Seattle Mariners Fall Short Again as They Lose Game 7 of the ALCS

However, for a team that didn’t have a lot of holes, the depth of their lineup could be pinned as the biggest one. Outside of the big four, every Mariner that logged at least five plate appearances in the series, averaged a wRC+ just under 32.

Simply put, while the heavy hitters did their job, the rest of the lineup didn’t do a thing. This isn’t the lone reason Seattle lost the series, but it definitely made a difference. Lengthening this lineup will absolutely be a focus for this front office heading into the winter.

Toronto’s Bats Were Too Much

For a rotation that was believed to be good enough to win a World Series, they struggled against a lengthy Blue Jays lineup. The supposed “weak link” of the rotation ended up having the best series. Bryce Miller threw 10 innings at a 1.80 ERA with seven strikeouts.

However, the rest of the group had it rough in Toronto. Logan Gilbert had a 7.71 ERA in seven innings, Luis Castillo had an 11.57 ERA in two and a third innings, and going into game seven, George Kirby had a ballooned 18.00 ERA in four innings.

Now, Kirby did turn it around with a strong outing in game seven, allowing one earned run over four innings. The bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, though, with George Springer delivering one of the clutchest swings in MLB history with a three-run home run late in the game.

After Bryan Woo let two guys get on, the Mariners decided to go with Eduard Bazardo instead of Andres Munoz, and it ended up costing them their season.

Across the entire series, Mariners relievers threw 29.2 innings at a 3.93 clip. They had some solid outings, but when it came down to it, they couldn’t hold the lead in game seven and send Seattle to their first-ever World Series.

Final Thoughts

For seven games, the Seattle Mariners traded blows with one of the best teams in baseball, showing flashes of what made this scrappy team so easy to root for. However, it was the biggest moments where the Blue Jays’ veteran presence and star power outweighed Seattle.

The Mariners fought until the final out, but once again find themselves on the wrong side of the heartbreaks of October baseball.

Seattle fans will undoubtedly be disappointed, but shouldn’t hang their heads. Seattle saw a season that ended with a guaranteed top two MVP finisher in Cal Raleigh, one of the best rotations in baseball, and the first ALCS appearance in over two decades.

While there’s work to be done by this front office heading into free agency and this winter, we have not seen the last of the Seattle Mariners. Led by The Big Dumper and Julio Rodriguez, this team has the star power to contend for some time.