Mariners on the brink of elimination after dispiriting 5-3 loss to Rockies

DENVER — The outline to the Mariners’ 5-3 loss to the Rockies felt familiar because it followed an outline to defeat that’s been far too common this season.

It goes like this:

• The Mariners grab an early lead against the starting pitcher then fail to add runs in the innings that follow.
• Seattle’s starter doesn’t provide a quality start, forcing the middle relievers to come into the game early.
• The bullpen gives up the lead in the sixth or seventh inning.
• A possible ninth-inning rally falls short.

Seattle’s second-half quest to win just three games in a row for the first time since mid-July ended a game short again.

With the loss, the Mariners fell to 72-83 on the season and six games behind the first-place Rangers in the AL West with just seven games left to play. Their tragic number to elimination from the American League wild-card race is one and elimination from the American League West is two.

If the Mariners lose Sunday or the White Sox win Sunday, they will be eliminated from the wild-card race. The Mariners can stave off elimination from the AL West race by winning the series finale at Coors Field. If the Mariners lose and the Rangers win, they are completely done.

“You just show up and you forget about tonight and keep going,” Cal Raleigh said. “That’s really all you can do. It’s frustrating, but we made our bed, and we’ve got to lay in it. And it’s our job to show up, play hard and put our best foot forward. It’s baseball, so you never know. Just keep fighting, keep battling, try to win one pitch at a time, and you know the rest is what it is.”

As for that familiar outline to defeat, the Mariners jumped on Rockies starter Jose Quintana immediately, building an early lead.

Raleigh crushed the longest homer of his career — a 459-foot two-run blast to left-center — in the first inning. Randy Arozarena belted his 26th homer of the season in the third inning. His solo blast made it 3-0.

The Mariners wouldn’t score again. They mustered just three hits over the final six innings and struck out six times. The Rockies did make two outstanding defensive plays to prevent runs.

In the third inning with two outs and Dom Canzone on third and Julio Rodríguez on first, Josh Naylor laced a ball to the gap in right-center. But for the second straight night, center fielder Cole Carrigg robbed him of sure double with a brilliant over-the-shoulder catch at full sprint as he neared the wall.

In the sixth inning, Rodríguez led off with a double to right field and then advanced to third on Naylor’s ground ball to the right side. But the inning ended when third baseman Kyle Karros made a nice leaping grab on Michael Arroyo’s line drive and came down on a dive into the third-base bag to double Rodríguez off.

“We got the three (runs) early but just not able to add on, which is always tough in this ballpark,” manager Dan Wilson said. “You know a big inning can be just around the corner.”

Bryce Miller gave the Mariners a workable start, pitching into the sixth inning for the first time since Aug. 12. But he couldn’t finish the inning. He allowed one unearned run on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

That one unearned run came in the third inning. Jake McCarthy hit a swinging bunt onto the grass on the third-base side. Raleigh pounced on the ball and tried to make a spinning throw to first base. It was up the line from Naylor and rolled into foul territory, allowing McCarthy to race to third.

“He’s one of the fastest guys in the league, and I tried to make a play,” Raleigh said. “I should know better. Just a mistake on my part. I just tried to be Superman, try to make a great play, and I should’ve just pocketed it.”

The next batter, Connor Norby, hit a soft fly ball to right field that was caught easily by Canzone. McCarthy acted like he was going to tag up to induce a throw from Canzone, which worked. Canzone’s throw was up the third-base line. Raleigh tried to block the ball after it bounced off the grass. But it hit off his chest protector and rolled toward the Mariners dugout, allowing McCarthy to race home.

The bullpen imploded in a four-run seventh inning. Carlos Vargas started the inning and allowed a pair of one-out singles to start the problem. With runners on first and third, Jose A. Ferrer was brought in to clean up the mess.

McCarthy produced a swinging bunt that Ferrer fielded. But with Zac Veen running on contact, Ferrer could only throw to first for the second out. The third out wouldn’t come immediately.

Norby hit a soft ground ball to the left side of the infield, but third baseman Weston Wilson made an awkward play on it, making a late dive and deflecting it off his glove for a single.

T.J. Rumfield followed with a single up the middle that scored another run.

The Mariners turned to Cooper Criswell to stop the bleeding. The veteran right-hander walked Hunter Goodman to load the bases and then gave up a single to Carrigg. The sinking liner bounced just in front of Rodríguez, allowing two runs to score for a 5-3 lead.

“In this ballpark and at this time of year, you’ve got to take care of the ball and when you’re not able to do that — especially in this park — it can hurt you,” Dan Wilson said.

Down two runs going into the ninth, Arroyo singled with one out off Brennan Bernadino. But the veteran lefty and one-time Mariner come back to strike out Laz Montes and Weston Wilson to end the game.

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