Mariners offense continues to be M.I.A. in loss to Rangers

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 27: Eugenio Suarez #28 of the Seattle Mariners walks away after striking out during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on September 27, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 27: Eugenio Suarez #28 of the Seattle Mariners walks away after striking out during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on September 27, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

The Mariners are back home for a long homestand to finish off the season, but there is one thing that they forgot to bring back with them… the offense. Not that they really had it with them on their road trip, but it would’ve been nice to see the bats warm up and put on a show in the first game back in Seattle.

Instead, they suffered an embarrassing 5-0 loss at the hands of the Texas Rangers. It’s not like they were going up against some juggernaut pitcher, either. Jesus Tinoco started the game for Texas, making his first career start after 44 appearances out of the bullpen over the last four seasons.

Josh Jung and the Rangers defeated the anemic Mariners 5-0

If it weren’t for Josh Jung, we would’ve seen extra innings in this game. He was responsible for all five runs by the Rangers. With a solo homer in the second, an RBI single in the 6th, and a 3-run bomb in the 8th, he took hold of this game and got the Rangers the win.

Eugenio Suarez made his return, but he looked like a guy who probably still has a sore finger and hasn’t seen live pitching in a while. He managed to draw a walk but struck out in his other three ABs. It would be huge for this team to get him back to how he was doing pre-injury since he had been having the best season of his career.

Mitch Haniger was the bright spot for the Mariners, notching two hits in the game. Dylan Moore would be the other guy to highlight, as he hit a single and then stole his 19th bag of the season. If he can get three more, it will set a new career high.

The Mariners are now just 4-9 over their last 13 games. They’ve let a golden opportunity go to waste, as they could’ve taken hold of the wild card race with a strong showing against the teams with the worst records in baseball.

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Still just three games back of Toronto, 1.5 back of Tampa, and holding a 3.5 lead on Baltimore, if they could’ve gone 8-5 then they would’ve been in sole possession of the wild card with a chance to clinch a playoff berth Wednesday. Instead, they’ve got their work cut out but still are in charge of their own destiny. GO MARINERS!