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Ramos' HR caps Nats' stunning rally in ninth

Jun 22, 2011 - 4:51 AM Washington, DC (Sports Network) - Wilson Ramos blasted a two-out, three-run homer to cap a five-run bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Washington Nationals a thrilling 6-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game set.

The Nationals, who saw a season-high eight-game win streak come to an end on Sunday, received RBI singles from Jerry Hairston Jr. and Danny Espinosa in the frame, before Ramos blasted a David Pauley offering over the fence in left- center.

Pauley (4-1) suffered the blown save, while Brandon League, who started the ninth, was charged with three unearned runs. He left the game after being hit in the right leg with a line drive off the bat of Michael Morse.

The Mariners wasted a fine start from Doug Fister, who gave up one run in eight innings and added his first major league hit and an RBI.

Jayson Werth reached on a fielding error by first baseman Justin Smoak to begin the ninth, then advanced to second on a Roger Bernadina walk and to third when Ryan Zimmerman grounded into a double play.

League, who leads the AL with 20 saves, allowed Hairston to slap a ball up the middle, scoring Werth. Morse followed with a shot off League's leg, which placed runners at first and second.

Pauley entered the contest, only to allowed Espinosa's RBI single to right. Ramos then belted a 1-1 changeup into the seats, ending the contest in dramatic fashion.

"I was very excited after I hit that homer, because that was my first walkoff home run in my career," said Ramos. "So when I saw my teammates waiting for me at home plate I was very, very excited."

Early on, Seattle got on the board with a first-inning flurry. Ichiro Suzuki led off with a single to left, advanced to second on a Brendan Ryan groundout and came around to score on an Adam Kennedy single to right-center. Consecutive singles by Smoak and Dustin Ackley, who made his major league debut on Friday, plated Kennedy and placed runners on the corners.

Ryan began the third with a double, advanced a base on a Kennedy groundout and came home on an Ackley groundout, giving the Mariners a 3-0 lead.

In the fourth, with Franklin Gutierrez on second, Fister battled starter Livan Hernandez through an eight-pitch at bat before slapping a ball between first and second to score Gutierrez.

Ryan again set the table in the fifth, leading off the frame with a single to right and advancing to second on a Werth error. Kennedy followed with a single to right to score Ryan and chase Hernandez from the game.

With runners on first and second and one down in the sixth, the Nationals finally broke though, thanks to a Bernadina single up the middle, which plated Ian Desmond.

Todd Coffey (3-0) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win for Washington.

"Being resilient is what you have to do," said Mariners manager Eric Wedge. "Every now and then you're gonna get kicked in the teeth like this. When you do, you've got to pick yourself back up and, you know, learn from it."

Game Notes

With eight games left in the month, the Nationals need to win at least once to clinch the club's first winning June since 2005...Zimmerman has hit safely in 10 straight games...The Nationals have won seven straight games over the Mariners...Suzuki has a hit in 34 major league ball parks...Previously Fister was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in his career at the plate.