12 innings and 4+ hours
Tonight’s game lasted over 4 hours, but in the bottom of the 12th inning, the Mariners finally pulled it off. The game seemed well in hand in the 7th inning, with a good 3 run cushion on the 1st place Angels. The 8th inning went off without a hitch and our shutdown closer J.J. Putz was supposed to finish the 9th. Putz ends up giving up 3 runs in the 9th inning and off to extra innings we went. A few times both teams had great chances to score, but defenses came through and the night kept going on. The crowd dimmed only a little, from about 30,000 at first pitch, down to 18,000 at the final out. With bases loaded and only 1 out, the Mariners seemed destined to win in the bottom of the 12th. The Angels brought the centerfielder in to play infield…. making 5 infielders and only 2 outfielders. Even with this unorthodox defense, the Mariners were able to get a ground ball through the infield and the crowd erupted with appreciation that the team won, AND that they were able to go home. I think another inning or two would have made me put my feet up and take a nap during the breaks. Now the Mariners are only 3 games behind the Angels and only a half game back in the AL Wild Card race, behind the Indians.