Robbie Ray goes 7 innings, Mitch Haniger homers as Mariners beat Twins 2-1 on opening day

MINNEAPOLIS – That expected regression from the Mariners’ supposedly unsustainable success in one-run games last season?

Well, it will have to wait until at least Game 2 of the 2022 season.

Following a pattern that led them to 90 wins in 2021, including a 33-19 record in games decided by one, the Mariners opened this season filled with expectations of the postseason and more with a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

“How many times did we play this game last year?” manager Scott Servais asked after a long exhale. “I will say we’re very comfortable playing those games, the tight games and it really comes down to the pitching and execution.”

That started with left-hander Robbie Ray.

On a day where a steady wind gusting over 15 mph pushed on-field temperatures into the low 30s, Ray, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner and the Mariners’ top free-agent acquisition in the offseason, delivered a solid performance in his first career opening day start.

“I felt really good,” Ray said. “I felt like my stuff was really sharp today. My misses were right where I want them to be. My slider was crisp, and I threw a lot of fastballs early and was able to move it around.”

Pitching without long sleeves and wearing his signature form-fitting pants, and saying he wanted to “set the tone,” for the rest of the season in that start, Ray battled through seven innings, allowing one run on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts. He threw 96 pitches with 63 strikes.

“Robbie sets the tone in everything he does,” Servais said. “He’s just wired that way. He wants to be out front. He’s going to be super aggressive. It’s just fun to watch. It’s such a warm feeling, I guess is the best way to put it, when you know he’s out there.”

With a shortened spring training that limited pitchers to approximately four starts, no starting pitcher in Major League Baseball had pitched seven complete innings yet this season. And only four others have pitched into the seventh inning.

Servais, who joked before the game that Ray probably wanted to throw at least 120 pitches in his first outing, planned to pull Ray after the sixth inning and 86 pitches thrown.

The two men had a conversation about the situation.

“I didn’t think he was quite as sharp in the sixth, and it was time to pass the baton and that was going to be the end of his day,” Servais said. “But talking to him in the dugout and the look in his eye, it was ‘OK, you’ve got three hitters.’ ”

Ray worked a quick 1-2-3 inning.

“I told (Servais) I was ready and he said, ‘You’ve got three batters,’ and I said, ‘Done,’ ” Ray said. “I still felt strong going into that seventh inning so really happy to get through it.”

Ray became the fourth pitcher Mariners history to toss at least seven innings while allowing one run or fewer on opening day. Felix Hernandez did it five times in his career, as did in Randy Johnson in 1993 and Mike Moore in 1983.

He was introduced to what used to be the Hernandez-level of run support. Seattle spotted him a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-run homer from Mitch Haniger off Twins starter Joe Ryan and provided nothing more over the next eight innings.

With two outs and Ty France on first having been hit by a pitch, Haniger hammered a 0-1 fastball over the fence in deep left-center.

“It felt good,” Haniger said. “I didn’t have the spring I wanted, but I know what I need to work on. So it’s just trying to work hard in the cage every day and wait for things to click and that’s only a matter of time. This is definitely a good starting point.”

The Mariners had plenty of base runners, tallying five hits and working seven walks. But they were 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners on base.

“It happens,” Servais said. “It’s tough to get those guys in from third, but we’re gonna need to be more consistent there going forward.”

Ray’s one run allowed came in the third inning on one of the few curveballs he threw in the game. Gio Urshela golfed a low pitch, which didn’t look to be a strike, over the wall in left-center for a solo homer to cut the lead to 2-1.

“It was still a really good curveball, so I’m not even mad about it,” Ray said. “It’s one of those ones where you tip your cap and move on.”

Ray pitched with base runners in all but two of his seven innings but was able to pick up a pair of much-needed doubles plays, one of which he started, and notched timely strikeouts to not allow more runs.

The Mariners turned to their two best relievers in 2021 to close out the win for Ray.

Paul Sewald worked a scoreless eighth against the top of the Twins order, retiring Byron Buxton, Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco.

Drew Steckenrider found drama immediately in the ninth. He gave up a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Luis Arraez. But with Cal Raleigh blocking off-speed pitches in the dirt, Arraez stayed at first base Steckenrider got Miguel Sano to pop out in foul territory and Alex Kiriloff to go down swinging.

With two outs, Servais held his breath as Gary Sanchez hit a towering fly ball to left field that was caught by Jesse Winker leaning up against the wall to end the game.

“I was getting ready to jump,” Winker said. “I squatted down to jump and then I was like, ‘OK, I don’t have to jump.’ Off the bat … I thought I was going to have to jump and maybe bring something back. And I can’t jump that high, so it was going to be interesting.”