ARLINGTON -- Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz absolutely crushed a 3-1 pitch from Rangers starter Bartolo Colon in the fourth inning on Saturday night, but alas, after a brief crew-chief review, the second-deck moonshot down the left-field line a foul ball was ruled to stand.
On his next swing, Cruz left no doubt. He ripped a two-run homer not far to the right of where the previous foul ball landed in the Mariners' 9-7 win. The ball traveled a projected 453 feet with an exit velocity of 113 mph and a 23-degree launch angle, according to Statcast™.
"He didn't miss that pitch again," Mariners right fielder Mitch Haniger said. "It just shows you how good a hitter he is to stay mentally composed and do it again on the next swing."
Cruz's homer, his fourth of the season, was reminiscent of the walk-off grand slam he hit in the 2011 American League Championship Series as a member of the Rangers, but Saturday's blast landed a few flights of stairs higher, in the lower suites.