BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 23: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Baltimore Orioles in action against the Houston Astros during the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 23, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Astros win to clinch AL West crown as Mariners’ playoff hopes turn dire.
HOUSTON — Fitting, wasn’t it, that it happened like this, in this ballpark, against that team?
In mid-June, the Mariners had a 10-game lead over these blasted Astros in the American League West.
You know what happened next: Yep, they blew it.
And in the middle of Tuesday’s game, the Mariners had another lead over these blasted Astros, and they had turned a sold-out crowd of 38,195 mostly quiet at Minute Maid Park.
And, yep, you know what happened next: They blew it again.
Final score: Astros 4, Mariners 3.
End result: Houston retains the AL West crown for a fourth straight year, and for the seventh time in eight years.
The Astros celebrated with Champagne and cheap beer.
The Mariners tried to pick themselves up in silence in the other clubhouse.
In spring training, the Mariners had made their intentions known: It was their turn, their time, to take the reins in the West, after falling agonizingly short a year ago.
Thanks in part to the Astros’ stunning 7-19 start to the season, the Mariners were on track to make that a reality, building a 44-31 record and a lot of outsized expectations.
Since then, well, it’s largely been a disaster for the Mariners, who went 20-32 over the next two months, saw their manager get fired and their 10-game lead turn into a five-game deficit.
“We know where we were halfway through the season, and where we’re at now, so it’s frustrating,” said Logan Gilbert, who took the loss Tuesday after allowing four runs in six innings.
On the heels on Monday’s feel-good victory over the Astros, Jorge Polanco’s second-inning solo homer helped the Mariners build a 3-1 lead through three innings Tuesday against Houston veteran lefty Framber Valdez.
The Mariners real failure was not taking advantage of prime opportunities to extend that lead and knock Valdez out early.
Three times the Mariners put a runner at third with one out.
Three times — in the third, sixth and eighth innings — those runners at third failed to score.
“Felt like we had it rolling there and had [them] on the ropes and kind of gave it to them a little bit there,” Raleigh said. “We had some opportunities, for sure, and just didn’t come through.”
