SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners were able to salvage the series finale of a three-game set against the Athletics on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
The Mariners (11-15) won 5-4 via a walk-off RBI single hit by first baseman Josh Naylor. The win gave the M's a 3-3 mark in their six-game homestand and sent them on the road for a six-game set against the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins with momentum.
Here's several takeaways from Seattle's win in the series finale and the overall trio of contests against the A's:
The Mariners lost the first two games of the series by a combined five runs. In both contests, Seattle either had the lead or was tied with the Athletics early before giving up the lead late.
In those two games, the Mariners went a combined 1-for-16 with runners in scoring position and left 15 potential scorers on-base.
Seattle still wasn't efficient in that regard Wednesday but it was better. It went 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine. In the ninth inning, the Mariners had four hits, capped by Naylor's walk-off.
"I think every win gives you a little bit of a boost," Naylor said in a postgame interview Wednesday. "But, yeah. We haven't really been playing our type of baseball the last month. ... But it's early still. We're trying our hardest, it's just not working out. But I tell the guys 'we'd rather start bad and end great then start great and end bad.' We look at all the positives, take all the wins from the day and move forward. Be your better self tomorrow and the day after that."
Josh Naylor walks it off for the @Mariners! pic.twitter.com/r8XKg0JoAr
Seattle's bullpen has been more consistent than the offense this season. However, the series against the A's proved to be a taxing one for the relievers.
The Mariners' bullpen allowed a combined seven runs across the three games, including three apiece in games one and two, respectively.
Seattle's relievers bounced back to their usual form Wednesday.
Left-hander Jose A. Ferrer pitched a scoreless two innings in the fifth and sixth despite allowing two hits and issuing a walk.
Righties Matt Brash and Cooper Criswell blanked the A's in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
The only run allowed was by closer Andres Munoz, who entered the game in the ninth to try and earn the save. He got two outs before allowing a solo home run to Athletics center fielder Nick Kurtz, which tied the game 4-4.
For the first time this season, the Mariners starting rotation went through a series without posting a quality start.
Emerson Hancock and Luis Castillo each pitched five innings in games one and two, and Logan Gilbert went through four in game three.
Gilbert pitched through his four after a 107.8-mph line drive from A's right fielder Carlos Cortes got lodged in the former's jersey in the top of the first. Gilbert is now sporting a bruise on his stomach and a cut on his wrist following the play.
Logan Gilbert "catches" a 108 mph comebacker...In his Jersey. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/siUR4jjcq4
A lot of the starters' struggles were due to the characteristics of the Athletics lineup. The A's' bats made it a habit to extend plate appearances with foul balls and lengthen innings with two-out base hits during the series.
"We were going to (secondary) stuff," Gilbert said in a postgame interview. "Some of my curveballs were good, changeups were good. Threw some good sliders — they were on the slider, too. So I got a few swing-and-miss early on sliders and I think then, they were looking for it a little more when I wasn't able to locate the fastball as much. They were definitely covering some pitches. Some of mine were working but it was just kind of a toss-up there."