Mariners: 5 takeaways from tough series versus Houston Astros

We break down a losing series for the Seattle Mariners in Houston against the Astros, in which they lost three of the four games played.

There are plenty of Mariners fans who will admit to having a sense of impending doom when it comes to their team. This is what can happen when you have the longest active postseason drought in the Majors.

As such, even during Seattle’s excellent start to this season, those same fans have almost been waiting for/expecting something to go wrong. In this respect, losing three of four games in Houston certainly qualifies.

However, it is worth noting the 2021 edition of this ball club has a certain resilience to them, as demonstrated by several improbable late-innings comebacks. Their resilience was displayed once more on Thursday, as they avoided the sweep with a much-needed 1-0 win.

There’s plenty to discuss as we share five takeaways from the four-game set in Houston. And we start with some unexpected news:

5) Double dose of bad luck for Gonzales

To say it’s been a tough few days for Marco Gonzales would be an understatement. First up, it was a case of deja vu for him on Tuesday in his start against the Astros.

For the second straight outing, Gonzales had an excellent performance. He followed up a two-hit, one earned run effort versus the Dodgers with a five-hit, two earned run game in Houston.

Unfortunately for the 29-year-old he also had zero run support once again, as he notched up his third loss of the season. However, even this couldn’t compared to the bad news which came a couple of days later.

Speaking to the media ahead of Thursday’s game in Houston, manager Scott Servais announced that Gonzales was being placed on the 10-day injured list with a left forearm strain. Servais said:

“Coming out of the start the other night, Marco felt a little soreness [and] tightness in his left forearm. We were able to get him an MRI [on Wednesday].

“He does have a mild strain in his forearm, so he’s going to miss at least a couple starts. Fortunately it’s not too serious, but it’s something that we want to stay out ahead of. “

This is obviously a tough blow for the Mariners and their starting rotation, which was already dealing with durability issues. James Paxton is out for the season, while Nick Margevicius is also on the injured list due to shoulder inflammation.

The irony is that one of the reasons Servais decided to go with a six-man rotation this season, was in the hope that fewer starts for everyone would mean less injuries. Combined with the overall inconsistency of the starters, the Mariners face a tough period as they enter May.

It is understandable and smart for the long-term that Seattle is being cautious with Gonzales, who felt the injury in the final inning of his start on Tuesday. However, the key phrase by Servais in his announcement was ‘at least’.

The staff ace will be be out at least two to three weeks, meaning it could well be longer. As Servais added:

“That presents challenges; there’s no question about it. You lean on starting pitching so heavily in this league.”

As a result of Gonzales’ injury, Dominga Tapia has been activated from the taxi squad. Tapia made his Major League debut last season, going on to record a 2.08 ERA, two walks and four strikeouts in five appearances (4.1 innings and one earned run).

In terms of the starting rotation, the early indications are Robert Dugger is favorite to get the nod, despite the calls for Logan Gilbert. Whether this is a good idea remains to be seen, with Dugger recording a 6.21 ERA in eight career starts in the Majors.

NEXT: TOUGHEST START OF THE YEAR