Mariners regress
SEATTLE – All that talk about a Mariners turnaround under new manager Jim Riggleman always came with an asterisk of sorts.
Few could argue the team looked better prepared. That its pitching had improved and its hitting, while far from perfect, was at least smacking the ball around and generating adequate runs when needed.
But the one question mark, bound to continue after this 8-4 loss to the surging Detroit Tigers on Thursday night, surrounded the quality of the opposition during Riggleman’s first dozen games at the helm. That won’t change after the Tigers, the only .500 team faced by the Mariners in more than two weeks, waltzed into Safeco Field and made the home side look like its bad, old self.
A crowd of 22,523 looked on as starting pitcher Carlos Silva needed 100 pitches just to make it through five innings. They winced as the offense, never adept at run production at the best of times, stranded seven men on base in the first four innings of a game that was still close.
The fans saw a bullpen that had looked unbeatable in recent outings give up a run to the first batter it faced, as Michael Holliman tagged Mark Lowe for a leadoff home run in the sixth.
They watched the defense turn a nifty 4-6-3 double play in the third inning to get out of a jam. But that same defense could not nab the speedy Curtis Granderson at home plate in the fifth on a hard smash to Jose Lopez at second base.
Lopez needed to get at least one out on the play, but took the risk of throwing home and was flat-out beaten by Granderson’s speed. Instead of being down 3-2 with two out and nobody on, there was one on and one out.
Three consecutive singles later, it was a 5-2 game. Holliman’s homer made it 6-2 in the sixth and the Mariners never recovered.
They had their chances against Tigers starter Justin Verlander, pounding out nine hits over his six innings. But as was the case in San Diego last week – when the Mariners stranded 18 men on base in a victory over the hapless Padres – the hits weren’t there when it mattered.
Seattle had a 1-0 lead in the first inning and a chance to add to it with two on and nobody out. But Jose Vidro flied out to left, and Adrian Beltre went down swinging.
Verlander then walked Jeremy Reed to load the bases, prompting a visit from his pitching coach. But Richie Sexson swung at the next Verlander pitch – his 25th of the inning – and hit a hard grounder to third for the inning’s final out.
That was the story of the night from the offensive side for the Mariners.
They scored a run in the third inning to go up 2-1 when Jose Lopez doubled and scored on Vidro’s single. But with two on and one out, Reed hit into a fielder’s choice. Sexson then got the boo-birds going by striking out with runners at the corners.
The boos got louder as the innings progressed, especially when Sexson fanned to start the sixth inning. Sexson finally did get some cheers in the eighth when he managed a one-out hit, though it was yet another single to add to the pile he’s managed since reverting to a more open stance.
In all, it looked like one of those typical Mariners nights that has put the team in such a deep hole that no amount of strong play under Riggleman will get it back into any race. Seattle entered the night with an 8-4 record since Riggleman replaced the fired John McLaren last month.
But even if the team spent the next seven weeks winning at that rate and the Angels were to go 0-48, the Mariners would still trail Los Angeles by 1 1/2 games in the standings.
The other part is, the opponents the Mariners took some series from the past two weeks were not as strong as a Tigers team 6-1 against Seattle this season. San Diego entered the day as the worst team in the major leagues, while Atlanta was 40-45 and the New York Mets 41-43.
That doesn’t mean everything Seattle accomplished during that stretch has been negated. What it does mean, though, after they were taken to school by the Tigers here, is that they’ll have to step things up these next three games.