Polanco's home run leads Mariners to 4-2 Opening Day win

SEATTLE - Jorge Polanco went 3-for-3 with a tie-breaking two-run home run off Athletics reliever José Leclerc in the eighth inning as the Seattle Mariners beat the A’s 4-2 on Opening Day.

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 27: Jorge Polanco #7 of the Seattle Mariners hits a single in the second inning against the Athletics on Opening Day at T-Mobile Park on March 27, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

Polanco had three hits in a game just four times all of last season with Seattle. The first instance didn’t even occur until July 27. But in his first game back with the Mariners after re-signing this offseason, Polanco delivered.

A 95-mph offering from Leclerc was driven over the center field wall to give the Mariners their first lead of the night. Andrés Muñoz pitched a scoreless save to pick up his first save of the season.

"It’s very gratifying," Polanco said. "It was a special game. I went through a lot of stuff last year. I worked very hard during the offseason to get better. I’m feeling really good. It’s just awesome, man."

Logan Gilbert allowed just one run on two hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in getting the Opening Day nod for Seattle. Tyler Soderstrom homered twice for the Athletics – who are playing this season in Sacramento and officially going by only their "Athletics" moniker. Soderstrom got Gilbert once, and Trent Thornton again in the eighth inning as the A’s held a 2-1 lead late.

Randy Arozarena homered off Leclerc to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth before Polanco’s blast served as the game-winner.

"Great ballgame and a great way to start the year," manager Dan Wilson said. "The late-inning heroics were unbelievable. Fans were outstanding. It was a great to be at home for this one."

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Polanco delivered Seattle’s first hit of the year on a sharp single in the second inning, and A’s starter Luis Severino hit Rowdy Tellez with a pitch to put a pair of runners on. But Ryan Bliss grounded into a double play to end the inning.

On the final at-bat of the third inning, Lawrence Butler lined a pitch back off Gilbert that caught him in right glute. Eduard Bazardo did begin warming up in the bullpen between innings, but Gilbert stayed in the game and continued to shine.

"It definitely squared me up pretty good," Gilbert said. "Honestly, it was probably the best place it could have hit, because he smoked that ball and I wasn’t getting out of the way in any time. It left a little bruise, but we got him out. So I’ll take it."

Gilbert clarified later it was a bad bruise, but any real damage appears to have been avoided. Despite the welt, Gilbert looked to be in form against the Athletics lineup.

"Early in the season, I always want my best stuff," Gilbert said. "And stuff-wise, I felt like I was fine. But I wasn’t throwing 100 mph or anything out there. I was getting ahead. The slider felt really good and having the splitter when I needed it. As far as execution goes, I’d say I felt like I was up there."

In the fifth, Bliss delivered a leadoff walk and advanced to third with a stolen base and throwing error from catcher Shea Langeliers. Julio Rodríguez’s ground out to first base negated that scoring chance for Seattle.

Then, in the sixth inning, a walk from Arozarena and a single from Luke Raley put two runners on with one out. But an ill-advised bunt from Polanco cost the Mariners an out and a filthy sweeper from Severino painted the corner for a strikeout to end the threat. Polanco was trying to bunt for a base-hit with third baseman Gio Urshela deep, but it didn't work out.

"We’ll get a chance to talk about it, but I’m glad that he’s trying to see things," Wilson said. "He’s a veteran guy. He knows what he’s trying to do, but we will have conversation about it."

Polanco was asked postgame if he's going to try a bunt again anytime soon.

"Yeah, probably not," he said with a laugh. "I bunted and things didn’t go how I wanted. But I just stayed in the moment and forgot that at-bat. You always got a new at-bat."

SEATTLE, WA -MARCH 27: Jorge Polanco #7 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates with Rowdy Tellez #23, left, and Luke Raley #20 after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning against the Athletics on Opening Day at T-Mobile Park on March 27, 20

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Bliss and J.P. Crawford drew consecutive walks off reliever Tyler Ferguson to open the seventh inning before some chaos set in. With Victor Robles attempting to lay down a sacrifice bunt, Langeliers missed catching a Ferguson pitch that went to the backstop. Langeliers seemingly believed the pitch had been fouled off and didn’t chase after it. Instead, Bliss and Crawford advanced and Bliss tried to swipe home with the ball being ignored. However, third baseman Gio Urshela recovered the ball and got it to Ferguson for the out as Bliss’ foot bounced above the plate on his slide.

Seattle did finally breakthrough as Robles delivered a sacrifice fly to center field that drove in Crawford to tie the game at 1-1.

Soderstrom quickly restored the lead in the eighth, driving a cutter from Trent Thornton on a line over the right field wall for his second bomb of the night.

Arozarena answered with a blast of his own in the bottom half of the inning. A slider from José Leclerc was launched off the face of the upper deck in left field to make it a 2-2 game. Arozarena slammed his bat to the ground and beat his chest in full celebration of the blast.

After a one-out walk from Luke Raley, Polanco made up for his failed bunt by taking Leclerc deep to center field for a two-run home run and a 4-2 Mariners lead.

After a leadoff walk from Muñoz, Brent Rooker struck out for the fourth time in the game, and JJ Bledey grounded into a double play to end the game.

The Source: Original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.