Mariners go neck and neck with Brewers, can’t pull win out as Milwaukee takes series
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – Coming off a multi-run loss to the Brewers in game one, the Seattle Mariners were able to play a tightly contested performance against Milwaukee in game two. A key aspect of the Mariners winning ways from the past few years continues to not work out, as Seattle failed to close out a win in a one-run game. Logan Gilbert allowed four runs through six innings but was able to find success in his outing. The Mariners had a four run third inning, but hardly any offense outside of that, and the Brewers were able to pull away in the top of the eleventh inning.
The Brewers can’t complete a pickoff attempt on Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez gets back to first (Photo by Liv Lyons)
Gilbert sees control issue, still strikes out eight
Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert had an interesting outing, for multiple reasons. Gilbert, and his pitching alter ego Walter, allowed four runs to the Brewers on five hits. Most of those hits came on balls that Gilbert had played right in the middle quadrant of the plate. While Seattle’s pitching mindset is to attack the zone and throw strikes, doing so (and having them land in that middle quadrant) allowed a good Brewers team to take advantage and make solid contact more than a few times, including Christian Yelich’s solo homer to begin the game.
“It’s honestly weird. I don’t know what to make of it. Some of my stuff felt fine. A couple of mistakes for sure to a couple of other good batters there, so things you can’t do. Got to put it in better spots there but felt like at times in the game I felt really good and tried to just make the most of it with a rough start there. Like I said, the team did great to put us back in it and too bad in the six there. Really tried to get away with the lead but feel like that last one’s on me for tying it up and sending us extra stuff like that. So, try to find a way to just go deep. ”
Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert allowed four runs over six innings (Photo by Liv Lyons)
Despite populating the middle of the zone and allowing two homers (both solo shots, one by Yelich and one by Willy Adames), the idea that Gilbert had poor control isn’t exactly true. Logan didn’t have a walk all game and struck eight Brewers batters throughout his six innings. Hell, he even got to display that splitter he’s been working on, getting a fun whiff out of a Milwaukee hitter that looked more like swatting at a fly that just flew near your face. Diving deeper into the numbers from his start, Gilbert didn’t have a bad start. It’s just unfortunate that the Mariners offense seems to have one spurt of firepower per game and then it’s gone.
“That’s what it seems like, and we’ve all seen it, it’s still so early. I remember last year at this time, there’s kind of a panic. It might have been May, but it just seemed like we weren’t playing well. Even at that time, I don’t know what it was, but I was super confident in the team, and I knew it wasn’t far off. It looked like we were playing really solidly, but just not quite finding a way yet. And then we get rolling, win 14 straight, stuff like that. Everybody forgets about it. So, I’m not worried about it. I think we’re really close to playing good ball and I think it’s going to come around here.”
Seattle relievers Matt Brash and Gabe Speier combined for two innings of scoreless of relief after Gilbert’s outing finished (Photos by Liv Lyons)
Four run third inning can’t sustain Seattle for nine innings
I’ve mentioned it over the course of the last two seasons, and I will continue to do so until we get consistent hitting from the Seattle Mariners. Their offensive production has often been far too reliant on the long ball and typically isn’t sustainable enough to help them reach successful heights. There hasn’t been enough hitting or getting on base to help add runs throughout the course of the ballgame, and that was the case tonight as all but one of the Seattle runs came in the third inning when the Mariners brought four across Homeplate. Seattle couldn’t produce anything else at the plate until the tenth inning with the ghost runner, needing to do so to tie the game back up.
The Mariners will have instances where things will click, building off balls in play, walks, and extra base hits, but it’s as if they’re held to a limited number of times that they can play like a competent offensive team. Following that third inning, Brewers pitchers faced the minimum of Mariners batters in every inning until the ninth. That simply cannot happen, especially with the sort of talent that’s in this lineup. Obviously there have been struggles from the bottom of the lineup and we discussed the designated hitter spot in our last game recap article, but these struggles are a huge part of why this team is struggling.
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh had two hits for one run and two RBI’s in the loss (Photo by Liv Lyons)
Quick notes
The Mariners lost 6-5 in 11 innings tonight…they fall to 0-4 in extra innings this season.
Despite the back-to-back losses, the Mariners have won 4 of their last 6 games.
Seattle drops the 3-game weekday series with today’s loss.
The Mariners first run of the night came off a Cal Raleigh double to right field which scored Rodríguez and France… the run was the first of a 4-run 3rd inning for Seattle.
Teoscar Hernández found his 10th RBI of the season with a sac fly to score Eugenio Suárez… Suárez had taken an automatic base after being hit by a pitch.
Tommy La Stella scored Raleigh with a flyout single to end the inning.
Julio Rodríguez went 2-for-6 tonight with 2 singles.
Rodríguez’s single (113.4 mph) was the Mariners’ hardest-hit ball of the season, surpassing Cal Raleigh's single (113.3 mph) on April 7 at Cleveland.
Ty France tied the game 5-5 with a sac fly RBI in the 10th… Kolten Wong, who was the automatic runner, scored for the 6th time this season.
Since the start of 2021, France leads the Majors in game-tying RBI (6) in the 9th inning or later, ranking ahead of Willy Adames (5) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (5).
Logan Gilbert tallied 5 hits, 4 runs (4 earned runs), 8 strikeouts, and two home runs through 6.0 innings.
His 8 strikeouts tonight put him 3rd in Mariners history for most strikeouts through 60 Mariners starts… behind Félix Hernández (351 SO) and Erik Hanson (349 SO).
Gilbert threw 99 pitches and 66 strikes tonight.
The Mariners bullpen combined for 5.0 innings, 1 hit, 2 runs (both unearned), 3 walks (1 intentional), and 7 strikeouts.
Matt Brash tossed a scoreless 7th inning with 2 strikeouts out of the bullpen. In 10 games this season, Brash has struck out 45.7% of the batters he’s faced, 2nd-highest in the American League.
Paul Sewald threw 15 pitches and 9 strikes for 2 strikeouts to keep Milwaukee scoreless in the top of the 9th inning.
Trevor Gott pitched in his 200th career game tonight.
Jose Caballero hit a deep flyout to center field and walked in his Major League debut.
Caballero had his first career stolen base in the 11th.
Christian Yelich opened tonight’s scoring with a leadoff home run to left field… it was his fifth career leadoff home run and first leadoff home run of the season (3rd home run).
Yelich has hit the Brewers’ last three leadoff home runs (tonight, 09/06/22, and 06/11/22).
Mariners’ CF Julio Rodríguez was called for a batter violation during the first inning
Brewers’ pitcher Devin Williams was called for a pitch timer violation in the ninth inning.
Seattle shortstop Jose Caballero got his first major league start in the loss (Photo by Liv Lyons)
What’s next?
The Mariners are going to aim at trying to salvage a game from this series against the Milwaukee Brewers when the teams meet for the third and final matchup tomorrow. The third game of this series is tomorrow, Wednesday April 19th with a first pitch time of 1:10PM PST. Seattle starter Marco Gonzales will return to the mound for the Mariners after missing his last start on the paternity list, as Marco and his wife Monica welcomed a new life into the world, named Siena Marie. Gonzales and his extra dad strength (he now has two kids) will duel against Brewers starter Eric Lauer.