With anger and disappointment emanating from him, Cal Raleigh looked for the best phrases as he tried to reply questions on all that had gone unsuitable for the Seattle Mariners during the last 9 video games.
He’d simply caught 10 innings within the Sunday afternoon sunshine and his towering fly ball to deep middle discipline that didn’t have fairly sufficient carry was caught on the warning observe for the ultimate out in a disheartening 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays.
After listening to a throng of visiting followers rejoice their defeat at T-Cell Park, he swapped his sweat-stained uniform for exercise gear and headed to the load room.
It was a exercise for energy upkeep but additionally provided an outlet for his frustrations after what was a horrendous homestand for a staff attempting to take care of a lead within the AL West. Nonetheless respiration heavy and dripping with new sweat and likewise cognizant of the tv digital camera recording his feedback, he tried to supply some perception into how the Mariners had misplaced all three three-game sequence at dwelling and seemed so dangerous within the course of.
“It’s by no means good whenever you lose a sequence, a lot much less three in a row,” he mentioned, stopping brief and pausing for a second. “It is advisable have a short-term reminiscence and neglect about it.”
Nevertheless it was apparent this most up-to-date defeat would linger. They didn’t lose the sport, however basically gave it away, with a sequence of failed and unproductive at-bats late, a lot of them strikeouts, towards one of many worst bullpens in all of baseball. The Mariners went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring place and left a small village of runners stranded on base — 15 to be actual.
“We simply didn’t do something,” Raleigh mentioned. “There’s nothing actually to say at this level. We didn’t come via. You’ve received to discover a manner. It falls on us, no person else however the gamers. Once we’re within the field, it’s on us. We’ve to make changes and we’ve received to discover a technique to get it completed.”
Seattle got here into the homestand with a powerful 27-12 file at dwelling however misplaced six of the 9 video games to drop to 30-18. Since they swept the Rangers in a three-game sequence in Seattle on June 14-16, the Mariners have misplaced six straight three-game sequence.
“I feel we pitched very nicely on this homestand,” supervisor Scott Servais mentioned. “We have been in all of the video games. We have been proper there. It was a matter of getting the massive well timed hit. We had alternatives to win loads of these video games late, however we simply didn’t execute. We didn’t come via late within the recreation. If you happen to don’t come via late, you aren’t going to win, I don’t care how good your pitching is. You’ve received to do one thing offensively and we haven’t completed it persistently.”
The Mariners have been 10 for 77 (.130) with three homers, 16 runs scored and 28 strikeouts with runners in scoring place over the homestand, which is atrocious manufacturing. Since being shut out in Cleveland on June 19, the Mariners are 21 for 127 (.165) with runners in scoring place with 4 homers, 35 runs scored and 43 strikeouts.
The Mariners received a usable begin from George Kirby. He held the Blue Jays to only one run over the primary six innings. His teammates gave him higher than anticipated run help, scoring 4 runs off Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios through the house run.
Victor Robles, who was beginning instead of Julio Rodriguez in middle discipline, made his first homer as a member of the Mariners a memorable one. He smashed a solo homer into the higher deck within the third inning for a 1-0 lead.
Within the fifth inning with the scored tied at 1, Mitch Garver took benefit of a misplaced changeup from his former Twins teammate, sending a fly ball into the Blue Jays’ bullpen for a three-run homer.
“I assumed when Garv received the massive homer it was going to be sufficient,” Servais mentioned.
It wasn’t
Kirby began the seventh inning, however didn’t file an out. He allowed back-to-back singles to the primary two batters he confronted — Alejandro Kirk and Leo Jimenez.
With the highest of the order looming and never wanting them to face Kirby for a fourth time within the recreation, the Mariners went to right-hander Ryne Stanek.
He made fast work of Kevin Kiermaier with a strikeout. However an 0-1 fastball to George Springer stayed up within the zone and out over the plate. Even at 98 mph, it was a pitch that Springer may deal with. He hammered the error, sending a fly ball over the wall in deep right-center for a game-tying three-run homer. It was Springer’s 25th profession homer towards the Mariners and 15th at T-Cell Park. The one opposing park the place he’s hit extra homers is Angel Stadium (17).
The Blue Jays seemed like they could add extra when two extra runners reached, however Stanek managed to work out of the inning with out permitting any additional harm.
With the scored tied at 4, the Mariners had ample alternative to take a lead. Berrios walked Robles and gave up a single to J.P. Crawford to start out the underside of the seventh. Toronto introduced in right-hander Nate Pearson. He received Garver to come out in foul territory, Raleigh to fly out to proper discipline and Luke Raley to strike out to finish the menace.
Within the eighth, Seattle loaded the bases with two outs when Zach Pop hit Rodriguez, who was pinch hitting for Robles, with a pitch. However Crawford, who got here into the sport hitting over .600 with the bases loaded, grounded out to second off lefty Brendon Little.
Within the ninth towards Blue Jays nearer Chad Inexperienced, Raleigh singled with one out and Raley hit a line drive to left-center that bounced over the wall for a double. Had it hit off the wall as a substitute, there’s a great probability Raleigh scores the profitable run on the play. Inexperienced struck out Ty France, deliberately walked Josh Rojas and received the slumping Jorge Polanco to come out in foul territory to finish the inning.
The Mariners seemed like they could get via the highest of the tenth with out permitting the automated runner to attain when Collin Snider retired Justin Turner and Bo Bichette with fly outs to proper. However Daulton Varsho singled with two outs to place Toronto up a run.
With pinch-runner Ryan Bliss at second to start out the inning, Dylan Moore received one of many two hits with runners in scoring place within the recreation with a one-out single off the chest of Vlad Guerrero at third. Bliss and Moore moved up a base on a double steal, which means the Mariners had two of their quickest runners because the tying run on third and the profitable run on second. However lefty Genesis Cabrera received Crawford to come out into foul territory for the second out. Garver labored a stroll to convey Raleigh to the plate. However the huge catcher, who has tormented the Blue Jays up to now, couldn’t ship.
“Each state of affairs is completely different based mostly who they’ve on the mound,” Servais mentioned. “We had pitches to hit or get in play and we weren’t in a position to execute. You’ve received to execute late in video games. That’s one thing we’re sometimes fairly good at. It doesn’t all the time occur for us. However when you might have that many possibilities, it’s irritating. Everyone goes dwelling tonight shaking their head. It’s a recreation that we should always have received.”
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