Mariners reward Logan Gilbert’s All-Star performance with All-Dud one, lose to Angels 3-2

The most disheartening game I’ve watched in a minute

To mirror the Mariners only doing half their job today, I will only do half my job, and tell you about Logan Gilbert’s outing while ignoring the performance of the offense, who were no-hit by Carson Fulmer through five innings, who punched out seven, all of which was season highs because Mariners offense and mediocre pitchers having career days, name a more excruciating duo. (The offense did have the bases loaded without a hit in the fifth and two outs, bouncing Fulmer, but Dylan Moore popped up a 2-1 pitch from Hunter Strickland to quell the threat.) But let us set that aside and only deal with them when we must, and instead focus on the bright spot of today’s game: another dominant performance by Logan Gilbert.

Logan Gilbert was masterful in his final appearance before the All-Star Break. After allowing a leadoff double to Nolan Schanuel to begin the ballgame, Logan mowed down every batter he saw until the fifth inning when Zach Neto chopped at a curveball away but up and snuck a ball fair down the right field line for a double. But Gilbert came back with his seventh strikeout of the day to get Jo Adell, swinging hopelessly after a slider with some serious diving action.

The slider was Gilbert’s filthiest pitch today and he knew it, leaning on it heavily. In the seventh, he struck out Ward flailing after a slider that dived down on him at the last minute, and then froze Willie Calhoun on a slider at the top of the zone for a called strike three before getting O’Hoppe to ground out for another scoreless inning. He was so good, and I’m so mad I don’t want to write any more about it because I’m so frustrated with this game. So I guess I’m only doing a quarter of my job, which honestly still feels like more than the Mariners not named Logan Gilbert brought to today’s game.

In the sixth, J.P. Crawford decided enough of this nonsense and took care of the no-hitter and the shutout all at once, crushing a Strickland slider on the fat part of the plate to center field at 101.5 mph.

While he didn’t get a hit, the other member of the offense who deserves praise is consistent bright spot Victor Robles, who walked in the seventh with two outs, stole second, stole third, and then ran home on an errant throw by Logan O’Hoppe, fattening the Mariners’ lead to 2-0, aka 2% instead of skim milk. The offense had another chance to add on in the bottom of the seventh, when they loaded wth bases with two outs against a wild Hans Crouse, but Victor Robles struck out to end the threat. Surely that wouldn’t matter, though, right? Right?

Scott Servais opted to lift Logan Gilbert in the eighth at 87 pitches, giving Ryne Stanek a clean slate. Unfortunately, Stanek threw four straight balls and appeared to be experiencing pain in his back, bringing out the Mariners’ training staff, who lifted him for Austin Voth. Voth, who gave up the walkoff home run to Willie Calhoun, struggled with his command, walking the first batter he saw before falling behind Jo Adell and serving up an absolute meatball in the middle of the plate for a three-run home run, costing Logan Gilbert, the one Mariner deserving of a win today, a win.

With the rest of the Angels bullpen down after winning the previous two games of the series, the Angels brought out Roansy Contreras and his 5.06 ERA to try to preserve the one-run lead, which is about as damning an indictment of this offense as you could have. Ty France grounded out on four pitches, Dylan Moore worked a full count but struck out, and J.P. Crawford popped out harmlessly to end it. The Mariners blew a great effort by their starter, an opportunity to expand their divisional lead even slightly on a day when the Astros lost, and a chance to go into the All-Star Break with fans feeling more bullish on this struggling offense. It’s maybe not the worst loss of the season (cue the Simpsons “worst loss of the season so far” meme), but as losses go, it’s a pretty awful one.