MIAMI — Eager to try for a double play in the ninth inning, Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager bobbled the ball, and the cameras caught his mistake.
The runner was initially ruled out, but a replay reversal loaded the bases for the Miami Marlins, and Giancarlo Stanton hit a grand slam to beat Seattle 8-4 Friday night.
With two on, nobody out and the score tied, Reed Johnson was called out at third on a force play following a bunt. But the umpires reviewed the ruling and determined Seager had juggled the ball.
In his haste to throw to first, Seager was done in by the transfer rule, which is being enforced more closely this year because of replay reviews.
“We’ve seen it happen a couple of times this year, so I know the rule,” Seager said. “I felt I caught the ball on the base. I tried to transfer it and make a throw at first. That’s when I bobbled it.”
Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon dislikes the transfer rule, but had no complaint about the decision being reversed.
“I knew it was going to be overturned right away,” McClendon said. “That was the right call.”
“I’m a big fan of replay tonight,” Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. “I was fired up when we won the challenge.”
Instead of one out with runners at first and second, Stanton stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out against Yoervis Medina (0-1).
“In that situation, the reversal changes things completely because you don’t have that one out,” Medina said.
The Mariners deployed five infielders, and Stanton cleared them all with a towering homer to the left of the home-run sculpture. He finished with five RBI to increase his total to 26, most in the majors.
“We tried to stay away from him all night, because he is the one guy in that lineup that can really hurt you,” McClendon said. “We had no choice there.”
The Mariners lost their fourth game in a row, while the Marlins won for only the second time in the past 11 games.
The Mariners, beginning their first series in Miami since 2005 and their second ever, squandered repeated scoring chances. They went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position.
Abraham Almonte had a double and a triple and scored twice, but slumping Robinson Cano went 1 for 5 and is 4 for 22 on the Mariners’ trip.
The Mariners’ patchwork rotation again failed to go deep into a game. Chris Young lasted only three innings while giving up seven hits and four runs.
“I just never got in a rhythm,” Young said. “I never felt comfortable. I wanted to go deep in the game, and I need to pitch better to do so.”
The Marlins’ Nathan Eovaldi pitched six innings and allowed three runs, one earned. He lowered his ERA in seven interleague starts to 1.70.
Steve Cishek (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth.
The Marlins overcame some bad baserunning, a problem since the season started. Yelich was an easy out trying to score from second on a two-out infield hit, and Saltalamacchia was picked off first.
The Marlins’ fielding was no better. Stanton had an error in the second inning in right field that scored two unearned runs.
The Marlins have allowed 14 unearned runs this season, and they came into the game tied for the most in the majors.
“We’ve been a little sloppy in areas,” Redmond said.
NOTES: Seattle OF James Jones made his big league debut when he came off the bench in the seventh inning, and he singled in the eighth. … Yelich had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 12 games. … Miami’s Casey McGehee improved to 8 for 15 (.533) with runners in scoring position. … Eovaldi needed 13 pitches to retire Corey Hart in the first inning. … Redmond, a Seattle native, grew up a Mariners fan and said he probably attended their home opener 15 years in a row. … LHP Roenis Elias (1-1, 2.16), who earned his first major league win in his most recent outing, is scheduled to start Saturday for Seattle against Henderson Alvarez (0-2, 4.30). Alvarez turned 24 Friday.
