Mariners’ 1-run curse continues with latest crushing loss to As
OAKLAND, Calif. – The fun differential has been replaced by the fail differential.
No one in a Mariners’ uniform is having much fun these days as their failure to win close games continues to be magnified in a season that’s circling the drain.
For the second consecutive day, the Mariners watched the Oakland A’s celebrate a walk-off victory while moving another game closer to meaningless baseball in the games final weeks.
With Andres Munoz limited to pitching only in a save situation due to some elbow soreness, the Mariners were forced to change their late-inning pitching plan in the bottom of the ninth of a tie game.
Instead of Munoz or Collin Snider, right-hander Trent Thornton was called on to pitch. He issued a one-out walk to J.J. Bleday and gave up a single to Shea Langeliers that put the winning run in scoring position.
Any sort of out would’ve been fine. Instead, Thornton hung a 2-2 slider and Seth Brown drove it up the middle past a lunging, but not diving Jorge Polanco and into center field for a walk-off single and a 3-2 win.
The Mariners have sunk below .500 for the first time since April 17 when they were 9-10.
Of their four losses on this road trip, three have come via walk-off hits. And all six of Dan Wilson’s losses in his managerial career have been by one run.
Luis Castillo delivered a strong effort to give the Mariners a chance to win. He tossed seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Given a 2-0 lead before he even took the mound thanks to Cal Raleigh’s two-run double in the top of the first, Castillo gave a run right back, losing an early battle with the ultra-dangerous Lawrence Butler.
Castillo fired a pair of 2-2 fastballs at the top of the zone, trying to get Butler to swing through them. Instead, both were fouled off.
He went to his changeup for a different look. But the pitch was left in the middle of the plate and Butler sent it over the wall in right-center for his 21st homer of the season.
When Brent Rooker followed with a single, it looked like it might be the start to a long night for Castillo.
Instead, he retired the next 11 batters in a row. The string of consecutive outs was broken with two outs in the fourth inning when Seth Brown got on top of a 96-mph fastball and sent it over the wall in deep center, tying the game at 2.
Castillo wouldn’t allow another run over the next three innings, getting some help from Victor Robles, who made a brilliant leaping grab against the wall in right field on a deep fly ball and fired the ball to first double off Tristan Gray.
Rodriguez close to milestone
Julio Rodriguez stole his 20th base of the season in Monday’s loss, joining Ichiro Suzuki (2001-03) as the only players in franchise history to steal 20-plus bases in each of their first three seasons with the team. Rodriguez is one of only three active players to steal 20-plus bases in each of his first three seasons, joining Bobby Witt Jr. (2022-24) and Andrew McCutchen (2009-11). If/when Rodriguez reaches 25 stolen bases this season, he will join Witt as the only active players with 25-plus steals in his first three major-league seasons.