Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles took a gamble Tuesday that he’d surely want to have back.
The Mariners trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the 1st inning at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash.
The home team had the bases loaded with two outs as veteran slugger Justin Turner came up to the plate against Yankees starter Luis Gil. Turner spit on Gil’s first three pitches, which were all well off the plate.
But a boneheaded mistake from Victor Robles, who was standing at third base, abruptly ended the Mariners’ scoring threat. Instead of letting Turner take one more pitch, Robles decided to steal home. It did not work out.
Seattle had a golden, nay, platinum opportunity to score a run. Turner needed to induce just one ball to walk in a run. The 3-0 hitter’s count also would have given Turner, who has 7 career grand slams, a chance to take a couple of big swings.
Instead, the Yankees were able to escape with a scoreless bottom of the 1st.
It’s been that kind of a season for the Mariners. The team that once led the AL West by 10 games is now just hoping to sneak into the Wild Card round.