CLEVELAND -- Dan Wilson was still in shock in the aftermath of one of the most stinging losses of Seattle’s up-and-down season, to the point that the Mariners’ manager was nearing a loss for words explaining what had just unfolded.
His offense had scored more than three runs for the first time in 16 days and his upward-trending closer was in the bullpen’s proverbial on-deck circle, preparing to lock down a much-needed win.
Wilson just needed a bridge to the finish line. But it turned into a plank throughout a disastrous eighth inning.
Michael Rucker then Josh Simpson -- Seattle’s lowest-leverage relievers -- were summoned to protect a 4-1 lead but wound up surrendering five runs that sank Seattle to a 6-5 loss in Sunday’s finale at Progressive Field.
With it, the Mariners dropped from first place in the AL West (after Texas completed a four-game sweep in Toronto) and fell below .500 (42-43) for the first time since May 27.
“A tough ballgame today,” Wilson said. “A tough way to end the road trip.”
Rucker and Simpson had only appeared in a combined eight games before Sunday. Yet, for a bullpen one arm short due to Seattle’s six starters, such players would expectedly be leaned on in pressure pockets at some point.
The lead wasn’t miniscule, but also not massive.
Rucker surrendered two walks and two singles that led to a run, sandwiched around a sacrifice bunt before departing. Simpson then entered with the bases loaded and quickly induced a popout from Travis Bazzana.
But from there, he fell into a 2-0 count to Chase DeLauter and gave up a two-run, game-tying single -- then a two-run, go-ahead double to Rhys Hoskins on a 1-1 fastball over the plate.
Hoskins’ hit nicked the chalk down the left-field line, and the relay throw nearly nabbed the second run at the plate -- but the ball came loose. Wilson challenged both the fair/foul call and tag, but the rulings were upheld.
“It's a combination -- some hits and some base on balls,” Wilson said. “It looked like we were going to get out of it, getting the popup there for Simpson was huge with one out, and almost getting a chance to get out of that inning.”
The Mariners got one back in the ninth, on a two-out, run-scoring error, setting the stage with the tying run on third base and go-ahead on second. But J.P. Crawford scorched a 100.1 mph groundout, capping a 2-for-14 day with runners in scoring position.
As for the fateful eighth -- it was a situation that would’ve easily gone to Jose A. Ferrer. But the lefty was unavailable after pitching in each of this weekend’s first two games.
The Mariners also wanted to hold Andrés Muñoz until the ninth, even amid the jam in the eighth. Muñoz hasn’t recorded more than three outs in any of his 32 outings this year, and he’s said that the defined closer’s role has helped him get in rhythm compared to years past, when he was deployed in other jams earlier than the ninth.
“Muñy, he's more of our ninth-inning guy, and we wanted to get to him there,” Wilson said. “And we just weren't able to get the door closed on that eighth inning, and it's tough.”
The only other option would’ve been Nick Davila -- who last pitched Wednesday, surrendering four runs -- as Wilson had already used Eduard Bazardo and Gabe Speier earlier.
But by that point, Simpson was the more logical answer once the jam manifested, to create left-on-left matchups with his first two batters, Bazzana and DeLauter.
Wilson also intimated that, like Muñoz, they didn’t want to push Speier beyond one inning, after the lefty locked down a scoreless seventh. He also didn’t clarify whether Bazardo was limited, as the righty threw only 10 pitches upon relieving Emerson Hancock with two outs in the sixth.
“Jose was down today, and with where it landed, and getting Bazardo in the game, it was time to get Speier in there,” Wilson said. “And that made it a little bit difficult there in the eighth. But I think, again, it's a tough one to swallow.”
By this logic, the wheels were in motion way back to Hancock’s final batter -- No. 7 hitter Cooper Ingle, who drew a two-out walk that ended Hancock’s outing, a superb rebound from his previous two starts.
Wilson considered letting him finish the sixth, which conceivably could’ve saved Bazardo for the seventh and Speier for the eighth. Hancock was operating on seven days’ rest, pushed back to Sunday after originally being slated to piggyback Logan Gilbert on Saturday. But he was also at 98 pitches.
“We talked about it,” Wilson said. “But where he was in his pitch count, and just where we were in the batting order, it just felt like that was the place to get Bazardo and get him in the game.”
For a team seeking any shred of momentum, this one will sting -- for not cashing in more and not holding on late.