Makeshift lineup can’t overcome 5-run calamity in 5th as Mariners fall to Angels

SEATTLE – As he wrapped up uncharacteristically angry and critical postgame comments late Monday night, manager Scott Servais, drained of any optimism, offered somewhat prophetic words.

“Adversity hits at different times and we’re looking at it right now,” he said quietly. “We’ll find out a lot about our club.”

With Julio Rodriguez and J.P. Crawford each placed on the 10-day injured list before Tuesday’s game at T-Mobile Park, the Mariners rolled out a lineup that was part Cactus League and part Pacific Coast League and nothing resembling a team tied for first place in the American League West.

But with Logan Gilbert making his first start after the All-Star break, there was some hope he would deliver another shutdown performance and the pieced-together lineup could scratch out a few runs to end a four-game losing streak against the Angels, who came into the day nine games out of first place in the West.

It didn’t happen.

After four perfect innings, Gilbert’s outing fell apart in the top of the fifth as the Angels scored five runs – aided by two errors and a walk. And for a team that struggles to score three runs in a game, recovering from a five-run deficit in five innings wasn’t going to happen in a 5-1 loss.

Adversity hasn’t just hit the Mariners, it’s pummeling them.

There is a sarcastic joke about hitting back to be made.

The Mariners have lost seven of their past eight games and dropped three straight series, including two to the Angels.

And yet, they still remain atop the division standings in a tie with the Astros, who have dropped the first two games of their series in Oakland.

Before the All-Star break, Gilbert closed out the first “half” of the season, tossing seven scoreless innings against the Angels in Anaheim, allowing only two hits with no walks and nine strikeouts. He took a no-decision and the Mariners lost the game when the bullpen imploded.

For four innings Tuesday, Gilbert pitched like he was going to deliver the Mariners’ first complete-game shutout. He retired the first 12 batters with ruthless efficiency, including four strikeouts and throwing only 46 pitches.

Any premature thoughts of a perfect game bid ended when Logan O’Hoppe ambushed a first-pitch slider and rifled a single to center to lead off the fifth inning. Nolan Schanuel followed a similar plan, jumping on a first-pitch fastball and sending a single to right. Both pitches were left up in the zone and over the middle of the plate.

Gilbert should have recorded an out in the inning when Josh Rojas gloved Brandon Drury’s ground ball down the third-base line. But Rojas’ throw bounced and rookie first baseman Tyler Locklear couldn’t catch it off the hop. The throwing error loaded the bases with no outs.

Gilbert followed with an uncharacteristic four-pitch walk to Mickey Moniak that gave the Angels the first run of the game.

The next batter, Zach Neto, decided to bunt for a single instead of trying to battle with Gilbert. The strategy worked, sort of. Neto’s bunt went toward the first-base side of the mound. Gilbert scrambled off the mound and made a sliding grab. But his off-balance throw as he was falling backward to catcher Cal Raleigh was nowhere near the plate. The ball bounced away, Schanuel scored on the fielder’s choice, and Drury was awarded home after colliding with Rojas. Two runs on a bunt that went about 18 feet

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