Jaso lifts M's past Twins
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John Jaso knocked in the game-winning run with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Seattle Mariners snuck past the Minnesota Twins, 3-2, in the middle test of a three-game series at Safeco Field.
Facing Tyler Robertson (1-1), Michael Saunders began the inning with a single and Brendan Ryan legged out a bunt single to move the potential winning run into scoring position.
Dustin Ackley followed with a walk to load the bases. Casey Fien came in from the Twins bullpen and Jaso lifted a fly ball to left field, which was deep enough to score Saunders from third for the winning tally.
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"You feel good with him up there in those situations," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "We weren't going to mess around with him, I didn't want to put him in a situation where he had to get a hit to win the ballgame. If he could do what he did, that'd be enough and it worked out."
Tom Wilhelmsen (4-2) got the final out in the top of the ninth to collect the win.
Ackley finished with three hits and an RBI and Justin Smoak crushed a solo home run for the Mariners, who took the series-opener on Friday, 5-3.
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Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer knocked in runs for the Twins, who have lost eight of their last nine games.
The Twins opened the scoring with a run in their first at-bat. Jamey Carroll began the game with a base hit and went to second on a wild pitch. Carroll then advanced to third on a groundout by Mauer and scored when Morneau ripped a single into left field.
Saunders smacked a one-out single in the Seattle third and went to third on a single by Ryan before hustling home on a single by Ackley to tie the game at one.
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The Twins took the lead in the seventh after Mauer grounded into a double play which allowed Pedro Florimon to score, but Smoak tied the game for the Mariners in the home seventh after he got a fastball from Minnesota starter Scott Diamond on the 10th pitch of the at-bat and launched it over the wall in left-center field.
"It was an exciting ball game. Unfortunately, we couldn't come up with a hit," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I don't know how many guys we left out there, quite a bit with runners in scoring position. Not very good numbers tonight."
Game Notes
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Seattle improved to 21-13 since the All-Star break ... The Mariners have won 11 of their last 12 games at home ... Mariners starter Jason Vargas allowed two runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings ... Diamond surrendered two runs on nine hits and no walks over 6 2/3 innings ... Minnesota finished 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.