Mariners Game Recap: Lack of Runs Hurts M’s Again in 5-3 Loss

The Seattle Mariners did not mount much of an offensive attack on Saturday afternoon in their 5-3 loss against the Kansas City Royals.

Wade Miley looked as if he was going to have a terrible outing in the early stages of today’s game. He gave up two hits in the first inning, but managed to get out of the jam, with no harm done, however in the second he was far less lucky. A walk and three doubles brought in three early runs of support for the Royals against Miley. It was an inning plagued by poor pitch location at times, but more deflating, the Royals got their bats around good pitches to bring those few runs. It took thirty-three tosses for Miley to eventually get out of the frame having allowed the trifecta of runs.

The Mariners were trying to back Miley up, being aggressive at the pate from the onset, but Royals pitcher, Edinson Volquez, was in top form, dismissing the first eleven Mariners he faced. Thankfully, Miley would settle down after the rough second, and bounce back to keep the Mariners in contention for a comeback win. And by the fourth, right after Volquez surrendered that first hit of the game, the Mariners picked up steam. Back-to-back singles from the heart of their line-up by Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz set the table for Kyle Seager, who has been on fire lately. The fire continued to burn as Seager connected on an 0-2 pitch that he took to straight-away center to tie the game at three. The Mariners would also get two more bases runners in the fifth to try and add on to their total, but to no avail; Adam Lind was stranded at third after breaking an 0-14 and Ketel Marte left at first before the M’s were sent packing that inning.

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The same would happen in the next frame, as Cruz doubled and was advanced to third as the inning progressed, but he to was stopped ninety feet from home, and it would not be the last time this would happen to the Mariners home run leader. Yet it would happen as the Mariners faced a deficit once more, after a couple hits and strategic small ball brought in Brett Eibner, the Royals reclaiming the lead at 4-3.

The Royals would pad the lead via a Salvador Perez home run (his second of the series), putting the Royals now up 5-3, before the Mariners would stage one last hurrah to knot the game up in the bottom of the eighth. After Cruz reached base for the third time from a walk, Seager singled, to put two on for the M’s with just one out. The over-anxious Seager slipped up however as wandered to far off the bag after a ball in the dirt by Joakim Soria. Perez was block the ball cleanly and fire a rocket to first, just beating Seager for an important second out. With Cruz was at third again with Franklin Gutierrez at the plate to cut the lead to one, but Gutierrez could not deliver and popped out, leaving the Mariners with just three more outs.

The Royals Kelvin Herrera would come in for the save in the ninth, and make quick business of the M’s, needing just nine pitches. The 5-3 loss unsure that the Mariners will go into the All-Star break not having won its last two series, but will still have a shot tomorrow in the first half finally not to lose the series with Mike Montgomery scheduled to take the mound.