Mistakes aren’t misfortune, failed execution isn’t a bad break and optimistic references to last season’s success, which should’ve stopped about a month ago, should probably be finable offenses at their mention.
For reasons largely passing standard baseball logic, the 2021 Mariners would’ve found a way to win Wednesday’s game at T-Mobile Park, probably by one run.
But the 2022 version has yet to find that sort of magic, by not creating it.
The seventh inning of Wednesday’s 5-0 loss to the Twins offered the juxtaposition.
In the critical seventh inning, the Mariners’ best reliever, Paul Sewald, gave up the go-ahead single with two outs. In the bottom of the inning, Dylan Moore couldn’t execute a sacrifice bunt with runners on first and second and no outs, popping it up to first base. Meanwhile Luis Torrens and pinch-hitter Abraham Toro couldn’t come up with a hit of any sort when needed to at least tie the game
The Mariners wasted a solid pitching performance from Marco Gonzales and were shut out for the eighth time this season.