Lead slips away in ninth inning as Twins lose 8-6 to Mariners

MINNEAPOLIS — Kyle Seager hit his second homer of the game, a three-run drive in the ninth inning to complete the Seattle Mariners’ rally from a six-run deficit to beat the Minnesota Twins 8-6 Sunday.

Seager had four hits and Taylor Trammell also homered for Seattle, which trailed 6-0 going into the sixth. The Mariners won a road series for the first time since Sept. 11-13, 2019, at Arizona.

Byron Buxton continued his early season success with a homer, double and single and Luis Arraez had a pair of hits for the Twins.

The Mariners trailed 6-5 going into the ninth. Mitch Haniger and Ty France opened the inning with singles against Alex Colomé and Seager followed with his homer.

Colomé (0-1) blew a save for the second time in four chances.

Drew Steckenrider (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth before Rafael Montero earned his second save in four chances with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Buxton has eight hits in three games to increase his batting average to .500. His 1.231 slugging percentage is tops in the majors.

Up 1-0, Minnesota scored three runs in the third inning, two on a bases-loaded double the opposite way by Buxton, who has a hit in all eight games he’s played. He has at least one extra-base hit in seven of them.

Buxton added a towering 428-foot two-run home run to the bullpen in the fifth for a 6-0 lead and led to some in the crowd to chant “MVP!”

Minnesota starter Matt Shoemaker scattered three hits in five innings before falling apart in the sixth.

Seager hit a leadoff homer and Trammell launched a three-run shot for his second in as many days. As the ball was on its way beyond the right-field seats, Shoemaker had words for home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez and was ejected.

Seattle added one run in the seventh.

Against a Twins team averaging 6.1 runs per game, Seattle starter Chris Flexen allowed six runs — five earned— in five innings. He struck out seven.

GETTING HEATED

Buxton was hit in the shoulder by a pitch from Will Vest in the seventh and both benches were warned. Seattle manager Scott Servais protested and was ejected.

France was hit on an up-and-in fastball from Cody Stashak in the top of the frame. France was also hit in the first.

TRAINERS ROOM

Mariners: 1B Evan White entered as a defensive replacement in the ninth. He missed the past two games with left quad tightness.

Twins: 3B Josh Donaldson (mild right hamstring strain), who is eligible to come off the injured list Monday, went through a Sunday workout at the team’s alternate training site. … On the DL since April 7, OF Brent Rooker (cervical strain) is ready to start doing some work at the team’s alternate site.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Justin Sheffield (0-1, 7.20) is to open a four-game series Monday in Baltimore against Orioles RHP Dean Kremer (0-1, 9.00).

Twins: Open a four-game series Monday at Target Field against Boston with LHP J.A. Happ (0-0, 2.25) facing LHP Martín Pérez (0-0, 5.40) of the Red Sox.