PEORIA, Ariz. – Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ solo home run and Mike Ford’s RBI-double keyed the Mariners comeback in the 9th inning as they took a 5-4 walk-off win over the Rangers before a crowd of 6,306 on Thursday night at Peoria Stadium.
The last of the 9th started with the Mariners trailing the Rangers, 4-3, but Nieuwenhuis belted a solo home run with one out to even the score. Beau Amaral then followed with a single to right field before Gordon Beckham hit into a fielder’s choice. Ford stepped to the plate with two outs and the winning run on 1st base and lined a walk-off double into the right-center field gap.
The Rangers got to Mariners starter Marco Gonzales for two runs in the top of the 1st as four of the first five batters reached base safely. Gonzales settled down to retire 11 of the last 13 batters he faced.
Seattle cut the Rangers lead in half, 2-1, in the 6th as Robinson Canó hit a one-out double and Beckham – pinch-running for Canó – later scored on Ryon Healy’s sacrifice fly. Texas added a run in the 7th on a solo home run, but the Mariners plated two in the bottom of the frame to even the score at 3-3. Taylor Motter led off with a solo home run before Nieuwenhuis doubled and later scored on a double from Beckham.
Texas took a short-lived lead in the top of the 9th on another solo home run, but it did not hold up to the late-inning heroics of Niuwenhuis and Ford.
In his 6th start of the spring, Gonzales worked 5.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5. He is now 1-1 with a 1.69 ERA (4 ER, 21.1 IP) with 18 strikeouts and 7 walks in Cactus League action this spring. Chasen Bradford retired 6 of the 7 batters he faced, allowing just a solo home run while striking out 3 in 2.0 innings of work. Juan Nicasio tossed a 1-2-3- 8th inning. Edwin Díaz struck out the first batter he faced in the top of the 9th before allowing a solo home run. He earned the win to improve to 1-1 this spring, allowing 1 run on 1 hit with 1 walk and 1 strikeout.
The Mariners (13-14-1) return to Cactus League action tomorrow (Friday, March 23) against the Chicago White Sox at 1:05 pm at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. The game will be broadcast live on Mariners.com. It will also air on a delayed basis on 710 ESPN Seattle beginning at 7:00 p.m. PT. Right-hander Casey Lawrence is slated to start for the Mariners opposite White Sox right-hander James Shields.
