Mariners' pitching plays Russian Roulette with full chamber, loses

Oh, hello there.  Didn't see you when you walked in.  Did you have the Mariners' game on tonight?  Oh, well, I did.  It was fun for a time.  Actually, don't let me spoil it for you, yet.  Let me paint you the picture.  Let me find you the feeling of the moments we shared for three-plus hours with those in communion of the broadcast tonight.  Did you ever trip on the pavement while wearing a new pair of shoes that you were proud to strut around town in?  You felt us in that moment.

It's been an odd few days in Seattle.  Deadly and uncontrollable wildfires out east have lead to some strange skies.  For the first time I found out that "Smoke" is a weather condition on the iPhone.  The Sun has been orange all day.  The air has smelled of wood fire.  We gathered bellow the ashen skies like the warriors of old who watched their cities burn from Greek fire.  The White Sox made us look sorta worthless.  Insert the Oakland A's.  A very bad team.  A team with which I bet a friend while I lived in California that the Mariners would end the season with a better record.  We both had entirely different visions of this season.  I thought he was being an idiot.  There's a chance I may end up owing him a case of wine.  Still, the sunsets were beautiful.

As I said earlier, the game started out very fun.  For the fun times, we can thank Hisashi Iwakuma who came out looking the same way as he left Safeco.  His stuff was untouchable to begin the game.  He was keeping his breaking offerings low and on the corners and allowed one hit and the same amount of base runners through the first four innings.

At one point in the game, pictured above, the A's hitters became so desperate that they apparently pulled out the ol' five iron and just thought they could blast a ball 230' down the heart of the fairway.  Instead, that pitch was swung on and missed for strike two.  Mark Canha is still looking for that ball in the rough.

The Mariners scored all their runs in the 3rd inning off of a Cano RBI single, a Guti three-run bomb, and a solo shot by Mark "Jumbo" Trumbo.  It was one of the more-fun innings I can remember of late and I actually yelled in joy at my TV which is a rare thing.  The crowd responded in due form for the rest of the game and, despite an outcome that likely did not please the home crowd, seemed rather active for a Monday night.  Such was the reaping of the harvest from the Kuma no hitter.  Free t-shirts kids, easy marketing.

At this point, we are watching the season for moments.  Not for October moments, but ones that are found within the games that we all have left to share before we close up shop on the 2015 season.  Here are a couple fun moments from the game tonight.

That was fun.

That was strong.

However, please remember I said the game started out very fun.  And once again, that was because the Mariners were winning going in to the 5th inning.  In fact, they were winning by a score of 5-0, which is a considerable margin.  The 5th inning began, and Kuma had only allowed one runner through the first twelve outs.  Then this happened with a runner on first and second and two outs: single, double, double, single, home run, double, out.  Kuma was chased after allowing seven runs with two outs, and the Mariners were down 7-5.  The Mariners would not score again.

But, stay with me and get this, the A's would actually score more runs.  One in the 7th and three more in the 9th.

I feel you, I really do.  By the end of this one the bullpen would bleed another four runs and the Mariners offense would sputter and putz around into failing to mount another scoring threat.  To be fair, going up five runs early should be enough.  It wasn't and we are here scratching our heads.  Or, maybe you are more the sit and stare type.  I am more the sit and stare type.  An 11-5 loss doesn't inspire much movement from me.

On to the bullets because damn this game was a bummer by the end:

• Ketel Marte went 3-4 with a double and a run scored tonight.  He had a few nice plays in the field and is playing himself in to the everyday lead off and starting shortstop position for this team.  That is a really nice story considering June when we looked down at the farm and saw tumbleweeds.
• Kyle Seager did not have one of his better nights at the plate, going 0-4 with a couple strikeouts and not actually hitting a ball in fair territory.
• Jesus Montero did some dumb things in the field and went 0-4.  It was more fun than watching Logan Morrison.
• Mark Trumbo hit a very strong home run.
• Franklin Gutierrez hit a very strong home run, too.
• The dugout shot in the bottom of the 9th was not of a bunch of happy folks.