Mariners stun White Sox with improbable rally

SEATTLE — In a finish to a game that baseball fans just don’t see very often, Adam Lind’s pinch-hit two-out, three-run home run in a four-run bottom of the ninth inning stunned the White Sox and thrilled the Safeco Field crowd in a wild, improbable 4-3 Mariners victory on Monday night. After White Sox ace Chris Sale dominated Seattle for eight innings, Chicago closer David Robertson could not shut the door in the ninth, and Lind’s blast sealed it for Seattle.

“It’s really easy to give up, say, ‘Ah this isn’t our night,’ and move on,” manager Scott Servais said. “And we don’t do that. This club doesn’t do that.”

Trailing 3-0 heading into the final frame, Franklin Gutierrez singled off Robertson, and Robinson Cano hit into a fielder’s choice forceout. After a Nelson Cruz walk and a Dae-Ho Lee strikeout got Seattle down to its final out, Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager singled in a run. Then Lind came to the plate, and on the second pitch of his at-bat, he slammed a 92 mph cutter over the wall in right center field in front of a mesmerized, giddy crowd of 20,598.

“[Sale] did what an ace does,” Robertson said. “He went eight innings, didn’t give up any runs, and I went in there and just blew it. I pitched poorly. I gave up hits, I walked guys and I didn’t get the job done. It’s pathetic on my part.”

The late turn of events nullified a narrative that had built over eight innings in which Sale was the story for being in line to become the Major Leagues’ first 15-game winner in 2016. Meanwhile, Chicago’s offense was on its way to doing just enough to support him. The White Sox had been struggling of late but came to life in the first inning when shortstop Tim Anderson, the second batter of the game, belted a pitch from Seattle starter Wade LeBlanc into the upper deck in left field to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. Todd Frazier made it 3-0 with a …

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