
Seattle was unable to capitalize on a career night from the former first round pick and fell in extra innings to Kansas City
SEATTLE β A day that started off festive, which honored the past of the franchise ended on a sour note for the Seattle Mariners.
Hours after National Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson had his number retired, starting pitcher Emerson Hancock spun a career-best outing that ultimately went to waste in a 3-2, 10th-inning loss to the Kansas City Royals on Saturday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
Hancock finished his outing with a career-high 14 strikeouts over seven innings pitched. He allowed one earned run on six hits and didn't issue a walk or a free base. He threw 103 pitches, including 74 strikes.
On the 100th pitch of his outing, Hancock threw a four-seam fastball clocked at 95 miles per hour, showing he had a lot of gas in the tank β a stark contrast from even last season where results would falter the deeper into his starts.
"I just think that's the evolution," Hancock said in a postgame interview Saturday. "I think that's just what you're trying to do, just learn as you go, continue to work on things. I give our high performance staff a lot of credit. My body feels great. I feel like I'm moving really, really well. It's kind of like the work behind the scenes able to show up later in the game like that."
Hancock didn't pitch with the M's trailing the entirety of his outing.
In the bottom of the first inning, first baseman Josh Naylor hit an RBI single that brought home center fielder Julio Rodriguez, who reached via a one-out ground-rule double.
Seattle's lineup was without starting catcher Cal Raleigh, who was a late scratch due to an undisclosed injury that manager Dan Wilson described as "general soreness."
The sole score allowed by Hancock came in the top of the third inning. Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia hit an RBI double to score center fielder Kyle Isbel and tie the game 1-1.
The Mariners had an opportunity to take a multi-run lead in the bottom of the fifth. With the bases loaded and one out, third baseman Leo Rivas scored and additional runners advanced to second and third base, respectively, on a wild pitch thrown by K.C. starter Seth Lugo to give Seattle a 2-1 lead with two runners in scoring position.
Two at-bats later, left fielder Randy Arozarena drew a walk to set Seattle up with the bases loaded again with two outs.
With second baseman Cole Young at the plate, Arozarena forgot the pitch-count. Thinking it was 3-2 rather than the actual count of 2-2, Arozarena ran to second base while Rodriguez, standing at second, stayed pat.
Caught in no-man's land, Arozarena was picked off, which ended the inning.
Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena reacts after being picked off during a game against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. | Joe Nicholson/Imagn Images.Seattle went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded six.
"You don't play this game without embarrassing things happening to you at times," Wilson said after the game. "I've forgotten the count, rolled a ball back and there's base-runners on. It happens. It's tough in that situation, of course. But we got to learn from it and we got to move on and that's all we can do."
In the top of the ninth, with a 2-1 lead and two-time All-Star closer Andres Munoz on the mound, designated hitter Salvador Perez hit a lead-off single.
Perez was lifted for pinch-runner Lane Thomas, who advanced to second after a balk was called against Munoz.
Kansas City right fielder Jac Caglianone hit an RBI single that scored Thomas. The former advanced to third after a fielding error committed by Rodriguez in center field on the single.
Caglianone was left stranded at third and the Mariners were retired in order, sending the game to extra innings.
Garcia had his second RBI of the day on a sacrifice fly that scored automatic runner and second baseman Michael Massey for the eventual final of 3-2.
Seattle was retired in order in the bottom of the 10th.
The loss gave the Royals the series win.
The Mariners will attempt to salvage a win in game three of the series at 1:10 p.m. PT on Sunday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
Luis Castillo will start for Seattle and Kris Bubic will start for Kansas Ciry.
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