Takeaways From Seattle Mariners 7-6 Spring Training Loss to Kansas City Royals

PEORIA, Ariz. — Seattle Mariners manager Dan Wilson said before an off day Tuesday that the team would start ramping things up to game-like scenarios soon. And for a large stretch of a 7-6 loss against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday at the Peoria Sports Complex, the Mariners were doing exactly that.

The Mariners starting lineup played for two-thirds of the game and Bryan Woo was elite in his limited showing. Here's some takeaways from Wednesday's contest:

Woo continues to shine in spring

Seattle's starting pitcher, Woo, was dominant against some of the Royals' best hitters.

Woo pitched three innings, struck out five batters and didn't walk a hitter. He allowed one run (unearned) on three hits.

"I thought Bryan Woo looked outstanding again," Wilson said in a postgame interview. "Again, working his changeup, his off-speed stuff. Secondary has looked really, really good along with the fastball."

Woo struck out Kansas City superstar Bobby Witt Jr. once and induced a line-out from him in a another at-bat.

Including Wednesday, Woo has started three games this spring and has fanned 11 batters in 5.1 innings pitched. He hasn't allowed an earned run.

Starting lineup shows out

The Mariners sent out the closest thing to a major league lineup they have all Cactus League season against the Royals. The starters went deep into the game (six innings) and played well.

The starting lineup loaded the bases in the first two innings and generated five of Seattle's six runs from those situations. Center fielder Julio Rodriguez accounted for four of them with a first-pitch, second-inning grand slam off Kansas City starting pitcher Ross Stripling.

It's grand salami time for Juliooooo!@JRODshow44 | #TridentsUp 🔱 pic.twitter.com/8rFkSFH64W
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) March 12, 2025

Rodriguez finished the game 2-for-3 with four RBIs. Right fielder Victor Robles went 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI, and third baseman Jorge Polanco went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

"A lot of good two-strike contact early on to keep innings going," Wilson said. "And then, obviously, the big blast by Julio. Really nice, easy swing on a pitch up in the zone. Nice to see him pull that. He got the base hit early in the game, but he was in right field his first time up, so a lot of good things."

Rough day for the bullpen

The Royals made their comeback against a Mariners bullpen that wasn't at it's best. Seattle used seven relievers: Eduard Bazardo, Andres Munoz, Casey Legumina, Tayler Saucedo, Trent Thornton, Seth Martinez and Reid Morgan. With the exception of Saucedo, all of them allowed at least one hit in an inning pitched or less. Saucedo and Thornton were the only ones who recorded a strikeout.

Kansas City tied the game and scored the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth off Seth Martinez (four earned runs) and Morgan. The Royals trailed 6-3 entering the ninth.

Other notes

Witt Jr. was hit by a pitch in the left forearm by Munoz during an at-bat in the top of the fifth. Witt Jr. was pulled from the game and sent to get scans, per a report from MLB.com's Royals beat writer Anne Rogers.

Witt is already headed for scans to determine what the severity is on his forearm and that is the most up to date info we have.

Clearly was in pain but obviously if anything happens in a spring game like this the next step is to get the player out and checked out quickly. https://t.co/xwgEUiC1Xp
— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) March 12, 2025

Witt Jr's replacement, Tyler Tolbert, ended up hitting a two-run homer in the ninth.

Up next

The Mariners will host the Arizona Diamondbacks at 6:40 p.m. PT Thursday at the Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz.

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