The bullpen start was supposed to be in Game 2 of Monday's doubleheader vs. the Athletics. But a pitch-filled abbreviated outing from starter Justin Dunn forced the Mariners' into an unscheduled bullpen game a day early in Sunday's 7-3 victory over the Diamondbacks.
With Dunn making it through just two innings, the Mariners used six relievers to cover the remaining seven innings, which is suboptimal with two seven-inning games the following day and games vs. the Giants on Tuesday and Wednesday.
But with their playoffs hopes still viable, you do what it takes to win the game that day and that's what manager Scott Servais did.
In terms of aesthetic beauty, the game was lacking. The six Mariners pitchers issued eight walks while the five Arizona pitchers used handed out six walks.
But the Mariners' offense provided more than enough run support early, and then added key runs when the D'Backs got within a run, highlighted by Donovan Walton's two-run double in the sixth inning and Phillip Ervin's RBI double in the two-run eighth.
With the life on his fastball looking pulseless and the command of the pitch flatlining, Dunn needed 27 pitches to get through a first inning that saw him walk the first batter he faced, give up a RBI double to Josh VanMeter, and issue one more walk before somehow ending with just one run allowed.
The one run allowed erased a one-run lead provided by Jose Marmolejos' RBI double in the top of the inning.
The second inning was even more of an ordeal, despite the Mariners giving Dunn another lead with Donovan Walton's first of three RBIs in the game.
After striking out the first batter he faced, Dunn walked the next three hitters to load the bases. But relying heavily on his curveball, Dunn struck out the next two batters to end the inning. It took a total of 39 pitches to make it through the second. With Dunn lucky to have thrown only 66 pitches in the first two innings and no sign of a change, Servais went to his bullpen early.
Right-hander Casey Sadler, who was recently claimed off waivers from the Cubs, gave Seattle two key shutout innings to stabilize the situation.
Joey Gerber followed with a shutout fifth inning. Lefty Anthony Misiewicz pitched a scoreless sixth inning, but loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh. Right-hander Kendall Graveman got the three outs to end the inning, while allowing two runs charged to Misiewicz score that trimmed Seattle's lead to 4-3.
Yohan Ramirez and Yoshisa Hirano each worked scoreless innings to close it out.
