Four-run 4th inning fueled by Mitch Haniger error sinks Seattle Mariners in 5-2 loss to Braves
SEATTLE - A pitching matchup of Chris Sale against Emerson Hancock was always going to be a tough task for the Seattle Mariners as they tried to complete a series sweep against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday afternoon.
The Mariners certainly didn't need to help Atlanta's cause with a pair of costly errors that saw Hancock unable to make it through the fourth inning in a 5-2 loss.
Austin Riley delivered a two-out triple off Hancock in the fourth inning that broke the game open for Atlanta, and Sale allowed just one run over five innings while striking out nine.
"A tough matchup with Sale out there," manager Scott Servais said. "I thought our guys actually did a pretty good job to get him out of the game. Unfortunately, we're going to have to put some points up. They bunched all their hits together. Too many free bases today uncharacteristically. We walked a few guys, made some errors. You've got to play clean to beat good teams and they took advantage of it there in the fourth inning."
Hancock managed to avoid early landmines of trouble before a Mitch Haniger error in the fourth inning was the catalyst for the game spiraling away. Haniger missed making a catch on a soft fly ball to right field by Orlando Arcia for a two-base error that allowed the Braves to extend the inning back to the heart of their lineup. After Ronald Acuña Jr. singled to drive home Arcia, Riley tripled on a liner to the wall that Haniger couldn't save while slamming into the fence that drove home two more and ended Hancock's day.
"We gave them more than 27 outs today and that was ultimately what decided the game in that one inning," Servais said.
Olson added an RBI single off reliever Trent Thornton as Hancock was left with five earned runs, though just one of them earned. That note keeps the Mariners' absurd streak of having allowed an average of just one run per start in their last 19 outings as a starting rotation intact.
Hancock allowed five hits with four walks and four strikeouts through 3 ⅔ innings pitched. He also had a fielding error of his own in the third inning trying to pick-off Acuña at second base.
"I feel like I really didn't execute pitches that well, especially in the fourth," Hancock said. "You've kind of got to bear down there and make some pitches to get out it. The bullpen came in and did a great job shutting things off. That's a tough situation to put those guys in and they came through."
The Mariners' bullpen was spectacular in keeping the Braves from adding to their advantage. Thornton, Tyson Miller, Tayler Saucedo and Austin Voth combined to throw 5 ⅓ innings of scoreless ball with jus one hit and one walk allowed with three strikeouts.
Jorge Polanco had a pair of two-out RBI singles for Seattle as they did manage to chip away a little at the Braves lead.
Polanco singled home Seby Zavala in the fifth inning for Seattle's first run, and Julio Rodríguez in the seventh inning to make it a 5-2 game. Cal Raleigh followed Polanco's single with a two-out walk in the eighth inning as the Mariners threatened further damage, but Ty France was struck out by A.J. Minter.
Pinch-hitter Luke Raley drew a leadoff walk in the ninth inning and Rodríguez delivered his third hit of the game to put a pair of runners on against Raisel Iglesias, but Haniger, Polanco and Raleigh went down in succession to end the rally attempt.
"We've got a lot of baseball left," Servais said. "I do think once this whole thing gets clicking it's going to be a lot of fun. Right now we're leaning on the pitching and the defense, and today the defense and pitching let us down just a little bit.
"Good home stand, beat probably the best team in baseball – in the National League for sure right now – and we beat them two-out-of-three."
