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Mariners disappointed but not down after loss
- Updated: August 22, 2016
SEATTLE — Obviously manager Scott Servais would love to go to flame-throwing rookie closer Edwin Diaz in every save situation. But there are times when a skipper needs to save his rookie closer, and Sunday appeared to be one of those opportunities, with the Mariners taking a three-run lead into the ninth inning against the scuffling Brewers and veteran Tom Wilhelmsen waiting in the wings.
Though Diaz hadn’t thrown Saturday, the 22-year-old needed 27 and 34 pitches in his last two wobbly saves, and Servais knows he needs to protect the youngster for the long haul. So in came Wilhelmsen and out went the win when Milwaukee rallied for four runs with a pair of long balls and a misplayed single — off Vidal Nuno — that drove in the go-ahead run in the Mariners’ 7-6 loss.
“I thought going into the ninth inning we were obviously in a good spot and had a three-run lead and we’d determined pregame that we’d probably stay away from Edwin, with the innings and number of pitches he threw the other night,” Servais said. “I thought we were in a good spot. Tom Wilhelmsen has given us everything he’s got this year, it just wasn’t his day.”
After a leadoff homer by Brewers center fielder Keon Broxton, it was a two-run opposite field shot by Chris Carter that proved the ultimate gut punch. With a man on second, Wilhelmsen fell behind Carter 3-0. That prompted a mound visit from catcher Chris Iannetta, who told Wilhelmsen to not give Carter anything good to hit with first base open.
Wilhelmsen fired two perfect strikes on the outside corner at the bottom of the zone to Carter. But on his third attempt at that spot, he left the ball up just enough for the big first baseman to launch a …
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