Kiner-Falefa Hits Walk-Off Single, Rangers Beat Mariners 3-2
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — The night started with Texas celebrating retired infielder Michael Young. It was only fitting that the last remaining Ranger to play with Young helped end the night with another celebration.
Elvis Andrus doubled to start a two-run, ninth-inning rally that ended with Isiah Kiner-Falefa's walk-off single, and the Rangers got some help from video review along the way to beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 Saturday night.
Andrus, Young's teammate on the Rangers' back-to-back World Series teams in 2010 and 2011, scored the tying run after he was originally ruled out by home plate umpire Jansen Visconti. The play was overturned via replay review.
"There were a lot of thoughts that I had before the game, a lot of things that I put in perspective," Andrus said. "And one of those things was compete. That was one of the things that Michael always told me."
Texas had been held hitless since Andrus' RBI double in the third, when he started the ninth with a double against Matt Magill (4-2). After he went to third on Willie Calhoun's ground out, Nick Solak grounded to short. Andrus broke on contact and beat Dylan Moore's throw with a headfirst slide.
"I love that play because I can be a lot more aggressive than I am usually," Andrus said. "As soon as I made that contact I was gone."
Visconti ruled out, but crew chief Jerry Meals called for a review that overturned the play.
"You got to give it to him for getting an excellent read on it," Seattle catcher Austin Nola said. "There's nothing else you could do. He got a good read and had a great slide too."
Solak reached first, then went to third when Rougned Odor's grounder squirted off second baseman Dee Gordon's glove for a single that was originally ruled an error. Danny Santana was intentionally walked, and Kiner-Falefa stroked the winning single to right-center.
Emmanuel Clase (2-2) pitched out of a jam in the top of the ninth to get the win, one night after earning his first big league save.
Daniel Vogelbach had given Seattle the lead with a sixth-inning RBI single.
The Rangers are now 67-70.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
