A troubling trend is starting to emerge for the Seattle Mariners.

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After falling 3-2 in extra innings to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, the Mariners have dropped seven consecutive one-run contests. They finished the month just of July with just one victory by one run and now sit 19-16 in such games.

The streak started inconspicuously with a comeback bid falling short in a 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays on July 6, but the close losses have been brutal since.

• July 7: Ryne Stanek allows game-tying, three-run home run in seventh as Mariners fall 5-4 in 10 innings against the Blue Jays for second straight one-run defeat.

• July 12-14: Seattle goes a combined 2 for 18 with runners in scoring position during a stretch of three straight one-run losses to the lowly Angels before the All-Star break, including two games it led in the eighth inning or later.

• July 24: Gregory Santos allows two runs and surrenders lead in eighth during fourth one-run loss to the Angels in July.

• July 31: Mariners go 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position and fail to score with a runner on third and no outs in the 10th during a 3-2 loss to the Red Sox.

“What’s most discouraging and it’s almost a little concerning, is the fact that all these close games now the Mariners are losing,” Mike Lefko said on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.  “… That’s tough to stomach.”

What was once a strength of the team has become a weakness over the past month. One-run success is what fueled the M’s during their surprise 90-win 2021 campaign and the drought-busing playoff season in 2022. They led the league in one-run victories both years and went a combined 67-41.

“For the past few years when they had made the playoffs and have been in contention, that one-run record had gotten so much scrutiny because in 2021 and 2022 it was absurdly good,” Lefko said.

In last season’s playoff miss, they went just 25-26 in one-run games. However, a 19-9 start in those contests this season seemed to point towards a positive shift.

Continued lack of production from the offense and shaky performances from the bullpen have been the culprits for the recent struggles.

The Mariners have scored two runs or fewer four times and are averaging 2.7 runs per game during their losing streak in one-run games. They’re also a combined 7 for 56 and haven’t mustered more than two hits in a game with runners in scoring position.

Meanwhile, the bullpen has surrendered a lead in the seventh inning or later in four of the losses. There hasn’t been much room for error for the group with many of the leads being slim, but it’s a unit the team is heavily relying upon to come through in those situations.

Listen to the full conversation about the Mariners at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More on Seattle Mariners and the trade deadline

• Mariners Trade Deadline Tracker: Keep up on every move
• Mariners’ Dipoto on top prospects staying put at deadline
• Drayer: Mariners navigated thin market for deadline adds
• A closer look at Mariners trade acquisition Justin Turner
• Mariners strike deal with Marlins, reunite with veteran reliever

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