Mariners lose rubber match to Nationals 4-1

The Mariners guarantee they will reach the halfway point of the season below .500, after losing series finale to the lowly Nationals.

We recently wrote about still being no closer to knowing if the Mariners are a genuine playoff contender or a .500 baseball team. After losing their series versus the Nationals however, the latter seems to be the conclusion to make at this point.

We’ve wondered many times this season if the Mariners were inconsistent and underperforming, or just not as talented as assumed. Again, it appears to be trending towards the latter.

While this may sound harsh or at the very least pessimistic, what else can you conclude after being beaten by the Nationals? Entering this series, Washington had the fewest wins in the National League.

You can argue that the Mariners were unlucky in Tuesday’s extra innings loss. Although they did do it to themselves by not scoring even once in the bottom of the 10th, despite loading the bases with no outs.

Not enough fight

Wednesday’s rubber match was different though. The Nationals won fair and square versus an underwhelming Mariners ballclub which appears lost.

The 4-1 defeat not only meant a third consecutive series loss, but also guaranteed Seattle will be under .500 at the halfway point of the 2023 season. To say this is disappointing, is an understatement for all concerned.

Mariners manager Scott Servais appreciates the severity of the situation. Speaking to the media after the game, he said:

“We do have a momentum-driven team and it’s not going our way right now. And it’s spiraling a little bit. We’ve got to turn it off. Turn off the faucet a little bit, because it’s running against us.”

Bad day at the office for Gilbert

The seeds for a bad day were sown early, as the Nationals jumped on Logan Gilbert in the top of the first. He gave up four hits and three runs, resulting in the Mariners being down 3-0 at the end of the opening inning.

Gilbert did settle in after this, allowing just one more run in six innings of action. The damage was already done however, on a day when he allowed eight total hits and two walks, while striking out just four.

June has been challenging in general for the 26-year-old, with a 4.72 ERA in five starts representing his worst month of the season. Speaking about his performance versus Washington, he said:

“I hold myself to a pretty high standard, especially in a game like this that we need, to win the series. It’s tough that I couldn’t put us in a position to win.”

Mariners offense comes up flat

At the same time however, this loss doesn’t fall entirely on Gilbert’s shoulders. As has too often been the case this season, the offense did little to pick up the slack.

It’s pretty damning when you get held scoreless for seven innings versus Patrick Corbin. For context, Corbin’s four previous starts during June had all been losses, highlighted by a collective 6.55 ERA.

The Mariners only managed to avoid a shutout, thanks to a solo home run by José Caballero in the bottom of the eighth. On the day they had just six hits and were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

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Summing up Seattle’s subpar bats on Wednesday afternoon, their top four hitters went a combined 0-for-16 at the plate. When J.P. Crawford, Julio Rodriguez, Ty France and Teoscar Hernandez can’t even manage one hit between them, you’re really in trouble.

The Mariners’ offensive struggles have been a mystery all season. No matter any shortcomings, they shouldn’t be this bad.

Seattle is tied 26th in hits, 26th in batting average, 24th in OPS and has the second-most strikeouts. To actually be 17th in runs scored is a minor miracle.

Crunch time fast approaching

Catcher Tom Murphy feels the sense of urgency, even at this stage of the season. He said:

“We’re just as frustrated as everybody. I made the comment earlier that every day when you come to the park it feels like it’s do or die and it really does at this point of the season, and that’s a grinding way to play.”

Despite this, Murphy does remain optimistic, possibly aided by going 3-for-3 on the day. He said:

“I believe those feelings will subside. We’ll find a groove. We’ll find a way to relax.”

Servais is renowned for his own ability to always look for the positives in dire situations, but even he couldn’t manage this on Wednesday. He said:

“Poor offensive day. You can’t say any more about it. … Corbin has had his ups and downs coming into the game. You’re hoping you can do something against them. We did nothing against him.”

Servais had to reach, in order to answer how to get the train back on the track. He said:

“We need to turn it. What’s going to turn it? That’s the question, right? That’s the magical question. How do you get it going back in the right direction? And it’s really coming in, doing your job, competing your tail off and finding a way.”

Looking ahead

With the loss the Mariners fall to 38-41 on the season, the first time they’ve been three games under .500 since May 2. They also dropped to five games out of a wild card spot in the AL.

Thursday gives the Mariners a chance to relax and reflect, before they return to action on Friday night for the start of another three-game series. Not that this will offer any reprieve, hosting a Tampa Bay Rays ballclub with the best record in the Majors.

It’s already close to crunch time for Seattle. We’re about to find out if they have what it takes to turn this season around.

Is it officially time yet to be concerned about the Mariners? Or are you confident in their ability to make a genuine challenge for a playoff spot during the second half of the 2023 season? Let us know in the comments section below.