Mariners lose to Royals despite strong outing from Logan Evans

The Seattle Mariners have to settle for a series split, after losing 3-2 to the Kansas City Royals in a game which was there for the taking.

Logan Evans couldn’t have done much more on Thursday, in his first start since being recalled from the minors. In fact he had one of the best outings of his big league debut season with the Seattle Mariners as he allowed just three hits, one walks and no earned runs in 5.2 innings, while also striking out three.

However, it would all prove to be for nothing, as the Mariners gave up a 1-0 lead following Evans’ departure and ultimately fell short in their comeback attempt. A bullpen which has been strong of late, finally had a bad game as they allowed three runs which resulted in a 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

Missed chances by the Mariners

Despite the Mariners doubling the Royals 10-5 in hits, not helping their cause was a combined 0-for-13 by their main hitting trio of Julio Rodríguez, Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena. Nowhere was this more obvious and painful than in the ninth inning, after Dominic Canzone had hit a solo blast to pull the hosts to within 3-2.

The Mariners had two men on board at second and third base, with just one out and the chance for a dramatic comeback win. However, Rodríguez suffered his fourth strikeout of the night and then Raleigh grounded out to end the threat and the game.

The game had started out well enough, with Jorge Polanco capping a much-needed first three-hit night since April 27, by grabbing a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the fourth for a 1-0 advantage. Evans was in a zone and all looked good in Mariner land.

However, a Bobby Witt Jr. RBI single and two RBI single by Vinnie Pasquantino in the top of the seventh turned the game on its head, and the Mariners just couldn’t recover. As a result, what was an extremely winnable four-game set versus the Royals turned into a disappointing series split.

A bad time for a barrage of walks by the bullpen

While this is a team game, reliever Casey Legumina was one of the main culprits with three walks in just 0.2 innings of action. Speaking to the media postgame, Mariners manager Dan Wilson said:

“Some close calls for sure, and the walks always are difficult and seem to come around. And they did tonight. I thought our guys, for the most part, were able to pitch out of some tight situations, but the walks tonight were tough to overcome.”

On the subject of culprits, Rodríguez is always going to be an easy target for critics, just because of how talented and yet underachieving he’s arguably been overall, so Thursday was a prime opportunity for the naysayers. Wilson said:

“I thought he was pitched tough tonight. That was a tough pitch (in the ninth inning). I think he’s been swinging the bat well, and we’ve seen a lot of good stuff from Julio. And tonight was just a tough night.”

Not helping the situation is the two-time All-Star’s challenges in clutch situations. As per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, he has a .644 OPS with runners in scoring position this season which is seventh-lowest on the team among regular players, well below his .828 OPS in similar situations during his first three years in the majors.

• Providence Swedish Performance Center will be the Belgium Teams Training Hub for the World Cup
• Brian Woo Dominates in Mariners’ Series Win Over Braves
• Cautious Return for Cal Raleigh After Injury Absence
• Dante Fowler Jr Joins Seahawks: A Veteran’s Role
• Mariners do right by Randy Johnson with statue to honor his legacy

Mariners still in a decent position in the playoff race

Despite the loss the Mariners remain in the final AL wild card spot at 45-42, but they know they missed a golden chance in this series to rack up some wins against an underachieving opponent. Wilson said:

“Those are frustrating moments, no matter what. I think we all come away frustrated, but that’s why we come back tomorrow, we’re ready to go, and that’s what we have to do. We bounce back.”

The Mariners enter the weekend trailing the Houston Astros by 7.0 games in the AL West and with the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates coming to town. Bryan Woo will take the ball on Friday night, to begin a series they dare not lose.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rodgers Photography

What is your number one reason for encouragement following the series versus the Royals? And what is most giving you reason to be concerned about the Mariners? Let us know in the comments section below.