The Mariners had a chance to win a series on Sunday against Washington, but weren't able to get it done, falling to 37-36 on the year.
WASHINGTON D.C. -- The Seattle Mariners dropped to 37-36 on the season with a 10-1 loss against the Washington Nationals on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park.
The M's remain in first place in the mediocre American League West, but the grip is tenuous, as is the frustration of the fanbase.
Here's what you need to know from a disappointing series finale.
Emerson Hancock knocked around
Heading into this game, Hancock looked like one of the best starters in the American League and like he was the most reliable member of the M's starting rotation. We spoke to him on Saturday about what's made him so good this year, but it didn't translate on Sunday.
The Nats were uber-aggressive at the plate, getting Hancock for six runs in four innings. He surrendered nine hits while striking out two. Washington continuously hit the first pitch - and the fastball - with Hancock throwing considerably more high-velocity pitches than usual.
He's now 5-3 on the season and his ERA rose to 3.28.
Per Baseball Savant.Another day, another injury
Josh Naylor, who got a vote of confidence from manager Dan Wilson on Saturday, started off his day well with an RBI double in the top of the first inning, but he was removed in the bottom of the sixth after fouling a ball off his leg in the top half of the frame.
Was he removed because he was unable to continue or as a result of the lopsided score? We'll find out from manager Dan Wilson in postgame, but this team can't afford any more injuries. They are already without Cal Raleigh, JP Crawford, Brendan Donovan and Matt Brash. Randy Arozarena has missed the last two games with a hamstring issue.
UPDATE: Naylor had X-rays on his shin, but they were negative.
And another concern
Andres Munoz, who hadn't pitched since Monday, got some work in in the 8th inning, giving up a leadoff walk and a double before being removed. He has dealt with dizziness on the mound before, but we'll update this story after we hear from manager Dan Wilson.
UPDATE: Wilson said that Munoz left with lower back tightness, and Munoz indicated it was nothing to worry about.
East Coast woes continue
The Mariners finished 4-6 on this 10-game road trip, a frustrating result considering they had multiple chances to finish .500 or better. The M's blew last Sunday's game in Detroit, which was a crushing loss, and missed two chances in Washington to earn a series win after taking the opener on Friday.
Ty Dane Gonzalez of the 'Locked on Mariners' podcast posted a graphic fully illustrating the M's issues in the Eastern Time Zone:
Up next
The Mariners will be off on Monday before starting a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday. Our own Teren Kowatsch will be back on the coverage for those games. The M's just took two of four games from Baltimore on this trip.
We should get an update on the injury statues of all players before that series opener.
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