I think we were all afraid of this moment. The Mariners have lost four of six coming out of the All Star Break. Their offensive inability has begun to shine through, this because they have not been able to knock in RISP, a talent they have that has seemed to make up for their limited number of baserunners all season long.
Although the M's didn't score many runs on the Angels, they were deadlocked in all three games of the series. The first game was a sixteen inning marathon that ended over 400 pitches and 5 hours later after Efren Navarro knocked in the winning run for the Angels to win 3-2. The second game went much the same way; it went twelve innings after a solid pitchers duel between King Felix and Garrett Richards. This time the Mariners came out on top 3-2 with the help of Justin Smoak and Logan Morrison driving in a run each in the twelfth. The Angels clinched the series on Sunday when the Angels walked off 6-5 after being down 5-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. This after Fernando Rodney shot his imaginary arrow at the Angels' dugout -- an inning early -- with the best 2-3-4 in baseball coming up in the next one. This was questionable to say the very least, but it didn't matter. The Mariners lost a series where the line between the Mariners sweeping and the Angels sweeping was as small as can be.
The Angels series was a heart-breaker, but the Mariners hoped to bounce back against a struggling Mets ballclub. If only the Mariners did well against struggling ballclubs. The series seemed to be off to a good start after the offense finally came alive in a 5-2 win. Dustin Ackley made a case to not get traded as he went three for four while making a wall-climbing catch to rob a homer.
That's when it all fell apart.
The next night, Erasmo Ramirez didn't get much help from the offense as the Mariners dropped another game, 3-1. On the following afternoon, the Mariners struggled against an untouchable Bartolo Colon. By untouchable, I mean that Seattle didn't get a baserunner until the seventh inning and Colon was only eight outs away from a perfect game when Cano broke it up with a single to left. The bottom of the Mariners' lineup rallied in the eighth, but it came up short and the M's lost again, 3-2.
Like Lloyd McClendon has made clear before, this team lacks offense. We know this. Losses like these are going to happen. The Mariners just need to find a way to be able to get back to taking advantage of the baserunners they get, and driving them in. Everything else will come with this as the pitching has begun to show its ability of late. The Baltimore Orioles are coming to town next, and they are a team that the Mariners can beat if they play the way they can.
Besides, the Mariners have done well against good teams like the Orioles, right?
Although the M's didn't score many runs on the Angels, they were deadlocked in all three games of the series. The first game was a sixteen inning marathon that ended over 400 pitches and 5 hours later after Efren Navarro knocked in the winning run for the Angels to win 3-2. The second game went much the same way; it went twelve innings after a solid pitchers duel between King Felix and Garrett Richards. This time the Mariners came out on top 3-2 with the help of Justin Smoak and Logan Morrison driving in a run each in the twelfth. The Angels clinched the series on Sunday when the Angels walked off 6-5 after being down 5-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. This after Fernando Rodney shot his imaginary arrow at the Angels' dugout -- an inning early -- with the best 2-3-4 in baseball coming up in the next one. This was questionable to say the very least, but it didn't matter. The Mariners lost a series where the line between the Mariners sweeping and the Angels sweeping was as small as can be.
The Angels series was a heart-breaker, but the Mariners hoped to bounce back against a struggling Mets ballclub. If only the Mariners did well against struggling ballclubs. The series seemed to be off to a good start after the offense finally came alive in a 5-2 win. Dustin Ackley made a case to not get traded as he went three for four while making a wall-climbing catch to rob a homer.
That's when it all fell apart.
The next night, Erasmo Ramirez didn't get much help from the offense as the Mariners dropped another game, 3-1. On the following afternoon, the Mariners struggled against an untouchable Bartolo Colon. By untouchable, I mean that Seattle didn't get a baserunner until the seventh inning and Colon was only eight outs away from a perfect game when Cano broke it up with a single to left. The bottom of the Mariners' lineup rallied in the eighth, but it came up short and the M's lost again, 3-2.
Like Lloyd McClendon has made clear before, this team lacks offense. We know this. Losses like these are going to happen. The Mariners just need to find a way to be able to get back to taking advantage of the baserunners they get, and driving them in. Everything else will come with this as the pitching has begun to show its ability of late. The Baltimore Orioles are coming to town next, and they are a team that the Mariners can beat if they play the way they can.
Besides, the Mariners have done well against good teams like the Orioles, right?