Injuries force Mariners to play the waiting game

WASHINGTON D.C. – Manager Scott Servais knows it’s a cliche and he regrets using it as often as he has in recent weeks. At times, he’s even apologetic. But this is where he and the Mariners find themselves now.

“I know you guys are sick of me saying it, but you have to take it a day at a time,” Servais said again on Sunday before and after a third straight loss.

With four projected starting pitchers on the disabled list, injuries to the everyday lineup, including disabled-list stints for Robinson Cano and Mitch Haniger and a never-ending series of roster moves, Servais and his players have no choice but to stay in the micro view of their world.

If they took a longer look, they might not like what they see. Seattle (20-25) is in last place in the American League West, going 3-8 since getting to .500 at 17-17 on May 10.

And it could only get worse. The Mariners will relish a needed off day in the nation’s capital before what might be their most difficult trip in the first half of the season.

The Mariners open a three-game series against the N.L. East leading Nationals (26-17), followed by three games at Fenway Park against a strong Red Sox team (22-21) that was picked by many to win the A.L. East. It culminates with a two-game series in Denver at the pitcher’s nightmare that is Coors Field against the Rockies (29-17).

The Nats lead the National League at 5.72 runs per game, a .274 team batting average and an .817 on-base plus slugging percentage. Boston ranks second in the American League in team batting average (.267) and on-base percentage (.337).

“As soon as players, like anybody, coaches, myself, as soon you start looking at the big picture, sometimes it starts to get overwhelming,” Servais said. “Let’s just worry about today and go from there.”

Given the state of their starting pitching and the parks and offenses they will be facing, going 3-5 or 4-4 on the trip would seem like a major success. To do that, the Mariners have to play at a higher level than they’ve shown in their recent fall. They simply don’t have enough pitching to play at a level lower than that and expect to win.

“Every team is good,” Kyle Seager said. “Every single team is full of major-leaguers. If you don’t play well, you are going to get beat. It doesn’t matter if it’s a first- or last-place team.”

The Mariners may have gotten a break in that they will miss Washington’s two top pitchers – right-hander Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer in D.C. – and also not have to face Red Sox ace Chris Sale in Boston. Cano will be activated from the disabled list Tuesday while catcher Mike Zunino and reliever Emilio Pagan will return from Triple-A Tacoma.

Cano’s return to the No. 3 spot and Zunino being back after a successful stint in Tacoma will be welcome additions to an offense that has scuffled since Cano went on the disabled list. Seattle was averaging 5.17 runs per game with a .263 batting average and .767 OPS in the first 34 games of the season. Over the past 11 games with Cano out, they averaged 2.7 runs per game with a .202 batting average and a .598 OPS.

In the three losses to the White Sox, Seattle managed just one run in each game. In the two blowouts, their starting pitchers crushed their victory hopes an inning into each game. It left Servais looking tired and rubbing his head in disbelief.

“Guys are frustrated, guys are disappointed,” he said. “You are going to have ups and downs in a season. We know we are in a tough stretch right now. We know we have to keep fighting, clawing, scratching and find a way.”

Even with their ability to move on from the day before and limit the scope of their attention to the game in front of them, the players still know their record and their place in the standings. They know who isn’t in the lineup or on the mound for each game. But they are trying to echo Servais’ sentiments.

“Well, I think everyone here knows where we are at,” said Nelson Cruz. “We have to focus on the one game at a time. It’s tough. But that’s where we are and there’s only one thing we can do about it.”

As a manager, Servais can only do one thing to help them.

“For me to do that is to keep our clubhouse loose, fun, and it’s hard when you’re not winning, but continue to talk to the guys,” he said. “It does no good to come in here and sit and shut the door and say, ‘Woe is us.’ I don’t do it. It’s not my personality. That’s not how you lead. We’ll continue to talk to the guys, making sure they’re in a good spot, and eventually we’ll get a guy healthy and back, and two or three guys will come and we’ll look up and have our full team back again. But it’s going to take a while.”