The Detroit Tigers threatened a late rally in the series finale against the Mariners, but the ninth-inning comeback fell short Wednesday in Seattle.
The Tigers loaded the bases in the ninth inning trailing 3-2 with one out, but could not plate a run as they ended the season-opening six-game road trip.
The Tigers failed to climb out of an early hole after a fielding blunder in the second inning.
That was when Tigers ace Tarik Skubal forced a grounder from J.P. Crawford to second base with two outs and a runner on first. Colt Keith fielded it with ease and spun to second, trying to get the runner on base. But, he was tardy, held the ball and flipped to first, where the runner beat out the throw, extending the inning.
On the next pitch, Victor Robles sent a changeup over the middle from Skubal into the left center-field gap for a two-RBI double with two outs for an early lead.
"We didn't do enough," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. "Obviously, they got an opening with a couple of mistakes and they took advantage of it. That's really the difference in the game."
The mistake loomed large as the Tigers' bats stayed, finishing with six hits and two runs scored in the fifth inning off Mariners starter Luis Castillo.
In the fourth inning, Skubal left a slider above the belt on the first pitch to third baseman Dylan Moore, who sent it over the right field wall for a 348-foot solo home run.
The Tigers answered with a solo home run from Trey Sweeney in the fifth inning, followed by a Riley Greene RBI on a fielder's choice to make it 3-2.
But, the Tigers only had one base runner over the next three innings on a Keith walk. Keith was the next baserunner in the top of the ninth after drawing his third walk, followed by a walk drawn by Justyn-Henry Malloy.
Dillon Dingler loaded the bases with one out with a softly-hit single to left, but closer Andrés Muñoz got Javier Báez to ground out and Zach McKinstry to strikeout, escaping the jam.
The Tigers failed to sweep after winning the first two games of the series, 9-6 on Monday and 4-1 on Tuesday. They return to Detroit for the home opener at Comerica Park against the Chicago White Sox on Friday.
"It is frustrating," Hinch said. "It is a ...
