SAN DIEGO -- Bryan Woo was aggravated enough on Tuesday night that Cal Raleigh had to prompt his pitcher back to the mound.
The Mariners’ electric right-hander had just been called for a balk on a pickoff attempt in the second inning of an eventual 4-1 loss to the Padres, then sought an explanation from first-base umpire Bill Miller, who issued the sanction.
It wasn’t exactly heated, but Woo paced all the way to first base to hear Miller’s rationale, prompting Raleigh to go get him and manager Dan Wilson to jog all the way out to the confab, too. Because arguing a balk can lead to an automatic ejection.
Miller made the ruling on the positioning of Josh Naylor, and the first baseman said in passing that it was because he was too far in front of the bag for the throw. But Naylor also said that’s where he’s typically positioned when holding a runner.
The whole situation proved moot, as Woo wound up retiring the next two batters to escape the frame unscathed. Yet, it was the initial moment of frustration for the 2025 All-Star on a night that had more of it, as he gave up three decisive runs an inning later.
“I understand what he was trying to say,” Woo said. “I didn't really think that the parameters in which he said he was too far off the bag for when I picked over. I understand the rule. But I just didn't think [Naylor] was far enough off for it to equate to that. But that’s why I pitch and they umpire.”
Woo wound up clearing the seventh for the second time in four starts and now has a 2.16 ERA -- but the Mariners are just 1-3 behind him.
The latter part has led to him regularly shouldering blame in defeats, even on nights like Tuesday where he was otherwise solid.
The three runs against him came after Ramón Laureano lined a triple over Luke Raley’s head in right field, Fernando Tatis Jr. lined a 106.9 mph single past second baseman Cole Young with the infield in, then Xander Bogaerts poked a two-run single on a sweeper without much movement in a full count, after Woo had began 0-2.
Tatis advanced from first to third when running early on a Jackson Merrill single in a full count, then Merrill was in scoring position instead of on first after a stolen base that did not yield a throw down. Essentially, they moved up, then capitalized in a big way, which is what good teams do -- as the Padres have now won six straight.
“I threw two really bad sliders, and then by the time that we got to 3-2, or whatever it was, I think he had seen three or four of them in a row,” Woo said of Bogaerts. “So I just have to execute better.”
This one wasn’t all on Woo, though -- far from it.
The Mariners mustered just four hits and one run, which came way back in the second inning -- and they probably could’ve cashed in more. Seattle loaded the bases in that frame despite zero balls leaving the infield, but was only able to manufacture a sacrifice fly against Michael King, who was on the ropes.
When healthy, King is one of the better righties in the National League, yet the Mariners had the leadoff man reach base in three of the next four innings. Nothing came of it.
“Not being able to string things together, and that was the difference tonight for him,” Wilson said.
King completed the sixth, then handed things over to San Diego’s loaded bullpen -- Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam and Mason Miller, who extended MLB’s longest active scoreless streak to 29 2/3 innings. It was clear leading up to Miller that the Mariners would need to rally before the all-world closer entered.
Part of Tuesday night could be chalked up to running into a hot team. But some of the Mariners’ struggles felt all too similar to Seattle’s last road trip, when they went 1-5, before returning home and sweeping the Astros in four games. Last weekend was a big bright spot, but it was also against a battered team that was piecing together its pitching staff.
Winning on Tuesday would’ve added a little more credibility to the notion that this offense has truly turned things around.