Woo takes no-hit bid into 8th before 'pen lets one slip away vs. Yanks

NEW YORK -- This was clearly the Mariners’ worst loss of the season. Right-hander Bryan Woo took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning, but the bullpen blew a five-run lead for a 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Yankees at Yankee Stadium to cap off a three-game sweep.

Seattle had a 5-3 lead going into the ninth inning. But closer Andrés Muñoz didn’t have a feel for his slider. It didn’t help that the Yankees noticed he was tipping his pitches. Muñoz managed to get two outs before Austin Wells ripped a game-tying two-run single to right field that plated Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger to tie the score at 5.

“Obviously, they weren’t discreet. But it is part of the game," Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh said of the Yankees runners signaling. "It’s our job to know that going into a series. That made it really hard at the end. It’s something we have to figure out in the next couple of days, for sure.”

New York won the game an inning later when left-hander Gabe Speier allowed a sacrifice fly to Aaron Judge. Speier felt bad that the bullpen spoiled a great outing from Woo, who had his best start of the season, pitching 7 1/3 innings and allowing two runs on just two hits. He forced 14 swings and misses, and his fastball was clocked as fast as 98.7 mph.

“Bryan pitched so well today. As a bullpen, you want to come in and back that up and get the win for him,” Speier said. “We weren’t able to do that tonight. It’s tough, and tough to swallow. We would have been happy to take one [game] here after the first two losses, but it was a tough loss.”

Woo showed the Yankees why he is a first-time All-Star. At first, it looked like Woo could be in for a long night. He walked the first two hitters he faced, which already equaled a season high for the right-hander, but Woo regrouped and retired the next 20 hitters -- including five strikeouts -- before allowing consecutive singles to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Ben Rice to start the eighth inning. Chisholm scored on a sacrifice fly by Wells.

Woo then left the game in favor of Matt Brash, who allowed a two-run homer to pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton.

“[Woo] had great stuff tonight,” manager Dan Wilson said. " … His stuff was better than we’ve seen all season long. It was an outstanding effort for him today.”

Woo, who wasn’t available to the media after the game because of a family situation, has completed at least six innings in each of his first 18 starts this season. Only Randy Johnson (20 straight in 1993) has a longer such streak to start a season in Mariners history.

In his past five starts, Woo is 3-0 with a 1.11 ERA, 37 strikeouts and nine walks over 32 1/3 innings.

“He has good stuff, he locates well, he is efficient on the mound [and] he is able to miss barrels," Raleigh said.

The Mariners gave Woo some run support against Yankees starter Marcus Stroman in the second inning, when Cole Young singled to left field to drive in Luke Raley. Two innings later, Dominic Canzone came home on a single by Miles Mastrobuoni to make it a 2-0 game.

Right-hander Clayton Beeter was on the mound when Seattle made it a five-run game in the top of the seventh inning. With J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena on base, Jorge Polanco swung at an 0-2 pitch and hit the ball over the right-field wall for his 14th homer of the season.

But the Mariners ended up losing the game and now travel to Detroit for a three-game series against the Tigers. That’s not going to be an easy series as Detroit has the best record in baseball -- and reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal takes the mound in Friday's opener.

“These are emotional losses, but nothing you can’t come back from,” Wilson said. "We’ve all been through it. It’s time to reach down a little bit and find [the victories].”