Mariners: 3 takeaways from series sweep versus the Detroit Tigers

2) Gilbert struggles again in second start

Heading into Logan Gilbert‘s Major League debut last week, it was widely accepted he would experience plenty of growing pains. As such, the five hits and four earned runs he allowed in 4.0 innings did not cause any alarm.

It helped that Gilbert also flashed glimpses of his talent against the Indians. His fastball reached up to 97 mph as he generated 10 swinging strikes and five strikeouts, while also recording no walks.

However, it has to be accepted the 24-year-old took a step back during his second start on Wednesday, against the Tigers. He began in similar fashion to his first appearance with a prompt 1-2-3 opening inning, before things went awry.

Unfortunately for Gilbert, similarities to his Major League debut also included more struggles with his control and finding a reliable second pitch. He walked the first batter he faced in the second inning followed by a couple of hits, resulting in a 2-0 lead for the visitors.

The 2018 14th overall draft pick bounced back to record the three outs needed to escape the second, but was met with more adversity in the following inning. He allowed another walk and two more hits, leading to a third run for the Indians.

It was at this stage Mariners manager Scott Servais decided to make a change on the mound. It was tough to argue with this move, given that Gilbert threw 39 pitches in the third inning with one out still remaining.

As such, the right-handed pitcher’s night ended with a stat line which included four hits, three earned runs and just two strikeouts. In addition, his struggles with control were highlighted by just 43 strikes on 74 total pitches.

This makes for tough reading when looking at Gilbert’s combined efforts in his first two Major League starts. He has a 0-2 record, 9.45 ERA and 1.65 WHIP, while pitching just 6.2 innings.

A frustrated Gilbert discussed how he attempted to get through the struggles during his abbreviated second outing. Speaking to the media, he said:

“You’ve got to find a way to get them out and find a way to earn the outs. That was challenging tonight.

“I’m just trying to be creative, finding different ways to do it, especially when I didn’t have a great feel for my pitches. So obviously, that was a big challenge.”

As pointed out by Servais, Gilbert’s early performances can at least partly be attributed to not pitching at all last year. However, this provides an argument that maybe the Mariners were too quick in bringing him up this season, especially after just one start in Triple-A.

While we appreciate this perspective comes with the benefit of hindsight, it is still relevant. No matter how strong the Apopka, Florida native’s Triple-A performance was, more starts at this level could have proved beneficial.

The Mariners’ various pitching injuries no doubt also played a part though, meaning Gilbert will likely remain with them for at least a while longer. They must just make sure they balance this against impacting his confidence negatively.

In this respect, Gilbert’s next start — likely against the Oakland Athletics — could conceivably have a major influence on what follows. Another short outing is the last thing he wants or needs at this stage of his development.

NEXT: A RARE POSITIVE MOMENT