Mariners Take Long & Winding Road To Beat Mets Late

 

Cal Raleigh approaching third base on his second inning home run. Photo by Jason Schott.

It was The Beatles Night at Citi Field on Friday night, and Francisco Lindor gave the Mets plenty to twist and shout about early, but the Seattle Mariners took the long and winding road to an 11-9 win.

The Mariners got the lead early when Randy Arozarena led off with a single and came in to score on a double by Julio Rodriguez into the left field corner.

It took the Mets no time at all to tie it as he led off the bottom of the first with a home run to greet Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo.

This was Lindor's seventh lead off home run of the season, matching Curtis Granderson's team record, set in 2015 and '16.

Francisco Lindor returning to the dugout after his first inning home run. Photo by Jason Schott.

Seattle got the lead right back when Mitch Garver greeted Mets starter Sean Manaea with a homer to lead off the second.

The Mets got that run back in the bottom half of the frame when Jeff McNeil led off with a double, and he came home on a two-out RBI single from Francisco Alvarez.

They took the lead when Lindor singled Alvarez home to make it 3-2.

Seattle responded in a big way in the top of the third when the Major League leader in home runs, Cal Raleigh crushed a two-run shot to make it 4-3. That was his 46th homer of the year, and gave him 100 RBI (not bad considering it's their 123rd game of the season).

It stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth, when Ronny Mauricio kept the inning alive with a single and stole second base, and he would come in to score when Lindor crushed a two-run shot for his second home run of the night.

That was followed up by Juan Soto crushing one of his own, a solo shot, that made it 6-4 Mets. That was hit 30th homer of the season.

Manaea kept it there until he exited after five innings, and handed it over to Tyler Rogers, who Mets announcer Howie Rose said was fitting he got into Beatles Night because he's a submariner, for the top of the sixth.

Donovan Solano got a one-out single, and came in to score when Cole Young got an RBI single to cut it to 6-5 Mets.

Ryan Helsley was next out of the Mets bullpen, and he provided little help.

Raleigh led off the top of the seventh against him with a double, and score when Eugenio Suarez laced an RBI double to left field to tie it at 6.

Brooks Raley was next in for the Mets, and Dominic Canzone brought Suarez home to put Seattle ahead 7-6. He would then come home on a Solano double.

Young then struck again with a double to bring in two more runs and open up a 10-6 lead for Seattle, and cap off a five-run inning.

The Mariners tacked on another run against new Mets reliever Frankie Montas in the top of the eighth when Raleigh doubled, and raced around on a Rodriguez double.

That would look large, as the Mets rallied in the bottom of the eighth, as Alvarez hit a three-run homer to pull the Mets within 11-9.

After Montas kept it there in the top of the ninth, the Mets went 1-2-3 in the bottom half against Mariners closer Andres Munoz, who earned his 29th save of the season.

The Mets have now lost 14 of 16 games, and they are now just six games above .500, at 64-58, clinging to the last wild card spot, with Cincinnati just a half-game back. The Reds coughed up an 8-1 lead, as they lost 10-8 to the National League-leading Milwaukee Brewers.