Thursday, July 1, 2021

Kikuchi Takes Care of Blue Jays

Mariners 7 Blue Jays 2

Seattle Mariners take series beating 
the Toronto Blue Jays in the final
two games after losing the first game
on Monday.

Pitcher of the game: Yusei Kikuchi 
continues to do an outstanding job
being the Mariners pitcher of the
year so far. Kikuchi went seven 
innings giving up five hits, one run
a homer by Marcus Semien leading
off the bottom of the first inning.
Kikuchi walked one batter while
striking out six batters. 

Kikuchi has interesting option for
next year where the Mariners have
option on him and he has players 
option that is much higher then 
most players have if the Mariners
declined their option. The chance 
would be unlikely the Mariners 
option would be decline any way
but being the best pitcher on the
staff and finally figuring things out
will return next season. I am sure
the Mariners will look to bring him
back in 2023 as well with a new
contract. Kikuchi will become 32
years old just three months into 
that season. You figure he and
Marco Gonzales will be helping
the young core of starters. Most
likely Logan Gilbert who starts
Friday night against the Texas
Rangers will be the ace of the
team by then.

The Mariners started off well
getting two runs in the first inning
followed by a home run by Jake
Fraley giving another run then in
the third Shed Long Jr had a two-run
homer in the third putting the 
Mariners up 5-1. This allowed 
Kikuchi concentrate on his pitching
without worrying about the score.

Toronto scored another run in the
eighth inning then Paul Sewald 
coming in two outs struck out
Vladimir Guerrero Jr  who is 
leading for the triple crown. 
Sewald had a little trouble in the
ninth inning to begin with but
then struck out the side to end
the game. For the most part 
Sewald is having outstanding 
season coming out of the bullpen.
He recorded his first save. Sewald
is becoming a pitcher Servais can
count on he is pitching often now
in the eighth inning. Just like 
Kendall Graveman he could come
in the 8th inning and go to innings
to record a save. 

The Texas Rangers the Mariners 
take on this weekend series who
had been struggling and is in last
place in the AL West have been
like the Mariners winning seven
out of their  las ten games as well.
The Houston Astros are 5-5 in
their last ten games still leading 
the Oakland A's by one game. The
A's and the LA Angels were 4-6.
The Mariners are four and half
games behind the A's while the
Angels are three games behind
the Mariners. Despite the last
ten games the Rangers are ten
and a half games behind the
Mariners. 

The Mariners will hope Logan
Gilbert can pitch well again
to start out the series at home
again the Texas Rangers.

Marco Gonzales now off the
paternity list will start the 
second game of the series 
on Saturday followed by
Chris Flexen on Sunday. The
Mariners will have Monday 
off before taking on the New
York Yankees Tuesday thru
Thursday. Having T-Mobile
being able to have full crowds
we not only hope over the 4th
of July weekend but the same
against the Yankees. The 
weather is expected to be summer
like conditions. Fortunately 
nothing like the heat wave 
we just had. Go M's. 


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