Mariners drop sixth straight -- and this time, offense isn't the culprit

NEW YORK – There was some good and bad news for the Mariners on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.

It was good to see the metal trident back in earnest. That meant Seattle hit its share of homers and scored some runs.

However, it wasn’t good enough as Seattle lost, 10-5, to the Yankees, increasing its losing streak to six games. The Mariners (56-65) are now a season-worst nine games under .500.

The offense has usually taken the hits for the bad stretch, but it was the bullpen that had a tough time getting outs.

The score was tied at 5 when the Yankees took the lead in the seventh inning off left-hander Gabe Speier. With one out, George Lombard Jr. scored the go-ahead run on a double by Trent Grisham, who then scored on a single by Ben Rice.

“The Yankees were able to find a way with Gabe, too,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “It’s been a few days since he has been out there. He probably felt a little different out there.”

Four batters later, Rice scored the eighth run on a bases-loaded walk to Jazz Chisholm Jr. The Bronx Bombers added on in the eighth when Grisham hit a two-run homer off right-hander Nick Davila.

The game began promisingly for Seattle against right-hander Will Warren.

It started in the opening frame, when Randy Arozarena hit a 1-1 pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run homer. Two batters later, Julio Rodríguez hit a solo shot into the right-field seats to give Seattle a three-run cushion. It marked the first time the Mariners had hit multiple first-inning homers this season.

Two frames later, the Mariners had a 4-1 lead thanks to a solo homer by Dominic Canzone. The Yankees cut the lead to one against Bryce Miller before Seattle increased the lead back to two in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Josh Naylor.

“Offensively, it was a little bit of a different night for us,” Wilson said. “We got on the board early. It was good to see some of the at-bats, particularly early in the game. Julio and Randy driving the ball the other way. We were able to cash in a couple of more times to keep the lead there a little while. But the Yankees kept coming back, too.”

A bright spot in the rotation earlier in the season, Miller hasn’t been able to find the consistency on the mound. In his past six starts, Miller has allowed 25 runs (22 earned) in 32 1/3 innings, a 6.12 ERA. He has allowed seven homers in that span.

Against the Yankees, Miller lasted six innings, but he couldn’t get key outs. For example, in the second and fifth frames, the right-hander got two quick outs, but New York wouldn’t let him have that shutdown inning.

In that fifth inning, Grisham’s solo homer cut the lead to 5-4 before Rice scored the tying run on a double by Spencer Jones.

“It was one of those days again where I feel I threw the ball well, but I didn’t make the pitches I needed to,” Miller said. “All the runs that they scored on me were with two outs. I just have to finish the inning. Either we get two quick outs, then something happens. I have to execute with two outs and two strikes. In the fifth, once again, we got two quick outs and, in a span of four pitches, it was a home run and two doubles.

“In the last month, I feel I’m right there in almost every game. It’s just like a pitch here and pitch there, and I don’t execute. The [Yankees] are getting to it. Hopefully, it turns quickly because we don’t have a lot of time to ride this one out.”

The Mariners are in a state of emergency. They are now 4 1/2 games behind the Rangers (60-60) for the third and final American League Wild Card spot.

“The bottom line to it is finding a way, and sometimes that means doing something different. Sometimes, it means doing something similar. We certainly are at this point where we have to find a way,” Wilson said.