Mariners' Rafael Montero: Problems persist Sunday

Montero allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks while recording two strikeouts over two innings in a loss to the Angels on Sunday.

Montero thus closes out the first half of the season in the midst of an extremely worrisome stretch of pitching that saw him post a 12.00 ERA, 2.44 WHIP and 2.0 HR/9 over the nine innings covering his last six starts. The right-hander's one-time closer responsibilities are a distant memory at this point, and manager Scott Servais may have a difficult time trusting Montero for anything other than low-leverage work moving forward.