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<\/a><\/p>\nIt\u2019s always threading a needle to do a bit here on LL. Many people overcorrect and think the best way to get everyone on a certain train is to hammer the bit home. But we are not a Netflix series being second-screened against TikTok dances (although many of us might have had the Mariners relegated to a second screen lately), needing every beat sounded out. The best bits emerge organically, sweeping up some of the thread energy and encapsulating it, providing a baseline for other players to riff on.<\/p>\n
Sorry, that poem should have come with a spoiler alert, as unfortunately, Miller gave those runs right back: one that was not his fault, as Josh Bell managed a weak-contact base hit on a splitter that was an infuriating at-bat to witness, and one that was: with two outs (argh), Miller suddenly started spiking balls up to seven-hole hitter Brooks Lee, falling behind 3-1 before grooving an absolutely awful cutter dead-red for a game-tying home run.<\/p>\n \u201cThe worst cutter I\u2019ve thrown all year, down the middle\u201d said the always-honest Miller, who also said he was working a lot on his splitter shapes trying to get it back below the zone, which might have explained all the balls in dirt (\u201cbounce passes\u201d) early on. Miller also said he woke up this morning with his back locked up on him, which might have explained why he took a little while to settle in.<\/p>\n Thankfully, Cole Young – Dutiful Young Man – read our series preview where Jake talked about how Zebby Matthews is grooving too many fastballs to be successful, and in the very next inning, pounced on a first-pitch fastball for what has to be one of the lowest home runs at T-Mobile Park by launch angle, at just 16 degrees. But ball hit low does not matter when ball absolutely scalded (110.2 EV).<\/p>\n The only other good thing that can be said about the Mariners offense over the next seven innings was that they put some pitches on Matthews and by \u201cthey\u201d I mostly mean Cole Young, who made sure Matthews ended the fifth at 93 pitches with a nine-pitch at-bat which unfortunately ended on a called strike three that also cost the Mariners their second challenge (it was a close one, to be fair to the Young Master). Unfortunately, Bryce Miller had pitch count issues of his own and pitched to only one batter in the sixth before being lifted for the lefty Jose Ferrer to face Kody Clemens, who promptly grounded out. Josh Bell turned around to bat righty (I always forget Bell is a switch hitter) and Ferrer made Bell\u2014who is below replacement level when hitting as a righty\u2014look very silly on a changeup, so that was fun. That would be all that was left of fun.<\/p>\n In the game, at least. Over in the game thread, we were still having fun.<\/p>\n Matthews came back out for the sixth and promptly gave up a broken-bat single to Julio, prompting Derek Shelton to go to the bullpen for Kody Funderburk, which is the most left-handed reliever name of all time, to pitch to Josh Naylor. Naylor, who is legitimately the smartest Mariner, went to bunt, getting in catcher Ryan Jeffers\u2019s eyeline just enough for Julio to swipe second without a throw. Naylor then grounded out, meaning Julio got essentially two bases on one out, which is a tradeoff we\u2019ll make every time. Unfortunately, with the lefty up, now it was the Mariners\u2019 turn to have their switch hitter turn around, and while Cal Raleigh has been rough in all forms this season, he is historically not as good from his right side as his left, popping up on the infield rather than getting the necessary sac fly. Weston Wilson wasn\u2019t able to get the job done either even with the handedness advantage, and the Mariners let a golden opportunity for an insurance run pass them by.<\/p>\n The would come to hurt the Mariners when Ferrer, out for another inning, grooved a sinker right into righty Royce Lewis\u2019s go zone for a game-tying no-doubt homer. Ferrer then gave up an infield hit to lefty Alan Roden before getting Brooks Lee to fly out harmlessly. Wilson went to Eduard Bazardo to deal with Luke Keaschall, a new member of Kate\u2019s Least Favorite Batting Stances club, who dunked in a double to left field to give the Twins the go-ahead run.<\/p>\n Here is a very quick poem I like quite a bit, called \u201cMotto\u201d by Bertolt Brecht. \u201cIn the dark times,\/will there also be singing?\/Yes, there will be singing\/about the dark times.\u201d Here, then, some singing:<\/p>\n The hole got deeper in the eighth when Bazardo, out there for another inning, allowed a leadoff home run to Jeffers, making the score 5-3 and getting up human white flag Michael Rucker. To his credit, Rucker actually pitched well, helped out by another Gold Glove level play by Cole Young, who was the bright spot of this game as well as the season. The Mariners don\u2019t win any games on that road trip without Dom Canzone, but they possibly don\u2019t win any games this season without Cole Young (shhh this is hyperbole let me have this).<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n