The Seattle Mariners fell 11-7 to the Colorado Rockies at Peoria Stadium on Wednesday in spring training play. Despite Cole Young's 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three RBI effort at the plate, the Mariners could not overcome a sizable deficit. On the mound, Luis Castillo turned in a solid outing, working 3.1 innings of 2-run ball with three strikeouts. The Mariners finished with 15 hits on the day while holding the Rockies to 12. The Mariners will look to regroup as spring training rolls on. There is still time to work through the rough patches before the regular season arrives, and the coaching staff will use today's performance as a learning opportunity.
Key Performers
Cole Young was the top performer at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three RBI. The long ball provided a major boost to the offensive attack. It was the kind of day at the plate that suggests good things ahead for the Mariners offense.
Brock Rodden provided support, going 2-for-2 with a home run and an RBI, Rhylan Thomas also contributed, going 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, and J.P. Crawford chipped in, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Despite the individual efforts, the offense could not generate enough sustained production.
On the other side of the diamond, GJ Hill led the Rockies offense with a 1-for-1 with a home run and three RBI day. Troy Johnston also contributed, going 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, and three RBI. Braxton Fulford added a 1-for-5 with a home run and two RBI effort as well. The Rockies offense proved to be too much for the Mariners pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Luis Castillo got the start, grinding through his innings, working 3.1 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits with three strikeouts. He threw 51 pitches in the outing. His outing provided the coaching staff with another data point as rotation and bullpen decisions loom.
The bullpen combined for 4.5 innings of work, allowing 8 earned runs while striking out seven. The relief corps kept the game within reach after the starter departed. Managing the bullpen workload is a key priority during the spring, and every outing helps the coaching staff gauge who is ready for high-leverage situations.
Among the relievers, Jose A. Ferrer stood out with 0.2 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. The outing gave the coaching staff confidence in his ability to contribute this season.
How It Happened
Rockies got on the board first with a run in the second inning. The Mariners countered with two runs in the second. Rockies struck back with a run in the third. The Mariners answered with two runs in the third. Rockies responded with a run in the fifth. The Mariners countered with a run in the sixth. Rockies struck back with three runs in the seventh. The Mariners answered with two runs in the seventh. Rockies responded with three runs in the eighth. Rockies pushed across two runs in the ninth. The Rockies were able to score in six separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. The Mariners out-hit Rockies 15-12 on the day, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,089 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Mariners will regroup and get back to work in their next outing. While the final score was not in their favor, the exhibition season is about building toward the regular season, and this game provided useful reps for a roster still taking shape. The coaching staff will review the performance and make adjustments before the next time out.
