Mariners fall like flying bat, bases-running blunder kills rally vs. Yankees

SEATTLE — With their playoff chances dwindling, the Seattle Mariners found a new, painful way to lose.

A flying bat. A moment of amnesia. And a bizarre double play.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in a game before. Just a weird situation,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said.

The Mariners lost 2-1 in 10 innings to the New York Yankees on Wednesday night, but it was the final inning that will go down in Mariners history as another chapter in a season that went terribly wrong.

With runners on the corners, Julio Rodríguez was hauled off third base after dodging a flying bat that evaded the hands of Randy Arozarena as he was out.

“I asked a couple of guys and they all said, ‘I’ve never seen that on a baseball field,’” Rodríguez said.

Seattle trailed 2-1 when Cal Raleigh’s leadoff single in the 10th moved Rodríguez, the automatic runner, from second to third. Ian Hamilton hit Arozarena with a 2-2 slider that sent his bat flying from his hands.

Right in front of Rodriguez.

“Honestly, I saw the bat flying right in front of my face,” Rodríguez said.

Seattle’s young star ran into foul territory as the bat jumped behind third base, and it took him a moment to recover. But the play wasn’t dead yet, and catcher Austin Wells quickly threw to third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., intercepting Rodríguez before he could get back to the bag.

Rodríguez said he thought the play was over because the bat flew through the air.

“When I saw the bat, I thought it was going to be a dead ball, and then they were going to pick up the bat and I was going to go back to third,” Rodríguez said. “I went out and turned my back to the field and I heard (third base coach) Manny (Acta) yell, ‘Go back to third.’ So I went back to third.

“To be honest, I wasn’t really thinking about the game at that point, I was just trying to get away from the bat that was coming at me. That’s what happened. That was definitely a first for me.”

Hamilton ended the game by retiring Justin Turner, securing a playoff spot for the Yankees.

Rodríguez’s mistake came a night after Victor Robles made the questionable decision to attempt a steal of home in the first inning against New York with Turner at bat with a 3-0 count and the bases loaded. Robles was out and the Yankees rolled to an easy victory.

The loss was especially frustrating for Seattle, as both Houston and Minnesota lost earlier on Wednesday, meaning the Mariners missed a chance to make some much-needed gains in the AL West and wild-card races. Seattle trails first-place Houston in the division by five games and Minnesota by three for the final AL wild-card spot.

“It all happened quickly and over again, just very reactionary,” Wilson said. “I think we would all jump out of the way. But it’s just unfortunate that it ended the way it did.”