4/18/23

Brewers 6, Mariners 5 (11)

(Seattle, WA) Extra inning games and one run games have been a strength of the Mariners over the last two seasons. No team in all of baseball has won more one run games than Seattle but with the extra inning, one run loss on Tuesday night, the Mariners dropped to 2-5 in such games so far here in the 2023 season. Even worse, the M’s recorded just two hits after the 3rd inning in a 6-5 loss to Milwaukee.

Right out of the gate, the Mariners found themselves in a hole. Leading off the game, Christian Yelich drove a fastball the other way into left field. Jarred Kelenic could only watch it sail out for a solo home run and Yelich’s third home run of the season. Six pitches in and the Brewers had a 1-0 lead.

The former NL MVP Christian Yelich continued to do damage in the top of the 3rd. Following a one out double by Owen Miller, Yelich sent a grounder through the right side of the infield and into right field for a base hit. Miller scored without a throw from second to give Yelich his second RBI making it 2-0 Brewers. With two outs, Willy Adames jump started his strong day. The Milwaukee shortstop drove a liner into the left field corner. Yelich was able to score easily on Adames’ third double of the season to make it 3-0.

Seattle finally woke up the bats in the bottom of the 3rd. With one out, Julio Rodriguez and Ty France singled and Eugenio Suarez got hit on the elbow in a scary situation. After getting checked out by the trainers, Suarez was able to stay in the game and avoided any serious issues. With the bases loaded and one out, Cal Raleigh hit a rocket to the wall in right field. Julio and France scored easily to get the M’s on the board making it 3-2 on Raleigh’s fifth double of the season.

Teoscar Hernandez did his job by muscling a flyball to deep right center to score Suarez and tie the game at 3-3. After Kelenic worked a walk, the unlikely hero Tommy La Stella blooped a base hit into left field just out of the reach of Yelich. Kelenic almost tried to score from first but stopped at third to limit it to just one run but it was still enough to give the Mariners a 4-3 lead.

Willy Adames continued his strong series and erased that lead in the top of the 6th. The shortstop hit a no-doubter into the right field bleachers for his fourth home run of the season to even it up at 4-4 driving in his second run of the game.

While the M’s got nothing going after the 3rd, Milwaukee couldn’t get much going in the final three frames. A double play ball erased the only hope for a Brewers rally and sent the game into extras.

Both teams pushed across their ghost runners in the 10th which sent the game to the 11th tied at 5-5. Willy Adames hit a grounder too soft for a double play which scored the Brewers run in the 11th and gave Milwaukee a 6-5 lead. The Mariners loaded the bases in the 11th with two outs and Julio Rodriguez coming to the plate. Unfortunately, Julio would not be the hero this time and grounded out to short to end the game giving the Brewers the 6-5 victory and earning Milwaukee the series victory.

Seattle (8-10) will try to avoid the sweep against Milwaukee (13-5) on Wednesday at 1:10pm. Marco Gonzales (1-0, 4.22 ERA) returns from the Paternity List to take on Eric Lauer (2-1, 5.28 ERA) in a battle of lefties in the finale.

Notable Performances

Brewers

• Christian Yelich- 3-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Willy Adames- 2-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, R
• Colin Rea (ND)- 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO

Mariners

• Cal Raleigh- 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R
• Ty France- 1-4, RBI, R
• Logan Gilbert (ND)- 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO

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