rewrite this title Deadspin | Homer-dependent Mariners welcome coming home vs. Angels

For the first time in a month, the Seattle Mariners find themselves not only below .500, but also in second place in the American League West.

That’s because the Mariners (42-43) blew a three-run lead in the eighth inning Sunday in a 6-5 loss to the host Cleveland Guardians. The Texas Rangers (42-42) lead the AL West by one-half game.

“A tough way to end the road trip,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “We need to get back home and regroup … and get ourselves on a roll and get going.”

The Mariners open a rare three-game, four-day series with the last-place Los Angeles Angels on Monday at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. The teams will have Wednesday off because of a World Cup match across the street.

The Mariners have been scoring less than some soccer teams recently. Sunday’s five-run outburst snapped a 13-game streak of three or fewer runs that tied a franchise record set in 2015.

“We’ve got to learn from it,” Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh said. “We’ve got to put together better nines (nine innings) than we’re doing right now. You’ve got to play all nine innings as hard as you can with a lot of energy and find a way to scrap and claw for runs because you never know when you might need that extra run.”

The Mariners are more reliant on homers than any other team in baseball. Entering Sunday, 54.1% of their runs came via the long ball. They were 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position on Sunday. They failed to homer and remain at 102 this season (ninth in the majors) and have now scored 342 runs (24th).

“I think guys want to come through,” Raleigh said. “I think we’re doing the work and we’re playing hard. We’re doing that part right, but I think the tough part about baseball is you’ve got to be disciplined enough in those situations to come through, and right now, I think that’s what’s lacking.

“It’s just that discipline to stay in the middle of the field and not get too big,” he said. “You have to sacrifice yourself as a hitter sometimes and do what’s best for the team. I think we all could do a better job of that, myself included.”

The Angels handled general manager Perry Minasian’s firing on Friday by winning two of three against the visiting Athletics and have triumphed in six of their past eight games.

“Obviously, it was a shock to everybody, no mystery, but like we talked about in the clubhouse, we’re professionals here,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “We have to prepare and do a job, and that’s what we’re doing.”

The Angels won 4-1 on Sunday as Josh Lowe, recently recalled from a stint in the minors, hit his first career grand slam.

“I’m just continuing to do what I was working on in (Triple-A) Salt Lake,” said Lowe, who is 5-for-12 since his return. “And for the most part, it’s just swinging at better pitches and being ready to hit.”

Monday’s series opener is set to feature a pair of right-handed starters in Angels rookie Ryan Johnson (1-2, 8.84 ERA) against Mariners veteran George Kirby (6-7, 3.94).

Johnson will be making his fourth career start. He beat visiting Baltimore 5-11 on Tuesday as he allowed just one hit in six scoreless innings and struck out a career-high eight batters. He’s 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA in one previous appearance against the Mariners in April 2025.

Kirby had lost three straight starts and five consecutive decisions before a 3-2 victory Tuesday at Pittsburgh when he gave up two runs (one earned) over six innings. Kirby is 7-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 11 career starts against the Angels.

–Field Level Media