Seattle Mariners: The middle is killing the M’s Oreo
The Seattle Mariners are off to a horrible 4–8 star in 2020. They are awful in the middle innings, and that is holding the M’s back.
Baseball is a nine-inning game, for the most part. Teams can’t win games if they don’t play to their best in every inning. The 4–8 Seattle Mariners are where they are in the standings (last) because their opponents are crushing them in the middle innings.
Vin Scully used to say Statistics should be used the way a drunk uses a lamppost, for support, not illumination. Fans watching the Mariners play have seen how bad the team is between the fourth and seventh innings. They start well, and the end of games has been somewhat average, but the middle is awful.
Stats don’t lie
Through 12 games, Seattle has been outscored 53–24 in innings four through seven. Outscored isn’t the right term. Creamed works better in this scenario where the other team has doubled the M’s total and then some.
At the dish, the Seattle Mariners have struggled. Their slash line as a team is .227/.305/.365/.671. It’s close to the same between the 4th–7th innings, .224/.290/.382/.672. Those numbers show a weak offensive team overall.
Pitching is the biggest difference-maker. The top of the Mariners rotation has vastly improved from their first start to the second. The back end has struggled mightily, and the relievers who replace them are just as bad and sometimes worse.
This next part is ugly. Between the 4th–7th innings, Seattle Mariners pitchers have 9.19 ERA. That’s over one run per inning. It gets worst. Their slash line against in that same part of the game is .244/.333/.504/.837.
Why are the numbers so terrible?
It’s a combination of walks and extra-base hits. Opponents have reached first via base on balls 42 times in 48 innings. Additionally, they have 28 extra-base hits, including 14 home runs. It’s almost as if the Seattle Mariners are throwing batting practice mid-game.
Starters Kendall Graveman, Justus Sheffield, and Justin Dunn have thrown a total of 23.1 innings in six combined starts. On average, they don’t go more than four innings (often less) before getting the hook from manager Scott Servais.
Of the 14 relievers used by the Seattle Mariners in 2020, maybe five of them have done a nice job of proving themselves, Taylor Williams, Carl Edwards Jr. Yohan Ramirez, Anthony Misiewicz, and Matt Magill. The jury is still out on Taylor Guilbeau, Erik Swanson, and Joey Gerber, who like Ramirez, are rookies.
Servais often uses his relief pitchers for an inning at a time. The rookies have made four appearances or less. Seattle will find out what their young guns are made of when they face hitters a second and third time. Everyone else needs to go.
By streamlining the bullpen, the pitchers who deserve more innings will get them. It’s the best way to get the sour cream filling out of what could be a delicious Oreo.