Rookie Gilbert key to Mariners' playoff push

ANAHEIM -- When the Mariners called up Logan Gilbert for his MLB debut on May 13, it might not have been predicted, or even expected, for them to be within two games of a playoff spot in late September.

Seattle came into Saturday trailing the Yankees and Red Sox by two games for the second AL Wild Card spot and tied with the Blue Jays in the standings. And in the thick of the playoff chase, Gilbert has been one of Seattle’s more heavily utilized pieces of the rotation.

“I think [Gilbert’s] been really important for us,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said prior to Friday’s 6-5 win over the Angels. “… Early on when he was with us, we were still running a six-man rotation at that time, so it lightened the load a little bit in the hopes that he would still have enough left in the tank when we got to this point of season, and I think he does.”

With the Minor League season cancelled in 2020, Gilbert’s last full season came in '19 when he threw 135 innings in the Minors. Through his first 23 starts, the rookie has pitched 113 2/3 innings, which is fourth most on Seattle’s pitching staff.

Servais said Gilbert has adapted to the usage well, which he attributes to Gilbert’s regimen between starts.

“The one thing I've said often about Logan [is that] he has one of the most structured programs in between starts of any young pitcher that I've seen,” Servais said. “And almost to the point where I think he's pulled back and isn't doing all the things that he was doing in the past because he knew he was going to run into a full season here, and that's exactly what he got.”

On Friday, Gilbert threw a season-high 110 pitches. He gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings, but even as the game got late, the righty’s fastball still touched 96 mph before he was pulled from the ballgame.

“When you look at his outings and how they play out, he's still out there the fifth, sixth inning and getting to 85-90 pitches and you still see the velocity there and the crispness to his breaking balls,” Servais said. “I have a ton of confidence in sending him back out there.”

September has been one of Gilbert’s more effective stretches. He has posted a 2.93 ERA across five starts (27 2/3 innings). It’s his second-lowest mark of any month, and he could have a chance to improve as the Mariners make a final push for October.

“It's been exciting,” Gilbert said on Friday. “I mean, this is everything you could hope for. We're in the hunt, playing baseball games that matter late in September. And I think, at this point, everything kind of just goes out the window. You try to find a way to help your team win. That's all that matters that day, especially now. We want to win almost every single game we have left, so I'm feeling fine. I feel great. I'm going to get ready for the next one.”