HOUSTON — And that, right there, is why Game 1 stings so much.
The Mariners’ effort in Game 2 of the American League Division Series proved they aren’t impostors lucky to be playing against Houston. It showed they might actually be evenly matched with this 106-win behemoth.
Never have they looked overwhelmed in this series or played the role of ant to the Astros’ sneaker. Their 4-2 loss Thursday wasn’t highlighted by errors or miscues — but rather line-outs, drives to the warning track and a Houston blooper that miraculously found the grass to extend the two-run sixth inning.
ALDS Game 2:
Astros 4, Mariners 2
There were nine stranded runners for the M’s compared to the Astros’ four — and that doesn’t include second baseman Adam Frazier getting tagged out after J.P. Crawford scorched one straight into Houston first baseman Yuli Gurriel’s glove with no outs in the top of the ninth. Seattle played at least as well as Houston on Thursday and could have won — which only amplifies the pain of the game they absolutely should have won.
“I feel like if everybody watched the games, everybody knows they were really good games — [the Astros] just got away with it,” Mariners center fielder Julio Rodriguez said. “I feel like we’re right there against those guys, as I said — they got away with these two games.”
Whether they got away with two is questionable, but they definitely got away with one. The Astros trailed 7-3 in Game 1 Tuesday before Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer in the eighth, which was followed by a three-run, walk-off dinger by Yordan Alvarez with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
Accompanying Houston’s heroics were Mariners mishaps, such as closer Paul Sewald hitting rookie pinch-hitter David Hensley and manager Scott Servais calling on struggling starter Robbie Ray to face Alvarez.
But if you’re a fan of this team, you know all that — just like you know that they’re staring down a demoralizing 2-0 deficit. Which burns because the M’s are equipped to beat the Astros in a best-of-five series. Thursday afternoon was proof.
Seattle went up 2-1 in a fourth inning that included a Eugenio Suarez walk, a Mitch Haniger double, an RBI fielder’s choice by Carlos Santana and a scoring single by Dylan Moore. Suarez’s base on balls was one of seven on the day for the Mariners, which was taking advantage of a shaky Framber Valdez on the mound.
They were epitomizing the control-the-strike-zone brand of baseball Servais and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto have harped on. Unfortunately for the Mariners, reaching first base rarely translated into runners crossing home plate — but not because they weren’t putting wood on the baseball.
The official play-by-play says the top of the third ended when Rodriguez “grounded out” with J.P. Crawford on second, but it didn’t note that second baseman Jose Altuve made an all-world snag and throw to get the rookie at first. The top of the fourth ended with Cal Raleigh lining out to center with Moore on first. The top of the sixth ended with a Raleigh ground out after two walks and a double loaded the bases. and the top of the seventh ended with Suarez lining out to left with runners on first and second.
As for the eighth? Jarred Kelenic launched one that Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker caught on the warning track. A couple of more feet, and it’s a two-run homer that puts the Mariners up 4-3. And then there was the aforementioned line out by Crawford in the ninth, followed by an empty-base double by Rodriguez, followed by Ty France striking out to end the game.
Honestly, there wasn’t much to critique.
What adjustments can you guys make? Suarez was asked.
“We’ve had really good at bats,” said Suarez, who’s not one to sugarcoat. “We took really good at bats against [Justin] Verlander [the Game 1 starter] and today against Valdez. We just gotta keep doing what we’re doing.”
The Mariners’ downfall came when Jeremy Pena’s shallow pop fly landed between Rodriguez and Frazier with two outs in the sixth inning. It wasn’t unlike Crawford’s bases-clearing double against the Blue Jays five days earlier. Nobody’s fault — just bad luck. But it led to Alvarez coming up, and that led to a two-run homer that gave the Astros a 3-2 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Some might argue this is what happens when a wild-card team that hasn’t made the playoffs in 21 years goes up against a perennial postseason contender that’s been to two of the past five World Series. I don’t see it that way. I see it as a team feeling the fallout of the most heartbreaking loss in franchise history two days earlier, knowing they could hang with their opponent.
“We’ve played these guys all year … it’s not like they just beat our [behind] every game,” Frazier said. “It’s not like it’s us vs. God.”
No, it’s not. But they might need The Big Guy if they want to win this series.
This is a worthy team. The last two games have demonstrated that. But the Mariners also have no margin for error and gave away a chance to steal a game in Houston.
They’re thinking about that now. They’ll likely be thinking about it for years to come.