Robles carted off after hanging on for stunning catch at Oracle Park

SAN FRANCISCO -- There were sun-soaked skies throughout the weekend at Oracle Park, yet for the Mariners, when it rained, it poured.

Seattle was swept by San Francisco in a 5-4 walk-off loss in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday afternoon, but far more concerning was that Victor Robles was carted off the field with an apparent left shoulder injury after covering 113 feet in 6.2 seconds, diving into the fence and making a remarkable grab.

It was a crucial play in the game with Luis Matos on first and one out, and after the Giants challenged the catch call on the field, it was confirmed as the second out of the inning.

Robles was undergoing initial imaging in the Giants’ clubhouse when Mariners manager Dan Wilson met with media postgame.

“It looked like something with his shoulder,” Wilson said, “and we'll find out more here as we go.”

One pitch after Robles departed following an extended injury delay, Gregory Santos surrendered an opposite-field chopper to Wilmer Flores through the right side, which allowed Matos to race home from second base. It marked the second walk-off of the series, after the Mariners dropped the opener in the 11th inning on Friday.

Now, Seattle heads home for its first matchups of the season against their division rivals from the Lone Star State, as the Astros and Rangers -- who each won on Sunday -- come to town. The Mariners are already five games out of first place in the American League West, making this week’s homestand all of a sudden a little more pressing to get things right.

“There ain't nothing to regroup about and nothing to say like, 'Oh, do this better or do this and that,’” said Julio Rodríguez, who blasted his second homer of the series and third of the season in the first inning. “We played a really good ballgame. And if you ask me, I think we're in a really good spot 10 games in.”

The bigger picture, though, isn’t just how the Mariners rebound from this series against the Giants, who are off to an 8-1 start -- but also where things stand with Robles, who went 2-for-5 on Sunday and scored the tying run in the ninth inning to keep Seattle’s chances alive on a two-out RBI single from Randy Arozarena, after stealing third base.

“He's a dog,” said Mariners starting pitcher Bryan Woo, who surrendered four runs on back-to-back pitches in the fourth inning. “He puts his body out in a spot that probably could have been a foul ball, and he could've just let it go. But that's not who he is. He's got the respect of everybody in the clubhouse.”

Robles expressed extreme pain as he was being carted off, holding his left wrist and wincing while being consoled by Mariners head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson. After leaping from all the way in fair territory into the net in foul territory, Robles tumbled to the ground, grabbed the baseball from his glove then rolled it underhand with his right arm to second baseman Ryan Bliss.

At that point, Rodríguez raced to Robles from center field, then immediately waved to the visiting dugout. Even the Giants’ athletic training staff came out to assist.

“Obviously, he made all that effort,” Rodríguez said before a pause. “But it's a high cost.”

The play was an all-encapsulating microcosm of Robles playing as aggressive as anyone on the Mariners’ roster -- but also the risk that some of those moments can manifest.

“He's a very impactful player for our team, defensively and offensively, too,” Rodríguez said. “It's just a matter of seeing where things stand with him now.”

The effort drew praise from the opposing clubhouse, too.

“It’s one of the best outfield plays I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Giants slugger Mike Yastrzemski, who hit a three-run homer off Woo.

The Mariners were already without third baseman Jorge Polanco (left knee soreness) for the second straight game on Sunday, have been on the losing end each of the two times that George Kirby’s (right shoulder inflammation) rotation spot has come up -- and now they await the status of their leadoff man, right fielder and spark plug.