The Seattle Times · Aug 10, 2019
Mariners’ bullpen coughs up three runs in ninth in loss to Rays
Veteran right-hander Anthony Bass has been delegated as the Mariners’ best option to serve as interim closer through sheer attrition in a bullpen that has been undone by injuries and trades.
It was once Hunter Strickland and then Roenis Elias and for a while Austin Adams. Two are gone; one is injured. A glance at the rest of the names on the lineup card doesn’t yield a better option.
Bass was the logical call for manager Scott Servais in the ninth inning of a tie game versus the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night.
But it yielded suboptimal results. Bass struggled not only to get outs but throwing strikes. He allowed three runs on just one hit and the Mariners were done.