Lane Thomas’ two-out, two-run double down the right field line in the top of the 11th inning broke a tie and helped the Washington Nationals defeat the host Seattle Mariners 7-4 on Tuesday night.
Jordan Weems (1-0) pitched the final two innings for his first major league victory. Weems got out of a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the 10th. Seattle’s Trevor Gott (0-3) took the loss.
Keibert Ruiz’s solo homer off Paul Sewald pulled the Nationals even at 4-4 in the eighth.
Teoscar Hernandez homered for the Mariners, who lost for the third time in their past four games. Washington earned its third victory in four games.
The Nationals scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Jeimer Candelario lined a single to left field, stole second and scored on starter Bryan Woo’s throwing error.
The Mariners got that run back and then some in the bottom of the inning, as Ty France lined a two-out single to center and Hernandez followed with his 15th homer of the season.
Seattle extended its lead to 3-1 in the fourth when Eugenio Suarez’s sacrifice fly drove in France, who had singled.
The Nationals got a run back in the fifth when Thomas grounded a one-out single to right and scored on Candelario’s two-out double.
The benches partially cleared between the top and bottom halves of the fifth after Candelario and Cal Raleigh, Seattle’s catcher, began arguing along the third base line. Raleigh was apparently upset because Candelario was relaying pitch locations to teammates while taking his lead at second base.
The Nationals tied the score in the seventh without the benefit of a hit. CJ Abrams was hit by a pitch to open the inning, then reliever Matt Brash entered and walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases with no outs. Luis Garcia lined a sacrifice fly to center to make it 3-3.
Garcia added a run-scoring single in the 11th.
In the bottom of the seventh, Jarred Kelenic walked, took third on Mike Ford’s single and scored on Kolten Wong’s grounder to short to make it 4-3.
Washington starter Jake Irvin and Woo, a pair of rookie right-handers, both pitched well.
Irvin went 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on five hits, with two walks and four strikeouts.
Woo allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits over five innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
–Field Level Media
