Rookie Harry Ford, one of Seattle’s top prospects, delivered his first major league RBI with a sacrifice fly in the 12th inning, sending the Mariners to a 7-6 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night at T-Mobile Park. The win extended Seattle’s streak to six games and moved them into a tie with Houston for first place in the American League West.
It marked the second consecutive night the Mariners won in walk-off fashion in extra innings. On Wednesday, Leo Rivas hit a two-run home run in the 13th inning to complete a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals. This time, Ford played the hero after Jorge Polanco doubled home the automatic runner, Josh Naylor, to tie the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the 12th. Seattle then loaded the bases with none out before Ford lifted a fly ball to right field deep enough for Polanco to slide home with the winning run.
The Angels had taken a 6-5 lead in the top of the 12th when Matthew Lugo singled in a run off Mariners reliever José Castillo (2-2). Castillo ultimately earned the win after Seattle’s late rally. Los Angeles reliever Sammy Peralta (0-1) took the loss.
Seattle jumped out to an early advantage with a four-run second inning. Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford each produced two-run doubles to build a 4-0 lead. The Angels responded quickly as Logan Davidson hit his first major league home run, sparking a comeback that was capped by Mike Trout’s two-run blast in the fifth inning to tie the score. Trout’s home run was the 399th of his career and his 21st of the season, snapping a 29-game drought.
Crawford again came through in extra innings, delivering a run-scoring single in the 11th to pull Seattle even after the Angels briefly led. He finished with three RBIs in the game.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller struck out a career-high 11 batters over 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs as he struggled to hold the early lead. The Angels battled back after falling behind, but stranded multiple runners in scoring opportunities during the later innings.
The victory continued Seattle’s strong September push as they try to defend their division crown. The Mariners also became the first team to play back-to-back games lasting at least 12 innings since Major League Baseball instituted the automatic runner rule in 2020.
The loss was another setback for the Angels, who have dropped four of their last six games despite flashes of offense from Trout and Davidson. Their defensive miscues and bullpen struggles again contributed to Thursday’s result.
The series continues Friday night, with left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (6-11, 4.18 ERA) scheduled to start for Los Angeles against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (9-8, 3.85 ERA). Sportsbooks opened with Seattle listed as a -175 favorite at home, while the Angels were set as +150 underdogs. The over/under for total runs was projected at 8.
