The Seattle Mariners have won a season-high seven games in a row with catcher Cal Raleigh and third baseman Brendan Donovan on the injured list.
So what has sparked the turnaround?
The return of relievers Matt Brash (right lat inflammation) and Gabe Speier (left shoulder inflammation) from the IL.
The Mariners haven’t lost since both of their high-leverage pitchers have returned to the bullpen.
Jose A. Ferrer, Brash, Andres Munoz and Speier each pitched a hitless inning in relief Monday night as the Mariners defeated the visiting New York Mets 3-2 in 10 innings in the opener of a three-game interleague series that will continue Tuesday night in Seattle.
“The bullpen, I mean, just to be able to come in there and shut things down,” said Emerson Hancock, the Mariners’ starting pitcher on Monday night. “I know for me personally it’s like if I do my job and whoever’s coming out of that bullpen, you know they’re going to come in there and execute, and that’s a good feeling to have.”
Brash hit MJ Melendez with a pitch leading off the eighth, the only baserunner the Mariners’ relievers allowed. Brash made up for it by getting the next batter, Brett Baty, to ground into a double play.
Speier came on in the 10th with the automatic runner at second base. He struck out Juan Soto and pinch hitter Mark Vientos before getting A.J. Ewing to pop out to shortstop J.P. Crawford.
Seattle’s Randy Arozarena stole third in the bottom of the inning and scored the winning run on Cole Young’s broken-bat, bloop single to shallow left field with one out.
It was the third time in the past four games the Mariners won in 10 innings.
The Mets managed just two hits, solo homers by Jared Young and Marcus Semien.
“We had a good game plan going in, but we just weren’t able to execute as much as we wanted,” Jared Young said.
The Mariners had just four hits — solo homers by rookie Colt Emerson and Josh Naylor — and a pair of singles by Cole Young.
Naylor left the game after his tying homer in the seventh with back spasms, and manager Dan Wilson said Naylor would be re-evaluated on Tuesday.
“It was a good game, a well-played game by both teams. A lot of good pitching from both sides,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Obviously, coming into this series we know the type of pitching staff that they have. That’s a legit pitching staff there.”
The Mets are expected to start Jonah Tong (1-0, 0.00 ERA) on Tuesday, while the Mariners plan to send right-hander Logan Gilbert (3-4, 3.69) to the mound.
Tong, a 22-year-old rookie, never has faced the Mariners.
Gilbert hasn’t allowed a run over his past two starts — a no-decision on May 22 in Kansas City and a 9-1 victory against the Athletics on Wednesday in West Sacramento, Calif.
Gilbert, 29, has walked two and struck out six in each of those games, giving up seven hits over 11 2/3 innings.
He is 1-0 with an 0.66 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.
–Field Level Media
