Mariners lose series to the Braves as the offense struggles once again

Are things starting to get concerning for the Seattle Mariners? I know people have been up in arms already about the offense, but I'm always wary of letting small sample sizes effect my thoughts on players. However, we are now 46 games into the season, and the Mariners are leaving Atlanta with another rough showing on offense in the series loss to the Braves.

They scored 11 runs, 20 hits, and walked 7 times. It's so much worse when you realize that 9 of the hits and 5 of the walks game in game 2, which was their lone win in the series. Even with those, the Mariners hit just .210 for the series, with a lowly OBP of .260. The pitchers held the dangerous Braves lineup in check for the most part, allowing just 12 runs on a .263 BA but an impressive .282 OBP.

The Mariners aren't going to gain any ground in the American League if they keep producing at this rate

As you can tell from the lack of production, neither team did much this series. The Mariners left 14 men on-base, while the Braves left 16. That didn't apply to Matt Olson though. The Braves first baseman looked like he was taking BP in the first AB of each game against the Mariners.

RBI Double
2-run HR
RBI Double

Even though he left the Mariners division (Olson used to be an Athletic) he still dominated the Mariners early in every game to put the Braves on the scoreboard.

Bryce Miller, Gilbert, and Kirby all did well enough in the series to put the Mariners in a position to win, but a .210 BA isn't gonna do it. They each went six or more, giving up 3, 2, and 3, respectively.

The worst part about this series is the fact that they were facing the Braves at an optimal point for a matchup. Their pitching staff is missing a couple of starters, and they were filling in with sub-optimal replacements. Bryce Elder and Jared Schuster have high ceilings, but they are still young and inexperienced. At least they got to Chavex and the bullpen a bit in game 2, but a defensive brainfart helped with that one.

With 4 against Oakland and 3 against a struggling Pittsburgh team coming up, the Mariners have a great opportunity to get back on track. After those 7 games, every expectation is to be sitting with at least a 27-26 record, back on the right side of .500 a third of the way into the season, and prime for another run at a playoff berth.

However, if the offense can't score, it might all be for naught.