Mariners fall short in Game 161 with their Ace on the hill as Luis Castillo and offense both struggle

The Mariners were so close to making it to the 2023 playoffs. They had won the first two games of the series against the Texas Rangers, and needed to keep winning over the weekend in order to have a shot at making the playoffs. There really wasn't more that you could ask from the team in order of pitching, as the Mariners were set to have Luis Castillo and George Kirby throw this weekend. That's likely their top two pitchers, and you had to feel good about it.

Well, that feeling quickly went away. Castillo looked good in the first, fanning a couple and throwing just 17 pitches. 27 pitches is what it took next time around, but he made it through without any runs coming across the board, The third inning though, that's where it all fell apart.

Semien walked, and then Castillo looked to settle in with getting Seager and Grossman out. 12 more pitches there, and that's not terrible. Well, the next 30 pitches were awful. If you have kids nearby, cover their eyes. If you're squeamish, please go read something else with rainbows and bunnies and dancing gophers.

Infield single. Single. Walk. Single. Single. Walk. Pulled from the game at 86 pitches through just 2.2 innings. The Rangers scored 4 and sent ten hitters to the plate that inning. It was ugly, it was gross, and it's not how we wanted it to go down.

The Mariners never even made it close. Seven hits and just one walk on offense. Texas just chewed through the Mariners though, making them through an insane 204 pitches tonight. It gets worse, too. The Astros won and the Blue Jays were already at 89 wins, so the Mariners have now been eliminated from the playoffs. A night after seeing the offense look fantastic, they looked broken. It's a disheartening way to end the season, and we now have to wait to 2024.

The Mariners lost 6-1 to the Rangers, and in doing so, ended their season. It was rough, and we can only hope for something better next season.