SEATTLE — Mariners starter Logan Gilbert can thank his jersey for stopping at least one earned run Wednesday.
With a runner on third in the first inning of the Mariners’ 5-4 victory over the Athletics, Carlos Cortes belted a line drive at the Seattle right-hander and the ball somehow lodged in Gilbert’s jersey.
Gilbert grabbed at his stomach and turned to locate the ball as Cortes made his way down the first-base line, only to find he in fact caught it — well, kind of — in his shirt.
“It happened so quick, I wasn’t quite sure what happened,” Gilbert said. “And then, I mean, I hurt a little bit after that. So, had to take a second.”
Cortes was credited with a single as the play was considered dead, but Nick Kurtz remained at third base. Shea Langeliers advanced to second base.
Gilbert was aware of the rule that awarded Cortes first base yet still considered himself lucky.
“At first, I thought I was pretty fortunate that it was a catch,” Gilbert said. “But I guess it wasn’t a catch. But at the same time, if they hit it like 110 off the bat, I don’t really feel like I deserve an out there.”
Mariners’ head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson briefly examined Gilbert, but he remained in the game and made it through the inning. After the game, in which Gilbert gave up three runs in four innings, he revealed he had a bruise on his stomach, as well as a cut on his left hand.
Otherwise, Gilbert said he was fine, much to the relief of teammates such as first baseman Josh Naylor, who hit a walk-off single Wednesday.
“Anything hit back to the pitcher with that exit velocity’s kind of scary,” Naylor said. “You never know what’s going to happen. So, I’m glad he’s OK.”
Manager Dan Wilson commended Gilbert for bouncing back, though he did allow two earned runs on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Soderstrom and an RBI single by Jeff McNeil in the first inning. Gilbert joked postgame he no interest in exiting the game since the incident happened so early in it.
“That was crazy,” Gilbert said. “That was a freak thing, to end up through the jersey, too.”
