The Mariners got their first chance at a save in the second game of the season Tuesday night at Minnesota, and the bullpen came up short.

Right-hander Brandon Morrow, whose battle with right forearm tightness this spring kept him from being stretched out enough to make it into the rotation, was given the first chance to close.

Morrow got two quick outs but then walked the bases loaded. Right-hander Miguel Batista, who'd thrown 18 pitches in a scoreless inning of relief Monday, was dinged for an infield hit by Denard Span that cut Seattle's ninth-inning lead to 5-4.

Minnesota second baseman Alexi Casilla then delivered a game-winning, two-run single.

Between them, Morrow and Batista had five chances to get the final out of the game and went 0-for-5. It's a continuation of the troubles of spring training when Morrow was hurt and Batista, along with right-handers Mark Lowe, Roy Corcoran and David Aardsma, all battled to win the closer's job and no one could.

Corcoran threw two shutout innings in the sixth and seventh Tuesday, and Aardsma threw a scoreless eighth. Between them, they retired all nine men they faced in relief of lefty Erik Bedard. Morrow stretched that streak to 11 in succession before the old questions and the old inconsistencies popped up once more.

TWINS 6, MARINERS 5: With Seattle one out away from a 5-3 win, RHP Brandon Morrow loaded the bases on walks in the bottom of the ninth inning, setting the Twins up for a stirring, come-from-behind win. RHP Miguel Batista took over with the bases loaded and wasn't able to get the one out the Mariners needed to go to 2-0 on the season. RF Denard Span beat out an infield hit to third base to cut the lead to one, and then 2B Alexi Casilla singled to center to bring home the tying and winning runs for the Twins, who had trailed 4-0 at one point.