Grading the streaking Seattle Mariners' scrappy 2-1 series win vs. Miami Marlins

The Seattle Mariners just keep finding ways to win, no matter what the game throws at them. With their latest series win over the Miami Marlins, the M’s have now captured their sixth straight series victory, further solidifying the team’s reputation for resilience and grit.

This stretch hasn’t been without its challenges. Injuries, unexpected hurdles, and mid-game adversity have all tested the Mariners' depth and toughness. Yet time and time again, they’ve managed to weather the storm.

Case in point: Logan Gilbert exited the opener of the three-game set after just three innings with a right forearm injury. The Mariners dropped that game, but didn’t blink. Instead, they came roaring back the very next night with a 14-0 beatdown of the Marlins. And in Sunday’s finale, with a rookie making his major league debut on the mound, the Mariners backed him with timely offense to help him notch his first career win.

Let’s dive into what went right — and where the Mariners still have room to sharpen up — as we hand out grades for their latest series victory.

Mariners vs. Marlins Breakdown and Grades: Series Results

• Friday, April 25: SEA 4, MIA 8
• Saturday, April 26: SEA 14, MIA 0
• Sunday, April 27: SEA 7, MIA 6

Grading the Mariners’ Offense: A

The bats came alive in this three-game set against the Marlins, as the Mariners exploded for 25 total runs. Even in the lone loss in Game 1, it’s not like the offense disappeared. Scoring four runs at T-Mobile Park is no easy task, and the M’s backed it up with one of their most complete offensive performances we've seen in recent seasons.

After a rough 1-for-9 showing with runners in scoring position in the opener, the Mariners quickly adjusted and responded. They went 5-for-14 in Game 2 and 4-for-14 in Game 3, proving once again that timely hitting is essential. And when the Mariners executed situational hitting at a high level, the results were obvious on the scoreboard.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt when you kick off a game with fireworks. Julio Rodríguez and Jorge Polanco launched back-to-back home runs to open Game 2, setting the tone for an early 6-0 lead that completely deflated the Marlins.

Polanco absolutely torched the Marlins this series, going 6-for-12 with three homers and seven RBIs. He’s now sporting a ridiculous .377/.405/.739 slash line, showing no signs of slowing down and becoming a true catalyst at the top of Seattle’s lineup.

Grading the Mariners’ Defense: C+

There were some highlight-reel moments in the field this series — but also enough miscues to leave a few points off the board. J.P. Crawford and Ben Williamson each delivered defensive gems that reminded everyone why they’re trusted to lock down the left side of the infield. But unfortunately, those flashes of brilliance were overshadowed by a couple of costly mistakes that hurt the Mariners.

The most glaring came in Game 1, when Dylan Moore — normally one of Seattle’s steadiest defenders — mishandled a groundball with two outs in the fifth inning. The error proved to be devastating, extending the inning and opening the floodgates for the Marlins to pile on six runs against Casey Lawrence, who was gutting through a really strong emergency outing. If Moore makes that play, it’s not a stretch to say the Mariners might have stolen that game despite the early loss of Gilbert.

Outside of that inning, the defense mostly held strong. There were a couple of hiccups, including a fielding error by Miles Mastrobuoni in Game 2 and a missed foul pop-up by Donovan Solano — not an easy catch, but one you expect a veteran to come down with.

Overall, the Mariners played solid defense, but they'll need to tighten things up and eliminate some of the avoidable mistakes moving forward.

Grading the Mariners’ Pitching: B

At first glance, the scoreboard might suggest this grade is a little generous — but context matters here. Given the circumstances, the Mariners’ pitching staff turned in a gritty performance across the series that deserves recognition.

Things got off to a tough start when Gilbert exited Game 1. Casey Lawrence was tasked with saving the bullpen — and he answered the call, grinding through five innings and throwing 83 pitches. He was tagged for five earned runs, but given the situation, his ability to eat innings kept the Mariners from burning through their relievers on night one.

Seattle responded emphatically in Game 2, delivering a dominant four-hit shutout. Luis Castillo was sensational, tossing six innings of one-hit ball and setting the tone. The bullpen trio of Casey Legumina, Troy Taylor, and Tayler Saucedo — three arms with plenty to prove after recent stints in Triple-A — each allowed just one hit over the final three innings, sealing the Mariners' biggest blowout win of the season.

The finale brought another curveball, as rookie Logan Evans made his unexpected major league debut. He handled it admirably, tossing five innings of two-run ball with four strikeouts to earn his first career win. The only real blemish came late when Trent Thornton, who continues to battle long-ball issues, surrendered a three-run homer in the eighth inning that let the Marlins back into the game.

All in all, the Mariners' arms battled through adversity, kept their composure, and pieced together a series win without two of their most important starters.

Grading the Mariners’ Strategy: C

There were some strategic bright spots that deserve credit — but some recurring missteps that continue to weigh heavily on this grade. Sparing the bullpen in Game 1 by allowing Casey Lawrence to gut through five innings, even in a losing effort, was a smart and necessary call. That move helped preserve the bullpen and was a key reason the Mariners were able to dominate the next two games.

However, the grade takes a steep dive due to the continued reliance on Thornton in late-game situations. Even with a four-run cushion in the eighth inning of the finale, the decision to hand Thornton the ball nearly blew up in the Mariners' faces. Instead of using him for a quick out — as was the case in the Boston series finale — he was asked to record a full inning’s worth of outs, and once again, he looked completely lost.

As much as there’s hope Thornton can find his form, at this point, Dan Wilson’s loyalty is starting to hurt the team more than help it. Seattle can’t afford to keep gambling games away late.

The Mariners will get a much-needed off day at home on Monday before welcoming in their division-rival Los Angeles Angels. Despite the Angels sitting in last place, the standings are deceiving — just 3.5 games separate first from last in the AL West.

These intra-division matchups often toss out the records, and every win counts the same. Seattle will look to extend their series win streak to seven as they host the Angels for a quick two-game set at T-Mobile Park before hitting the road for a crucial showdown with the Texas Rangers starting Friday.