The Seattle Mariners’ 2025 season ended in heartbreak, with a Game 7 loss in the American League Championship Series. The decision to bring in Eduard Bazardo to face George Springer in a crucial moment has been heavily scrutinized. Mariners’ manager Dan Wilson, despite being named American League Manager of the Year, and President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto, have faced relentless questions regarding this pivotal choice. This article delves into their reasoning, the process behind the decision, and the lingering impact on the team and its fans.
The choice to use Bazardo over Andrés Muñoz is not easily forgotten. As such it remains perfect discussion fodder for baseball podcasts or sports-talk radio. Why did Wilson make the decision to go with Eduard Bazardo instead of Andrés Muñoz to face George Springer? This article explores what went wrong.
Dan Wilson Defends the Decision
Dan Wilson addressed the ongoing criticism, stating, “I think as a manager, you have to make decisions, and you know, in terms of whether it’s the Bazardo one, we have a good process in place. But managers have to wear decisions one way or the other.” He acknowledged the frustration and the sting of the loss, emphasizing that the team continually assesses and seeks improvement. Despite the explanations, the replies on social media indicate that fans have neither forgotten nor forgiven the decision.
Wilson is still trying to answer questions about the decision in the American League Championship Series. Wilson’s decision to go with Eduard Bazardo instead of Andrés Muñoz to face George Springer has been questioned and ridiculed since. According to Wilson, “We’ll continue to assess and you’re always looking to get better and do the things that it takes to get better, and we will continue to do that.”
In the replies on the Mariners’ social media post congratulating him on his award, Wilson’s decision is neither forgotten nor forgiven. Wilson said that it is something that stings and will continue to sting for a while.
John Schneider’s Surprise
Adding fuel to the fire, Blue Jays manager John Schneider expressed surprise at the choice of Bazardo in a radio interview. “I was a little surprised it was Bazardo. As soon as Bazardo came in out of the ‘pen, I said, ‘OK, he’s pitching to Georgie. Game on.’” Schneider’s comment highlights the perception that Bazardo was not the ideal matchup against Springer, intensifying the scrutiny on Wilson’s decision.
It certainly didn’t help the conjecture when Blue Jays manager John Schneider was asked about it during a radio interview in Toronto on Wednesday and said, “I was a little surprised it was Bazardo. As soon as Bazardo came in out of the ‘pen, I said, ‘OK, he’s pitching to Georgie. Game on.’”
The Numbers: Bazardo vs. Muñoz
The statistics paint a clear picture. Bazardo surrendered a three-run homer to Springer, turning a 3-1 lead into a 4-3 deficit. This was his third home run allowed in the postseason. In contrast, Muñoz had not allowed a hit or run in the postseason up to that point and had only allowed two home runs all season. The decision is further questioned when considering their respective performances.
Bazardo, who had pitched two innings in Game 6 and faced Springer three times in the series, served up a three-run homer on a 1-0 sinker. The Mariners’ 3-1 lead became a 4-3 deficit that eventually turned into defeat. It was the third homer that Bazardo had allowed in the postseason. Conversely, Muñoz hadn’t allowed a hit or run in the postseason to that point. He allowed only two homers the entire season.
Jerry Dipoto’s Rationale
Jerry Dipoto staunchly defended Wilson’s decision, emphasizing the collaborative process and the difficulty of making real-time choices. “It’s hard to be a manager, and it’s hard to make those decisions in real time, and we do the best we can to collaborate with Dan and (the coaching) staff and give them a menu of different thoughts and options,” Dipoto said. He added that he would “never begrudge him for making a move he believed in and trusted.” Dipoto highlighted the pregame preparation meetings and the evaluation of every manageable scenario.
Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners president of baseball operations, was asked about Wilson’s decision in Game 7 and the process leading up it. He defended Wilson and his choices. According to Dipoto, “We ran through our bullpen management process the same way we do before every game. We went through every manageable scenario, and I will say this: It’s easy in hindsight to look back and say, ‘Why?’ And trust me when I tell you, every single one of us has spent some time reviewing the sequence of events as they went.”
Bazardo’s Role and Readiness
Dipoto stressed Bazardo’s exceptional year and his role as a “pivot” to get to Brash and Muñoz. He argued that Bazardo was the quickest to get ready, needing only 7-8 pitches, while Muñoz required a longer warm-up. The circumstances of the inning, with a leadoff walk and a quick single, forced a rapid decision. Dipoto stated, “The guy that gets up and gets ready the quickest is ‘Zardo. The guy who was ready the inning before going into that end was ‘Zardo. And the guy we all felt comfortable as a pivot versus a (right-handed hitter) was ‘Zardo.”
According to Dipoto, “Bazardo had an unbelievable year. He was going better than any reliever that we’ve had. He had been roughly a machine for three months of (throwing) strike one. The moment never overtook him. To go to ‘Zardo in that situation, I thought was justifiable.” Dipoto mentioned the season-long usage of Bazardo in that “pivot” role to get to Matt Brash and Muñoz to close it out.
The Muñoz Factor
Dipoto explained that using Muñoz in that situation was not ideal, given his typical role at the end of games. “The idea that you’re going to go to Muney in that situation is — there are players who are suited to certain things, and Muney in the role that he played at the end, he was perfectly situated to throw the ninth inning or come in as a one-plus at the end (of the eighth), to jerk him up and rush him into existence in that moment to come in.” The implication is that Muñoz was best suited for a later, more structured appearance.
Conclusion: A Lingering What-If
The Mariners’ Game 7 loss and the subsequent bullpen decision will continue to be a topic of debate. While Dan Wilson and Jerry Dipoto have provided their reasoning, the outcome remains a painful reminder of what could have been. The sting of the loss is palpable, and the what-ifs will likely linger for some time. As the Mariners move forward, they will undoubtedly learn from this experience and strive to make better decisions in future high-pressure situations.
The decision to go with Bazardo over a more rested and statistically better Muñoz will haunt Wilson and Dipoto throughout the offseason. Fans will debate, question, and offer up possible alternatives that may have changed the outcome. Ultimately, it was a tough decision with an unfortunate ending.
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