MINNEAPOLIS — Facing a team with a pitching staff comparable to their own, the Mariners offense looked like so many of their opponents over the past month — overwhelmed — in a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Monday night at Target Field.
The Mariners mustered only three hits and struck out 14 times to drop the opener of a four-game series.
Seattle got another quality start from Luis Castillo, but didn’t offer much in support.
Castillo was perfect over the first four innings, retiring all 12 batters he faced, including four strikeouts. The bid for perfection or even a shutout ended early in the fifth inning. Max Kepler led off the inning with a ground ball down the first-base line that appeared to hit off the first-base bag slightly and then misplayed by Ty France for a two-base error. With Kepler on second, Carlos Correa hit a deep fly ball off the wall in right field to drive in the first run of the game.
Twins starter Simeon Woods Richardson delivered one of the best outings of his career. In the fifth start of his MLB career — four of them coming this season — the 23-year-old right-hander pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just one hit with a walk and career-high eight strikeouts.
Unlike other opposing pitchers that befuddle Seattle’s swing-happy hitters with breaking balls, Woods Richardson challenged them with fastballs — and beat them.
Of his 82 pitches, he threw 33 four-seam fastballs, getting 17 strikes and only three balls in play.
He struck out six of the first eight hitters he faced.
Knowing that a third time through the heart of the Mariners order would be a difficult task, the Twins turned to right-handed reliever Griffin Jax, who had been dominant this season.
But Jax struggled to locate his pitches, particularly when he was ahead in the count. Jorge Polanco and Mitch Haniger worked full counts and came up with singles to start the seventh inning. Cal Raleigh worked a walk to load the bases with no outs.
But Seattle would manage just one run. Ty France struck out swinging, Mitch Garver hit a sac fly to center to score Polanco and Luke Raley struck out.
One run was better than none and likely exceeded the expectation of a fan base that is fatigue by the Mariners’ inconsistent offense.
But the Twins answered immediately in the bottom of the inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Christian Vazquez hit a sac fly to deep center to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead.
Servais called on Trent Thornton to get the third out, but he allowed an RBI single to Manuel Margot for a big insurance run.
This story will be updated