Mariners Squander Comeback Effort in Extras, Fall in 6-5 Walk-Off Heartbreaker to Marlins
The Seattle Mariners flew into south Florida as victors of five of their last six games, riding a wave of momentum back to the top of the AL West standings. Ready to build on their back-to-back series wins, Seattle was primed to go on a winning streak heading into the All-Star break this upcoming weekend.
The upstart Marlins had other plans, however, walking off their American League opponent in the bottom of the 10th inning to steal the series opener.
Hurler Bryan Woo continued to struggle on the road, allowing 10 baserunners and three runs across just five innings.The Marlins raced ahead to a 4-0 lead as the Mariners failed to score until the fifth. Seattle had the bases loaded in the fourth inning and came away with no runs, continuing a trend where the team seemingly forgets how to hit until the fifth inning or later.
Seattle rallied to a 5-4 lead in the eighth, but it proved insufficient as they were walked off two innings later, sealing another frustrating loss for a team intent on playing below their potential. Here are some takeaways from the first game of the series in Miami:
Lack of Bullpen Depth Rears Ugly Head Again
José Ferrer and Eduardo Bazardo dominated in the sixth and seventh innings, allowing no Marlins to reach base or score, enabling the road squad’s lineup to get them back into the game and eventually jump out in front. Yet after coming back to take the lead, skipper Dan Wilson couldn’t pull the right strings to keep that advantage.
Nobody is perfect, but Gabe Spier has been close to it this year. Entering Tuesday’s game, Spier was rocking a 1.64 ERA across 22 innings, ranking fourth among American League relievers with at least 20 innings pitched. But pinch hitter Heriberto Hernández got the better of the lefty on Tuesday night, smacking a no-doubt home run that traveled 422 feet. This would extend the game long enough for Miami to claw out a victory in the 10th inning.
Closer Andrés Muñoz did his job in the ninth by getting three straight outs. After not scoring in extras, Wilson had no high-leverage arms left to turn to, as a spot normally occupied by Matt Brash is now filled by the veteran Michael Rucker. Choosing not to bring his closer out for a second inning despite only having nine pitches thrown, Rucker’s insertion into the game signaled the waving of the white flag as he recorded as many outs (one) as he did runs allowed.
Stating the obvious, the Mariners need to acquire some reinforcements for their bullpen as the deadline quickly approaches. Waiting for Brash to be healthy is not a plan for a contending team that needs to win now. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto needs to turn to the ever-volatile reliever trade market to give his manager more high-leverage bullets in the chamber, but it is worth wondering if Wilson should have stuck with Muñoz on Tuesday night instead.
Injuries Taking a Toll
Since Julio Rodriguez landed on the seven-day Injured List for concussion protocol, Victor Robles has since manned center field, committing a costly error in the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday night.
With a man on first, Miami designated hitter Liam Hicks smacked a double into the left-center field gap. Robles cut it off but bobbled the ball, allowing Hicks to advance to third base. He then scored on a sacrifice fly from the next batter. Woo induced an inning-ending groundout from the next hitter. That error proved fatal as the M’s lost by one run and likely wouldn’t have occurred if the sure-handed Rodriguez was roaming center field.
In the top of the eighth inning, Robles came up to bat with runners on second and third and a chance to build on a one-run lead. He flew out sharply to center field and the lack of a cushion came back to bite Seattle.
Lefty-masher Dominic Canzone is nursing a hamstring injury, leading to him being replaced by a pinch runner in the top of the 10th inning. Journeyman Weston Wilson took over as the automatic runner and promptly got thrown out when Cal Raleigh hit a sharp grounder to short on an increasingly common baserunning mistake for a team that cannot afford such mental errors.
As noted previously, Brash’s right lat strain has hurt the Mariners’ ability to close out games. He is projected to return at the end of July or the beginning of August, depending on how his rehab progresses.
The team could also use Brendan Donovan’s calming presence in the lineup. Thankfully, he is expected to rejoin the big league ballclub after the All-Star break after a tough first half where he battled numerous injuries and setbacks.
Cole Young Continues to Shine
Despite another infuriating defeat, there was one positive from their extra-inning loss. Second baseman Cole Young demolished a solo home run for his 10th of the year, giving him an outside shot at 20 bombs as one of the most improved power hitting middle infielders in the game.
Power has never been Young’s calling card, and most prospect evaluators expected it to take a few years for him to grow into a 12-15 home run hitter at his best. Still only 22 years old, and nowhere near his prime, his newfound homer swing coupled with his smooth defense could make him one of the best second basemen in the game in short time.
The Pennsylvania native also worked an impressive 11-pitch walk in a tight spot in the eighth, showing off his trademark strike-zone awareness and expert swing decisions. He leads all MLB second basemen in defensive WAR (1.5) and leads AL second basemen in overall WAR at 2.9. At this rate, his profile has changed from an above-average starter to a potential perennial All-Star for the Mariners.
On Deck
Seattle sends command-artist George Kirby to the mound on Wednesday to face off against struggling righty Tyler Phillips. Phillips is coming off a dreadful outing, allowing five earned runs and failing to get out of the fourth inning for Miami. He will look to get right against an M’s lineup that has shown signs of life over the past week and change.
