If you only glanced at the box scores, you’d think the Seattle Mariners spent last week getting flattened by the baseball gods. Two starts from Bryce Miller turned into a nightmare, the bullpen got torched, and the final totals were ugly enough to make any fan flinch: 22-0 and 19-2.
But the full picture is a lot messier than those two disasters.
Miller’s week started Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, when he went 4.2 innings and gave up six runs, five earned, on seven hits. Then came Sunday at home against the Chicago Cubs, and the line was even rougher: 4.1 innings, six more runs, all earned.
In nine innings across the two outings, Miller walked nine batters, including seven against the Cubs. He threw 104 pitches in that game, but only 60 were strikes.
Against Milwaukee, he was a little sharper, with 63 strikes on 92 pitches. That’s a sharp departure from the rest of his season, when his BB/9 sits at 2.39.
The good news for Seattle is that Miller now gets some time to reset before his next scheduled start, Sunday, August 30 th in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Whether those two outings were just bad nights or something more physical or mechanical will be a question until then.
What’s harder to shrug off is how badly the bullpen fared behind him. Miller was tagged for 12 runs in those two games, but the relief corps allowed 29.
And yet, the Mariners didn’t spend the whole week getting buried. In between those blowouts, they won three of four and finished 3-3 overall.
That matters, because the week began with Seattle at 62-69, three games behind first place in the AL West. Heading into Monday night, every team in the division had a losing record, and the Mariners had actually gained half a game on the top spot as the week played out.
That’s where the conversation gets interesting. Fangraphs gives Seattle a 41.3% chance to make the playoffs, and a 35.5% shot at winning the division.
With 28 games left, their magic number for elimination is 27. They’re not in control, but they’re also not out of the race.
Since August 14 th, the Mariners have trimmed 3 ½ games off the Astros’ lead. They still have key division matchups ahead, including three more home games against the Rangers in early September and two more against the Astros later in the month in Houston. If they can get through the Phillies series, then survive the road trip to Boston and Toronto, they won’t see another opponent with a winning record the rest of the way.
The schedule gives them plenty of room to make a move. Seattle still has seven games left against the Athletics, who are 30 games under .500, seven against the Angels, who are 28 games under .500, and three against the Rockies, who own the worst winning percentage in baseball.
Monday also brought a real offensive jolt. In a 9-2 win over the Phillies, Cal “Big Dumper” Raleigh launched three home runs.
He added a fourth on Tuesday. If the catcher who went toe to toe with league MVP Aaron Judge last season can shake off what the source described as the worst season in major league history for a hitter who qualifies for the batting title, that would be a huge lift for Seattle’s push.
So no, the Mariners don’t look like a team that’s suddenly fixed. But after 41-2 and all the noise that came with it, they also don’t belong in the doom-and-gloom bucket.
They still have a path. It’s a narrow one, but it’s there.
In Other News...
Bryce Millers Bullpen Move Put Seattles Rotation Under The Spotlight
During the Mariners series finale against the Phillies, Bryce Miller was shifted from the dugout to the bullpen as a situational move driven by concerns about bullpen coverage. It was the kind of in-game decision that can look bigger than it is, especially for a club that has leaned heavily on starting pitching as its identity and is now trying to keep every arm in play.
Manager Dan Wilson was quick to clarify that the move was specific to that game and not necessarily a sign of a permanent role change for Miller. Still, with Miller having struggled in the second half and top pitching prospect Kade Anderson already up in the majors, every decision involving the rotation gets extra scrutiny, and Seattles pitching picture has started to feel more open-ended than it did a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Have Found One Pitcher Who Solves Two Problems
The Mariners have been keeping a close eye on Kaima Taira, the Saitama Seibu Lions pitcher who has emerged as one of the more interesting arms in Nippon Professional Baseball. Seattle was among several clubs scouting him, and it is not hard to see why: Taira has put together a 1.46 ERA this season and has shown he can handle work both as a starter and out of the bullpen.
For a Seattle staff that always values versatility, that kind of profile is appealing on multiple levels. The Mariners appear to view him as either a bullpen option or a possible future starter, which gives the club a rare bit of flexibility as it looks to add depth without locking itself into one role too early. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Suddenly Have A Shot At Familiar Help They Desperately Need
The Mariners infield need has been obvious for a while, and now a familiar name has entered the conversation in a way few would have expected. Eugenio Suarez has been placed on waivers by the Reds, and Seattle is reportedly in a strong position to claim the third baseman if it decides to make the move. Given the injuries the Mariners have been dealing with at third base, the timing is hard to ignore.
Suarezs season has been uneven, which is part of why this is not a simple yes-or-no decision. Even so, the Mariners standing in the waiver order gives them a real chance to grab a player who once fit comfortably in their plans and could help stabilize a thin spot on the roster. For a club trying to patch together the hot corner, the question now is whether this is the kind of opportunity worth acting on quickly. [Read more 🡒]