Hancock gets hit hard as Mariners drop rubber game

MILWAUKEE -- When Scott Servais sat in the visiting dugout on Sunday morning at American Family Field and outlined why he pulled his starting pitcher at 78 pitches despite seven shutout innings the night prior, the Mariners’ manager didn’t envision that a few hours later he’d be determining when too much damage was enough to relieve his next arm in the rotation.

In the span of 24 hours, after Bryce Miller delivered Seattle’s best start of the young season, Emerson Hancock was on the mound for its worst.

The former Georgia Bulldog gave up eight earned runs on 11 hits with one walk and six strikeouts, departing after surrendering his second homer and reaching 88 pitches with just one out in the fourth inning of a 12-4 loss to the Brewers.

“I felt like whenever we were kind of learning what they were trying to do, the approach that they had, I just didn't make the adjustments,” Hancock said. “I just didn't give us a chance to win.”

After a strong debut and his first career win against Cleveland, Milwaukee proved to be a tough opponent for Hancock, who battled the Brewers’ patient approach, a tight strike zone and a few costly defensive miscues behind him that created more traffic -- and runs -- to put him in a deeper hole.

Those hiccups began after the Mariners jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first, when third baseman Josh Rojas bobbled an exchange on an infield dribbler that allowed speedy leadoff man Oliver Dunn to reach -- though even if fielded cleanly, a perfect, off-balance throw would’ve been needed.

A few batters later, Dunn scored when Luke Raley nearly made a diving catch running in but had the ball bounce off his glove and onto the playing surface. Dunn would’ve tagged up anyway, but a catch would’ve been the second out, and Hancock’s ensuing strikeout of Rhys Hoskins would have ended the rally.

Instead, Hancock gave up a two-out, two-run double to Sal Frelick.

Then in the second, Jorge Polanco bobbled a would-be double play ball on an RBI groundout, after which William Contreras blasted a two-run homer instead of a solo shot.

“I felt like we were kind of like one pitch away there from just getting out of there with one run,” Hancock said, “and that's part of this game. That's how hard it is, but on to the next one.”

Hancock settled in for four straight strikeouts between the end of the second and the beginning of the third, but in the fourth, he gave up a leadoff triple to Dunn, an RBI single to Contreras and a 365-foot homer to Willy Adames that ended his day.

Hancock’s struggles were rooted in fastball location -- too many in the damage zone after struggling to land them near the bottom of the zone -- and the lack of swing-and-miss on his slider and changeup, which generated a combined two whiffs among the 34 he threw. With fastball velocity averaging 93 mph, the need for his secondaries is vital.

“They did not chase the ball down at all,” Servais said. “They made him come up in the zone, and when he did, they put some pretty good swings on it.”

As if Murphy’s Law wasn’t already in full swing for Seattle’s arms, Collin Snider took a 102.3 mph comebacker off his left kneecap after relieving Hancock. Snider attempted a few warmup pitches, but after conferring with Servais and head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson, he exited with a contusion.

Tayler Saucedo then entered, issued a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk to his leadoff man and an RBI groundout to his second batter that plated Milwaukee’s 10th run. Saucedo wound up giving Servais much-needed length, but that his career-high 2 2/3 innings were a highlight underscored the state of Sunday’s runaway result.

Rojas pitched the eighth, his second relief appearance in just 10 games this season, and gave up a two-run homer to Contreras, who tormented the Mariners with a 7-for-12 weekend.

It was the first time since last July 18 against Minnesota that Seattle’s pitching staff surrendered 10 or more runs, which, not coincidentally, was just before their August ascent that propelled them into playoff contention until the season’s penultimate day.

The Mariners now trek to hitter-friendly Toronto, where the top of their rotation will take over. Yet even that group will be seeking better results than this past time through, as Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert combined to allow 14 earned runs in 15 innings (8.40 ERA) this past week.