Mariners drop opener to Reds, fall back into tie atop AL West

CINCINNATI – A quick glance at the Mariners’ pitching line tells you everything you need to know about this game: four walks, four hit batters, one strikeout.

Spoiler alert: It was not a good day for Mariners pitching.

Rookie Bryan Woo had one of his worst starts of the season, and the Mariners have dropped three of their first four games on this road trip after a 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday afternoon at Great American Ball Park.

“We pride ourselves on not giving up free bases, and we’re one of the best in the league at doing that,” manager Scott Servais said. “Today we were not. We gave up 10 free bases today – the hit by pitches, the walks, the errors. You can’t do that. You’ve got to play clean games.”

Trailing 6-2, the Mariners rallied in the ninth inning. J.P. Crawford singled to drive in Ty France with two outs, bringing up Julio Rodriguez as the tying run.

But Rodriguez struck out looking at a fastball at the bottom of the zone to end the game, and Rodriguez was not pleased with plate umpire Marvin Hudson, who simply shrugged and walked off the field.

The 97-mph fastball from Ian Gibaut did touch the bottom of the strike zone, but that same pitch earlier in the at-bat was called a ball, which no doubt fueled Rodriguez’s frustration.

And that’s been the theme to start of this 10-game, three-city road trip.

“We haven’t played great on this trip so far,” Servais said. “We just haven’t played as clean as we’re used to. And that’s the key. That’s who we are. And that means controlling the strike zone on the mound and making plays defensively, and we’ve got to get back doing that.”

The Mariners (77-60) have lost consecutive games for the first time in three weeks, falling back into a first-place tie atop the AL West.

Woo was uncharacteristically wild early.

He hit the second batter he faced, TJ Friedl, with a wayward cutter in the dirt.

He hit the fifth batter he faced, Nick Martini, with another wayward cutter in the dirt.

Friedl would come around to score on an Elly De La Cruz two-out single, the first of two runs for the Reds in the first inning.

Woo hit another batter – former Mariners top prospect Noelvi Marte – on the first pitch of the second inning.

Marte would come around to score on Spencer Steer’s three-run home run to center field that was just out of the reach of Julio Rodriguez, who jumped and stretched over the wall trying in vain to make the home-run-robbing catch.

That made it 5-0.

“It starts and ends with free bases,” Woo said. “It’s really hard to have success giving up those types of free bags. I’ve got to learn from it and be better next time.”

Woo did settle down after that, retiring nine of 10 during one stretch (the only runner reaching on an error). He threw 83 pitches in five innings, with 49 strikes, walking three batters, hitting three batters and not recording any strikeouts.

This was his third start since returning from the injured list. He had right forearm inflammation.

In 23 combined starts between the major and minors, he’s thrown 114 innings this season, the most of his career, and exactly double what he threw in the minors in 2022 – when he was coming back from Tommy John surgery.

He says his arm is feeling good.

“I think it’s more just (that this is) the most things I’ve thrown,” he said. “At this point in the season, I’m definitely learning about how to manage your body and get ready for each start. Just kind of learning as I go.”

Tayler Saucedo allowed one hit and hit one batter in his two-thirds of an inning, and Luke Weaver – released by the Reds last month – allowed one run with one walk and one strikeout out in two-plus innings.

On a bullpen day for the Reds, Seattle’s offense struggled to generate any momentum against six Cincinnati pitchers.

Julio Rodriguez homered in the fourth inning, his 25th of the season, making him the first player in MLB history with 25 homers and 25 steals in each of his first two seasons.

Mike Ford added a solo homer in the fifth inning, his 15th.

The Mariners, trailing 5-2, did bring the tying run to the plate in the sixth inning with two outs. But Eugenio Suarez struck out to end the inning with two runners in scoring position.

Suarez was 0 for 4 with a throwing error in his return to Cincinnati.

In the seventh inning, Josh Rojas drew a two-out walk, Cal Raleigh had a pinch-hit single and J.P. Crawford was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Julio Rodriguez against Reds right-hander Lucas Sims.

After fouling off three 1-2 pitches, Rodriguez swung through a high fastball out of the zone for strike three, ending the inning and the Mariners’ last best chance at a rally.

The Reds’ seven pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts and only one walk – the kind of pitching line the Mariners have become accustomed to seeing from their own staff.

Not this time.