Timely hitting eludes Mariners as streak of home series wins ends

SEATTLE -- The Mariners had the Twins on the ropes and rattled during multiple momentum-swing moments on Sunday afternoon. But ultimately, a string of stranded baserunners and a lack of production in run-scoring opportunities prevented them from powering ahead.

And when they did finally tie the game late, Ryne Stanek surrendered a one-out single to Jose Miranda and a dagger of a two-run homer to Trevor Larnach in the eighth that sealed Seattle’s fate.

With it, a 5-3 loss snapped a streak of nine straight series wins at home, which was tied for the second-longest stretch in franchise history. It also marked the first time that the Mariners lost consecutive games at T-Mobile Park since dropping two straight to the Cubs from April 13-14. And overall, on the heels of a tough East Coast road trip, they’ve now lost eight of their past 11.

“Our timely hitting has been atrocious, to be honest,” said Luke Raley, who went 3-for-5 but also struck out on three pitches to end the first inning with runners on second and third.

On one hand, the Mariners ran into one of MLB’s hottest-hitting teams, as Larnach’s game-winning blast extended Minnesota’s streak to a new franchise record of 19 straight games with a homer. On the other, the Mariners went 4-for-18 with runners in scoring position after going a combined 0-for-16 in the first two games.

Moreover, Sunday marked just the fourth time in 39 games in which Seattle lost when outhitting its opponent, further underscoring the club’s struggles to cash in.

Even the Mariners’ best offensive inning came with unfulfilled potential, when they plated two in the fifth on a series of “Chaos Ball" sequences but then stranded the bases loaded.

Dylan Moore put them on the board by diving around a tag attempt at the plate by Twins catcher Christian Vázquez on a swinging bunt from Julio Rodríguez, which only manifested after a Mariners challenge overturned the initial out call on Moore. Cal Raleigh kept the rally going with a sky-high single that Byron Buxton lost in the sun. Raley then tacked on another run and reached on an infield single after no one was covering first base.

But Ryan Bliss struck out when pinch-hitting for Luis Castillo after the Mariners were forced to forfeit their designated hitter, and Jorge Polanco popped out to shortstop.

“Even the ball that I hit ... if that gets in the outfield, that's two runs and it's a different game,” Raley said. “It's just not going the way we want it to right now.”

Polanco redeemed himself by tying the game in the seventh on a 105.4 mph single off the right-field wall, his first RBI since May 26. But Stanek -- who’d been scoreless in 10 straight outings -- couldn’t hold the tie, with both hits coming on splitters in the heart of the zone.

“Timely hitting is the common thread,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “When we're rolling and we're winning all the series -- certainly at home, we've been really good -- it’s because we have been very timely with our hitting.”

Castillo would’ve gone deeper than 77 pitches over five innings had his spot in the lineup not come up again, but the Mariners were playing short-handed, as catcher Mitch Garver exited with a right wrist contusion after being hit by a 92.7 mph fastball from Joe Ryan in the second inning. Garver was replaced by Raleigh, Seattle’s starting DH, when the club took the field the next frame.

In Castillo’s first plate appearance -- the Mariners’ first by a pitcher at T-Mobile Park since Joe Saunders on June 29, 2013 -- he struck out looking at three consecutive pitches, an expected result after being instructed not to swing and risk anything.

“I didn't realize right away, it was [Servais] that came up to me and told me what the plan was,” Castillo said through an interpreter, “that I'm going to have to go in there and just take the pitches. So I just listened to him and went out there and just stood in the box.”

It led to a quirky moment of humor, as Castillo was seen grinning on his way back to the dugout. But that was about all that the Mariners had to smile about, as they watched their lead atop the American League West shrink to 3 1/2 games following the Astros’ win over the Mets. Houston (42-41) is now above .500 for the first time this season -- and rising rapidly in Seattle's rearview.