Down big early in the game, Seattle tried to make it interesting late against Texas. But there’s an often overlooked aspect about rallies — they only work when the other team stops scoring.
Even with the improved Seattle offense since the All-Star break — one that has been scoring runs in bunches of late — it was a deficit too large to overcome.
Down big early in the game, the Mariners tried to make it interesting late. But there’s an often overlooked aspect about rallies — they only work when the other team stops scoring.
After a less-than-stellar start from Taijuan Walker, the Mariners’ bullpen gave up three late runs over the final four innings that proved to be the difference in a 9-6 loss to the Rangers on Tuesday night in front of a sparse Safeco Field crowd of 13,389, the smallest of the season.
Wednesday
Texas @ M’s, 7:10 p.m., ROOT Sports
Meanwhile, the four-game series that offered a faint glimmer of hope for the Mariners to reinsert themselves into the race has started with two reality-check losses.
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“We battled back, but that’s a big deficit to overcome against a bullpen that’s been pretty good of late,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “I thought our guys gave a pretty good effort tonight. We had opportunities, but it was just a little too much to overcome.”
Seattle seemed headed for a forgettable, nondescript loss after the fourth inning.
Walker (10-8) gave the Mariners an uneven performance, reminiscent of starts earlier in the season. The right-hander served up three homers while allowing a total of six runs and never making it out of the fourth inning.
“He threw up a clunker,” McClendon said. “He just wasn’t very good.”
The life on his pitches and velocity were typical, but the fastball command was nonexistent.
“It was a bad game,” Walker said. “I had no command. I was getting behind every hitter … I have to get ahead with my fastball and they start sitting on it and put good swings on it.”
Walker’s innings-pitched total for the season is now at 1622/3, the most in his career. But this wasn’t a fatigue issue.
“Nothing,” Walker said. “I’m not tired. Everything feels really good. It was a bad game on my part. I should have went six and given up four to at least give us a chance.”
After cruising through the first inning without incident and picking up the first out of the second, Walker left a 2-0 cutter over the plate that Mitch Moreland crushed into right-center for a solo homer and a 1-0 lead.
It didn’t get any better in the third inning. With one out and runners on first and second, Walker put a 3-2 fastball on the inside half of the plate to Shin Soo-Choo, who pulled it down the right-field line for a three-run homer for a 4-0 lead.
Walker’s outing ended two batters into the fourth inning. He made a throwing error on Elvis Andrus’ swinging bunt and then gave up a two-run homer to Rougned Odor on a belt-high fastball over the middle of the plate. Odor’s homer pushed the lead to 6-1. McClendon had no choice but to go to the bullpen.
Texas tacked on another run in the sixth off reliever Jose Ramirez on a Will Venable double to make it 7-1.
After getting just one run on a bases-loaded, no-outs situation in the third inning against Rangers starter Cole Hamels, the Mariners didn’t score again until the seventh inning.
A well-placed infield single by Mark Trumbo started the minor rally. Logan Morrison followed with a ground-rule double and Jesus Montero drove in Trumbo with his second hit of the game. Shawn O’Malley plated another run with a sacrifice fly to right field and Jesus Sucre notched his second multi-hit game of the season with an RBI double to make it 7-4.
Texas answered with a run in the top of the eighth when Joey Gallo hit a solo homer into deep right off Tony Zych to make it 8-4.
The two extra runs against Seattle’s bullpen loomed large when Robinson Cano hit a two-run homer — his 15th of the season — to cut the lead to 8-6.
Texas tacked on a run in the top of the ninth on a fielder’s choice, aided by a leadoff walk from reliever Joe Beimel and an error by Kyle Seager.
Down three runs in the ninth, the Mariners went down 1-2-3.
| Effective change-ups | ||
| Win pct. | W-L | |
|---|---|---|
| .475 | M’s record this season | 66-73 |
| .493 | M’s record since Edgar Martinez named hitting coach June 20 | 35-36 |
| .625 | M’s record since Fernando Rodney DFA’d Aug. 22 | 10-6 |
| .636 | M’s record since GM Jack Zduriencik fired Aug. 28 | 7-4 |