Mariners takeaways: Seattle shut out in series-opening loss to White Sox
The Mariners opened their three-game series against the White Sox with their first shutout loss of the season Monday night at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle (2-2) managed little offensively in the 6-0 loss after Chicago jumped ahead early.
The club resumes its series with Chicago on Tuesday night, and has two games remaining in its opening homestand.
Here are three takeaways from the series-opening loss:
1. Justus Sheffield worked out of trouble early, but the White Sox eventually tagged him with a loss in his season debut
Sheffield’s season opened with a five-pitch walk to up-and-coming Chicago prospect Nick Madrigal, and Jose Abreu singled two batters later, but Seattle’s young left-hander worked out of that jam.
After serving up a solo home run to Yasmani Grandal to open the second, the second-year starter retired six of his next seven, including striking out Abreau and Yoan Moncada back-to-back to end the third.
“Early in the game I thought Sheff hung in there,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Maybe not quite as sharp as we’ve seen him early on. But, in games like that, when you don’t have a lot of offense going, you know you need to keep it close and make the plays, and we let a couple innings get away from us there. Those nights happen.”
Everything unraveled for the Mariners in the fourth. Sheffield allowed a leadoff single to Yermin Mercedes — who recently became the first player in the modern era to open a season 8-for-8 — a fielding error by third baseman Kyle Seager allowed Grandal to reach, and a Leury Garcia bunt base hit loaded the bases with no outs.
Sheffield hit Andrew Vaughn with a pitch to drive in one run, and Billy Hamilton singled to center to scratch across another. Madrigal then hit into a double play, but another run scored to make it 4-0.
Sheffield worked an infield fly from Luis Robert to end the inning, but the Mariners seemed well out of reach by that point.
Moncada then singled with one out in the fifth, and Mercedes — who finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored, two singles, a double and a walk — doubled before Grandal drove both runs in on a single back up the middle.
Sheffield’s night ended two batters later, when he struck out Vaughn swinging, and the 6-0 lead proved far more than the Mariners could manage.
“Honestly I felt solid the whole game, even though I wasn’t getting ahead of hitters,” Sheffield said. “I felt like I had some good life on my heater, I still felt like I had a good slider tonight. I just wasn’t able to put it together when it came to getting ahead of those guys and landing those secondary pitches.
“I felt good out there, but didn’t really get the results I wanted and really execute like I wanted to.”
Sheffield completed five innings allowing the six runs (four earned) on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts on 92 pitches.
Relievers Drew Steckenrider and Will Vest each pitched a pair of scoreless innings to close out the game, but Seattle’s offense didn’t rally.
2. The Mariners had chances, but tallied only three hits in the shutout loss
Mitch Haniger doubled to lead off the first inning for the Mariners. J.P. Crawford singled to open the third. Haniger doubled again in the seventh.
But, that was it.
The Mariners struck out a season-high 15 times. They tied a season-high stranding nine on base.
“Tough night offensively,” Servais said.
And, still, they had more than one chance to even things up.
Haniger and Evan White, who was hit by a pitch, were aboard with two outs in the first, but White Sox starter Carlos Rodon — who tossed five scoreless innings, allowed two hits and three walks and struck out nine on 95 pitches — caught Dylan Moore looking to end the threat.
The Mariners then stranded Crawford in the third, after his single and a throw wide of first base on a pickoff attempt allowed him to advance to third with no outs.
Seattle loaded the bases on three consecutive one-out walks in the fourth, but again came up empty when Crawford struck out to retire the side.
The Mariners stranded a batter each of the next three innings before they were retired in order in the eighth and ninth.
“Hitting with runners in scoring position is the name of the game,” Servais said. “Getting those big timely hits certainly helps and we didn’t get it done tonight. We’ll get back after it tomorrow.“
3. How about a double? Or a walk?
The Mariners rank among baseball’s top tier in both categories.
Seattle ranks third in the majors in doubles after Haniger hit a pair Monday to bring the club total to 12 through five games. The Dodgers lead with 14, while the Astros have 13.
Haniger’s four doubles this season rank tied for third in baseball with seven other players.
The Mariners also rank eighth with 20 walks, just behind the White Sox, who have 21.
Jake Fraley walked twice during Monday’s loss to bring his season total to eight, which is tied for first in the majors with Detroit’s Robbie Grossman and Angels center fielder Mike Trout.
This story was originally published April 5, 2021 at 10:37 PM.
