Mariners blow late lead as Tigers rally for 5-4 walkoff win
Kevin McGonigle hit a two-run, walkoff single as Detroit rallied to take the series rubber match.
DETROIT, MI - JUNE 7: Kevin McGonigle #7 of the Detroit Tigers, second from left, has his jersey torn off by Zack Short #15, left, Zach McKinstry #39, Spencer Torkelson #20, second from right, and Matt Vierling #8 after hitting a two run walk-of single to defeat the Seattle Mariners at Comerica Park on June 7, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
DETROIT (AP) — Kevin McGonigle homered in the fourth inning and hit a two-run single off All-Star closer Andrés Muñoz with two outs in the bottom of the ninth that gave the Detroit Tigers a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.
Detroit Tigers 5, Seattle Mariners 4: Box score
Wenceel Pérez tripled home two runs in the seventh to begin Detroit’s comeback from a 4-1 deficit as the Tigers took two of three games in the series.
Muñoz (3-4) struck out Spencer Torkelson to start the ninth, then walked Zach McKinstry and Pérez. Both advanced on Matt Vierling’s groundout before McGonigle lined a single off the glove of leaping second baseman Cole Young to give Detroit its fifth victory in six games.
Will Vest (2-4) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Seattle wasted a strong start from Luis Castillo, who left with a 3-1 lead after yielding three hits in 5 2/3 innings. The veteran right-hander’s only blemish was McGonigle’s fourth homer — a 420-foot shot leading off the fourth that tied it at 1.
Colt Emerson doubled off Tigers starter Jack Flaherty to begin the third before scoring on Young’s one-out single to put Seattle up 1-0.
Julio Rodríguez singled and scored on a double by Josh Naylor for a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Flaherty left after walking Randy Arozarena. The right-hander allowed three runs and six hits in five-plus innings.
Drew Sommers relieved Flaherty and hit Emerson with a bases-loaded pitch to make it 3-1. Kyle Finnegan entered and retired Jhonny Peralta on a lineout to center field to end the inning.
Rodríguez walked with one out in the seventh, stole second and third, and scored on Arozarena’s two-out single off Finnegan for a 4-1 lead.
Mariners reliever Cooper Criswell gave up Pérez’s two-run triple in the bottom of the seventh and failed to get an out. Gabe Speier retired Vierling on a pinch-hit grounder to third, and McGonigle on a shallow fly to left before striking out Gleyber Torres to keep it 4-3.
Seattle had homered in nine straight games.
Up next
Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (4-2, 2.80 ERA) starts Monday in Baltimore to begin a four-game series with the Orioles, who had not announced a starting pitcher.
Tigers RHP Troy Melton (2-0, 1.74 ERA) pitches Tuesday to open a three-game series with the visiting Twins, who will start RHP Taj Bradley (5-2, 3.56).
Seattle Mariners news and more
• Mariners rookie Colt Emerson shares 2 things behind his good start
• A Tarik Skubal trade would give Seattle Mariners one key thing
• Ichiro to headline Mariners Alumni Home Run Derby at T-Mobile Park
Related
A’s beat Mariners 6-5 on Walton’s walkoff HR in 10th inning
Mariners Notes: Power-hitting prospect to play in fall league
Julio Rodríguez sees quick results from work at the plate
Where Mariners’ dwindling playoff hopes stand with 15 games left
Julio Rodríguez hits 3-run homer to power Mariners past Rangers 4-3
Kade Anderson earns 1st MLB win as Mariners beat Rangers 3-2
Comments
3 Comments
It's time to get Munoz out of the closer role. He can't throw anything for a strike and is around .500 for save attempts with an ERA over 5. We need to get a proper closer before the deadline. We need to also replace some other bullpen arms as they seem to be causing us more losses than normal!
Why would Wilson bat Refsnyder, knowing a RHP would be coming in? Refsnyder hits .133 against RHP this year, and Canzone, who he batted for, was hitting nearly .400 over the last week. At least lay down a bunt, for goodness sakes.
And frankly, the minute Munoz walks two with one out and none on in the 9th, it's clear as a bell he doesn't have good command. At that point, it's time for a change, because one pitched ball in the wrong location and it's over.
And it was.
No excuse. Ran themselves right out of the inning and then choked it away. Sad way to play. They leave no margin for error and squander opportunity. Good to play in AL West.