Manager Scott Servais makes an error, but also a huge save in Monday’s win

The Seattle Mariners scored an exciting victory on Monday night, defeating the Chicago White Sox 8-4 on a grand slam by Cal Raleigh.

It was one of the M’s most improbable wins of the season, as Seattle trailed 4-0 after seven innings and was held accountable by White Sox hurler Erick Fedde. Seattle is currently 38-30 on the year and leads the American League West by 5.5 games over the Texas Rangers.

While Raleigh’s victory will bring a lot of attention to the grand slam, the impact of manager Scott Servais cannot be ignored. Servais made a potentially fatal managerial error and then made a match-saving decision that led Team M to victory. We will analyze both below.

In the first set of the sixth round there was a 0-0 draw. White Sox catcher Korey Lee hit a double in that inning. With two outs, Luis Robert Jr. he took the field with two outs, a runner on second and the base open.

Servais elected to throw to Robert Jr., and the right fielder deposited a Logan Gilbert fastball into the top deck to give the White Sox a 2-0 lead.

Yes, Gilbert is a good pitcher who shouldn’t be afraid of good hitters. Yes, Robert Jr.’s throw. he wasn’t bad. Yes, Robert has struggled since coming off the injured list. Yes, Gilbert stabbed him twice. Absolutely none of this matters. Robert Jr. he’s the only hitter in the White Sox lineup you fear because he was an All-Star last year and hit 38 home runs.

Gavin Sheets, who batted behind Robert Jr., is currently hitting .242 on the season. You have to make HIM beat you, but you can’t let Robert Jr. do it. He hits a homer to give the White Sox a 2-0 lead, which could (and should have) been enough to win the game and lose to Seattle.

Good

While it was potentially disastrous, Servais made the save for Seattle in the bottom of the eighth inning. Trailing 4-1, Raleigh was ejected after hitting with the bases loaded and one out. Mitch Haniger and Luke Raley each scored two outs to tie the game at 4-4, but because Servais, not Raleigh, was ejected in that inning, Raleigh was still in the game and finished in the ninth.

In the age of analytics and front office intervention, it’s not always clear that managers have a huge impact on match outcomes, but it’s absolutely obvious that Servais had an influence here.

The Mariners will face the White Sox again on Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. PT.

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1) The M’s win the most absurd game of the season on Monday against the White Sox

2) Mariners broadcaster misses a grand slam