Old problems and baffling choices spoil Mariners' new beginning in Opening Day loss

It's always fun whenever a new season arrives, and particularly so this year for the Seattle Mariners. But all it takes is one loss that makes you tear at your hair to remind you how hard a 162-game season is on the nervous system. And one game in, the Mariners have that box checked.

You can't pin their 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday on any one thing. The Mariners did not fall victim to an electrifying pitching performance, for example. And there were silver linings, such as Logan Gilbert's efficient pitching and four solo home runs.

They just… lost.

It's mainly because José Ramírez did José Ramírez things, though Chase DeLauter also did what apparently are Chase DeLauter things — this was his first regular-season game and he homered twice. But the Mariners also beat themselves, in ways both familiar and baffling.

Mariners basically forget to turn the page to a new season on Opening Day

Remember in the 2025 playoffs, when the Mariners suddenly developed a weird allergy to getting No. 9 hitters out? Well, it happened again on Thursday. Brayan Rocchio, noted bad hitter, went 2-for-3 with a two-RBI double and a run scored.

Speaking of the 2025 playoffs, remember when Gabe Speier went from being one of the Mariners' best relievers to a totally unexpected liability? That continued to be a theme during the spring, and so it went when he served up a game-breaking double to Ramírez in the seventh inning.

Also on the topic of the 2025 playoffs, you definitely remember Dan Wilson managing his bullpen like he forgot Matt Brash and Andrés Muñoz were in it. This, alas, also happened again on Thursday.

Brash notably did not get a chance to bamboozle Ramírez like it was 2023 all over again. As for why Casey Legumina and Cooper Criswell were allowed near a one-run game in the eighth and ninth, well, that's just a question without a good answer.

Also, wasn't this supposed to be a more versatile offense than we're used to? Isn't it supposed to be less prone to strikeouts and less reliant on the long ball? If so, then the 14 strikeouts and six total hits don't make a lick of sense.

Oh, don't worry. There were new problems as well. Like, for example, the Mariners having access to the new Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System and not using it even once. Cal Raleigh should particularly know better, especially in moments when he has nothing to lose.

This is beginning to sound like a rant. OK, it is a rant. It's indeed a blatant case of disappointment doing the talking, and it's talking so forcefully because the 2026 Mariners are supposed to be better than this.

And they will be, of course. There's no doubt about that. This was just a rough way to greet a new season, and you have to hope valuable lessons were learned about what not to do.