Mariners fall late in Atlanta and lose 4-1 to the Braves

The Mariners are unable to take advantage of a strong start by Logan Gilbert as they make it six losses in seven on this nine-game road trip.

As the saying goes, when it rains it pours. The Seattle Mariners’ road woes are now spiralling out of control and the fear among fans is genuine, that their team is going to once again miss out on a precious playoff spot.

A 4-1 loss on Friday night in Atlanta made it six losses in seven games on this season-defining road trip and now the M’s hold on a playoff position is down to half a game over the Rangers and one game over the Royals. If they do miss out on the postseason, you can definitively blame a run of 16 losses in the past 20 games away from home.

The game against the Braves started out as if it was going to get away from the Mariners early, just as it did in the series finale against the Rays when they fell behind 8-0 after just two innings. Logan Gilbert struggled out of the gate and soon faced a bases-loaded, no outs situation in the bottom of the first.

Logan Gilbert bounces back from adversity and delivers

Memories started to flood back of Gilbert’s recent outing in Philadelphia, where he only lasted 2.0 innings after allowing nine hits and six earned runs. However, he was able to suddenly flip a switch and escape the inning only giving up one run.

Afterwards, the 2024 All-Star was asked about how he was able to remain calm after loading the bases and how he went about getting through the situation. He said:

“I think just breaking it down. There’s times where you get bases loaded and no outs, you think you have to be perfect and get three outs. But I was just (thinking) just make one good pitch here and get one out, make one good pitch and get the ball back again, and I think that process is a little bit better.”

Gilbert would not allow any more runs on the night as he went 6.0 innings and gave up just five hits and one walk on 86 pitches, while also recording seven strikeouts. It was one of the best starts of what has been a tough season for the righty, not helped by missing time with an elbow flexor strain.

In fairness to Gilbert, this year hasn’t actually been that bad despite the adversity he’s had to deal with. Among other things, his 33.9 percent strikeout rate and 3.13 FIP are both projected to be career-bests, while his 1.021 WHIP would be the second-lowest of his five years in the majors.

In any event, the 28-year-old was happy with how his outing went overall, even allowing for what was a precarious first inning. He said:

“I felt like we settled in pretty good. Cal had a solid mix. There were a couple of batters where we boxed ourselves in a little bit, but we did a decent job getting out of it. Besides that I felt like for a few innings we were cruising there and got back to what we do, so all in all, not the way you want to start it but we bounced back.”

Mariners lineup continues to fall short on the road

The Mariners’ offense struggled to take advantage of Gilbert’s strong outing, but when Leo Rivas hit a RBI single in the top of the seventh to tie the game at 1-1, there was a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately for the Mariners that glimmer flickered out in the very next inning, as the Braves regained the lead and would not relinquish it again.

The M’s gave up three runs in the fateful eighth inning, and what was most surprising was that Gabe Speier was the culprit. One of the team’s most reliable bullpen options, he gave up four hits and did not record a single out in his worst outing of the season.

We’re not going to criticize Speier after the year he’s had, but he’s started to tire of late — as has seemingly the team as a whole — with his ERA ballooning from 2.08 to 2.91 in his past two outings. Regardless, the damage was done and there was no way back for a Mariners team which managed just six hits on the night, while also being struck out 11 times.

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Dan Wilson realizes the gravity of the situation

Postgame, Mariners manager Dan Wilson was less talkative and positive than usual, which is entirely understandable as the losses begin to mount. Reality is beginning to set in that the team is in danger of losing a playoff place which seemed all but sown up just three weeks ago.

Wilson was asked about the crucial eighth inning, which ultimately decided the contest. As per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com, he said:

“That was the difference in the game. Gabe has been so consistent for us out there, and tonight, they were just able to sort of use the middle of the field and get some hits.”

The Mariners will now attempt to rediscover that winning feeling on the road on Saturday, with Bryce Miller taking the mound. Hope comes from the fact Miller had one of his best outings of the season last time out and it helped propel the team to a 4-2 win in Cleveland against the Guardians.

Photos court​‌esy of Tim Rodgers Photography

How realistic is it to expect the Mariners to turn around their road form over the remainder of this season? Is it even something which CAN be fixed in time to save their push for a playoff spot? Let us know in the comments section below.