Randy Arozarena Hits Walk-Off Home Run to Lift Mariners Over Chicago Cubs

Kade Anderson Debuts as Seattle Searches for a Spark

The Seattle Mariners opened the weekend looking for a lift during a difficult stretch in the standings, turning to 22-year-old left-hended pitching prospect Kade Anderson for his major-league debut on Saturday against the Chicago Cubs. The southpaw was drafted third overall just a year ago, made his professional debut at Double-A and sailed through 18 breezy-to-dominant starts, started the All-Star Futures Game, and is now in the majors. Anderson has redeemed with startling efficiency all the pre-draft chatter about him being big-league ready right out of college, but he is also basically not at all what this team needs right now. The Mariners carry the third worst slugging percentage in baseball and the second worst OPS, and Statcast says they are the second-worst team by wOBA.

Anderson kept Chicago hitless through three innings thanks, in part, to Arozarena, who robbed Miguel Amaya of a home run in the top of the third. Seiya Suzuki hit a single in the fourth for the Cubs’ first hit of the day, but Anderson continued to hold the Cubs scoreless until the fifth inning, with Chicago scoring off a Kevin Alcantara sacrifice fly. Anderson had another home run close call in the top of the sixth, as Pete Crow-Armstrong powered a shot to deep right-center that bounced off the wall rather than go over it, before Seattle picked up a wild double play thanks to some great fielding from first baseman Josh Naylor, who caught Crow-Armstrong too far off the second-base bag. With two outs, disaster struck as Alex Bregman powered a solo homer, his third of the series.

Christian Walker Hits Walk-Off Home Run as Astros Stun Mariners

The 2025 No. 3 overall draft pick made his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, hoping to give the middling Seattle Mariners a boost against a strong Cubs team, and pitched five solid innings before allowing consecutive homers in the sixth to leave his first major-league outing with a sour finish. Luckily for Anderson, the Mariners won 5-4 on a two-run walk-off homer from Randy Arozarena, who smacked his second home run of the night. It didn’t take long for Anderson to put on a show as the rookie closed out the top of the first inning with his first career strikeout as Alex Bregman went down swinging.

Jacob Webb and the Cubs Stumble in the Ninth

Jacob Webb spun around on the mound and kept an eye on Pete Crow-Armstrong as the Cubs center fielder raced back to the wall at T-Mobile Park. Crow-Armstrong jumped and hit the padding, but the baseball Randy Arozarena just launched sailed well beyond his reach. It was a gut-punch of an ending to a game the Cubs had under control against the Mariners. That last out slipped out of Webb’s grasp, and Arozarena enjoyed every step of his animated, celebratory trot that sent the North Siders to a 5-4 loss in walk-off fashion on Saturday night.

Mariners Home Run Derby Highlights

Just some poor execution on my part, Webb said. That has been a rare sight from Webb, who has grown into one of manager Craig Counsell’s most trusted high-leverage arms and earned the bulk of the closing opportunities in the process. As injuries and other issues have threatened to hobble the bullpen at various points this season, Webb has been a steady hand for the group. The North Siders are not precisely where they want to be in the standings – leading the National League Wild Card field, but now six back of the Brewers in the NL Central – but it is hard to imagine where the relief corps would be without Webb’s performance to date. Prior to Saturday, the righty had not surrendered a run since June 20.

Lefty David Peterson, who started Saturday for the Cubs, was acquired by Chicago on June 25. He’s been unbelievable, Peterson said. I think this might be the first little bump in the road for him since I’ve been here. It’s going to happen, but it doesn’t take away from how good of a pitcher he is, how good he’s been.

Randy Arozarena Delivers the Second Straight Walk-Off

Randy Arozarena plays with a level of confidence that can be great when it works and maddening when it doesn’t. He doesn’t exactly move through a baseball game quietly, even when he’s jogging for a ball hit into the corner of left field in the fifth, and then laying out for a fly ball in the 8th. He’s just as likely to burn your challenges in the 1st inning, and hit a walk-off in extra innings. He reacts big, plays big, celebrates big, and usually carries himself like he’s keeping a secret from everyone in the stadium.

Cal Raleigh Blames Himself for Mariners Offensive Struggles

At this point, the controversy that enveloped Arozarena and Cal Raleigh at the World Baseball Classic just won’t die, increasingly because of Arozarena’s silence. Arozarena has spoken since directing two of the seven words you can’t say on TV at his Mariners teammate, issuing a statement via the Mariners after he returned to Peoria from his stint with Mexico during the WBC: “We didn’t get the results we wanted with Team Mexico, but I’m glad to be back in camp with my teammates. The WBC is behind us now, and I don’t want anything to take away from the Mariners. I’m focused on the season and helping this team compete for a World Series.” Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times observed that the two-time All-Star “isn’t verbose,” and a week later, the situation still casts a cloud over Mariners camp while Josh Naylor had some fun with it when he and Canada met Raleigh and Team USA in the WBC quarterfinals.