The Seattle Mariners played the second game of their series against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. The result was an extra-innings 10-8 Mariners win in a wild back-and-forth game.
Ichiro Suzuki, back in the leadoff spot, led off the game with a home run and staked the Mariners to an early lead. Seatle stretched that lead to 2-0 in the top of the second as Justin Smoak led off the inning with another home run, his 10th of the year. The White Sox tied things up in the bottom of the frame with a two-run homer by A.J. Pierzynski.
Suzuki again led off the third inning with a home run, but Chicago again tied things up with an RBI single from Gordon Beckham. In the top of the fourth, Michael Saunders hit a two-run shot to put Seattle up 5-3, but the White Sox again scored a run in the bottom of the inning as Alex Rios led off the home half of the fourth with a solo shot.
Chicago took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the sixth, on yet another two-run homer, this time from Beckham. In the bottom of the seventh, Beckham hit another RBI single to stretch the Chicago lead to 7-5. In the top of the eight, the Mariners got their first hit of the game with runners in scoring position (in their eighth opportunity) as Brendan Ryan hit a double down the left-field line to plate two and tie the game. Ryan stole third and came home as Pierzynski threw the ball away attempting to throw Ryan out on the basepaths. The Mariners had reclaimed the lead, 8-7, but Dayan Viciedo would hit a two-out home run to once again tie things up in the bottom of the eighth.
The game headed into extra innings, but was largely uneventful until Jesus Montero led off the top of the 12th inning with a double. After Smoak flied out, John Jaso hit a double of his own to score pinch runner Munenori Kawasaki. The next batter, Chone Figgins, hit a single through the hole on the left side to plate Jaso and give the Mariners a 10-8 lead.
Saunders was 4-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored. Smoak, Jaso and Suzuki each had two hits in the game.
Seattle will try for the series victory in the rubber game on Sunday.
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