The first of the exits began in the top of the eighth when the lead went to five runs on back-to-back doubles to start the inning.
Even on an unusually warm spring night, many in the crowd of 36,424 felt no reason to stay after the bottom of the eighth with a significant exodus clearing out Safeco Field. The Mariners were losing and nothing about the offense on Saturday night, and what they saw the night before, gave them hope.
The exciting and promising two wins to end the season-opening series with the Texas Rangers had now been replaced with two straight losses, the latest being a nondescript 6-1 defeat by the Oakland A’s.