Mitch Haniger sets a franchise record with his eighth walk-off, to give the Mariners a much-needed win in their pursuit of the AL West title.
No one ever said it was easy being a Seattle Mariners fan. Certainly, the M’s have a way of putting their supporters through a lot more stressful situations, compared to the average Major League ball club.
This extends to even when things are going right they still ultimately somehow go wrong, with the prime example being the 2001 season. That was the year when the Mariners equaled the all-time Major League record of 116 regular season wins, but are to this day also the only ball club to fail to reach the World Series despite winning 110 or more games.
Now this season, the Mariners face the very real fear that they could become the first ever ball club to have a 10-game lead at some point in a campaign, but fail to win their division. Again, such is life as a Seattle Mariners fan.
That all said, it is at least refreshing to see this particular version of the Mariners has a never-say-die attitude. It was displayed last Saturday night, when they recovered from a 5-0 deficit to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5.
Haniger comes through again
What was particularly significant, was that the win came courtesy of a walk-off walk from Mitch Haniger. And wouldn’t you know it, he was at it again on Thursday night against the Detroit Tigers.
With the Mariners down 3-1 and staring at a series sweep to the Tigers, they had the bases loaded but were down to their final out, when Haniger stepped up to the plate. He proceeded to hit a double, which scored three runs and gave the home side a 4-3 win via another dramatic walk-off.
The 33-year-old has had his struggles this season in Seattle, with him potentially looking at the worst batting average and slugging percentage of his Major League career. However, he has looked a lot better of late, which is exactly what the Mariners’ underachieving lineup desperately needs.
The game-winning hit saw Haniger set a new franchise record for the Mariners, with him now leading the way with eight career walk-offs. He also finds himself all alone in the Major League record books, as per Opta Stats:
Feeling blessed
Postgame, Haniger discussed his walk-off history and place in the record books. Speaking to the media, he said:
“I don’t remember the first one. I remember a lot of them, but it’s pretty cool. I mean, any time you’re on an all-time list is awesome. I’m really blessed and grateful to play this game and to be on the list.”
In respect of his latest walk-off moment, the 2012 first round draft pick talked the media through his thoughts in the moment. He said:
“When I hit it, I thought it was just going to be a base hit, but it carried a little more than I thought. Luckily, he dove and couldn’t come up with it.”
As happy as Haniger was about his special moment, he was also relieved about the Mariners finally getting a win versus the Tigers. He said:
“Nothing against them, but we know we’re a better team than Detroit. We haven’t played that way. We needed to salvage a win tonight. It feels good.”
Of course this wasn’t a one-man effort, with others playing their part to help set Hainger up for his heroics. This includes Luke Raley, who had a solo blast in the bottom of the sixth to finally get the Mariners on the board after trailing 3-0.
Woo continues to impress
Starting pitcher Bryan Woo also did his part, including retiring the first 12 batters he faced. He finally got into a bit of trouble in the top of the fifth, resulting in giving up the aforementioned three runs.
Overall though it was another solid outing from Woo, with him appearing to finally have his injury issues in the rear view mirror. In the end he went 6.2 innings, giving up five hits and a walk on 88 pitches, while striking out seven opposing batters.
The 24-year-old discussed the two RBI double he gave up to Zach McKinstry, which made it 3-0 to the Tigers. He said:
“Yeah, that’s just a bad pitch on me. It’s go to be either underneath or out, going for a strikeout. If you walk him, it is what it is. You’ve got bases loaded and get a double play, so I’ve got to be better there.”
While Woo’s health understandably remains a concern, he has improved tremendously from his rookie year in the Majors. He has a 5-1 record in 13 starts, producing a 2.27 ERA, 2.86 FIP and 0.876 WHIP in 67.1 combined innings.
Mariners manager Scott Servais was happy with what he saw from the young pitcher against the Tigers. He said:
“Bryan Woo continues to roll, a really good outing for him. Obviously they put three runs up there in the fifth inning … but he threw the ball really well. He’s on an awesome roll, and they didn’t do much against him other than that fifth inning.”
- Mariners complete strong road trip but Matt Brash causes concern
- Key Takeaways from Seattle Storm’s Thrilling Preseason Match
- FIFA Empowers Afghan Women Footballers with Historic Regulation Change
- Seahawks 2026 Draft: Analysis of Key Picks and Strategies
- Key Stats from Seattle Storm vs Golden State Valkyries Preseason Clash
Mariners bullpen steps up
After Woo left the game, relievers Yimi Garcia and JT Chargois combined to pitch 2.1 clean innings. With some of the issues the bullpen has had of late, this was a welcome outcome for the Mariners.
Overall, Servais was happy to just get the win after three consecutive losses, no matter how it was achieved. He said:
“We’ll take it. It’s not always pretty, but you’ve got to find a way at the end and I give our guys a ton of credit for not quitting. You know we’ve got to put some traffic (on base), we’ve got to put pressure on them (and) we were able to do it and come through with Haniger’s bit hit.”
With the win, the Mariners improve to 60-56 and are effectively tied with the Houston Astros at the top of the AL West. Next up they face a crucial weekend home series with a strong New York Mets ball club, with Bryce Miller on the mound for Friday night’s opener.
What stood out for you most in the series versus the Tigers? And how many wins do you predict the Mariners will get in their critical three-game set this weekend against the Mets? Let us know in the comments section below.
Discover more from Cascadiasports.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
3 Replies to “Mariners steal win from the Tigers to avoid series sweep”