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Mariners Roundup: Postseason bid seems all but over after disappointing Angels series

In what should have been an opportunity to lift their championship equity, the Mariners fall short once again

By Jason Wang |
Seattle Mariners v Los Angeles Angels
Seattle Mariners v Los Angeles Angels / Harry How/GettyImages
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The Angels have no chance to make the playoffs but they still had an opportunity to drag the Mariners down with them. It should have been an easy way to make up ground on the Astros while they were saddled with a more competitive matchup in the Royals, but things took a turn for the worst. Houston pulled off a four-game sweep while Seattle left Anaheim with just one more win than they came in with, falling to a 6.0 game deficit for the lead in the AL West.

Best Hitter: Justin Turner

10 PA, .500/.500/1.250, 4 H, 2 HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 K, 1 HBP

In a stretch of great plate appearances with Seattle, Turner finally started to seem like his old self and led the team in total bases with ten. He has struggled to hit the ball with authority this year and his average exit velocity of 86.7 mph is the lowest it has ever been since Statcast started measuring it in 2015. However, he managed to top the 100 mph exit velocity mark on both of his home runs in the second game of the series.

Turner's OPS+ of 103 is roughly in line with what he was doing with the Blue Jays and although it's a step back from his best days with the Dodgers, even a league-average bat is a positive presence.

Honorable Mention: Julio Rodríguez

14 PA, .500/.643/.800, 5 H, 1 HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 SB

After a smoking hot July which saw him hit to the tune of a 1.121 OPS, Julio took a slight step back in August. However, it's clear that he's still able to be an elite hitter when he's at his best. Aside from getting on base nine times in this series, he struck out just once and led the team in RBI.

Best Pitcher: Trent Thornton

31 P, 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

It was a tough set of starts for the Mariners' rotation. Bryan Woo, Bryce MIller, and George Kirby couldn't combine for a single quality start. Woo's four earned runs over 6.1 innings was the closest but the lack of run-limiting is ultimately what led to Seattle's downfall over these three games.

Luckily, there were a few good reliever outings. Trent Thornton was solid in relief, making two scoreless appearances and picking up three strikeouts. He has been somewhat shaky this year compared to last, posting a 6.97 ERA in July but he seems to be returning to form.

Honorable Mention: Troy Taylor

31 P, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Rookie Troy Taylor may be one of the best arms in the bullpen right now. While his sample size is small, he has a 1.08 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, and 10.80 SO/9 over the 8.1 innings he has pitched. One of the hardest-throwing relievers in Seattle's system, his sinker has the ability to top out at 98 mph and he could be set up as a second option for high leverage situations behind Andrés Muñoz in the future.

Best Moment: Mariners turn whacky double play to keep the game tied

In the bottom of the eighth inning of the second game in the series, the Angels and Mariners were tied at 4-4. After a double by Taylor Ward and a wild pitch by Collin Snider to move him over to third base, Jack López laid down a suicide squeeze. Unfortunately for López, the bunt placed the ball right on home plate, allowing Cal Raleigh to quickly trap the ball and tag Ward before he was able to score. In the confusion, López also didn't start running to first until Ward had already been tagged out, giving Raleigh more than enough time to make the second out at first base. A subsequent lineout by Nolan Schanuel would end the inning.

Although the Angels still slipped away with the win following a walk-off home run, this defensive play gave Seattle a life preserver and a reasonable chance to win or at least send it to extra innings. If nothing else, it was yet another goofy, chaotic moment in a messy season of Mariners baseball.

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