A Grip on Sports: Dan Wilson’s early questionable decision paved the way for another Mariner defeat and may lead them down a darker road

A GRIP ON SPORTS • It’s not often a manager’s decision blatantly changes the course of a regular season game. Positively or negatively. But Tuesday night in San Diego, Dan Wilson made a third-inning decision that did just that.

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• Before I strap you into your seat for the rollercoaster that is a deep dive into the 4-1 defeat’s turning point, a little background.

There is more to being a successful manager than in-game decisions. During the course of a 162-game MLB season – it runs as long as a pregnancy – managing the interpersonal relationships has a much larger role. So does balancing the urge to win every day and the reality that some games throwing in the towel might actually mean more wins down the road.

But when an odd decision, the only apt description for what Wilson decided to do in the bottom of the third against the Padres, backfires, it is there for all to see. And dissect.

OK, on to what happened.

The Mariners led 1-0. The lead probably should have been more, but, as per usual this season, the offense had squandered chances to add on. No matter. Bryan Woo was on the mound, dealing as always.

With one out in the third, though, Woo made a mistake to San Diego leadoff hitter Ramon Laureano. The 5-foot-9 leftfielder lined it to the opposite field. Where Luke Raley was playing. Raley had no chance. Though, if he had realized that earlier, he could have held Laureano to a double. Instead, the ball got over his head, hit the wall and ricocheted past him, toward the infield. By the time the speedy Raley ran it down and got it back in, Laureano was sliding into third.

Did I mention this was in the bottom of the third inning? And Fernando Tatis Jr., at times one of the better hitters in the game, was up? Oh, right. Yes to the former, no to the latter. Got it.

But Wilson didn’t seem to. With the M’s still having 18 outs to work with offensively, and his best pitcher on the mound, Wilson brought the infield in.

Before we go any further, can I add two things? What the bleeding heck? And, what the bleeding heck? Which are exactly the words that came out of my mouth before Woo threw a pitch to Tatis. This isn’t second guessing. It is astonishment that Wilson would risk Brendan Donovan’s dental work, and a big inning, by trying to keep Laureano on third.

Remember how I mentioned a couple other unseen elements that are crucial to a manager’s success? This decision by Wilson also exposed a little of them. By pulling the infield in so early in a game, Wilson was publicly admitting his lack of faith in the M’s offense. He was informing everyone he didn’t expect his team to score again. How’s that for a show of confidence in your guys?

That he was right is immaterial, mainly because what happened next certainly had a role in the offense the rest of the game.

Woo pitched Tatis carefully. A fastball outside, just off the plate. A slider, low and away. The aggressive Tatis went after it, didn’t hit it well but got enough to find a hole. You know, one of the holes opened because the infield was playing in. If J.P. Crawford or Kole Young were playing back, it’s a ground out.

The less-than-hard-hit ball made it to centerfield, scored Laureano, tied the game and did what Wilson knew could happen, but ignored or discounted. It opened the door to a big inning.

Instead of the game tied at one and two outs, bases empty, it was tied at one with one out and Tatis on first. Seven pitches later he was on third and Jackson Merrill was on first following Merrill’s single in front of Raley.

Manny Machado, who does not hit Woo well, popped to Young. Instead of making his way back to the dugout, Woo had to face Xander Bogaerts. A six-pitch at bat, which was split in two by Merrill stealing second, ended with a single to center and the Padres taking a 3-1 lead.

“I got to 0-2 pretty quickly,” Woo told Ryan Divish. “And then, I threw two pretty bad sliders, and then the last one just kind of (spun) and really wasn’t sharp and he was able to get a bat to it. By the time that we got to 3-2, I think he had seen three or four sliders in a row. So I just have to execute better.”

A bad pitch, sure. And big hits in big spots too. But it was Wilson who opened the door to a big inning. There may be a page of analytical justification for Wilson’s decision in that huge binder that sits in front of him all game, though I doubt it. This seemed more of a gut-feeling kind of thing. In modern baseball, these sorts of decisions have to include more than that.

Late innings? Sure, pull the infield in. Expect the offense to hit the crud out of the ball? Easy, keep them back. Wilson didn’t have either of those luxuries. He did, however, have a chance to show his hitters he believed in them. He passed.

In a sense, Anton Chigurh was standing in front of him, asking Wilson to call a loaded coin toss. He chose poorly. His team paid the price. And may pay a larger price as the season wears on.

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WSU: Spring football practice is a time to lock in spots. Or experiment. Maybe a little of both, allowing coaches to understand what they have to work with come fall. It seems as if Kirby Moore and his offensive line coach Jack Abercrombie are doing both this spring. Greg Woods delves into what’s happening for the line in practice. … There is time for Moore to do that. For David Riley and the men’s basketball team, time is shorter. To rebuild the roster that is. The Cougars added two more transfers Tuesday, picking up a Division II guard that is moving up, and a three-time transfer guard who played last season at TCU. Greg has stories on both. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, Jon Wilner notes the Pac-12’s meeting in Corvallis this week has a full agenda. His column is on the S-R site this morning. … John Canzano has a column on his website covering the same ground. … Former Michigan coach Sherrone Moore avoided jail Tuesday after a plea deal. … The NCAA is still throwing stuff about eligibility limits against the wall, hoping something will stick and pass muster from the courts. … Washington held a spring football practice Tuesday. Just not on campus. The Huskies traveled to the Hawks’ indoor facility, the VMAC, and held drills. … Oregon’s backup quarterback is well traveled, having transferred in this spring from Nebraska. The Ducks will also have some alums travel back for their spring game. … Oregon State also has a quarterback that took a scenic route to Corvallis. … Utah’s most-improved position group? Morgan Scalley has his pick. … Bob Chesney wants UCLA to ready for the season. … Arizona, like every other school, wants the same. … San Diego State has a tradition of excellent punters that should continue.

• In basketball news, Oregon State’s men are in full rebuild mode, a la WSU. The Beavers’ reason, though is different, as in they have a different coach headed into the offseason. And, seemingly, have more money to spend. … Washington’s best freshman, and one of the top in the nation, is headed to the NBA draft process. Or the portal, along with the Huskies’ longest-tenured player. … Utah picked up an all-WAC guard in the portal. … Randy Bennett’s health must still be questionable, though Arizona State did post an introductory video Tuesday. … Arizona will have a new backcourt next season. … The Arizona women have added talent through the portal. … So has Colorado State and San Diego State.

Gonzaga: The Bulldogs lost another player to the portal, though this time the player in question, walk-on guard Joaquim ArauzMoore, probably doesn’t resonate to the same degree as some of the earlier portal entrants. ArauzMoore has been contributing in the background for three years. Theo Lawson has this story.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, the first two months for Montana’s new football coach was a whirlwind. … Weber State men’s basketball is riding a wind that’s blowing transfers into Ogden. … Montana also picked up a transfer.

Preps: Four sports highlight this long Dave Nichols-produced roundup of Tuesday’s high school competitions. … Dylan Darling, the former Central Valley High star who began his college journey in Pullman, moved on to Idaho State after a couple years and then helped St. John’s to the Elite Eight, has reportedly entered the transfer portal.

Indians: Dave returns with his coverage of an early game Tuesday, Spokane’s 5-3 win over visiting Vancouver on “Education Day.” Avista’s stands were filled with elementary school students. The game itself? It featured a strong performance by a couple Indian pitchers, including one who may have attended a game or two himself as a Spokane student, Mt. Spokane High graduate Stu Flesland.

Reign: The USWNT on Tuesday night became the first team to play on Lumen Field’s new World Cup-mandated grass pitch. They also became the first team to lose on said pitch, dropping a 1-0 decision to Japan. But there are explanations.

Mariners: We linked Divish’s early game story above as it is on the S-R site. The one that included Wilson’s postgame comments? It is on the Times’ site but don’t go looking for a justification for his third-inning decision. It is not addressed. … Former Gonzaga pitcher Casey Legumina is part of a pretty effective Seattle bullpen. … Josh Naylor is a fan favorite.

Storm: Seattle is doing the right thing. A rebuild is better than just mucking around in the WNBA’s middle tier again. … The team invited a former UW player to training camp.

Seahawks: As the draft looms in about a week, Bob Condotta does his annual ranking of the Hawks’ position groups. No. 1? Interior defensive line. No. 11 (and last)? Running backs. Wonder if that will translate directly into whoever the defending Super Bowl champions draft.   

Sounders: Seattle is back in action in the CONCACAF Champions Cup tonight at Lumen Field. The Sounders need a big rally to move on in the competition.

Golf: We spent this morning checking the wires (or the modern version of them). Rumors abound LIV Golf is about to go the way of the ABA or Federal League, to put it in context for all you 125-year-old baseball fans that read us. There is even said to be an emergency meeting going on. … That news dwarves what happened at Augusta’s second tee box Sunday. Even if Sergio Garcia destroyed part of it. And has apologized for his actions. … Maybe CBS will apologize for its issues this week in Augusta? The once-proud network’s golf coverage has descended into mediocrity.

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• The only tax lesson I ever learned from my father? Try to make sure you owe, not get a refund. And send the check in on April 15. Keep your money as long as possible. I’m pretty good at following his advice, though in modern day America, the mail isn’t the first choice. I will be hitting the send button a little later today. Until later …