Robinson Cano hasn't had the power numbers come around as of yet. (Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports)
SEATTLE — Perhaps the best way to explain the Seattle Mariners’ 2015 season is to list the starting pitchers who have, and have not, dominated Seattle bats this month.
While San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner, Cleveland’s Corey Kluber and Houston’s Dallas Keuchel all fell victim to the Mariners over the past two weeks, guys such as the Indians’ Shaun Marcum, the Giants’ Ryan Vogelsong and, as of Monday night, the Kansas City Royals’ Joe Blanton kept Seattle’s offense at bay.
After Blanton held the Mariners to two hits in the Mariners’ 4-1 loss Monday, Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon was scratching his head again.
“I thought we’d have better at-bats,” he said. “I thought we’d have opportunities to score runs; we just couldn’t do it.”
The inconsistency of Seattle’s offense was on display again. Second baseman Robinson Cano hit a rare homer but got very little help. Cano’s first homer since May 30 was followed by 16 consecutive outs before center fielder Austin Jackson led off the seventh with a double.
As if to accentuate the Mariners’ offensive struggles, Jackson moved to third on a wild pitch with no outs but ended up getting stranded there.
Seattle was supposed to have the heart of its order up after Jackson, but star right fielder Nelson Cruz was unable to continue in the seventh because of an injury that required team trainers to pop his pelvic bone back into place. That could end up being the latest setback for the Mariners’ inconsistent offense, but McClendon doesn’t expect the ailment to linger.
“What they’re telling me is it’s going to be very short-term,” McClendon said of Cruz’s potential absence.
Those same words could have been said about the Mariners’ offense in April, but the struggles are lingering.
