Watchpoints: Struggles at Safeco proving costly for Mariners
One glaring problem in the Mariners’ inability to gain prolonged traction in their postseason push is that, lately, home has been anything but sweet.
Friday’s 5-1 loss to the New York Yankees marked the Mariners’ 11th loss in their last 13 home games.
That represents a startling turnaround because the Mariners were once 25-12 at Safeco Field. Their current 27-23 home record computes to a .529 winning percentage, which is now below the MLB average of .532.
It’s been costly.
Had the Mariners gone just 6-7 in those last 13 home games, which would still be a disappointment, they would be 52-46 and leading the American League wild-card race.
Instead, they enter Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees at 48-50 and trailing New York and Tampa Bay by 3 1/2 games. The Mariners must also jump past Minnesota and Kansas City to gain a wild-card spot.
The Mariners have eight games remaining in their current 10-game homestand: two more against the Yankees, then three against AL East-leading Boston and three against the New York Mets.
The slide at Safeco comes even as the Mariners show improved play on the road. They opened their post-break schedule with a 5-1 trip to Chicago and Houston, and the have won eight of their last 10 on the road.
Maybe the Mariners’ schedule in August, once viewed as brutal because it includes just seven home games in a 31-day stretch, won’t be so bad.
Other watchpoints:
***The Mariners are looking to lefty Ariel Miranda (7-4 with a 4.35 ERA) to pull them out of their Safeco funk when their four-game series against the Yankees continues at 6:10 p.m. Saturday. New York is starting right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (7-9, 5.33).
***Note the 6:10 p.m. start time. The Mariners, in their post-break schedule, are shifting back to 6:10 p.m., for their Saturday night games at home. Saturday home games had been at 7:10 p.m. since mid-May.
***The game, as usual, can be seen on Root Sports Northwest.
***Former Mariners center fielder Mike Cameron is throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in the franchise’s ongoing celebration of its 40th anniversary.
***Miranda has never faced the Yankees. Overall, he has no-decisions in his last two starts while giving up 11 runs in 10 2/3 innings.
***Tanaka is 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA in five career starts against the Mariners, including 3-0 with a 1.17 ERA in three starts at Safeco Field. Overall, though, he is 2-8 with a 5.97 ERA in his last 12 starts.
***Current Mariners are a combined 12-for-68 (.176) in their careers against Tanaka with a .186 on-base percentage. Nelson Cruz is 1-for-18, while Robinson Cano is 3-for-16, and Kyle Seager is 3-for-12.
***Jean Segura went 0-for-5 in Friday’s loss, which dropped his average to .338. He remains second in the AL batting race but now trails Houston second baseman Jose Altuve (.352) by 14 points. Ben Gamel is fifth at .319.
***Cruz still leads the American League with 74 RBIs, but New York’s Aaron Judge is just two back at 72 after driving in four runs on Friday.
***The Yankees had won 12 of their last 13 games at Safeco Field.
***The Mariners scored just one run in each of the first two games in the series but not due to a lack of opportunities. They are 5-for-26 with runners in scoring position.
TIME CAPSULE
It was 17 years ago Saturday — July 22, 2000 — that the Mariners endured a run delay at home for the first time in franchise history. It lasted 54 minutes because a computer problem wouldn’t allow the roof to close during a rain storm.
The $517.6-million ballpark was only about a year old. Many in the crowd of 44,381 got drenched before club officials solved the problem. As for the game, it went well; the Mariners pounded Texas 13-5.
Bob Dutton: @TNT_Mariners
This story was originally published July 22, 2017 at 10:35 AM with the headline "Watchpoints: Struggles at Safeco proving costly for Mariners."