Mariners Log: Offense flat as M’s fall to 1-8 on the road in loss to Athletics

MIDDLE OF THE ORDER SILENT AS A’S PICK UP PAIR OF HOMERS

What happened: Oakland Athletics left-hander Sean Manaea limited the Seattle Mariners to one run over six innings on five hits and three walks with six strikeouts and the A’s beat the M’s 3-1 on Friday.

It was another listless and lifeless performance by the middle of the Mariners order, as the 3-6 hitters – Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager and Taylor Motter – combined to go 2 for 13 with four strikeouts and strand seven.

Cruz did walk twice, and almost inexplicably stole a base. But one of the two base hits the group did manage was just a bunt against the shift by Seager. Overall, the team went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left seven.

Starter Hisashi Iwakuma (L. 0-2) was serviceable – he gave up three runs on five hits and four walks with three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. But he gave up a pair of homers – to Trevor Plouffe and Yonder Alonso – and these days serviceable pitching isn’t good enough to carry the M’s, especially on the road, where the offense has been moribund.

Line Outs

• OF Guillermo Heredia led off the game with a single, then was promptly picked off when he took off on first move. Not really how you want to start things off.
• In the second, Nelson Cruz led off with a walk and Kyle Seager bunted against the shift for a base hit off the lefty to put two on with no outs. But Taylor Motter bounced into a 5-4-3 twin-killing and Danny Valencia watched a changeup for strike three.
• Heredia singled with two outs in the third and scored on Mitch Haniger’s triple, which stayed just inside the bag at third.
• M’s wasted another lead-off man reaching in the fourth. Cruz drew another walk, but Seager struck out behind him. Motter forced Cruz at second on a fielder’s choice, but then stole second for a spark. But Valencia then grounded out to end the inning.
• Iwakuma finally wore down. He hung a backup breaking ball that got too much of the plate against Trevor Plouffe, who lofted it to center just out of reach of Jarrod Dyson’s leap at the wall for a solo homer in the fifth to tie the game at 1.
• Then in the sixth, Yonder Alonso crushed a fastball for his third homer of the season, then Jed Lowrie doubled and went to third on a groundout. Manager Scott Servais called upon James Pazos, but he gave up a medium-deep sac fly to right and Lowrie easily beat the throw to make it 3-1.
• Valencia gave one a ride in the ninth, but it died on the track in left and Kris Davis made a quality running catch before crashing into the padded wall.

The Takeaway

There’s no easy way to say it: the M’s own the worst record on the road (1-8) in the majors. They’ve now lost the first two of an 11-day, 10-game road trip so it’s not going to get any easier. Simply, they have to figure out a way to generate offense away from Safeco in the next week or the season could be lost before it really even begins.

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Mariners Notes

Steve Cishek, on a rehab assignment with AAA Tacoma, threw 20 pitches (10 strikes) in 2/3 innings and allowed a hit and two walks, while picking off a runner at first…Guillermo Heredia went 2 for 4 with a run…The Mariners turned three double plays…Nick Vincent tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.

Next Game

Seattle Mariners (7-11) vs. Oakland Athletics (9-8) at 4:05 p.m. at Oakland Coliseum. LHP Ariel Miranda (1-1, 3.06) vs. RHP Jharel Cotton (1-2, 5.40).

What others are saying (and writing)

The middle of the lineup hasn’t done well on the road just yet, and Scott Servais is starting to point that out – if not pointing fingers. … Before the game, the M’s made a change to the bullpen, with hard-throwing Dan Altavilla sent back to Tacoma. … The A’s will be without one of their big bats for a while, but are still rolling along. … The loss dropped the M’s into the American League West cellar.