The Astros beat the Mariners 7-0 on Tuesday night, and Seattle was left on the brink of elimination. Logan Gilbert took the loss after allowing 10 hits, two walks and three strikeouts over four innings, a night that turned quickly after the Astros jumped on him in the first.
That opening inning set the tone. Jeremy Peña reached on an infield single, stole second on the first pitch of the next at-bat and scored when Yordan Álvarez singled through the right side. The Astros had the bases loaded with nobody out before Christian Walker made the gap wider with a three-run home run in the third, turning a bad start for Seattle into a game that was slipping away by the middle innings.
Gilbert said he would want the ball again if the season ends Sunday the way it is lined up now. “That’s my job,” he said. “I love pitching. Like, it’s going to be taken away one day. So if I can have the ball, I want it.” He also said, “There’s fans showing up that pay their hard-earned money to watch up play, regardless of the situation. So, you know, I owe it to them, to the organization, everybody. But honestly I just love pitching.”
The loss carried extra weight because Gilbert still managed a milestone even in defeat, striking out Yainer Díaz to pass Mark Langston for fourth on the Mariners’ all-time strikeout leaderboard. But the disputed call in the fourth inning was the kind of moment that sticks: Cam Smith was ruled safe at first on an appeal play, Dan Wilson tried to challenge, and the challenge was denied for taking too long. Marvin Hudson signaled Smith safe twice, and the call stood.
Seattle now has no room for another slip. The Mariners were pushed to the brink of elimination on Tuesday night, and the final game of the season on Sunday is still there if the current rotation is kept. If Gilbert gets that start, it will be in a game with everything still hanging over it.
