For a team tied for first place, the Seattle Mariners are dealing with a lot of angst.
Perhaps that’s what comes from squandering a 10-game lead in the American League West in the span of a month.
“I’m tired of watching it,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said after a 3-1 loss to the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Monday night, preventing Seattle from regaining sole possession of the division lead. “I stand up for our guys, believe in them. Some nights it’s not major-league baseball. We handed them the game.”
The teams will play the second contest of their three-game series on Tuesday.
The Mariners managed just four hits, struck out 14 times and went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Servais called the effort “inexcusable” with 60 games remaining in the regular season.
“Do you want to be playing playoff baseball or do you want to be driving home?” he said. “… We talk about it being a marathon. It’s getting close to being a sprint. It’s 60 games to go out and compete and be ready to take it every night. If you don’t, this league doesn’t care. It will just walk on by.”
What made things worse was the inability of the usually reliable Mariners’ bullpen to throw strikes after starter Bryce Miller pitched seven scoreless innings.
“I wish we could go out and play and just have fun,” Miller said. “No one is having fun right now.”
The Angels tied the score in the eighth without the benefit of a hit. Ryne Stanek walked the first two batters in the inning and Los Angeles greeted closer Andres Munoz with a double-steal. Taylor Ward’s sacrifice fly made it 1-1.
Trent Thornton retired the first two Angels batters in the ninth before issuing back-to-back walks. Jo Adell, batting ninth in L.A.’s lineup, grounded a run-scoring single to center, with a second run scoring on the play on a throwing error.
“I’m happy that we were able to keep the game where it was and (that) gave us a chance,” said Angels manager Ron Washington, whose team won three in a row against Seattle in Anaheim, Calif., heading into the All-Star break.
Adell is batting .429 over his past seven games with eight RBIs.
“Just really slowing it down and getting in those situations and kind of a less-is-more mentality really kind of helped me get pitches and not miss them,” Adell said. “The homer is not always the answer, and I think that’s kind of the sum of the past 10 games or so.”
Tuesday’s pitching matchup is scheduled to feature a pair of right-handers in the Angels’ José Soriano (5-7, 3.71 ERA) against the Mariners’ Logan Gilbert (6-5, 2.79).
Soriano is 1-0 with a 3.32 ERA in seven career appearances against Seattle, including two starts. The win came July 13 when he allowed one run on five hits over six innings in a 2-1 decision at home.
Gilbert is 4-2 with a 3.93 ERA in nine previous starts against the Angels. He received a no-decision July 14 in Anaheim despite allowing just two hits over seven scoreless innings and fanning nine in a game the Mariners eventually lost 3-2.
Meanwhile, the injuries are mounting for the Mariners.
Center fielder Julio Rodriguez didn’t play in the series opener after suffering a sprained right ankle crashing into the outfield wall while trying to make a catch Sunday. Servais said Rodriguez is day-to-day.
Shortstop J.P. Crawford was hit by a pitch in the first inning Monday and had to leave after running the bases and scoring Seattle’s lone run. Servais said after the game that Crawford suffered a hairline fracture of his right pinky.
–Field Level Media
