As the Seattle Mariners lost in Game 7 of the ALCS to the Toronto Blue Jays, missing the opportunity of reaching the World Series, there is no doubt of frustration from the team, reflecting on what they could have done differently. With fans looking for who is most to blame for the Mariners' losing to the Blue Jays in the ALCS, manager Dan Wilson takes accountability for certain bullpen decisions.
The one in question that people are going back to is when Wilson put in reliever Eduard Bazardo instead of Andrés Muñoz against George Springer in the bottom of the seventh inning of Game 7. With Seattle up 3-1 in the game, Bazardo let go of a three-run shot from Springer that gave Toronto the game, which was the third home run that the pitcher let go of this postseason where whereas Muñoz only allowed two the whole season.
“I think as a manager, you have to make decisions, and you know, in terms of whether it’s the Bazardo one, we have a good process in place,” Wilson said, according to The Seattle Times. “But managers have to wear decisions one way or the other.”
“We’ll continue to assess, and you’re always looking to get better and do the things that it takes to get better, and we will continue to do that,” Wilson continued. “But again, it’s frustrating, and it really is something that stings and will continue to sting for a while.”
Mariners' Jerry Dipoto defends Dan Wilson
With the Mariners suffering from the heartbreaker that is the series loss after a successful season, one person who defended the bullpen decisions was Seattle's president of baseball operations, Jerry Dipoto.
“It’s hard to be a manager, and it’s hard to make those decisions in real time, and we do the best we can to collaborate with Dan and (the coaching) staff and give them a menu of different thoughts and options,” Dipoto said. “And I’ll never begrudge him for making a move he believed in and trusted.”
At any rate, the Mariners look to reach newer heights next season after falling in the ALCS.
