Mariners Unable to Score when Loading Bases Three Times, Cubs Sweep Series

The Seattle Mariners still can’t give Félix Hernández any run support.

As the headline says, the M’s loaded the bases three times, but didn’t score a run off those opportunities. It was peak “Mariners being the Mariners.” If you don’t believe me, the M’s left 11 runners on base and finished 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

They started the game loading the bases with only one out(!). But as they’ve done for years Seattle failed to score.

Fast forward to the fourth inning, single, walk, strikeout, strikeout, infield single, strikeout; ouch.

Sixth inning: fly out, single, single, strikeout, single, strikeout (looking). Ugh.

Finally, the Mariners got a run across when Daniel Vogelbach shot the ball to left for a single. Dee Gordon scampered around third to score, but Braden Bishop rounded second a little too far and got picked off the bag after Gordon touched home. Oi vey.

If you listened to the radio broadcast, then you heard Aaron Goldsmith and Rick Rizzs note the inconsistencies in ball-and-strike calls. They were not being homers either. Cubs starter Jon Lester threw at least two pitches four-plus inches off the plate that were called strikes. *Sigh*

As for Hernández, he pitched okay. The King was only given 70 pitches to work; he made it through three innings with two earned runs.

Cubs win 6-1.

Winning Pitcher, (12-9) Jon Lester: 6.0 IP, 0 ER, 9 K, 4 BB

Losing Pitcher, (1-5) Félix Hernández: 3.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 K, 4 BB

The Mariners get the day off Wednesday before starting a four-game series in Houston. Pregame coverage starts Thursday for M’s-Astros at 4 p.m. on Freedom 970.

Here are the highlights from the game:

Bottom 2nd … Willson Contreras Home Run, 1-0 Cubs