Jon Morosi: Why Mariners’ bullpen now becomes a concern in Game 2

The Seattle Mariners find themselves in a tough spot after losing Game 1 of the American League Division Series to the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in extra innings.

A big reason for that is actually something that was a highlight for the Mariners on Saturday: their bullpen.

The Seattle Mariners’ Game 1 loss was about one thing

MLB Network insider Jon Morosi broke down Game 1 of the ALDS at T-Mobile Park for Seattle Sports, and one storyline he pointed at going forward in the series is the state of the Mariners’ relief pitching.

The Mariners turned to the bullpen in the sixth inning, leaving the relievers to cover the final six frames of the 11-inning game. The ‘pen allowed just one run, but six relievers took their turn on the mound.

Most worrisome is that Andrés Muñoz pitched two full innings for the first time since his rookie season in 2019, so the two-time All-Star closer’s availability for Sunday is at the very least in question.

“The Mariners got deeper and deeper into that bullpen, and that is where I think in a lot of ways this loss almost feels like a double defeat,” Morosi said, “because you have to face (reigning AL Cy Young Award winner) Tarik Skubal in Game 2 less than 24 hours from now, and of course you do this with your bullpen (having covered six innings) including Andrés Muñoz having thrown two innings in Game 1.”

Morosi mentioned two things about the Mariners’ bullpen that now become concerns.

“The question of how well they can bounce back in Game 2, how lively their stuff will be when they do so, (and) the Tigers now benefiting from the additional looks they had against the Mariner bullpen.”

Watch the full breakdown from Morosi, which includes much more on Game 1, in the video at the top of this post.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Dan Wilson discusses Mariners’ ALDS roster decisions
• Mariners’ ALDS roster comes with some surprises
• ALDS Preview: Storylines for Seattle Mariners vs. Detroit Tigers
• FOX’s Adam Amin: Seattle Mariners aren’t a ‘cute story’ anymore
• Lefko: How Seattle Mariners’ ALDS vs. Detroit Tigers will be won

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