In a night full of highs, heart-stopping moments, and one unforgettable debut, the Seattle Mariners walked off with a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday — and rookie Cole Young etched his name into the storybook.
Making his major league debut just hours after being promoted from Triple-A Tacoma, Young came up in the 11th inning with a golden opportunity. With two outs and the winning run 90 feet away, he tapped a slow dribbler up the first-base line off reliever Cole Sands (3-2). First baseman Ty France charged, scooped, and fired — but it wasn’t in time.
Miles Mastrobuoni sprinted home, the crowd at T-Mobile Park erupted, and Young’s fielder’s choice gave Seattle the victory and his first career RBI — one he won’t soon forget.
“I just wanted to put the ball in play,” Young said postgame. “I didn’t care how hard or how far. I just knew we had a shot to win, and that was enough.”
Early Deficit, Late Heroics
The night didn’t start smoothly for Seattle. The Twins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning behind Matt Wallner’s two-run homer — his first game back from the injured list — and an RBI single from Byron Buxton.
But the Mariners chipped away. Cal Raleigh mashed his league-leading 22nd home run in the third, tying Shohei Ohtani for the MLB lead. J.P. Crawford later turned the tide in the seventh with a two-run blast, giving Seattle its first lead at 4-3.
Then came the ninth — and more drama. With two outs, Byron Buxton reached on a fielding error by reliever Carlos Vargas and scored on Trevor Larnach’s single to even the game at 4-all.
Snider, Julio Shut the Door
The Twins nearly struck in the 10th. Wallner, looking to score from second on a Kody Clemens single, was gunned down at the plate by a perfect throw from center fielder Julio Rodríguez. Collin Snider (2-1) worked clean frames in both the 10th and 11th to earn the win.
“I’ve always said Julio has one of the best arms in the league,” said manager Scott Servais. “He showed it tonight in the biggest moment.”
On Deck
Seattle will look to take the series in Sunday’s rubber match. Luis Castillo (4-3, 3.32 ERA) gets the start for the Mariners, facing Twins right-hander Chris Paddack (2-5, 3.92 ERA).
But Saturday night belonged to the rookie. In his first big league game, Cole Young didn’t just show up—he showed out.