That game was nearly less bad than the last few games I’ve recapped. Nearly.
The Mariners lost 6-1 to the Rays on Saturday. But they had a shot right from the get go. Griffin Jax could not find the zone in the top of the first. Randy Arozarena drew a walk. Dom Canzone chopped a single into shallow right. Cal Raleigh battled and drew a walk to load the bases with one out. The Mariners could not deliver: Josh Naylor struck out on a middle-middle changeup; Luke Raley went down on three pitches.
But the
Mariners weren’t deterred and got right back to it in the second inning. Cole Young led off with a hustle double into the left-center gap the other way. Victor Robles bunted him over to third. Colt Emerson smacked a pitch at his eyes just far enough toward to center to work as a sacrifice fly. It wasn’t a sexy inning, but it gave the Mariners an early 1-0 lead.
Arozarena began the third with a walk — they really made Jax work in this one — and Cal later slapped a single the other way. Unfortunately, Naylor lined out right to the first baseman, and Arozarena was doubled off at second to end the inning.
Whatever momentum that was kind of just died from there. The Mariners sent one more than the minimum in the next three innings. With one out in the seventh, Victor Robles lined a ball just fair down the line in left for a double. Then Cam Booser picked up his fourth and fifth strikeouts in relief — another dominant outing for a lefty reliever against the Mariners.
It wasn’t over yet, though. Logan Gilbert kept the Mariners in the game. He picked up his 1,000 career strikeout to begin the second. He got Jonny DeLuca to swing at two high fastballs, then threw a filthy slider at the knees. DeLuca couldn’t lay off, and handed over the milestone.
Chandler Simpson singled on the next pitch. Ben Williamson fouled off a bunch of pitches before slapping a hanging curveball down the line for a double, tying the game at one. Gilbert would escape without further damage.
Yandy Diaz led off the third with a double deep to center. Jonathan Aranda followed with a double of his own to give the Rays a 2-1 lead. Gilbert was then forced to pitch around Junior Caminero, which wound up looking prescient, as Gilbert followed with a strikeout and a weak groundout to escape again.
Escape would be the word of the night for Gilbert. He allowed a runner in every inning he pitched, though he’d gotten through six with just the two runs allowed and 86 pitches. He came back out for the seventh and got two quick line outs.
But up stepped the lefty Aranda, and out came Dan Wilson to go to the pen. Gilbert, yelling through his glove, lobbied Wilson to leave him in the game. He did. Aranda immediately doubled, which meant Wilson had to intentionally walk Caminero before he could go get Gabe Speier. Here’s the first pitch he threw:
And that was pretty much the game at 5-1 Rays. But not before a couple more punches to the gut.
In the top of the eighth, Cal walked and Naylor doubled with two outs. Maybe they could claw back into this thing. But Mitch Garver came off the bench and went down on three pitches. It was an awful at bat, where he failed to challenge an obvious ball, chased out of the zone, then watched strike three down the middle. The Rays also picked up another run for themselves in the bottom of the inning with a bunt that Michael Rucker threw away into right field.
This was a nearly competitive game with a few solid performances. But the Mariners, once again, could not get a hit with runners in scoring position, and could not stand up to even a small amount of pressure. I have low expectations for the final game before the break tomorrow. I don’t know what to expect from there.
