On short rest, Mariners win streak ends in 3-2 loss to White Sox
By Charles Hamaker
Seattle, WA – A Day after the Mariners had to spend eight hours at Progressive Field due to a rain delay, the team had to begin a new homestand on Labor Day. The holiday meant an earlier start time for the game, creating a very small turnaround time. That small turnaround time was apparent, as the Mariners didn’t look like the team from their undefeated road trip. Seattle only recorded six hits, and none of those came from the majority of the game (third through seventh innings). Seattle fell in the opening game of the homestand.
Elvis Andrus celebrates his two-run homer (Photo by Liv Lyons)
Marco produces another quality start, with some blemishes
Seattle starting pitcher Marco Gonzales has oft been the scape goat of Mariners fans. In certain circumstances, this is understandable. The left hander has had terrible outings before and put his team in tough positions this season when he struggles with command. Today’s game was a mixed bag for Gonzales, who only allowed four hits on the day. Unfortunately, two of those four hits left the yard.
Gonzales was able to settle into the game after allowing the two homers (one from Elvis Andrus, who has hit five of his eleven homers at T-Mobile Park) to the White Sox. While yes, giving up those two homers is an issue, outside of that Gonzales pitched well. On the flip side of things, the Mariner bats did not give Marco much backup, only producing one run during the seven innings he pitched.
Marco Gonzales produced a quality start today (Photo by Liv Lyons)
Offense produces too little, too late
On the other side of the ball, the Mariners offense looked relatively similar to how it did last homestand. That offense relied heavily on the long ball and couldn’t rack up hits on a consistent basis. Seattle was able to get small production in the first two innings, but Chicago starter Lance Lynn settled in after that. Lynn pitched seven shutout innings, allowing only three hits and one unearned run. Whether it was the Seattle batters' fatigue, Lynn’s stuff, or a mixture of both, the Mariners had no answers.
Mitch Haniger hit a single to lead off the bottom of the ninth (Photo by Liv Lyons)
What it means
Hopefully, the sluggish nature of the Mariners offense is a one-day thing as a result of the chaos that unfolded with Sunday’s rain delay. If the bats remain silent in the next few days, then worry is reasonable. The starting pitching remains solid, keeping you in ballgames and giving you a fighting chance. While we may have been spoiled over the past road trip with a few shutouts, three runs allowed (and all off of homers) is a winnable game. This loss is acceptable, the Mariners just cannot let it become the first domino of a slump.
Quick notes
With their undefeated road trip this past week, the Mariners became the first team in American league history with multiple undefeated six plus game road trips in a season
July 13th-17th, August 30th-September 4th
The Mariners win streak that just ended was the longest active streak in baseball at the time (seven games)
Over their last 21 series, the Mariners have a series record of 15-4-2
What’s next?
Game two of this series against the White Sox is tomorrow, September 6th with a first pitch time of 6:40PM PST. Seattle will have sophomore starter Logan Gilbert on the mound, facing off against Chicago starter Johnny Cueto. Seattle will look to rebound and start a new streak.