SEATTLE — Given where the Seattle Mariners are in 2024 and how they’ve played so far, a walk-off grand slam is a secondary consideration.
The Mariners recorded an 8-4 victory over the White Sox on Monday at T-Mobile Park, with Chicago’s Jordan Leger hitting a 2-0 fastball to center field to get Cal Lowry’s grand slam, Seattle’s fourth walk-off win of the season and second walk-off home run of the season.
But that wasn’t the top story of the night. It was Luke Reilly who put the exclamation point, in the most unexpected way, on perhaps the most unlikely of Mariners fightbacks this season.
After Seattle had thrilled the crowd with three runs and two outs and a runner on third base, Reilly came to bat. He had already struck out two pitches on Monday, the first a 105.1 mph grounder and the second a 107.9 mph single.
Now with the count at 1-1, Reilly squared up to bunt.
“I was looking at the third baseman every time,” Reilly said, “and he took the first two pitches and then he stepped back and gave me that lane. I just decided to take my chance.”
He tried to bunt, even though he knew he only had one chance to do so. If he fouled it, it was two strikes. If he bunted softly, hard, or hit it at someone, he was an easy out.
Michael Kopech’s fastball happened to be 99.1 mph and was closer to Raley’s head than any part of home plate, but he turned toward the plate to bunt.
The Mariners hadn’t tied the game with a squeeze play after the eighth inning since Mark McLemore on July 30, 2002, but he bunted.
But Reilly bunted and Josh Rojas came on to tie the game, and Seattle rallied from a 4-0 deficit after seven lethargic innings on offense.
“That’s something we haven’t seen here in a few years,” Lawrie said of Russell’s bunt. “It was big for us to do that.”
The top of the ninth inning saw the momentum continue as JP Crawford and Rojas walked and Julio Rodriguez singled to load the bases and set the stage for Lowry’s latest standout moment.
“Big Damper does what he’s supposed to do,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “He always has great at-bats late in the games and always does the job for us.”
Lawrie’s grand slam was his second career walk-off home run, but his 11th after the ninth inning. It was Seattle’s first walk-off home run since Shed Long Jr. on June 20, 2021.
And he almost didn’t get a chance to do so. After being struck out by an inside fastball during an eighth-inning rally, Lawrie got into an altercation with home plate umpire Chris Guccione. Before he could get too far, Servais jumped out of the dugout and got in the way, getting ejected in the process.
“I’m glad I got out because I can’t hit a grand slam,” Servais said with a wry smile. “He can.”
A late comeback completely changed the Mariners’ game. They were held scoreless through seven innings by Chicago starter Eric Feddy and couldn’t do much. As a result, Logan Gilbert was the star of the game, and he shone again despite the lack of support.
Seattle’s 27-year-old right-hander gave up three runs and struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings, but was named the losing pitcher as the Mariners’ offense went quiet.
“We needed him to hang in there the whole game and he did his job,” Servais said. “We’re happy to have our offensive line back there to help him out.”
Monday marked Gilbert’s third consecutive outing without help, and his 19 2/3 consecutive innings without help is the longest streak by a Mariners starter since Sam Gavilio went 26 in a row in 2017.
But before that could become the theme of the night, the offense flipped the switch again, completing Seattle’s first four-point comeback since July 25, 2023.
“It’s just about keeping working hard and keeping going,” Servais said. “If we really support each other, we have a chance to come out big at the end of the game.”
“It won’t be the last. I feel very strongly about that.”
