TAMPA, Fla. — A day after holding a meeting, er, “open forum” to discuss what is needed and should be expected over the final month of the 2025 season, less than 24 hours after several key players leveled the blame and responsibility for correcting it directly at themselves, the Seattle Mariners went out and played one of their worst games of the season. Yes, they’ve had more lopsided losses ...

Julio Rodríguez of the Seattle Mariners runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run in the sixth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Tampa, Florida.

Julio Aguilar/Getty Images North America/TNS

TAMPA, Fla. — A day after holding a meeting, er, “open forum” to discuss what is needed and should be expected over the final month of the 2025 season, less than 24 hours after several key players leveled the blame and responsibility for correcting it directly at themselves, the Seattle Mariners went out and played one of their worst games of the season.

Yes, they’ve had more lopsided losses and sloppier efforts, but given the circumstances of their situation, Wednesday’s 9-4 drubbing by the Tampa Bay Rays wasn’t even that close. Could this be the season’s nadir? The Mariners were swept in the three-game series at George M. Steinbrenner Field and have started this nine game road trip with a 1-5 record.

The top of the first didn’t exactly inspire belief of better things ahead. Facing starter Adrian Houser, Randy Arozarena lashed at the first pitch of the game — a 95-mph sinker down the game — producing a fly-ball to right field for an out.

Cal Raleigh came to the plate and also swung at the first pitch — a 94-mph sinker on the outside edge of the plate. He lifted a fly-ball to the warning track in center field. The ball traveled 392 feet but was also an out.

Julio Rodríguez, the third batter of the inning, stepped to the plate. Would he take a pitch or two to at least prolong the inning? Nope. Rodríguez also swung at first-pitch sinker, hitting a hard ground-ball to shortstop Carson Williams for the third out of the inning.

Three pitches and three outs for Houser.

It was a stark contrast in comparison to his outing at T-Mobile Park on August 10 when he needed 45 pitches to get through the first inning.

But that ultra-aggressive approach in the first inning wouldn’t even matter by the time they came to the plate in the top of the second.

Why?

Well, George Kirby would put them in a deficit that just kept growing when he was in the game.

The Mariners starter retired Chandler Simpson to start the game. But then allowed five consecutive hits:

— Yandy Diaz, double to right.

— Brandon Lowe, single to left.

— Junior Caminero, RBI single to right field.

— Josh Lowe, RBU single to right field.

— Jake Mangum, shift-beating RBI single to left.

It looked like Kirby had stopped the merry-go-round of runners with help from Arozarena. Hunter Feduccia hit a fly-ball to shallow left field that Arozarena caught and fired home with Josh Lowe tagging up and trying to score from third. Catcher Mitch Garver, who had allowed Lowe to advance to third on a passed ball, caught the one-hop throw, applied the tag, but couldn’t hold on to the ball. Instead of the inning ending with a double play, the Rays had a 4-0 lead.

Kirby’s outing didn’t get any better in the second inning. He allowed singles to Bob Seymour, Simpson and Diaz to load the bases. Brandon Lowe made it 5-0 with a sac fly to deep center. Caminero, who has torched the Mariners all series, scalded a ball over the head of Julio Rodriguez in center for a two-run double. Feducia later came up with a two-out single to make it 8-0.

Manager Dan Wilson opted to go to his bullpen for the third inning.

Kirby was night was done after two innings — the shortest outing of his career. He allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits with no walks, a strikeout and a hit batter.

After the three-pitch gift in the first inning, Houser cruised through the next four innings, allowing just one hit.

Down 9-0, the Mariners finally got to Houser in the sixth. Dom Canzone led off with a single, J.P. Crawford worked a one-out walk and Cal Raleigh singled to center to drive in Seattle ‘s first run. Moments later Julio Rodriguez hammered a fastball over the wall in right field for a three-run homer. It was Rodriguez’s 28th long ball of the season. The nine-run lead had been trimmed to five.

But all the “battle” and “fight” that Wilson likes to preach wouldn’t allow the Mariners to overcome such a large deficit. The bullpen did a commendable job not allowing the game to get worse. Eduard Bazardo worked a scoreless inning, Emerson Hancock allowed one run over two innings and Tayler Saucedo.

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