Mariners’ Cal Raleigh admits closer was tipping pitches during meltdown vs. Yankees..
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh says closer Andres Munoz was tipping pitches during his ninth inning collapse.
The Seattle Mariners were on their way to beating the New York Yankees on Thursday night. Bryan Woo had a no-hitter going through seven innings and a five-run cushion. But the Bombers staged a comeback, winning 6-5 in extra innings. Mariners closer Andres Munoz blew the save in the ninth, and catcher Cal Raleigh thinks he figured out why. Dan Martin of the New York Post has more on the pitch tipping.
“He was tipping it every time [with a runner] at second base,” Raleigh said. “Obviously, they weren’t making it very discreet. It’s part of the game. It’s our job. We should have known about that going into the series. They made it really hard there at the end.”
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On this pitch that sent Austin Wells to the plate in the ninth, Trent Grisham waves his arms in the air. Cody Bellinger did the same thing during Wells’ at-bat. The Yankees’ catcher drove in the tying run after working a full count. While it was hardly a subtle move, it evaded Raleigh, Munoz, and the Mariners long enough to change the game.
The Yankees’ offense was anemic to start the game, getting just three runners on base in the first seven innings. But when Jazz Chisholm Jr broke up Woo’s no-hitter, that unlocked the entire offense. Giancarlo Stanton hit a home run in that inning to close the gap to 5-3 and set up the crazy ninth inning.
Munoz got Aaron Judge and Chisholm to fly out before a run scored in the ninth inning. But Rice forced the walk, and Wells hit a two-run single to flip the game. Getting production from the young depth in the Yankees lineup will be important for their season, as Judge and Chisholm won’t hit 1.000.
The Yankees finish the first half with a home series against the Cubs. Meanwhile, the Mariners head to Detroit to face the Tigers.
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