Mariners notes: Ray brilliant, but Seattle offense sputters in weekend series loss

Paul Sewald was one strike away from a scoreless eighth inning, ahead 0-2 on the dangerous Rafael Devers. Boston’s third baseman fouled off strike one – and whiffed on strike two – but connected on Sewald’s third consecutive fastball.

The pitch was up and away, but Devers swatted a low-flying, opposite-field missile that carried beyond the left field wall Sunday at T-Mobile Park, breaking a scoreless tie. Jesse Winker, officially out of room, could only watch it land in the opposing bullpen.

“There might be one or two hitters in this league that can even square that ball up, let alone hit it out of the ballpark,” manager Scott Servais said. “You have to tip your hat. These are the best players in the world. … It was going to come down to one swing of the bat. Unfortunately, they got it.

“I can’t fault Paul Sewald. He executed a pitch, and their guy just hit it. It happens.”

Devers’ blast gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead, and Boston went on to win by the same score. The Mariners dropped Sunday’s rubber match, their first series loss since May 25 after taking four straight sets since.

Seattle starter Robbie Ray was brilliant over seven scoreless frames, but received only one hit in support from the Mariner offense as a healthy number of Boston fans began to dominate the noise.

Ray surrendered only three hits and one walk – he also hit Devers – and whiffed four. He mixed four pitches throughout what he described as his best start of the year and induced a pivotal inning-ending double play with runners on the corners in the seventh.

“I just kept them on their heels the whole time,” Ray said. “They weren’t really able to square anything up today, because I was mixing it up so much and giving them different looks.”

Ray attacked hitters with a four-seam fastball inside and located his two-seamer away, mixing in a slider and curveball. He kept the ball down to eliminate hard contact and avoided the “big inning,” which has plagued the reigning AL Cy Young winner throughout his first year with the Mariners. Sunday’s start was his first scoreless outing with the club.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him get as many ground balls as he got today. He’s certainly added a little bit more movement to his fastball. … He was sharp, he was ahead in the count. Really couldn’t ask for much more.”

Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford countered with five scoreless frames, and Boston’s bullpen combined for four hitless frames. Seattle mustered only one hit – a two-out single from Luis Torrens in the fifth.

In the eighth, Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder made a catch-of-the-year web gem to rob Ty France of a one-out double in right-center field. Seattle went down quietly in the ninth in front of a crowd of over 40,000.

“Hard fought series,” Servais said. “We were right in every game. You look up and (think), ‘we should have won every game.’ They probably feel like they should’ve won every game. It was back and forth.”

Seattle dropped Friday’s series opener, 4-3, but rallied for a walk-off win on Saturday to even the set. Down to their final strike and down a run, Abraham Toro dropped a single into center field to score J.P. Crawford, which tied the game, 6-6. Dylan Moore later drove a walk-off single just beyond the reach of Boston’s Jackie Bradley Jr., as pinch-runner and winning run Sam Haggerty coasted home.

“It doesn’t get to me without everyone else. That’s the definition of a team win. Everyone (did) their part, versus another good team (with) good bats. That’s a true, full win.”

Seattle capped their previous homestand with a series win over Houston and completed a nine-game road trip at 6-3 after taking two of three from each of the Orioles, Rangers, and Astros.

CASTILLO CONTINUES DOMINANT STRETCH

Scott Servais was adamant: this is the “best version” of Diego Castillo that Seattle has ever seen.

A “confident” and “aggressive” Castillo delivered again on Saturday, posting his eighth consecutive scoreless outing to shut down the heart of an intimidating Boston lineup. The 28-year-old reliever’s last earned run came on May 20, and in the time since, Castillo has surrendered only one hit across nine total innings.

“He’s got his mojo going,” Servais said.

For Castillo’s first trio of May outings, the 6-foot-3, 268-pound right-hander lost his command and struggled to fill the strike zone. On May 9, Philadelphia hitters shelled Castillo for five hits and three runs across ⅔ of an inning, which ballooned his ERA to a season-worst 9.28.

But Castillo’s next appearance on May 15 is where Servais believes everything changed. Against the Mets at a rowdy Citi Field in New York, Castillo threw nine pitches – all sliders – and earned the save after taking over for a shaky Drew Steckenrider. He needed two outs with the winning run at second base, and struck out Mets sluggers Starling Marte and Pete Alonso to win the game.

“For a moment, I did think of throwing another pitch (other than a slider),” Castillo said through a translator last month. “But we’re taught that you beat (them) with your best pitch, and I had to go for it.”

He’s known for a bending slider – alongside a sinker that can clock the high 90s on a radar gun – but Castillo had fallen behind in counts throughout the early-May rough patch. Amid his best stretch this season, Servais believes Castillo’s confidence made the difference. He’s using the sinker more often, which Servais considers a “100-percent commitment” to a diversified arsenal.

“His confidence and aggression, just attacking, is what changed so much,” Servais said. “It’s been more of a mindset than a mechanical adjustment.”

STECKENRIDER DESIGNATED FOR ASSIGNMENT

Drew Steckenrider’s stellar 2021 season failed to repeat itself in 2022, which led to the team’s decision on Saturday to designate the 31-year-old reliever for assignment.

Kevin Padlo, traded to San Francisco on April 26 for cash considerations, was claimed off waivers.

Steckenrider earned a team-best 14 saves last season, thanks to a high-riding fastball and deceiving changeup. He posted a 2.00 ERA and fanned 58 batters across 67 ⅔ innings in 2021, earning Servais’ trust as a high-leverage arm in one of the league’s best bullpens.

“He’s struggling to get things going in the right direction this year,” Servais said. “I’m hopeful that Steck stays in our organization, but who knows. He could get claimed.”

In 16 appearances with Seattle in 2022, Steckenrider struggled as his earned run average ballooned to 5.65 and hitters slashed .333/.382/.540 against him. After an option to Triple-A Tacoma on May 26, Steckenrider couldn’t regain his footing in the minors, posting a 6.75 ERA across four outings (and four innings) with the Rainiers.

Seattle must trade Steckenrider or place him on waivers before Saturday, and can retain him if he clears the latter.

SHORT HOPS

-- Seattle activated RHP Erik Swanson on June 10 after a 15-day stint on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. In his return, Swanson fired a perfect inning of relief in Friday’s series opener with the Red Sox. RHP Ken Giles, still yet to appear with Seattle after signing a two-year contract prior to the 2021 season, continued a rehab stint with Triple-A Tacoma after nursing a finger injury in his throwing hand. The 31-year-old reliever “felt good” coming out of a one-inning appearance for the Rainiers on Saturday, where he surrendered a run on two hits.

“I really want (Giles) to be 100 percent. I don’t want him rushing back,” Servais said. “It’s pointless to do that, and then have a setback.”

-- Ty France has reached base 108 times this season, which led all of the major leagues entering Sunday’s game. He trails only New York’s Aaron Judge for the best bWAR in the American League (3.1), and leads baseball with 41 hit-by-pitches since the beginning of the 2021 season.

-- Julio Rodriguez leads MLB with 17 stolen bases.

ON DECK

Seattle (27-33) continues an 11-game homestand, hosting the Minnesota Twins for a trio of games that begin Monday night. A rare five-game set with the Angels starts Thursday, with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday.

“We’re playing good baseball,” Servais said after Sunday’s loss. “Just one of those days there wasn’t a whole lot of offense, and that happens once in a while in this league.”