Recent Mariners call-up Harry Ford delivered a pinch-hit, walk-off sacrifice fly in the 12th inning to cap off a wild 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.
The win puts the Mariners all square with the Houston Astros atop the AL West.
The win was the sixth straight for Seattle the second straight in walk-off fashion in extra innings after Leo Rivas clubbed the winning home run over the Cardinals on Wednesday in the 13th inning.
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But Thursday’s finish came from an even less likely hero in Ford, who the Mariners called up when rosters expanded at the start of September. The former first-round pick was mostly brought on as an emergency catcher off the bench.
But he found himself in a critical situation by complete circumstance on Thursday, when he was essentially the team’s last player available off the bench to hit for what would have technically been the pitcher’s spot due to a series of defensive substitutions made in extra innings.
Suddenly, the 22-year-old was stepping to the plate for his third major league at-bat with the bases loaded and no one out in a 6-6 tie. He wasted no time, hitting the first pitch he saw from Sammy Peralta just deep enough into right field to score Jorge Polanco. The celebration ensued.
Ford has his first walk-off before he even has his first big league hit. And he was as surprised as anyone to get the opportunity.
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“Honestly, I was getting ready to pinch run,” Ford told the Root Sports broadcast after the game. “I didn’t think I was going to get to hit but they told me I was going to get to hit and I was like, ‘let’s do it.'”
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