/3, didn’t walk a batter, and regrouped from giving up a season-high seven earned runs to the Angels in a loss five days ago.
“Nice to see him get deep into the ballgame with a low pitch count,” Servais said. “Definitely a good step in the right direction for him.”
Kikuchi’s only significant mistakes came on a pair of solo homers — Brandon Dixon crushed a curveball in the second, and John Hicks a fastball to lead off the third — that gave the Tigers their early two-run lead.
“My message to him has been that solo home runs are OK,” Murphy said. “As long as he’s not walking guys, and getting into tough situations he’s got to work out of, he’s going to do just fine. That’s what happened tonight. Two solo home runs and we walk away with the win.”
Kikuchi avoided further damage in his final three-plus innings, aided some Detroit miscues on the base paths, and retired six of the final seven batters he faced.
“From the start of the first inning, I was able to go out with an aggressive mindset and get into good counts, and I felt like I did well with that today,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Justin Novak. “If I keep this momentum going forward with the no walks, no free passes, I think it’s a good step moving forward.”
Each of the three relievers Seattle used posted scoreless outings. Matt Wisler got the final out of the seventh, Anthony Bass struck out the side in the eighth after allowing a leadoff single, and Elias retired the side in order in the ninth with the help of two solid plays by Crawford.
This story was originally published July 26, 2019 at 10:03 PM.
