Marlowe's game-flipping slam is highlight of dawning career

ANAHEIM -- It’s hard to imagine a rookie having a bigger moment in his first season in the Majors.

With the Mariners down 3-1 in the top of the ninth inning, Cade Marlowe was the hero when he deposited a go-ahead grand slam into the right-field bleachers of Angel Stadium. Marlowe is just the latest Mariner to keep the club's winning ways alive, helping secure a 5-3 victory in the series opener.

Marlowe’s grand slam wasn’t just one of the pivotal moments of the Mariners’ season; it was one of the most notable grand slams in recent baseball memory.

Marlowe is the first Mariners rookie with a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning or later, according to Elias.

He also is the first Mariner with a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth inning or later with his team trailing since Richie Sexson on Sept. 19, 2005, in Toronto.

Perhaps most impressive, Marlowe hit his grand slam on an 0-2 count against a 99.8 mph fastball from All-Star closer Carlos Estévez. That’s the third-fastest pitch hit for a grand slam in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008), trailing only Bobby Witt Jr. (101.8 mph) and Matt McLain (100.9 mph), who hit their grand slams in July.

The Mariners were down to a division-rival who, had they pulled off the win, would have moved a half-game ahead of Seattle in the AL Wild Card standings. Entering the ninth inning, Statcast gave the Angels a 93% Win Probability. The Mariners (57-52) are 2 1/2 games back of the final AL Wild Card spot.

Marlowe, who is just two weeks into his MLB career, was clearly not fazed by the moment.

“That’s what it’s all about: helping the team win,” Marlowe said about his late-inning heroics. “It was awesome for the guys in front of me to get on base. I was just able to come through at that moment.”

Marlowe’s career arc defies having this type of moment. The 26-year-old was a 20th-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, and received a $5,000 signing bonus as a senior out of Division-II West Georgia.

In parts of four seasons in the Minors he posted an .863 OPS across 370 games. Marlowe, the Mariners' No. 16 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, has already had a career-defining moment.

“Huge hit by Marlowe,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “What more can you say? What he’s done for us since he’s come here, it’s been a shot in the arm. He’s an awesome competitor who’s not overthinking it. He’s just playing baseball and enjoying it.”

Marlowe’s blast was the finishing touch on what was a wild affair. Through four innings, starters Shohei Ohtani and Bryan Woo -- who tossed six innings of two-run ball for Seattle -- exchanged zeros.

When Ohtani left the game as a pitcher due to cramping in his right middle finger, he stayed in the game as a designated hitter, which allowed the two-way superstar to still impact the game.

Following another scoreless frame in the fifth inning, Eugenio Suárez broke the 0-0 tie with a solo home run to right field to start the sixth.

It gave Suárez nine straight games with an RBI -- tying franchise icon and Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez for the longest RBI streak in Mariners franchise history.

With two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Mariners opted to intentionally walk Ohtani after falling behind the count 3-0. He stole second and scored on a game-tying single from C.J. Cron. Five pitches later, Mike Moustakas drove Cron home to give the Angels a 2-1 lead. In the eighth inning, Ohtani deposited his 40th home run of the season over the right-field wall.

The resilient Mariners team, which is tied with Baltimore for the best record (19-10) since July 1, fought back for one of their biggest wins of the season.