'That was brutal': Mariners face tough loss in series opener

SEATTLE -- Seattle manager Scott Servais didn’t waste any time when he got to the mic for his postgame press conference on Monday.

“No other way to put it. That was brutal,” he said.

Servais has consistently preached patience almost every time he's met with the media during the Mariners’ recent slide. Seattle was still in first place, and there was plenty of time left to turn things around.

But after Monday’s 3-1 loss to the Angels at T-Mobile Park, in which the bullpen allowed three runs after walking four batters in two innings and the offense combined for four hits and 14 strikeouts, Servais’ tone shifted.

Fast.

“It depends on where you want to be 60 games from now. Do you want to be playing playoff baseball, or do you want to be driving home?" he said. “Sixty games. We talk about it being a marathon. It's getting to be close to a sprint. Not quite there yet, but getting close … You’ve got to show up to compete and be ready to take it every night. If you don’t, this league doesn’t care -- they’ll just walk on by you.”

In spells of tough losses -- Seattle has gone 9-17 since June 19, and 15 of those losses came by three runs or fewer -- teams turn to their clubhouse leaders to steady the ship and lead the resurgence. After Monday, though, the Mariners may find themselves without one of their stalwarts for an extended period, making the loss an even harder pill to swallow.

J.P. Crawford, who has started every game at short since returning from a strained oblique on May 20, took a 0-1 changeup off the back of his right hand to lead off the bottom of the first. Crawford walked to first base and scored on Cal Raleigh’s RBI single.

But as the Mariners took the field for the top of the second, Crawford didn’t come out with the defense. Dylan Moore -- starting at first in Ty France’s place -- moved to short, and Luke Raley entered to play first.

After the game, Servais confirmed that Crawford had suffered a hairline fracture in his right pinky finger. He didn’t provide a timeline for a return, but a trip to the injured list is almost inevitable.

"We’ll know more once the specialist looks at it and go from there,” Servais said.

Seattle is already without Julio Rodríguez, who left Sunday’s game against Houston with an ankle injury. After Monday's game, Servais confirmed that Rodríguez appears to have gotten away with just a “mild” sprain but will still be day to day.

And while Ty France was still technically on the roster and available after being placed on waivers Sunday, the fact that he didn’t start against a left-handed pitcher sent an obvious sign that he was only going to be used as a last resort. He didn’t end up playing, and by the time the clubhouse opened after, his locker was already cleared out.

That leaves the Mariners without three of the four players who have started 75 games at any single position this season. The only one left is Raleigh.

The lone bright spot -- as it generally has been this season in Seattle -- was the starting pitching. Bryce Miller put down his second straight scoreless start, going seven innings and allowing just three hits while striking out five, keeping the game at 1-0 until being pulled after 94 pitches going into the eighth.

Then things went downhill. Ryne Stanek walked the first two batters he faced before getting a strikeout but took the run to his line when the Angels pulled a double steal against Andrés Muñoz and tied the game on a sac fly.

It’s Stanek's third straight outing with a run allowed.

Trent Thornton got two easy outs to start the ninth but then issued back-to-back walks before serving up a first-pitch fastball that Jo Adell sent back up the middle for a go-ahead single.

Seattle’s starters have thrown quality starts in each of the Mariners’ past five games; the Mariners have lost all five.

“No way to sugarcoat it. We just handed them the ballgame tonight,” Servais said. “In the situation we’re in, every game is really important. I’m disappointed. Our guys usually make plays at the end of the game, throw strikes. We didn’t do that, and it obviously cost us the game.”