Mariners sweep Rangers with 5-0 shutout in series finale

Logan Gilbert dominates while the lineup makes the most of their opportunities, as the Seattle Mariners take a stranglehold of the AL West.

Are the Seattle Mariners for real? Are they a genuine contender? It sure feels like it, following Sunday afternoon’s 5-0 blanking of the Texas Rangers.

As a result of the win, the Mariners swept their three-game series versus last year’s World Series champions. They improved to 17-5 in the AL West and now lead the division by 8.5 games as of Monday morning.

The 43-31 record as we approach the halfway point of the 2024 campaign is also extremely encouraging, given the Mariners’ penchant for slow starts to the season in recent years. And their 27-12 record at T-Mobile Park sees them tied with the Philadelphia Phillies, for the most home wins in the Majors.

Admittedly there’s still concern surrounding the lineup, with them ranking 28th in the Majors in team batting average, 25th in OPS, 24th in runs and having the most strikeouts. For what it’s worth however, since parting ways with Brant Brown as offensive coordinator and bench coach, they are averaging 4.8 runs per contest in 16 games. (Prior to Brown leaving, the Mariners had averaged 3.64 runs in 58 games.)

Key as always remains the pitching, which will continue to carry the bulk of the load for this ball club. Following Sunday’s action, Mariners starters in particular are fourth in the Majors in ERA, second in batting average and strikeouts, third in fewest walks and first in WHIP.

Gilbert nearly goes the distance

Logan Gilbert continued to show how good the rotation is on Sunday afternoon, as he dominated the Rangers. He equalled a season-high in going 8.0 innings, as he allowed just two hits, zero walks and no runs.

Gilbert also struck out nine batters on a season-best 101 pitches, as he had his team-leading 12th quality start of the season. In a rotation as strong as the Mariners, he has arguably been their best so far in 2024.

Mariners manager Scott Servais marvelled at how good the righty was versus the Rangers. Speaking to the media postgame, Servais said:

“That was fantastic. He was in total control of the ballgame. He had great stuff, of course, but the execution of his slider and the split-finger was electric today. That’s a really tough pitch and there’s no way to game plan for it.”

From Gilbert’s perspective, he preferred to focus on the fans and the team as a whole. Also speaking to the media, he said:

“It really feels like a playoff atmosphere in mid-June, which is kind of weird to say, but the ballpark was packed all three games, the crowd’s going crazy. That’s a really good team. We’re playing really well right now. When everybody’s doing their job, we’re definitely at our best. And that’s what it looked like today.”

Mariners offense continues to head in the right direction

After a streak of the Mariners losing five of six games Gilbert started, they have now won his last two outings. Pure and simple, it is as a result of better run support.

In truth the Mariners lineup wasn’t lights out as such on Sunday, with just six hits. However, helped by also generating four walks, they made the most of their opportunities to put up five runs.

The Mariners got the scoring going in the bottom of the fourth with Luke Raley’s RBI double, then added another run an inning later thanks to a wild pitch bringing Josh Rojas home. However, a 2-0 advantage through six innings had many of the 45,584 in attendance nervous.

Rookie Tyler Locklear provided some relief with a solo blast in the bottom of the seventh – his second homer since being called up. Then an inning later the game was put to bed, through a Dominic Canzone RBI single and another wild pitch, this time helping Raley score.

All that was then left was for Austin Voth to pitch a perfect inning in the top of the ninth, to preserve the shutout in a 5-0 win. This was in stark contrast to a day earlier, when the Mariners bullpen gave up four runs in the ninth and turned a 7-1 lead into a nerve-racking 7-5 conclusion.

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Positive signs as Mariners head to Cleveland

Overall, Servais is encouraged by how the lineup has been performing of late, particularly versus the Rangers. He said:

“We are seeing signs. Guys are getting big hits for us offensively, and that’s what it takes. It’s timely hitting, it’s great pitching and tremendous defense. Our guys were really focused this homestand. A lot of close games, (but) a little bit of a breather today, which is good for me and the coaching staff.”

The Mariners now head out on the road for nine games, which will take them past the halfway point of the regular season. The trip will begin with an important three-game series in Cleveland, versus a Guardians team with a 44-25 record that leads the AL central, and includes an outstanding 21-8 record at home.

The series will begin on Tuesday evening, with the Mariners sending Bryce Miller to the mound. This will be followed by Bryan Woo on Wednesday and Luis Castillo on Thursday, as we get to discover more about how good this ball club is.

Are we at a point yet where it’s safe to call the Mariners a genuine contender? Or does the overall inconsistency of the offense still give cause for concern in the long run? Let us know in the comments section below.