Mariners No-Hit Through 6, Late Comeback Comes Up Short in 6-2 Loss to Red Sox
Coming off a gratifying shutout victory against the Baltimore Orioles, the momentum slowed down for the Seattle Mariners on Friday night. Facing an underperforming Red Sox team limping into the Emerald City, Seattle looked primed to rattle off a win streak against a Boston squad fresh off suffering a sweep by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Boston had other plans however, capitalizing on poor pitching decisions, an inability to hit lefties, and a lack of bench depth, as the Sox punished the M’s mistakes at every turn to open the series with a 6-2 win at T-Mobile Park.
Julio Rodriguez homered in the ninth inning to drive in two runs, but it proved far too little, too late. Outside of the centerfielder’s blast, the Mariners had little to celebrate on Juneteenth as they donned their popular Steelhead jerseys, paying homage to the Negro League team that predates the M’s.
What went wrong in the Mariners’ latest defeat? Let’s dive right in:
Piggyback Plan Backfires
The last month of Mariners baseball has been defined by one overriding storyline: the piggyback. In his seventh start since returning from the IL, Bryce Miller continued to dominate. Combining his high-rising fastball with a diabolical splitter, Miller was nearly untouchable. Righties and lefties alike were outmatched for five innings as the Red Sox batters could only muster one run on three hits over five innings.
Manager Dan Wilson decided to bail out their cross-coast rival, pulling his young ace after only 66 pitches, despite the fact that Miller had thrown over 90 pitches in each of his last two outings. With plenty left in the tank and down a mere 1-0, the College Station product had to sit and watch his hard work go to waste from the clubhouse.
The purpose of the piggyback is to keep all six M’s starters fresh and stretched out with the goal to still pitch enough that they’re all primed to perform once the postseason rolls around while staying healthy and avoiding fatigue. Yet it seems like sticking to that philosophy has overshadowed Wilson’s prime duty as manager, which is to win.
Seasoned hurler Luis Castillo was thrust into a one-run game in the sixth inning and promptly squandered that opportunity. The three-time All-Star allowed five hits and four runs facing off against a struggling Boston lineup, effectively putting a once-winnable game well out of reach. Castillo’s final statline consisted of seven hits, five runs (four earned), with no walks, and four strikeouts. He wasn’t hit hard with four singles barely getting out of the infield, but hits are hits and he was far from on his A game.
While the Mariners still need to execute, the M’s once again will likely be under scrutiny for the continued usage of the piggyback strategy. Castillo has pitched out of the bullpen before and his stuff played up seeing an almost two mph uptick on his fastball. With a bullpen now missing set-up man Matt Brash, this should be an easy decision. But poor pitching decisions weren’t the M’s only Achilles’ heel Friday night.
Mariners Continue to Struggle Against Southpaws
Seattle has slashed .211/.292/.332 this year against left-handed pitchers, resulting in a pitiful .625 OPS. Lefty Ranger Suarez came to town ready to feast against a team missing its top option against lefties, Randy Arozarena, who remains sidelined by injury.
Known lefty-masher Rob Refsnyder was penciled into the lead-off spot despite running a 25 OPS plus, where 100 is league average. While OPS is not a perfect statistic, Refsnyder has significantly underperformed, leading most Mariner fans to question how he is still on the roster. The outfielder went hitless across four plate appearances with one strikeout on Friday, only making those murmors louder.
As such, the Mariners need help against lefties. Having to face two more southpaws this weekend will hopefully result in a decision on Refsnyder and Victor Robles. Both players' roster spots were earned mostly due to their theoretical ability to hit opposite-handed pitching. Robles at least is a plus corner outfielder defensively who can fill in for Julio Rodriguez in a pinch in center and be respectable.
Refsnyder has no such defensive value, with 40-grade range at best on the 20-80 scouting scale. The free agent addition profiles as a bat-only platoon player who has forgotten how to swing the bat. The sunk cost of the one-year, $6.25 million contract that the former Red Sox reserve signed should not ensure his tenure on the roster after this weekend if he continues to underperform.
Meanwhile, Suarez sustained a no-hitter heading into the seventh inning, which was finally put to an end by a loud Josh Naylor double that pushed Cal Raleigh to third. Second baseman Cole Young approached the plate with a chance to drive in two runs and worked a masterful seven-pitch walk, showing an advanced approach rarely found in a 22-year-old second baseman.
Skipper Dan Wilson, to his credit, made the right choice of subbing J.P. Crawford in for the struggling Victor Robles. Unfortunately, the move fell short as the fan-favorite struck out, leaving the bases loaded. Crawford’s lack of experience as an outfielder led to a tough defensive substitution in the next inning.
Defensive Mistakes Expose Depth Concerns
Unfortunately for Seattle, the M’s can’t seem to shake the injury bug and the lack of organizational depth is beginning to show. After Crawford pinch hit for Victor Robles in the seventh, he was promptly replaced by Connor Joe in the next inning for defensive reasons. Joe is lackluster in the outfield, which proved to haunt the Sodo squad.
So it’s no wonder why former top prospect Marcelo Mayer scorched a double towards Connor Joe in left. A routine play for most average outfielders, Joe took a poor angle to the ball having it land right behind him. To the dismay of the lively home crowd, the mistake allowed Caleb Durbin to score again.
Again, trotting out a lineup featuring Weston Wilson showcases how little depth Seattle keeps in their upper minor league teams. Relying on a career journeyman to man the hot corner on a contender is approaching malpractice. Rolling out a bench that includes multiple players with a track record of success in the big leagues is detrimental to the goals of this team. Additions need to be made, and difficult conversations need to be had regarding the lack of dependable depth on a team hoping to play well into October.
On Deck
Despite the Mariners not starting off this series well, they will need to redeem themselves quickly in order to remain atop the AL West. The M’s will attempt to get back in the win column Saturday night by sending Emerson Hancock to face-off against the young lefty in Connelly Early. Seattle is abuzz in the sporting world after showcasing a sold-out crowd at Lumen Field to watch the USMNT defeat Australia in the World Cup 2-0. The hometown baseball squad needs to rise up and dazzle their beloved hometown fans and capture the newfound energy that the World Cup has infused into the city.
