Mariners drop series finale 4-3 to Blue Jays

The Mariners miss a golden opportunity to get right back in the race for a wild card spot, but still take two of three versus the Blue Jays.

Let’s be clear – winning any series versus a team above you in the standings is always a positive. However, it could have been even better for the Mariners.

The Mariners took the first two games of the series in dramatic fashion, to climb to within 3.5 games of the final AL wild card spot. Sweeping the series would have pulled them to within two losses of the Blue Jays, and right back in contention.

However, the home side — at least in terms of the game being played in Seattle — failed to take advantage of the situation. The game and the sweep was there for the taking, in front of 42,430 fans with mixed loyalties.

Looking good early on

Things had started off well enough for the Mariners, as they took an early lead in the bottom of the second through a two-run blast from Mike Ford. It represented Ford’s 11th home run of the season, with him forcing a walk in his other plate appearance on the day.

The Mariners’ fast start was being complimented by Bryan Woo on the mound. Following his worst outing of the season versus the Twins, he retired the first nine batters he faced on Sunday, striking out five in the process.

The ideal start was halted, when Woo hit George Springer with a pitch in the top of the fourth. He seemed set to escape the half inning with no damage though, after striking out the next two batters he faced.

Woo’s impressive start goes awry

Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had other ideas. The three-time All-Star hit a blast over the right field wall, to tie the game at 2-2.

Woo’s issued appeared set to get even worse just an inning later, when the visitors loaded the bases with just one out. He managed to come through however, as he initiated a 1-2-3 double play to end the threat.

The righty wasn’t so lucky in the top of the sixth, as he allowed a solo home run from Brandon Belt. Teoscar Hernandez — the hero of the two previous games — got his hand to the ball, but it bounced off his glove and over the wall.

It was the second time in Woo’s career he’d allowed two home runs in one game, and the Blue Jays had a 3-2 lead. The Mariners responded immediately though, as pinch-hitter Dylan Moore hit an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth and we were tied again, this time at 3-3.

It was at this point Mariners manager Scott Servais should have taken his young pitcher out. Instead, Woo reappeared for the top of the seventh, looking for the longest official start of his Major League career.

Instead, the Oakland California native issued a four-pitch walk, before finally being removed from the game. The Blue Jays subsequently retook the lead at 4-3, through an RBI single by Santiago Espinal off Mariners reliever Tayler Saucedo.

More good than bad

As a result, the run was tagged against Woo, who ended up allowing just four hits, but also four earned runs. He issued just one walk in what was a decent outing overall, causing 17 swings-and-misses on the way to his seven strikeouts.

Thanks to a fastball which reached 98 mph at one point, this resulted in 10 of Woo’s swings-and-misses on the day. Speaking postgame, he said:

“The fastball felt good. Everything felt good for the most part. I was just wanting to come out with more energy today (after my last start).”

Servais was happy with the outing from Woo. He said:

“I thought Bryan Woo was outstanding today. He did exactly what we needed, to get deep in the ballgame with our bullpen short.”

In this respect, for the most part the bullpen did its job. However, as has often been the case this season, the bats did not do enough on the day with just five hits. (Although they did manage to also force five walks.)

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Mariners fall short in the clutch

The biggest example of this lack of (literal) impact came in the final inning, with a chance still to win the game. The Mariners had runners on second and third base with only one out, and Julio Rodriguez coming to the plate.

The scenario seemed almost ideal, with the two-time All-Star often coming through in the clutch last year. This hasn’t been case nearly as much in 2023 however, with him going on to strike out.

The door was slammed shut when Eugenio Suarez was retired, and the Mariners had to settle for a series win. They also missed the opportunity to go three games above .500 for just the second time this season, instead dropping to 50-49.

Rodriguez discussed his crucial at-bat afterwards with the media. He said:

“Just go get a good pitch to drive. (Jordan Romano) made really good pitches. I took some close pitches, but at the end of the day he came out on top.”

Servais was his usual positive self despite the loss. He said:

“I think our guys played their tail off, and you couldn’t ask for anything more from our group. You’re hoping for a little bit more magic there at the end. It just didn’t happen today.”

Still not good enough overall

You could argue that Servais was perhaps being a bit too positive though. He said:

“We’re playing really good baseball. The group is coming together, finding ways to create opportunities. We have been coming through more times that not here recently, and that needs to continue.”

The problem with this assessment is that the Mariners went just 5-5 on this now completed homestand. A winning record was the least that should have been expected for a team with postseason aspirations.

Regardless, the Mariners now hit the road for six games, beginning with three in Minnesota. Luis Castillo will get the start on Monday evening, in an outing where he needs to live up to his billing as the staff ace.

What impact do you think the Blue Jays series will have on the Mariners? Will taking two out of the three games be enough to propel them to win on a more consistent basis moving forward? Let us know in the comments section below.