For a quick second, it looked like ultra-talented Byron Buxton had come through with the game-winner for the Twins, helping them to salvage a split in the first two games of the season against the Mariners. Instead, those plucky Mariners who won so many of these games last season, flipped the script back and have now started the season 2-0.
The Mariners headed to the eighth inning with a 2-1 lead, thanks in part to a Tom Murphy home run and a good start from Lucas Gilbert (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K).
Andres Munoz was tasked with shutting the Twins down in the eighth. The leadoff walk to Nick Gordon -- the nine-hole hitter -- was a much bigger crime than what transpired next. Take it away, Buck:
That is chest-high 101. Somehow not only did Buxton catch up with it, but he turned his hands over enough on it to do something other than pop it straight up or foul it straight back. That's as impressive a home run as we'll see this season. The 436-foot shot should have put the Mariners' away and evened the Twins' record up at 1-1 on the year. The win probability chart showed 87 percent for the Twins after that shot.
Instead, the Mariners just wouldn't go away. Enter rookie sensation Julio Rodríguez.
As noted, that's the first career hit for Rodríguez and credit him for hustling to second on that as the tying run with Buxton keeping the ball in front of him in center. Rodríguez was a consensus top-five prospect heading into the season and some believe he's number one. In 74 games between High-A and Double-A last season, he hit .347/.441/.560 with 19 doubles, two triples and 13 homers.
Of course, he needed some help here. The next two Mariners batters were retired, too, but then Adam Frazier came through with a two-out double to tie things up. Ty France followed with a single that plated Frazier and gave the Mariners the lead for good.
The Mariners are 2-0, starting on the road against a Twins team that is planning on being a contender this season. After going 33-19 in one-run games last season -- one of the big reasons they played so far over their negative-51 run differential to win 90 games -- they are now 2-0 in one-run games in 2022.
It doesn't mean it can continue, of course, but the good run prevention is certainly something many believed they'd have this season and the timely hitting here on Saturday was a fun sight for the fan base to see. í
