Mariners fail to capitalize on scoring chances in 4-3 loss to Giants

SEATTLE – The magical hit-filled inning never came, and it probably would be wise not to expect to happen often. Really, the Mariners needed just one hit on most occasions to change their fortunes. And there would be no walkoff magic in the bottom of the ninth.

Instead, Dan Wilson watched his team fail to take more advantage of nine walks, generate only four hits – none with runners in scoring position – and strand 10 base runners in a 4-3 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday at T-Mobile Park.

It was a loss like so many this season – enough pitching to have a chance to win but not enough offense to do so. Wilson saw plenty of them filling in on the broadcast or suiting up as a special assistant.

But now, it went next to his name in the record books.

“Still have a chance to win the series tomorrow,” Wilson said. “Just keep grinding away. I thought that at-bats were good, and we’ll just look to do more of that tomorrow in the series finale.

It was the 67th time this season the Mariners scored three runs or fewer in a game, falling to 13-54 in those games.

To make matters more frustrating, the Houston Astros lost for the second straight day in Baltimore and the Mariners failed to take advantage of it. Seattle sits 4½ games back in the AL West.

The expected pitchers’ duel between George Kirby and Blake Snell never really materialized.

Neither pitcher performed up to their usual elite level. They didn’t perform even to an average level given their superior ability.

Kirby didn’t have his typical command, constantly falling behind in counts, giving up plenty of contact that found holes while allowing a parade of base runners.

“I didn’t throw strikes and I didn’t get ahead,” Kirby said “So anyone’s gonna do that against me if I’m not getting ahead.”

Giants leadoff hitter Tyler Fitzgerald, who struck out four times in Friday’s series opener, reached on a bunt to start the game. With one out, Kirby hit Heliot Ramos with a pitch and walked Michael Conforto to load the bases. The Giants picked up a run on Matt Chapman’s soft liner to left field. Randy Arozarena made a diving grab on the play to prevent it from being a double, but FItzgerald tagged up and scored.

San Francisco pushed the lead to 2-0 in the second. Thairo Estrada led off with a double and later scored on Fitzgerald’s single to left field.

“I didn’t have my best stuff today,” Kirby said. “My velocity was a little bit down. I just had a hard time commanding the zone. There were times I was trying to get in there too much with two strikes, and I was letting up hits. I didn’t feel great. And it was one of those days where, you know, I didn’t execute either.”

Kirby didn’t even need to look at the stadium radar gun to know his velocity on his pitches was down.

“I could feel it from the very first pitch,” he said. “And I know that when it’s down a little bit, I need to work harder to execute and I wasn’t able to do it.”

But Snell gave the two runs right back in the bottom of the second.

The Shorewood (Washington) native, who has said often that he wanted to pitch in Seattle, walked three of the first four hitters he faced to load the bases. After striking out Leo Rivas for the second out, Snell issued walks to Luke Raley and Julio Rodriguez, giving the Mariners two free runs.

With minimal fastball command, Snell was lifted after three innings of work. He didn’t allow a hit, but he allowed the two runs on six walks with five strikeouts.

Kirby pitched a little deeper into the game, but didn’t make it out of the fifth inning. He gave up a two-out double to Michael Yastrzemski and an RBI single to Estrada that ended his outing. His final line: 4 2/3 innings pitched, three runs allowed on nine hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

“Hopefully I can execute a little better next week, and that’s the only issue,” he said. “If I get ahead, you’re done. If I’m not getting ahead, it’s harder for me to get whatever.”

Admittedly, he hasn’t felt good about his command in his last three outings. But it’s not something that requires a switch leading up to his next outing.

“I don’t want to change a whole lot,” he said. “It’s the smallest thing that has to happen. So I’m not going to be trying to find something drastic during the week because I’ve dealt with this last three starts. I haven’t really located that. that well. So I’ve just got to bear down and just figure it out. I feel great.”

The Giants added a key insurance run in the top of the seventh when Yastrzemski yanked a solo homer just over the wall in right field off right-hander Austin Voth to make it 4-2.

The Mariners cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the inning. Raley worked a one-out walk, advanced to third on Rodriguez’s double over the wall in right-center and scored on Arozarena’s bases-loaded fielder’s choice.

But the Giants bullpen made sure there wasn’t a repeat of Friday’s failures. Right-hander Camilo Doval, who was reinstated from the injured list before the game, cleaned up the mess in the seventh, not allowing any further runs and then worked a scoreless eighth.

In the ninth inning, right-hander Ryan Walker got the call in the save situation. Walker, a native of Arlington and a former Washington State standout, had pitched two scoreless innings, on Friday, striking out five of the six batters he faced, to get the win in extra innings

He picked up his third save on Saturday, striking out Raley and Rodriguez, allowing a a soft single to Justin Turner and getting Arozarena to ground into a force out.

Walker hasn’t allowed an earned run in his last 11 outings, pitching 12 2/3 innings, giving up six hits with two walks and 24 strikeouts.

Notes:

Victor Robles suffered a right index finger contusion in the first inning on a bunt attempt while leading off the bottom of the first. A 95-mph fastball from Snell hit Robles hand as he tried to bunt the ball. It was ruled a foul ball and he was removed from the game. Raley was inserted as a pinch hitter and lined out to center.

Wilson said Robles is day to day.

Raley is second player in Mariners history to record a pinch-hit appearance in the leadoff spot as the first batter of the game for Seattle. He joins Greg Briley, who pinch hit for Henry Cotto in the first inning of a game on May 20, 1991 at Kansas City. Cotto fouled a ball off his head and had to be removed from the game.