The Mariners lost 5-4 to the Angels on June 7, dropping their 4th straight despite a big night from Julio Rodríguez. See how the offense went cold late.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a night that started with promise and ended in familiar frustration. Despite a spectacular performance from Julio Rodríguez, the Seattle Mariners dropped their fourth consecutive game, falling 5-4 to the Los Angeles Angels and officially sliding into second place in the AL West. The loss, their 11th in the last 16 games, was sealed by an offensive disappearing act that saw the team go hitless in their final 12 at-bats.
I feel like this game, obviously, we didn't get the results we wanted at the end and the win. But it was still very fun to keep the line moving, get some runners moving, some steals kind of just stringing things together.
The Mariners' bats showed signs of life early, with contributions from across the lineup including an RBI from Rowdy Tellez. But after the Angels took a 5-4 lead in the fifth inning on a Chris Taylor RBI double and a Nolan Schanuel RBI single, the Seattle offense went into a deep freeze. Facing the Angels' bullpen, the M's couldn't muster a single hit, a troubling trend that has plagued this recent skid. Starter Bryce Miller battled but ultimately took the loss, tagged with 5 runs on 6 hits over 5 innings.
While the team result was a disappointment, Julio Rodríguez put on a masterclass. He was a force at the plate, lacing an RBI triple and finishing the night 2-for-4. But his most breathtaking moment came in the field, where he leaped over the center-field fence to rob a home run in a play that will be on highlight reels for weeks. It was a display of the five-tool talent that makes him a superstar, but even his individual brilliance couldn't carry the team to a much-needed victory.
Just a short time ago, the Mariners held a comfortable 3.5-game lead in the division. That feels like a distant memory now. After losing 11 of their last 16 contests, the M's (32-30) now find themselves looking up in the standings, sitting 2.5 games behind the new AL West leader. What was once a promising cruise has turned into a desperate fight to stay afloat, making every game feel more critical than the last.
The bleeding has to stop somewhere. The Mariners get another crack at the Angels in Anaheim tomorrow, and the mission is simple: find a way to win. Snapping this four-game losing streak is paramount, not just for the standings, but to restore the confidence of a team that seems to have lost its way. All eyes will be on whether the offense can finally wake up and support its stars.
