Marcus Semien’s RBI single gives the Rangers a 6-5 walk-off win over the Mariners
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 22: Ezequiel Duran #20, left, and Jonah Heim #28, right, of the Texas Rangers celebrate the walk off single by Marcus Semien #2, center, that scored Leody Taveras for the win over the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Marcus Semien’s line single into the left field corner scored Leody Taveras as the Texas Rangers rallied from a five-run deficit in a 6-5, walk-off win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday in the defending World Series champions’ home finale.
"It hasn’t been the year we wanted, but the fans still show up for us," Semien said following the win in front of the Rangers’ eighth sellout crowd this season. "Glad we ended it like that. We just want to finish strong."
The Rangers, who were eliminated from postseason contention on Friday, improved to 7-61 when trailing after six innings.
The Mariners are two games out of the last AL wild-card spot and five out of first place in the AL West with six games remaining. Seattle closes out the season with three games at first-place Houston and hosting the Oakland Athletics.
Taveras had tied the score at 5-all with a solo homer in the seventh inning and finished with three hits — all from the sixth inning onward.
The Mariners built a 5-0 lead on Dylan Moore’s RBI single in the second inning, Cal Raleigh’s solo home run in the third and a three-run sixth that included Victor Robles singling in two runs, stealing second base and scoring when a pickoff attempt led to two Texas errors.
The Rangers countered by cutting the deficit to one run in the sixth on an RBI single by Josh Smith and a three-run homer by Wyatt Langford off starter Bryan Woo, who allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings.
Raleigh hit his career-best 31st home run. Andrés Muñoz (3-7) took the loss.
Texas starter Andrew Heaney allowed four earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 5 2/3 innings. Kirby Yates (7-2) worked an inning of relief and earned the victory.
SCHERZER’S FUTURE
Three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, placed on the injured list on Saturday with a hamstring strain, said he would like to return to the Texas Rangers after his contract expires next week.
"But I also know when you’re a free agent, you know, I’ve been in free agency two other times in my career. I get how this goes," the 40-year-old Scherzer said.
Scherzer made 17 regular-season starts for the Rangers over a season and a half and pitched twice in last year’s ALCS and once in the World Series.
TAKING TWO FOR THE TEAM
The Mariners needed only two innings to tie and break the modern record for being hit by pitches in a season at 113. Raleigh was plunked by an 85 mph slider from Heaney in the first inning, and J.P. Crawford was tagged by a 90 mph fastball from Heaney in the second. The mark of 112 was held by the 2022 New York Mets.
UP NEXT
Mariners RHP Bryce Miller (11-8, 3.06 ERA) will open the series at Houston on Monday against Astros RHP Hunter Brown (11-8, 3.57 ERA).
Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (11-8, 3.96) will face Oakland RHP Mitch Spence (8-9, 4.30) on Tuesday in the opener of the Athletics’ final home series before they relocate to Sacramento next season with plans to move to Las Vegas in 2028.