The Mariners were unable to secure the sweep against the Phillies.
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners were unable to go into their off-day Thursday with a series sweep after falling 6-0 in the third of a three-game set against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday at T-Mobile Park.
It was a disappointing end to what was otherwise a successful series and homestand for the Mariners.
Seattle took the first two in a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs over the weekend and the first two against Philadelphia.
The two games the Mariners lost were by a combined score of 25-2, one each to the Cubs (19-2) and Wednesday's defeat against the Phillies.
"(We're looking to) play good baseball, play consistent baseball, win series," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview Wednesday. "Winning two here at home against a couple of really good clubs, that's what we're looking to do. And now, we have to continue that on the road and keep winning series, keep putting consistent at-bats together. I think, coming off this homestand, we feel really good about that."
All of Philadelphia's runs came in the first two innings of the game.
In the top of the first, Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hit a lead-off ground-rule double. Right fielder Bryce Harper brought Schwarber and himself home with a two-run home run to left-center field.
Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo was able to limit the damage to Harper's homer and got through the first inning on 14 pitches, but the same couldn't be said for the second frame.
In the top of the second, Woo surrendered another lead-off double, this time to third baseman Bryson Stott. Woo walked left fielder Brandon Marsh and gave up an RBI single to center fielder Justin Crawford, which bolstered Philadelphia's lead to 3-0.
With two runners on base with one out, Schwarber came up and hit a 425-foot, three-run homer to right field. That blast resulted in the eventual final of 6-0.
Woo threw 41 pitches in the second inning. He finished his outing with five strikeouts, one walk and six earned runs allowed on five hits (two homers) in four innings pitched.
The six earned runs surrendered by Woo matched his career-high for the most allowed through two innings. It was his first start since Aug. 16 due to shoulder discomfort that pushed back his originally-scheduled start this past weekend against Chicago.
"I think the second inning just got a little too fastball-heavy," Woo said after the game. "I think on days like this, where the fastball does have life, feels good, obviously you want to keep going back to it. But you got to pitch, as well. Especially with a lineup like that. Veteran hitters, they're smart. They're not just going up there without a plan. They know what they're trying to do. I just feel like there was too much throwing, not enough pitching."
Woo clarified that, despite the results, he felt healthy and Wilson was confident in the 2025 All-Star to make his next start without an extended lay-off.
Seattle's lineup, which had several usual starters taking a rest day, was unable to make up the six-run difference despite having seven innings to do so.
The Mariners mustered just two hits in the game, one against Phillies starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo.
Luzardo finished his outing with nine strikeouts, three walks, a wild pitch and one hit allowed in seven innings of work.
Seattle's two hits came courtesy of a single from catcher Jhonny Pereda in the bottom of the fifth and another single from left fielder Randy Arozarena in the bottom of the ninth, which came against Philadelphia reliever Jhoan Duran.
Following the loss, the Mariners dropped to 64-70 on the season and are three games out of first place in the American League West (pending results of the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers' respective games Wednesday) and four games out of the final wild card spot in the American League.
Seattle will have an off-day Thursday before going on the road for a six-game road trip, beginning with a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at 4:15 p.m. PT on Friday.
The Mariners starting pitcher is still to be announced and Dylan Cease will start for the Blue Jays.
