Seattle Mariners’ offense continues to be anemic in loss to Guardians

CLEVELAND – During this recent stretch of anemic production and really for much of the season, scoring three runs in a game has somehow been enough for the Mariners to win more games than expected.

They came into the day having posted a 12-6 record in games where they have scored exactly three runs, which seems surprising and is an obvious testament to their pitching – both starters and relievers – to have that sort of success.

By comparison, only five other teams in MLB have winning records when scoring exactly three runs in a game.

Five of those wins for the Mariners have come during this awful two-week stretch where they’ve yet to score four runs or more in a game.

But on Saturday night at Progressive Field, three runs weren’t good enough. The Mariners needed at least one more run not to lose and at least keep playing, but they couldn’t reach that seemingly insurmountable threshold and lost 4-3 to the Guardians.

It was the 13th consecutive game where the Mariners couldn’t score at least four runs in a game. The unwanted streak is the longest in franchise history.

“Not a lot of solid contact early,” manager Dan Wilson said.

Indeed, right-hander Slade Cecconi pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits with two walks and four strikeouts. He got 12 groundball outs from Mariners hitters.

“He was locked in and didn’t give us a lot of opportunities,” Wilson said.

For most of the game, it seemed like the Mariners might get held scoreless or perhaps muster a run as they slogged their way to another loss. Down 4-0 in the eighth inning, Randy Arozarena gave the Mariners a jolt, clubbing a three-run homer to deep left-center off reliever Shawn Armstrong to give Seattle some hope.

It gave the Mariners a jolt of energy on an otherwise frustrating night.

“It was like, ‘Thank goodness, something is finally going good for us,’ ” said Julio Rodriguez. “That’s how we’ve been feeling for a while now where we make contact or hit a bullet and somebody is right there. It felt like a little good sign that something was finally going right for us.”

When Josh Naylor followed with a first-pitch single to right field off Armstrong, the Mariners had the tying run on base with no outs. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt called on right-hander Hunter Gaddis to clean up the eighth. He was able to get Cal Raleigh to pop up and Luke Raley to hit into a force out. Cole Young singled to center with two outs to put move the tying run into score position and the go-ahead run on first. But Gaddis struck out Colt Emerson to end the inning.

Trying to piece together a run against Cleveland closer Cade Smith in the ninth wasn’t going to be easy. But Rodriguez smacked a hard-single to center with one out to put the tying run on base again. Dom Canzone, who was playing through obvious discomfort in his right hamstring, stung a line drive to center that was caught for the second out. Smith hit Arozarena with a pitch to put the go-ahead run on base and move Rodriguez into scoring position. But Naylor couldn’t get revenge against his old team, bouncing out to shortstop to end the game.

The Mariners finished the night 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 runners on base.

Working without a scheduled piggyback, Logan Gilbert pitched seven innings, giving up four runs in the outing to take the loss.

He cruised through the first three innings, allowing just one baserunner. But the Guardians, who are also not an offensive juggernaut pushed across three runs in the fourth inning.

Travis Bazzana led off with a single and Kyle Manzardo added a one-out single of Gilbert. Khalili Watson doubled to right field to score Bazanna and rookie Cooper Ingle, who was playing in his second MLB game, hit a groundball past the drawn-in infield and into right field for a two-run single.

Cleveland added another run in the fifth inning on Bryan Roochio’s check swing double that scored Bazzana from first base.

“Not to make something more than what it is, but it was a couple first-pitch hits and ground ball hit that was barely missed with infield in,” Gilbert said. “I probably could have done a better job there going under the zone, especially in advantage counts, but I’m never going to be too worried about first-pitch hits or getting in good counts and being aggressive.”

Rodriguez, who missed a homer by about a foot in his second at-bat on a line drive off the top of the left field wall, is hopeful the Mariners offense will finally start cashing in on opportunities and hard-hit balls.

“You just keep having a good approach, keep putting the balls in play, and I think good things are going to happen,” he said.

While Canzone is trying to play through hamstring discomfort, Rodriguez was hopeful that 90% of their best lineup is available to play.

“That’s what a lot of people might not realize,” he said. “Throughout the whole year, there’s always been injuries, it’s always been things to manage and we have managed. I think we have done a really good job, just kind of like picking up the slack for the next guy, and just continuing to battle with what we got.”