Mariners continue September struggles with 6-3 loss to Reds

Plenty of concern as Bryan Woo struggles early and the Mariners cannot recover, as they drop to 1-3 in their crucial 10-game road trip.

The Mariners had done so well to get into a position where they were leading their division and had the second seed in the AL. Now, you have to wonder if they are going to throw it all away.

As of the end of June the Mariners had been 38-42, 10.0 games back in the AL West and 6.0 games out of a wild card spot. Then they flipped a switch, that saw them go a Major League-best 38-15 during July and August.

As we entered September, the Mariners seemed well-placed for a second consecutive season of playoff baseball. Then came the three-game series in New York, which they lost to a struggling Mets ballclub.

The hope was that this was just a blip; just one of those things which happens during the course of a long baseball season. However, any hopes to quell growing concern was thwarted on Monday afternoon, with a 6-3 loss versus the Reds in Cincinnati.

Woo struggles with velocity and location

The Mariners fell behind early and never recovered, due to a poor outing from Bryan Woo. Everything that could go wrong for the young pitcher, did.

The Mariners have been consciously monitoring how many innings Woo throws this season. After Monday’s performance, you can certainly understand why.

Following on from arguably his best outing of 2023 versus the Athletics, the 23-year-old had one of his worst. Not helping was that his average velocity was down 15.2 miles per hour on the day.

Woo was, by his own admission, not very good. On a disastrous day he allowed five hits and three walks, hit another three batters and did not record a single strikeout.

The Reds took advantage almost right away, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning courtesy of a couple of RBI singles. They followed this with a three-run blast in the second, to give them an insurmountable 5-0 advantage.

Woo was fully aware of where he went wrong. Speaking postgame, he said:

“You’re not going to have success giving up those types of free bags. I just have to learn from it. Get into the zone early. I was kind of aimlessly throwing those first two innings.”

Mariners manager Scott Servais also acknowledged the issue with the walks. He said:

“We pride ourselves on not giving up free bases. I think we’re one of the best in the league at doing it, and today we were not.”

One of the few positives for Woo, was lasting 5.0 innings despite the early adversity. Especially in a loss, any time you don’t need to overextend the bullpen, it’s a bonus.

Record-breaking hit for Rodríguez

After falling behind early, the Mariners did their best to get back into the game. Julio Rodríguez hit a solo blast in the top of the fourth to make it 5-1, which doubled as a special moment for him.

The hit made Rodríguez the first player in Major League history to record 25 home runs and 25 steals in each of his first two seasons. He also became one of just 10 players all-time, with 50 homers and 50 steals at the age of 22.

Unfortunately this would be his only highlight of the day. The two-time All-Star also struck out twice with the bases loaded, including in the ninth inning to end the game.

Prior to this, Mike Ford pulled the Mariners to within 5-2, with another solo blast in the fifth. The Reds would make it 6-2 in the seventh, before J.P. Crawford singled in the ninth to provide the final scoreline of 6-3.

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Mariners don’t take advantage

Aside from Woo’s struggles, the theme of the day for the Mariners was lost opportunities. As Servais said:

“When you get behind the 8-ball like that, you’re going to need some huge hits late in the game. We had a few chances. We just didn’t come through.”

Servais also lamented the Mariners’ slow start to the game. He said:

“(In) the first five innings, they kind of cruised through that. And in these games, you’ve got to put pressure on them early.”

On the subject of pressure, the only team the Mariners are currently applying this to, is themselves. As of Tuesday morning they lead the AL West by just .001 percent over the Astros and with the Rangers only one game back.

In addition, the Blue Jays have now pulled to within 0.5 games of the third AL Wild Card place. If the Mariners are not carefully, they could fall out of a playoff spot altogether.

On the positive side, at least the Mariners still hold their fate in their own hands. They’ll aim to get back on track on Tuesday as they face Connor Phillips, who will be making his Major League debut for the Reds.

Is it time to hit the panic button yet? Or are you confident the Mariners will overcome this slump and qualify for the postseason? Let us know in the comments section below.