CHICAGO, IL - JULY 31: Starting pitcher Felix Hernandez #34 of the Seattle Mariners delivers the ball against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 31, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Jason Heyward scored on pinch-hitting pitcher Jon Lester’s sacrifice hit in the 12th inning to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 7-6, come-from-behind home victory on Sunday night over the Seattle Mariners, who blew a six-run lead.
With the game tied at 6, Heyward blasted a double into the right-center gap off Cody Martin, and then advanced on rookie Wilson Contreras’ fly ball out to center. Lester, who pinch-hit for right-hander Hector Rondon, then tapped a bunt in front of home plate for the game-winner.
“I wasn’t thinking at all,” Lester said. “There was no thinking at all. I was trying to pay attention and not miss any signs.”
Cubs manager Joe Maddon praised the lefty. “Jon’s a really good bunter, he’s really good at that,” said Maddon.
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Chicago trailed 6-3 before they got to Mariners right-hander Steve Cishek in the ninth, handing Cishek his sixth blown save in 31 opportunities. Addison Russell hit an RBI single and Contreras drove in another run when he bolted down the line to beat out a potential double-play grounder.
With two outs and runners on the corners, Cishek tossed a wild pitch that allowed Russell to come home with the tying run. Matt Szczur then flied out to right, ending the inning.
“Stuff was terrible tonight,” Cishek said. “I had a hard time commanding my fastball, slider was the not the same and I got exposed.”
Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and Dae-Ho Lee each smacked a two-run homer against left-hander Brian Matusz, propelling Seattle to a 6-0 lead.
The Cubs used 22 players, and one of the biggest moments of the game came in the sixth and seventh when left-hander Travis Wood moved from the mound to left–where he jumped to make a catch and crashed into the ivy wall– and back to the mound. Then came the ninth when Chicago tied the score at 6 with three runs off Cishek on an RBI single by Ben Zobrist, a run-scoring fielder’s choice by Contreras, and a wild pitch.
“Crazy game,” said Mariners manager Scott Servais. “But give them credit. They didn’t quit, they kept battling back and they’ve done that a few times this year. It’s disappointing. I thought we had the game in hand. We played pretty good, but the ninth inning got away from us.”
Mariners starter Felix Hernandez, nicknamed “King Felix,” struck out eight but also walked five over five innings. Sunday marked the Venezuelan right-hander’s third appearance since coming off the disabled list after being sidelined by a strained right calf.
“Tough luck for us. Our offense came through in the first three innings,” Hernandez said. “It’s a tough loss.”
The loss marked the first time the Mariners have blown a six-run lead since June 20, 2013 at Anaheim. On the eve of the non-waiver trade deadline, Seattle dealt left-hander Wade Miley to Baltimore before closing out a 4-4 road trip to Toronto, Pittsburgh and Chicago.
The Mariners (52-51, 3rd in AL West) will next open a 10-game homestand, which begins with a matchup against the Boston Red Sox on Monday night, the first of a four-game series. Lefty James Paxton (3-5, 4.27 ERA) will face off against lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4, 6.51). Paxton threw eight shutout innings with five hits against Boston last year in a 5-0 win at Safeco Field.
The Cubs, (63-41, 1st in NL Central) meanwhile, next begin a three-game home series against the Miami Marlins on Monday night. Righty Kyle Hendricks will take the mound. The 26-year-old ranks third in the National League in ERA at 2.39, and is 7-1 with a 1.36 ERA in 11 home starts.
CHICAGO, IL – JULY 31: Starting pitcher Felix Hernandez #34 of the Seattle Mariners delivers the ball against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 31, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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