Mariners magnify my melancholy, mock my misfortunes, mute Monarchs 3-2

Zero extra-base hits and 2-9 with RISP won’t give you many runs.

The Kansas City Royals put together some good rallies tonight but, much to my chagrin, couldn’t sustain any of them or come up with a big hit as they fell 3-2 to the Seattle Mariners tonight at T-Mobile Park.

The Royals jumped on Logan Gilbert early. After a hard 6-3 by Jonathan India, Bobby Witt Jr. ripped an opposite field single. He promptly swiped second against the slow-to-the-plate Gilbert, but that was rendered moot after Vinnie Pasquantino battled back from 0-2 to draw a walk. Maikel Garcia popped up, but Salvador Perez came through by ripping a high fastball off the wall in left field for a double long single that scored Witt. Jac Caglianone would fly out to end the inning, but the Royals led 1-0.

Gilbert would settle in some to allow only one baserunner across the next three innings. But he lacked a putaway pitch and the Royals spoiled a ton of pitches with two strikes, forcing him to throw 77 pitches through four innings. Freddy Fermin led off the inning with a single and was bunted to second by Kyle Isbel. After India struck out, Gilbert showed little interest in pitching to Witt and walked him on five pitches. With that, Gilbert’s evening was over. Old friend Gabe Speier was summoned to face Pasquantino with two runners on. The former struck out the latter to end the inning.

Meanwhile, the Mariners had no answers for Noah Cameron. He leaned hard on his changeup and slider, allowing just two baserunners in four innings and scarcely even surrendering hard contact — Seattle batters had a .117 xBA against Cameron through four innings. In the fifth, Mitch Garver reached on an infield single to lead off and Ben Williamson walked on four pitches with one out to give Seattle multiple baserunners for the first time. Cole Young ran the count full before flying out. Then J.P. Crawford slapped one up the middle that India kept on the infield but couldn’t get an out on. That loaded the bases for the Mariners with two outs. John Schreiber was summoned to pitch to Julio Rodríguez. Rodríguez bailed him out, swinging at a first pitch sweeper and hitting a routine F8 to end the inning.

Schreiber stayed on for the sixth to face Randy Arozarena, who hit three homers in the first two games of this series. He hit a fourth when Schreiber threw a backup sweeper that Arozarena crushed to center field. Tie ballgame. Schreiber and Angel Zerpa would finish the inning without further incident.

Zerpa came back out for the seventh and gave up a rocket of a double to right-center to Williamson leading off the inning. Young then slapped a comebacker that Zerpa gloved with Williamson well off the bag. But Zerpa double-clutched the throw and everybody was safe. Crawford followed with a sacrifice bunt, giving the Royals the first out but the Mariners two runners in scoring position. Steven Cruz entered to put out the fire. Rodríguez ripped the first pitch he saw toward third and off Garcia’s glove, moving everybody up and giving Seattle a 2-1 lead. Arozarena followed with a flyball out to center that was plenty deep enough to score Crawford. 3-1 Mariners.

In the eighth, Kansas City mounted a rally against Matt Brash. Leading off the inning, Witt sat back on a great breaking ball and dumped it into right field for a single. Pasquantino followed by hitting a grounder right about where a second baseman would traditionally be positioned — nobody was there to field it. John Rave was summoned to take Pasquantino’s place at first. Garcia flew out to the warning track, deep enough for Witt to scamper to third. That brought up Perez. Brash threw him three sliders and Perez ripped the third into center field to make the score 3-2. But they were unable to tie the game as Caglianone struck out and Drew Waters bounced out 5-3 to end the inning.

The last chance for the Royals came with 8-9-1 facing Andrés Muñoz. He retired the side in order with the batters not offering much of a fight, securing a 3-2 win for Seattle.

The loss drops Kansas City to 40-47. They can still earn a series victory with a win tomorrow afternoon in Seattle.

Noah Cameron: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 0 HR

Logan Gilbert: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 0 HR

Bobby Witt Jr.: 2-2, 2 BB, 2 R, SB

Randy Arozarena: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, sf