Mariners blow late three-run lead in loss to Rangers

SEATTLE – Even as other teams provide them hope for an impossible outcome and offer opportunity for a mildly miraculous path to the postseason, the Mariners, as they’ve done since mid-June – under both managers – simply refuse to capitalize on what has been given.

Needing to win to keep pace with the Astros in the American League West and also gain ground in the race for the third wild-card spot, the Mariners gave away a three-run lead in the late innings and couldn’t recover in a crushing 5-4 loss to the Texas Rangers on Thursday evening at T-Mobile Park.

Even the end felt familiar as Julio Rodriguez struck out swinging against Rangers closer Kirby Yates with Victor Robles representing the tying run on first base.

When Cal Raleigh threw out Adolis Garcia at second base to end the top of the sixth, the Mariners held a 4-1 lead.

A victory seemed plausible if not expected.

But the Rangers picked up a run in the top of the seventh when Nathaniel Lowe hit a solo homer off Troy Taylor.

Texas took the lead for good in the eighth.

Collin Snider gave up a one-out solo homer to Marcus Semien that cut the lead to 4-3. When Luke Raley couldn’t handle Josh Smith’s hard ground ball for an error, the tying run was on base. Wyatt Langford followed with a double that put runners on second and third with one out.

With the infield playing in for a play at the plate, Adolis Garcia hit a slow enough ground ball that the only play for J.P. Crawford was at first base, allowing the tying run to score.

Tayler Saucedo entered to keep the game tied and face the left-handed hitting Lowe. After not getting two strike calls, Saucedo gave up an infield single off the glove of Jorge Polanco that allowed the go-ahead run to score.

Like every inning after the fifth, the Mariners went scoreless.

While the pregame interest and in-game focus was on Kumar Rocker, the Texas Rangers’ first-round pick in the 2022 draft, who was making his much-anticipated major league debut on Thursday night at T-Mobile Park, it was Bryce Miller, a fourth-round pick in 2021, making his 54th MLB start of his young career, that delivered that the better outing.

Miller pitched six innings, allowing just one run on five hits, striking out seven and walking one in what was a no-decision.

The Rangers were a team that crushed Miller last season.

But armed with an array of new pitches this season and his nemesis Corey Seager out of the lineup and headed for another sports hernia surgery, Miller has fared much better against the Rangers.

In two starts vs. Texas in 2023, Miller pitched 62/3 innings , allowing 13 runs on 14 hits, including five doubles and three homers, with three walks and four strikeouts.

In two starts vs. Texas in 2024, Miller has pitched a combined 10 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits with five walks and 12 strikeouts.

Miller’s one run allowed came in the second when Josh Jung hit a first-pitch fastball and sent a solo blast over the wall in right-center for a 1-0 Rangers lead.

Working with a limited pitch count, Rocker completed four innings, allowing one run on three hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts. He threw 74 pitches with 47 strikes.

But from just those four innings, it’s easy to see that Rocker is going to be a problem for Mariners hitters in the future. Standing 6-5 and close to 250 pounds, he cuts an imposing figure on the mound. He also has imposing stuff, including a high 90s fastball and a slider that overwhelms hitters with its late and sharp break.

Rocker gave up a single to Victor Robles on his first MLB pitch. Julio Rodriguez followed with a single to right field to put runners on first and third.

But he came back to strike out Cal Raleigh looking and Randy Arozarena swinging for two big outs. Luke Raley’s hard line drive to right field was caught by Travis Jankowski for the third out.

He also worked around a pair of walks in the third inning, striking out Arozarena again with runners on first and third.

Rocker’s one run allowed came in the fourth inning when veteran hitter Justin Turner worked a full count and sat on a 96-mph fastball, hammering it over the wall in center field for a solo homer.