M's crushed again in Miller start, lose 19-2 to Cubs
Mariners starter Bryce Miller lost his second straight start by at least 17 runs after the Cubs crushed Seattle 19-2, days after the M's lost 22-0 to Milwaukee.
The Mariners are reeling right now, and it's hard to pinpoint exactly what's going wrong. Two straight starts by young pitchers, and the team gets lit up for a combined 41 runs. That's not what you want to see from a team trying to stay in the playoff hunt. Bryce Miller, in particular, has had a tough couple of outings, and the Mariners will need him to bounce back quickly if they want to keep pace in the AL West.
The Cubs, on the other hand, are looking like a team on the rise. They're scoring runs in bunches, and their offense is starting to click. This series win against the Mariners is a big one for them, and they'll look to keep the momentum going as they head into the rest of the summer. For the Mariners, though, this one stings. They need to regroup and figure out what's going on with their pitching staff, or else they risk falling further behind in the division.
So what's next for the Mariners? They'll look to bounce back in the series finale against the Cubs, and then they've got a tough road trip ahead of them. They'll need to get their pitching staff back on track, and fast, if they want to stay in this playoff race. We'll be keeping an eye on how they respond to this tough stretch - can they turn it around, or will they continue to slide?
Originally reported by espn.com. SportsNewsNow adds analysis for sports & fitness readers.