Debacle at Wrigley Field: Mariners blow early 7-run lead in 14-9 loss to Cubs

CHICAGO — In just their 12^th game of the 2023 season, the Mariners managed to produce what will likely be their worst loss of the year.

No, not their worst defeat of these first 12 games, eight of which have been losses.

That’s a given.

But Tuesday’s debacle in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field will hold up as the worst loss of the entire season, meaning they still have 150 games remaining on their schedule over the next 174 days to endure a worse outcome.

 Given how underwhelming their play has been in these first 12 games, it’s a bold prediction. But it’s also reflective of just how awful their 14-9 loss to the Cubs was in the moment and will be in comparison to other losing outcomes.

It’s not the lopsided nature of the score that made it bad. It’s that the Mariners actually led by seven runs, only to let Chicago storm back into the game, scoring nine unanswered runs, including eight in a third inning that couldn’t have been saved by a 5-second pitch clock.

After losing back-to-back extra-inning games by one run, the Mariners steamrollered to a 7-0 lead in the first two innings, tormenting Cubs starter Hayden Wesneski, who they faced twice during spring training.

The fans in the bleachers had yet to finish their first Old Style beers before the Mariners seemingly put the game out of reach with a barrage of base hits and runs.

Seattle scored two runs in the first on Eugenio Suarez’s first homer of the season, a towering blast that landed in the basket above the wall in deep center.

The Mariners broke it open in the second inning, scoring five runs in the frame with Ty France (RBI single), Suarez (sac fly), Cal Raleigh (RBI single), Teoscar Hernandez (RBI single) and Kolten Wong (fielder’s choice RBI) all driving in runs as the Mariners batted around.

When the top of the second inning ended, the Mariners had a 95% chance of winning the game based on MLB Statcast’s win-probability metric.

When starter Chris Flexen gave up a run in the bottom of the second, Seattle’s 7-1 lead still had them at a 95% win probability.

But then came the bottom of a third inning that wouldn’t end.

The Cubs figured out Flexen’s fastball was hittable and finding too much plate. They battered him for seven runs in the inning, with Trey Mancini blasting a two-run homer to center and right fielder Nelson Velasquez, who was called up from the minor leagues two days ago, smashing a grand slam to end Flexen’s outing and give the Cubs an improbable 8-7 lead.

Flexen’s replacement, Trevor Gott, couldn’t stop the momentum. The Cubs tacked on another run.

Even when Jarred Kelenic smashed a solo homer to left-center, it was clear that it wouldn’t be if the Mariners would come back, but how many more runs the Cubs would score against Seattle’s beleaguered and beat-up bullpen.