Smyly Out For a While

Most of us heard this week that Drew Smyly was put on the extended disabled list because he is going to be having surgery for Tommy John.  We had heard earlier the Mariners were expecting him back after the All-Star break but sometimes these things happen.

During spring training he had such a great outing pitching against Felix Hernandez in the baseball classic but he got hurt shortly after that game. Interesting that everyone on the Mariners who played in the classic either got hurt or they have had poor performances for the team. We know how Diaz and Gallardo both have pitched during the season and then Segura has been hurt twice, Robinson Cano on the disabled list once and Nelson Cruz having to be dealing with injuries though he hasn’t been put on the disabled list as of yet.

This season with all these injuries I am sure the Mariners won’t allow any major leaguers to play in the classic next time. Those injuries may have happened anyway but we will never know.

Smyly now going through surgery means that the Mariners won’t be seeing him pitch for them at least until the last part of 2018 if not until 2019; actually he may never pitch for the Mariners.

The question now will the Mariners go out and pick  up another starting pitcher for the stretch run or wait until next year. All this may depend on how they do going into the All-Star break. If they are still around the .500 mark for record Dipoto may decide to swing a deal otherwise may wait until the off-season.

 What the Mariners give up will depend on whether they go after a fourth or fifth starter before the trading deadline or someone higher.  A fourth or fifth starter the Mariners will likely trade some low minor leaguers however if they go for someone who is above those grades they may have to trade a double A or triple A prospect. Most likely what Dipoto will want he will have to wait until off-season unless he feels strongly that the Mariners can make the playoffs with one or two pitcher.  This would apply to the bullpen as well as a starter.

I don’t think that Dipoto will look to sell off anyone during July or August for that matter. The reason I believe that is not the way he thinks. He will want to trade to make the team better. With the young pitchers the Mariners have used I am sure Dipoto and Servais know who they want to keep and who they don’t want to keep. The only player I see the Mariners selling off would be Jarrod Dyson because he is going to be a free agent at the end of the season and this would give Guillermo Heredia more playing time. If he is traded likely Leonys Martin will be brought up to take his spot. The Mariners could trade Steve Cishek as well depending on what they would get in return. One thing for sure the Mariners will need to build up the bullpen for next season. Outside of Nick Vincent they need someone who can pitch either the seventh or eighth inning. I am not sure how they are thinking regarding the closer position. We will see. In the meantime the Mariners take on the Angels in Anaheim over the weekend. Go M’s.

Disappointing Losses

The Seattle Mariners started the latest home stand in great fashion sweeping the Detroit Tigers in four games however since then they struggled to get any wins. The first game against the Houston Astros they won with the return of King Felix however they lost the final two games to the Astros though circumstances could have been where they would have won at least one of the two and then they lost both games against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The two games against the Phillies were very disappointing because the Mariners are playing at home against the worst team in the major leagues. We know that the Phillies would have the incentive to win because of the two losses to the Mariners in a large margin back in Philadelphia a few weeks ago.

I know that most of us expected that the Mariners would win both games or at least split the series but losing both makes us shake our heads. The losses both came down to the poor pitching performances by closer Edwin Diaz.

The loss in the first game Diaz came in with the Mariners behind so it was understandable that he needed the work however he gave up four runs before being replaced. Although he was behind the Mariners at least had a chance to come back to win however in the second game the Mariners were leading by one run going into the top of the ninth inning. King Felix pitched six innings giving up three runs on five hits. He looked like he was in line to win. James Pazos and Nick Vincent kept the game where the Mariners had the one run lead. All Edwin Diaz needed to do was shut the door on the Phillies however he gave up a home run to Tommy Joseph in the top of the ninth with no outs. The Mariners still had a good chance to come back to win if Diaz got the final three outs but walked a batter than a balk before giving up a single for the Phillies to take the lead. The chances are the Mariners could have still won the game however the go ahead run made it difficult. The Mariners were unable to score in the bottom of the ninth. So this made the home stand end up being a 5-4 record. I am sure most were hoping for a 7-2 record after the sweep of the Tigers.

The Seattle Mariners seem not to be able to get over the .500 mark for any length of time. Now they go to Anaheim to take on the Angels who have been playing well without the services of Mike Trout.  Before the last four losses going to Anaheim looked like a good short trip as the Mariners return home after playing them three games. Now we hope that the Mariners can regroup against the Angels.

The series against the Angels seems more in need than it did before playing the Astros and especially now after the Phillies. At least the Mariners have Thursday off before playing the Angels on Friday. It will be important for Sam Gaviglio to pitch the way he has for the Mariners so far. If he can go five or six inning giving up three runs than the Mariners have a good shot. We hope that Diaz can correct himself in his pitching. According to manager Scott Servais it is his pitching selection as much as anything. I have heard that the pitcher has the last decision on what he selects as his pitch. Personally I think that is wrong when you are speaking about a young pitcher like Diaz. I believe that Diaz should throw whatever Zunino request him to do. If that is not the case than Servais and Zunino need to go over the pitching selection with him making him understand his responsibility.

After the series at Anaheim the Mariners come home to take on the Kansas City Royals in three games followed by the Oakland A’s for four games. When those series end it will be the All-Star break. The Mariners have ten home games for the rest of July after the break. It is important that they take care of winning in July because in August they have only seven games at home from August 10 thru the 16^th.

The series between the Royals and the A’s will decide how the Mariners will do before the trading deadline.

The key going into the All-Star break is the play of the three guys in the middle of the lineup Cano, Cruz and Seager. They all have struggled to some point or another. Although he has had a few home runs of late Seager has been struggling at the plate for the most part. Also his defense has been questionable at times in key situations at time. The Mariners will need Seager to have a better second half for them to succeed over the first half. The Mariners will need the upper and lower part of the batting order to continue what they have been doing.  Go M’s.

Mariners Take On Phillies

After losing the final two games to the Houston Astros the Seattle Mariners take on the Philadelphia Phillies for two games before another off-day and then three games in Los Angeles against the Angels before returning home for another series to complete most of June.

The Mariners did a great job against the Phillies when they were in Philadelphia recently so I figure that these two games they should handle them. We hope that James Paxton can rebound from his last three outings and Felix Hernandez can do what he did in his return to the mound last Friday against the Astros in the Mariners only win in the series.

The key to this series and in fact for the remaining of the season is that the starters can go at least six inning and giving up no more than three runs. With that happening we would only see three relief pitchers in any given game at the most. Having the off-day on Monday the relief pitchers will have some rest. Until Andrew Moore returns next week to make a start the Mariners will have nine relief pitchers to go with. Depending on the offense as well scoring enough runs the Mariners could have rookie Max Povse, Danny Altavilla and Yovani Gallardo able to go at least two innings in the next three games. This would leave six relievers to go no more than one inning in these three games. All works out the Mariners could repeat this as often as they can. Of course with an off day on Thursday the Mariners could go with only two of the three between Povse, Altavilla and Gallardo. Having last pitched three innings after Felix last Friday having Gallardo ready to go on Wednesday would be the way to go. If any of the games are close like a one run lead by the Mariners then I would go with Nick Vincent followed by Steve Cishek and then Edwin Diaz. When needed the two lefties can face any tough left handed batters late in the game. Tony Zych will be in the role of either pitching one or two innings as well.

The next thing is what Dipoto will do in July before the trading deadline. He could go after another starter or a reliever depending on the asking price. Also I could see going for a catcher to help spell Zunino. The only position would be an upgrade at utility. Taylor Motter has been struggling at the plate lately though he does play solid defense.  A first baseman to help spell Danny Valencia would be nice too. In the end though pitching would be the first priority to upgrade the team. Go M’s.

Training Camp Starts July29 For Seahawks

It was announced last week that the Seahawks training camp will start on July 29. I am looking forward to see what the Seahawks have going for them.  The off-season I don’t care much for because the media pushes certain stories into the ground; for instance this year it has been mostly about trading Richard Sherman and some about Michael Bennett.  I don’t mind a little bit about it but can they tone it down. The media should have some vacation time to enjoy the time off too.

I am looking forward to see the Seahawks running backs. With the additional of Lacy along with a healthy Thomas Rawls the competition will be good. Also like to see the improvement of Alex Collins. I hope to that C.J. Prosise healthy all year and to see him on 3^rd downs as well as other downs. Maybe the Seahawks can have two running backs in the game at the same on an occasion. The pre-season games will be nice to see the rookies and free agents what they can do.

During training camp it will be nice to see how healthy Earl Thomas really is and whether anyone can actually back him up to help out the defense when he isn’t in the game. It was obvious at the end of the year the Seahawks defense struggled without him. We hope that Kam Chancellor will be already to go as well and whether the Seahawks will look to extend his contract.

Look forward to seeing the defense line working besides Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril. We know that they both should be fine. The question is who will look to become their backups and the tackles that will play between them.

I always enjoy watching the exhibition games after the starters are taken out to see who is new in camp and can surprise the team. I especially like seeing the running backs and the wide receivers. I am sure Tyler Lockett will be back to do kickoffs and punts along with catching passes. Also look to see if Paul Richardson will improve on what he did at the end of last season and become either the second or third receiver.

I hope that the Seahawks will put in some needed plays for Jimmy Graham at tight end especially on third down and near the goal line. The Seahawks need to utilize him more this season. He and Doug Baldwin could both be dangerous weapons.

Last but not least is the offensive line. We hope that the Seahawks are improved instead of thinking about the same old offensive line. We need them to be able to push on when they are running the ball and protecting Russell Wilson on passing downs. The important thing is not to switch the offensive line around like they have the last couple years. At least we know that Justin Britt is solid going into his second year at center. George Flint who is coming into his first training camp as the starter at left tackle we are hoping that he can actually handle the position. If not the Seahawks will need to be sure early on in training camp. Look forward to all the answers. Go Seahawks!

The Mariners Developing Players

Those of us who have been Mariner fans for a long time do know that the team has had trouble developing players especially those who are regular players in the field.

Players like Ken Griffey Jr and Alex Rodriguez who were top pick in the draft already had the talent so the Mariners didn’t need to do too much developing. There have been other players who were high picks but did not go anywhere for example catcher Jeff Clement and then there is guys like Dustin Ackley and Mike Zunino who were brought up too early and needed more development.

The most recent player to be developed ad an everyday player for the Mariners was third baseman Kyle Seager and he actually started out on the team as a utility player. He never really played third base until he was on the team and Chone Figgins didn’t work out.

This year the Mariners have three outfielders who they either traded for or signed as a free agent.  Ben Gamel the Mariners received from the New York Yankees in a trade late last year and Mitch Haniger in the off-season in the trade for pitcher TaiJuan Walker and shortstop Ketel Marte. These were two players that the Mariners developed themselves to some degree however were not at their development as of yet. Walker I would say was close but Marte is still a year or two away. The Mariners were able to pick up a shortstop that was ready to go as well in Jean Segura who the Mariners signed to a five year contract recently.

Last year the Mariners signed Guillermo Heredia as a free agent out of Cuba. Obvious he was almost ready to play in the major leagues. He started 2016 in double A and then triple A before coming up to the Mariners in August.  With these three outfielders the Mariners now have that means outfielders like Tyler O’Neill and Kyle Lewis they can take the time to develop them into good players and don’t have to rush them.

At first base they have Danny Valencia so they can take the time with Daniel Vogelbach and D.J. Peterson to develop into major leaguers as well.  Also they don’t have the pressure if neither of them pans out either. Vogelbach looks like more of a designated hitter in the long run. Peterson is having a good year in triple A so he could be on the Mariners later in the year or next year. Also they could use him in a trade as well. The Mariners number one draft pick was  Evan White out of University of Kentucky who looks to play first base. The Mariners can take their time in developing him as well.

The three primary infield spots are already filled for some time so the Mariners can take their sweet time to develop those positions.  The Mariners have a shortstop at Tacoma in Tyler Smith who can play second base as well. He most likely be turned into a utility player or be part of a trade as well.

So the other position left is catcher where Mike Zunino is starting to do well himself. He was another player that was rushed to the major leagues. Last year he spent most of the year in triple A to develop his hitting. He was a top rate defensive catcher already. In fact in May the Mariners had to send him down again to work his hitting. Right now he looks like he is the hitter the Mariners thought he could be. They don’t expect him to have a high average but somewhere between .230 and .250 would be fine. He has been hitting super in the month of June and driving in a lot of runs for the Mariners. He could be the real thing however we still have to wait to see.

The pitching the Mariners look like some good possibilities of those who should service in the next year or two. If you have to look on the positive side when it comes to the injuries to the starters the Mariners were able to use some pitchers who could be part of the staff real soon. They now know who could be and who likely won’t be or make some further development down the road. Andrew Moore who is the number two pitching prospect looked like the real thing last Thursday Night. He is expected to be the fifth starter for the time being. Now the Mariners have to see who they can develop in the bullpen besides Edwin Diaz as the closer. Dan Altavilla looks like the real thing if he can get his slider working along with his fastball. Now the Mariners have to look to see who can be setup men as well for the future. Other words who will work the sixth, seventh and eighth innings or whether they have to go out and get those pitchers. The Mariners can’t figure that Nick Vincent and Steve Cishek will last beyond another year or two. They may be able to use some excess starters to get those relievers.

Whether the Mariners make the playoffs this year or not the future does look good with the newest regime. Go M’s.  

King Felix and His Band of Men

Felix Hernandez finally made his return to the mound for the Seattle Mariners since being out in late April. I am sure a lot of fans had questions on how he would do.

It looked like he still has some ways to go however he did do some good. It did not hurt that the Mariners scored early so it made the experience so much easier for Felix.

The Astros scored in the first inning on a home run by Jose Altuve. I am sure some fans like myself thought here we go again the Astros are going to beat up on the Mariners and the Felix on his return however the Mariners tied the score in the second inning on a double by Jarrod Dyson that scored Kyle Seager to make it 1-1.

The Mariners exploded for six runs in the third inning that included a three-run homer by catcher Mike Zunino who has been hot driving in runs the whole month of June. The Astros scored a run in the fourth inning to make it 7-2 however the Mariners returned the favor by scoring two to make it 9-2. The Mariners two runs in the fourth inning were solo homers by the red hot Ben Gamel who extended his hitting streak to fifteen games and Kyle Seager.

Alex Bergman hit a home run off of Felix in the top of the fifth inning however that ended the scoring for them while the Mariners scored three more runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth inning.

Felix pitched a sold six innings giving up the three runs. Usually the Mariners don’t score a lot of runs for Felix so I am sure he thought this is not the same Mariners. Yes Felix this is not the Mariners you once knew. Also it is something us fans have to get used to as well. Of course the offense will go dry once in a while but it does look like we will be seeing them scoring a lot of runs too. I give the team a good chance in winning if the offense scores at least five runs and the starting pitcher goes at least six innings and gives up three runs or less which Felix accomplished himself.

It was nice to see the bottom of the batting order continue hitting well along with the top of the order. Both Segura and Gamel each got two hits at the top of the order while Danny Valencia got hot again getting four hits and driving in two runs. Dyson and Zunino each got two hits as well as driving in runs. Both of them now are hitting over .250. Be a good offense if Dyson and Zunino stay around the .250 mark for the rest of the season.

Yovani Gallardo who was sent to the bullpen when the Mariners brought up Andrew Moore to make his debut on Thursday pitched the final three innings for the Mariners. He actually was given a save in the game. I know that it sounds odd however if a pitcher comes in and pitches three innings and is not the winning pitcher however completes the game he is given a save. In the three innings he gave up two hits along with a walk and a strike out. Most likely we will see him in games like this when the Mariners have a big lead or they are way behind as well. Looking at who is in the bullpen he looks like the primary candidate as the long reliever.

Andrew Moore was sent back down to Tacoma after his debut when the Mariners activated Felix. Having two days off next week the Mariners didn’t need a fifth starter so right now the Mariners have nine pitchers in the bullpen. In other news right now there is no news when Iwakuma will make another rehab assignment or be added to the rotation. He is working on his mechanics. In the meantime it is real nice to have Felix back in the rotation go M’s.

  

First Win Moore to Come

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andrew Moore made his debut on Thursday Night for the Seattle Mariners against the Detroit Tigers. I know a lot of people have started using puns with his name so I couldn’t resist using in the title.

Moore pitched a good game especially for his debut. He looks like a guy with a lot of confidence in his pitching. I am sure he will have some games where he won’t look as good however we hope that he looks a lot like he did on Thursday Night. He was able to pitch seven innings where he gave up three runs on six hits and struck out four without giving up a walk.

The Tigers first run off of Moore came in the third inning when Ian Kinsler hit a solo home run the third game in a row that he hit a home run. The Tigers got to Moore again in the fifth inning giving up two runs however he was able to make it through the seven innings.

The Mariners started their scoring in the second inning when Robinson Cano hit a two-run homer and they scored another run to make it 3-0. The Mariners scored two more runs in the bottom of the third after Kinsler’s home run to make it 5-1. Cano had another home run in the seventh inning. It was a grand slam home run to make the score 9-3.

Moore was replaced in the eighth inning because of the large lead in the game by Max Povse who also made his major league debut. Unfortunately he didn’t fare as we as Moore did. He actually gave up a home run to Miguel Cabrera with a runner on base to make the score 9-5. I thought at the time Cabrera was not kind to Povse hitting the home run however I am sure he has done that to other pitchers in their major league debuts as well. Povse looked good to the first two batters easy getting outs. Besides the home run Povse gave up a couple doubles as well for the Tigers to score another run off of him. I am sure that he will learn from this experience. He pitched only two-thirds of the inning when he was relieved by Tony Zych in the eighth inning. Zych was able to get the last out of the eighth inning so the Tigers didn’t get more runs in the game.

Steve Cishek pitched the ninth inning for the Mariners giving up no hits and striking out two. It gave him the first save of the season. He looked much better than the game he pitched before against the Tigers.

Ben Gamel extended his hitting streak in the game driving in two runs on a double. He continues to look great with his batting average now at .352. He batted seventh in the batting order on Thursday since the Mariners were facing Norris a lefty for the Tigers. Mitch Haniger was more in his familiar spot of being second in the batting order. They will be switching off between second and seventh. Gamel will bat second against righties while Haniger will against lefties. Haniger had a hit in the game scoring twice and his batting average at .320.

Gamel continues to hit well while hustling either at the plate or in the field. Regardless who are in the lineup the outfielders are all doing well. Facing Norris we saw Heredia playing in center field. He we will be at that position most of the time against lefties while Dyson will be against righties.  Heredia will face righties on occasion when Haniger or Gamel need a rest. Since the Mariners have a day off next Monday and Thursday giving those two a rest won’t happen for probably a couple weeks.

Felix Hernandez makes his return to pitching Friday Night against division rival and leader the Houston Astros. It would be nice if the Mariners could win at least two of the three games against the Astros. The Mariners face Joe Musgrove who will go for the Astros. He has a record of 4-6 with an era of 5.09 in twelve starts. Hard to know how Felix will go Friday night however the Mariners do look like a good shot to win the game and go two games above .500. Go M’s.  

Mariners Great Comeback!

 The Seattle Mariners had probably had the best game they played this season with a great comeback.  Justin Verlander had been pitching a no-hitter into the sixth inning with one out. No one on the Mariners looked like they were going to get a hit all evening when Jarrod Dyson decided to lay down a bunt for a single. When the inning ended the Mariners had scored three runs to come within a run 4-3. The seventh inning Mitch Haniger who had been moved down to seventh spot in the batting order hit a lead-off home run to tie the score4-4. The Mariners scored three more runs to take a three run lead of 7-4. In the top of the ninth inning Ian Kinsler hit a home run to make the final score 7-5. The Tigers did have a runner on base with two outs in the ninth when Miguel Cabrera came up to bat however he hit a grounder to end the game.

James Paxton struggled once again for the third time in a row. He went five and one-third innings giving up nine hits and four runs with three of them earned. The unearned run was on a throwing error by Jarrod Dyson. Paxton gave up two walks and struck out eight batters. He did look fine at times though so hopefully he will be on his way back. He should be back on the mound next Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies with the Mariners having an off day on Monday. So he will have an extra day off rest which we hope is good for him. Also allows him to work in the bullpen to before the next outing.

The Seattle Mariners made some roster moves on Wednesday before the game. They brought up starting pitcher Andrew Moore who will make his debut Thursday night against the Tigers.  He is the 2^nd ranked pitching prospect in the Mariners organization. He has worked his way up the organization in a good manner. The Mariners do feel that he is ready to go. He takes the spot in the rotation of Yovani Gallardo who has struggled in most of his starts. Gallardo is being sent to the bullpen and he will likely be the long reliever. Depending on how Moore does Thursday Night Gallardo could be the first pitcher out of the bullpen. Moore is the 2^nd high pitching prospect to come up this week with Max Povse being recalled on Sunday Night. Povse still hasn’t made his debut as of yet either. Also depending on Moore’s performance he could make his debut tonight as well.

Friday Night is expected to be King Felix Hernandez return to the rotation. It would be nice if Moore and Felix both could go six innings in both games. Felix will be the first guy to face the Houston Astros in this three game series over the weekend. On Saturday Sam Gaviglio is expected to start. Originally the start was between him and Bergman however Bergman was sent down to Tacoma with the promotion of Andrew Moore. We hope that all three of these pitchers will be able to go a minimum of six innings so the relievers won’t be over used. Diaz having pitched the last four games he is not expected to pitch Thursday Night.

Daniel Norris will be going for the Tigers who are hoping not to be swept by the Mariners. Norris is a lefty so Haniger will be back in familiar spot of second in the batting order. As of now Ben Gamel will be second in the order against righties while Haniger will be against lefties. Haniger was seventh in the batting on Wednesday night so Gamel should be hitting seventh while Guillermo Heredia should be batting eighth in front of Mike Zunino.

With the return of Jean Segura Wednesday night the batting order looks real good for the Mariners.  They will have an effective hitter batting second as well as seventh. Quite the lineup that is for sure and I believe that Gamel will play first base soon to give Danny Valencia a day off against a tough right hander. Whatever the case the Mariners offense looks good for us to see on a regular basis. Go M’s.

Mike Zunino and the Offense

Can’t say more about the Mariners than Mike Zunino and the rest of the offense; he has led the AL in runs batted in for the month around 24. He has adjusted well since his return from Tacoma. We do hope that he can continue doing what he has been or at least above his previous average anyway. He will have his ups and downs however I like the fact that when he strikes out he is still able to come back to be effective in the game. On the offensive side of the ball it is power that helps out the Mariners. He is able to drive the ball the other way to center or right field. He is able to get some good doubles besides the home runs. We have to see if this continues for him the rest of the season.

Ben Gamel continues to having a hot bat as well hitting over .400 for the month of June. It will be interesting to see how manager Scott Servais will work the lineup with the return of Jean Segura. He is expected to be back in the lineup Thursday after making a final rehab assignment on Wednesday. He is expected to go nine innings in the Wednesday game. There is a good possibility that Gamel will lead off when right handers are on the mound and then Segura against lefties. Of course that may not happen at all. The question is if that happens where both of them will be in the lineup when not leading off. Segura may be the leadoff batter full time as well which will slide Gamel down in the lower of the batting of the order except when Mitch Haniger has a day off.

Having the flexibility of Dyson and Heredia playing center field is nice to with Heredia playing left field on occasion as well.  I would play Heredia in the outfield at least one other time during the week against righties depending on how often they are facing lefties in a given week. I would say the same for Dyson if the Mariners are facing several lefties in a particular week. Whatever the case this is the good problem to have.

Wednesday night James Paxton takes the mound for the Mariners against the Tigers. We all hope that he rebounds from his last two poor outings. We hope that it hasn’t all gone to his head. His success will have to come at the beginning of the game. Detroit has Justin Verlander going for them in the game so it will be a tough match up for sure. How the Mariners start out in the first inning will give us a good idea how they will do in the game. This is both on the offense and pitching.

The Mariners had a nice walk-off win with Kyle Seager hitting a double down right field in the 10^th inning with Tyler Smith pinch running for Nelson Cruz. The placement of the ball by Seager made it an easy run home for Smith. Also it was quite timely since it was Seager’s only hit of the game.

Ariel Miranda had a nice comeback after his last outing giving up two runs on four hits in seven innings. His two runs were solo homers by Ian Kinsler leading off the game and Justin Upton leading off the second inning. The Mariners had a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning when the Tigers tied the game. Dan Altavilla started out the inning well but then gave up the two runs that included a solo home run. Edwin Diaz had a nice outing in the ninth and then Steve Cishek came in and took care of the Tigers before Seager’s double. This gave Cishek a record of 1-1 on the season. Miranda’s outing allowed only three relievers to pitch in the game over the ten innings. All the other relievers should be ready to go on Wednesday. Go M’s.   

Mariners Win Final Game of Road Trip

It was nice to see the Mariners win the final game on the road trip in Texas. The odds were not looking good since they were facing Yu Darvish for the Rangers and the Mariners had not done well in the first two games in Texas however the Mariner bats were able to get four runs off of Darvish including a two-run homer by Danny Valencia in the first inning.

The Mariners have done quite well when they are able to score early in the game and the Mariners pitching is able to stop the other teams hitting. Recently the other team has been able to score early and often in the games on this road trip. On the positive side they ended the road trip going 3-4. They split the four games in Minnesota and won the final game in Texas after losing the first two games.

Other good news besides going home this week the Mariners are expecting Felix Hernandez to take the mound on Friday night against the Houston Astros. Before facing the Astros the Mariners will be in a four game series against the Detroit Tigers. It would be nice to get three wins against the Tigers and take two out of three from the Astros. The Mariners have had their struggles against Houston but so has almost everyone. The Astros currently have a record of 46-24 and they are eleven games ahead of second place Texas Rangers who are even at 34-34. The Mariners who are in fourth place in the American League West are a game and a half behind the Texas Rangers while the Los Angeles Angels are a game ahead of the Mariners. The Mariners are two games ahead of the Oakland A’s.

Facing the Detroit Tigers the Mariners are taking on a team that has a worse record than they do. The Tigers have a record of 32-36 while the Mariners are at 34-37. Rookie starter Sam Gaviglio will take the mound Monday night for the Mariners against Anibal Sanchez for the Tigers. This will be his first start of the season. He has pitched in eleven games in relief with an era of 9.00 and has just returned from Triple A.  So the Mariners should have a good shot scoring runs against him hopefully starting off early in the game.

The rest of the series against Detroit on Tuesday Ariel Miranda who struggled in his last outing however has won more games than any other Mariner pitcher will face Jordan Zimmerman who has had quality starts in his last three games however gave up eleven hits against the Mariners in April. Wednesday game will be the one of the series where we hope that James Paxton will rebound after two poor outings and he will be face Justin Verlander. The series will conclude with Yovani Gallardo who has struggled almost all season for the Mariners against Daniel Norris who has won his last two outings for the Tigers. We hope this will be a good successful series for the Mariners.  Go M’s.

Mariner Pitching Or Lack of It

The Seattle Mariner pitching not going well in the series against the Texas Rangers. This after a so so series against the Minnesota Twins where the Mariners split the series on the road; in that series the Mariners had two good outings and two bad ones that continued onto Texas.

The Mariners had some good pitching from the long relievers that they brought up from Tacoma that helped out the bullpen. Other words on the positive side the bullpen was not overused which could have happened easily if they hadn’t brought up those relievers. In fact those guys did so well that in most cases they went the rest of the way when entering the game. On the negative side besides losing the relievers haven’t had a lot of usage over the past week either.

On Saturday Yovani Gallardo started the game giving up five runs in the first inning which did not help the Mariners offense at all. I have to say Cano struggled in his at bats because three times he came up with at least two batters on base and was unable to drive any of them in. Also Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager have struggled through the series as well. Not sure what Seager’s problem is but he hasn’t been doing very well as of late. Some fans think he is trying to hit too many home runs. I am not sure if that is the case however he does need to try hitting the other way. I have actually seen him having trouble on the outside pitches.

On the positive side Mike Zunino continues to carry a hot bat. I am sure the jury is still out but at this point he does look like the Mariners catcher of the future as well as the present. When he was sent down to Tacoma I thought that could be it for him. I am glad for him because he is a good guy and plays wonderful defense. He is someone the Mariners need to have. I am sure he will struggle at times however if he can hit some doubles and home runs along with keeping a descent average the Mariners will be alright. The important thing is that he doesn’t go back to his old ways again.

Saturday night Felix Hernandez had his third rehab assignment at Tacoma where he pitched another wonderful game. He looks ready to go. I expect we will see him late next week when the Mariners return home. What day he will pitch will be determined soon. It will be the answer who he will replace in the order. Will he take Gallardo’s spot or Christian Bergman’s?  I like what Sam Gaviglio is doing on the mound so he should stay in the rotation until Iwakuma returns. Speaking of him he is expected to make another rehab assignment on Monday in Tacoma.  If Gallardo is still on the roster by the end of next week I would like to see him in the bullpen doing long relief until he straightens thing out.

We will have the answers coming soon to the Mariners however it is important that they get the starting pitching back in order before they are too far out of the race.

Giving up so many runs early certainly makes it tough on the offense that is for sure. Despite the pitching sometimes and the frustration the hitting of Gamel, Haniger, Heredia and Dyson sure makes the team entertaining and willing to watch. It would be nice if all four were in the lineup at the same time.

Just heard that Felix will be pitching this coming Thursday for the Mariners in Seattle and now we hope that James Paxton can get things back in order. Let’s go M’s.  

Recent Look at Local Sports

The Seattle Seahawks just finished their ota’s. It is nice to hear how things went besides other things the local media talk about. They mentioned that Earl Thomas is looking pretty good. He said that he is at 80 percent after being injured late in last season. He was the reason that the defense wasn’t as good as in the past. Also Kam Chancellor had some off-season surgery however he looks like he should be ready to go and Russell Wilson looks healthy after having so many injuries last year.

What I haven’t liked about the local media this year has been the talk about Richard Sherman. Should he or shouldn’t he be traded. He said this week that he wants to retire from the Seahawks. I sure hope this enough to be said by the media. Of course ever year they come up with something else to talk about. I know that since they are paid to talk about the Seahawks during the off-season as well they have to come up with something. There has been so much talk about Sherman that I turn off the radio when they speak about him and I don’t read any of the stories. This goes for other guys like Michael Bennett. I am sure glad that there are other sports besides football that I follow.

There looks like the city of Seattle is going forward in regards to the Key Arena renovation or make over or whatever you want to call it. I am not a big fan of the city of Seattle council for several reasons however if they had done their job the Sonics would never had left town in the first place. There is no guarantee that they will return when the Arena is finished however the chances are more likely hockey will come to Seattle first of all.

Baseball is my favorite sport of the fourth major ones and I am glad right now I can follow the Mariners. I just hope they are still competing in six weeks when the Seahawks start training camp. To finish up about the Seahawks the running backs are looking good going into the season. Eddie Lacy and Thomas Rawls are looking good in their competition for the starting running back. Most likely the starter will have fifteen rushing attempts while the backup will have ten. Then there is C.J. Prosise who is healthy and is planned to be the third down back. He looked very good in his limited action last year in his rookie season. He could get some additional carries as well depending on Lacy and Rawls. Also Alex Collins is looking better as well so he should get some action as well depending on the health of the other three. The Seahawks have other running backs competing as well.

The Seattle Mariners have split the series on the road in Minnesota beating the Twins the first and third game while losing the second and fourth game. The second game was a blow out where the Twins scored twenty runs and then the Twins winning Thursday afternoon 6-2. Ariel Miranda had a rough first inning giving up five runs to the Twins and then survived through four innings. Chase De Jong who was called up on Wednesday pitched four innings giving up one hit and no runs while walking two and striking out two. He will be optioned back to Tacoma not sure of his replacement will be.

Jean Segura is expected to do a rehab assignment soon at Tacoma and then rejoin the team. Love the team with Ben Gamel leading off however Segura will likely take back that spot and Gamel goes lower in the batting order.  The Mariners outfield is being the strength of the team with Gamel along with Mitch Haniger in right field, Jarrod Dyson and Guillermo Heredia sharing center field. The Mariners offense has been going good with that lineup and should continue when Segura returns. Gamel may see some action at first base along with Taylor Motter and starting first basemen Danny Valencia who has been doing a fine job. In fact Valencia made an excellent defensive play in Thursday’s game.

The Mariners bullpen has been doing pretty well as of late other than in the blow out game on Tuesday night. De Jong allowed the rest of the bullpen to get additional time off. The starting rotation will be getting back Felix Hernandez back soon as he makes most likely his last rehab assignment for Tacoma on Saturday. Iwakuma made a rehab assignment for single A Modesto on Wednesday and should be returning soon too. Miranda and those two will make up the majority of the starting rotation. Gallardo who has had his ups and downs could still be in the rotation and most likely leave the last spot for Sam Gaviglio who has done an excellent job while being in the rotation.  So we will see how thing go for the Mariners while they spend the weekend in Texas. It would be nice if they could win two out of the three games at least. Go M’s and Seahawks.  

Mariners Start Road Trip On Grand Fashion!

The Seattle Mariners Monday night started out beating the Minnesota Twins in the first game of four by the score of 14-3. I wonder how many fans watching the game were hoping that the Mariners would save some of the runs for the next three games at least.

Mitch Haniger is now back playing right field and was named the player of the game for the Mariners. He had four hits while scoring four times and driving in two runs. It certainly was the right way for him to come back after being on the disabled list and going on a rehab assignment.

 With the absence of Jean Segura the leadoff spot has not missed a spot with Ben Gamel being there against right handers and Guillermo Heredia against lefties. It looks like Segura will be coming off the disabled list sooner than expected.  Right now he is taking grounders at shortstop. He is expected to run the bases on Tuesday to see how things are going with his legs and ankle.

Having Segura back will mean that Gamel and Heredia will be at the lower part of the batting order which will make it tough along with Jarrod Dyson when he is in the lineup.

When Segura is back I see the lineup as Segura, Haniger, Cano, Cruz, Seager, Valencia, Gamel, Zunino or Ruiz and Dyson/Heredia.  Gamel has been taking grounders at first base for the last couple weeks or so. At times we may see all four Gamel, Heredia, Dyson and Heredia starting the game. I expect the Mariners will rest Valencia at least once a week against tough right handed pitchers. Whatever the case the Mariners will have strength of the bench to pinch hit or pinch run.

Mike Zunino continued his hot hitting getting three hits including a home run and driving in two runs. Since he has been on a good roll since coming back from Tacoma it looks he has made the adjustments to major league pitching. He does continue to strike out some however he is making the adjustments after that. It is a good sign as his confidence increases.

Yovani Gallardo had another rough start giving up two runs in the first inning however he did go six innings. His final run given up was in the sixth inning. The positive side was that he was able to go six innings. He was followed by relievers Tony Zych, James Pazos and Steve Cishek who each went an inning without giving up a hit. The bullpen has been doing an excellent job since the starters have been able to go six innings in the most part.

Christian Bergman who has been pitching well on the most part will take the mound against the Twins.  The Mariners brought back up Casey Lawrence who has done a good job. The Mariners keep bringing guys up and down who have been pitching long relief to keep the bullpen refreshed.  So Lawrence may be the first guy out of the bullpen Tuesday if he has to go several innings.  Most likely the Mariners will have Nick Vincent and Edwin Diaz pitching Tuesday as well.

Monday night was the start of the baseball amateur draft. Their first pick which was the 17^th overall pick was Evan White a first baseman out of University of Kentucky. He is excited to be part of the Mariners organization. Scott Hunter head of Mariner scouting says that he could play several different positions however their plan is to have him play first base.

With the second pick of the draft the Mariners drafted a right handed pitcher Sam Carlson out of Minnesota. He committed to University of Florida however the Mariners are expected to sign him. He was the 5^th overall pick in the draft. He is a big kid at 6’4 and 215 pounds. Being a young guy at eighteen years of age we won’t expect to see him for several years. I am sure the Mariners will bring him along slowly so he doesn’t develop arm trouble. White on the other hand being a college player and being three years older than Carlson will come along sooner. We hope that White will develop better than some of the other first round picks that the Mariners have had in recent years. Usually general manager Jerry Dipoto likes going with college players especially this early in the draft however he didn’t expect that Carlson would still be around so he thought that he would be worth the gamble to take.

Tuesday the draft continues with rounds 3 thru 10 and then concluded on Wednesday with 11 even thru 40. I expect that the Mariners will likely go with college players thru the 10^th round unless there is an exception of a player they didn’t expect to be available. I am sure we will see them pick some local players in the draft as well. David Peterson left handed pitcher out of University of Oregon who many thought the Mariners would pick at 17^th ending up going 20^th to the New York Mets. This shows how much Evan White meant to them.  Have more updates on the draft later. Go M’s.  

Disappointing Weekend For Mariners

The Seattle Mariners started out well on Friday night however Saturday and Sunday were disappointments. This was especially true with the offense unable to score runs. Although James Paxton struggled in his pitching the offense could have kept the Mariners in the game.

It seems that the Mariners struggle when they reach the .500 level. Of course it did not help with Blue Jay fans taking over so much of the stands. It says something about the Mariner fans as well. They should have learned from last year that they need to get out in numbers.  The Mariner fans seem to be passive in so many ways while the Blue Jay fans are having a great time.

There should be enough fans living in Seattle itself to get out to the games on this weekend and those from out of state should schedule a trip to Seattle when the Blue Jay fans figure to do so. It would be nice to have busloads of fans from out of town to come to the games. Safeco Field should not be an away game when the Blue Jay fans come to town.

I understand that the Mariners haven’t been to the playoffs since 2017 however they are more entertaining this year despite the injuries that have occurred. It would have been nice to see King Felix pitch over the weekend but still no excuse that he was injured. Besides Cruz and Cano the young guys make it a good time to go to the games.

I am sure things won’t change for the Mariner fans until they are in the playoff hunt or have made the playoffs but everyone must realize this is not the same Mariners any longer. It would be nice if the fans could be as excited as the Seahawk fans are. Remember the Seahawks were not a great team for a while either. Let’s plan to attend the series against the Blue Jays next time. Order the tickets as soon as they are available. If you can’t go to the games buy the tickets anyway and then resell them. Let the Mariners know how much we care for them. Go M’s.

Let’s Take the Series Mariners!

The Seattle Mariners take on the Toronto Blue Jays Sunday afternoon at Safeco Field. The Mariners have James Paxton going for them. He hasn’t lost a game yet.

The Mariners should have another sell-out crowd or certainly close to it any way. The Blue Jay fans will make their way home after the game. I am sure that I-5 will be busy late afternoon and evening.

The first two games have been close with the Mariners winning the first game on Friday and then the Blue Jays Saturday night. The Mariners could have taken Saturday’s night game finally falling 4-2. The Jays got their runs on three home runs including one by Justin Smoak in the top of the ninth that sealed the victory.

It is not easy to take on the Jays at Safeco Field since it feels like an away game with so many of their fans in the stands. The make a roar no matter how big or small the play is. Since James Paxton is Canadian himself I am sure he has every intention to take down the Jays.  In fact he originally was drafted by them however he decided not to sign and went into the next draft when the Mariners took him. If he can stay healthy he should take over the role as the number one guy in the starting rotation. I am sure the Mariners are looking to sign him to a long-term contract. Whether it takes place will depend on how he does the rest of this season.

The Mariners will go on the road on Monday to face the Minnesota Twins for four games and then the Texas Rangers for three. The Mariners next home stand will be against the Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies. Go M’s.

Nelson Cruz Out With Calf

The Seattle Mariners have been out with Nelson Cruz for a few days. The Mariners were in good shape because the offense was rolling well until Thursday Night when the Mariners lost 2-1. This ended the Mariners five game winning streak and now puts their record at 30-31.

Before the game general manager Jerry Dipoto on his weekly radio program said that Cruz was day to day. They wanted to give him as much rest as possible. I see that happening will depend on whether the offense continues to struggle or not.

Thursday’s night game loss primarily had to do with Mariners poor defense and the Twins good defense. The Mariners did win the series 2-1. Now they have a three game series against Toronto Blue Jays at Safeco before going on the road. Not sure whether Cruz will be in the lineup on Friday however I would not be surprised if he is on Saturday if the Mariners lose. The Mariners need to win this series to stay around or above .500.

Thursday night the Tacoma Rainiers won 1-0 in an unusual way when outfielder Mitch Haniger on a rehab assignment walked with the bases loaded. I am not sure if I have ever heard that happening before. At least I know it hasn’t happened very often. Not sure how many more games that Haniger will play in rehab but I would not be surprised if he goes on the next road trip with the Mariners.

Sunday the Mariners are expecting Felix Hernandez to make his second rehab assignment with the Tacoma Rainiers. How he does in that game will determine when he will be reactivated again by the Mariners. His first rehab assignment was last Tuesday where he pitched two innings giving up five runs. The performance was not as important as whether his arm was fine and he was throwing good velocity. He said that he was doing fine and that his fastball got up to 92 miles per hour.

Iwakuma is a few days behind Felix. He may be making a rehab assignment soon as well. According to Dipoto shortstop Jean Segura who signed a five year extension on Wednesday is ahead of schedule. Dipoto did not get into details other than that Segura will return sooner than later.  He feels that Drew Smyly is doing well on his rehab as well. No details on any of the other players that are injured however these are the key players to the Mariners success. The Mariners should be back to full strength after the all-star break. The Mariners should have a good push the second half of the season all they need to do is stay around .500 until then.   Go M’s.

Zunino’s Walk-Off

In the bottom of the ninth inning on Wednesday’s night game against the Minnesota Twins with two outs and the Mariners trailing 5-4 Ben Gamel hit a single to keep the game alive. I had the feeling something big was going to happen. Mike Zunino was coming to the plate. In the 3^rd inning he had hit a home run and then Carlos Ruiz who was substituting for injured Nelson Cruz at designated hitter. My thought was why not Zunino hitting another home run. I knew he could do it or he would strike out. It would be one or the other most likely. Mike decided to end the game with a two-run homer. It seems that the Mariners lose a lot on walk-off hits so why not win one for a change. My thoughts came to reality.

Starter Yovani Gallardo gave up five runs in seven innings. The positive thing was that he did go seven innings so the Mariners only had to use two relievers out of the bullpen. Lefty James Pazos pitched the eighth inning giving up no hits and striking out one on ten pitches. He was followed by closer Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning that got the win as well and now has a record of 2-2. He gave up one hit on eleven pitches. No strike outs for Diaz in this game. Again the bullpen had rest for the game. Everyone in the bullpen should be available to pitch against the Twins Thursday night. It has been real nice during these games recently that the starters have been going longer so the bullpen has some rest. In regards to Gallardo I wonder how much longer they will keep him in the rotation. He looks like the guy who could be effective as a long reliever.

The Seattle Mariners are now even with a record of 30-30. Christian Bergman goes on the mound tonight to see if the Mariners can go a game above .500. Who will be the hero this time? Until pitchers make adjustments Mike Zunino looks like he deserves to keep starting for the Mariners. The big question is how Zunino will react after the pitchers adjustments happen. Actually they have done some adjustments because he has struck out some but then make adjustments himself. I am sure his confidence is raising everyday as well. I think he will be fine long as he doesn’t worry when he strikes out. Continue doing the work he has to become successful at the plate. Go Zunino and the M’s.

Sign Segura to Extension and Keep on Winning

 

There were reports during the game Tuesday night while the Mariners were beating up the Minnesota Twins in the first game of the series 12-3. The reports were that shortstop Jean Segura who currently is hurt with a bad ankle will sign a contract extension of five years for $70 million. Also that there would be option year as well and he will be around through 2023 at least. Now he is added to the core of the time along with Felix, Cano, Cruz and Seager.

Right now the Mariners infield is doing a good job. After only getting one hit against the Tampa Bay Rays in his first at bat Robinson Cano hit a three-run homer run in first inning. Heredia and Valencia each walked ahead of Cano to lead off the game. Valencia who has been hot and tied with nine hits in row with Raul Ibanez hit a double in the fourth inning while the bases are loaded. It was the only hit in the game by Valencia however he continues to a big part of the Mariners offense.

In the fourth inning Kyle Seager hit a three-run homer with no one out. Jarrod Dyson was the only one in the starting lineup that didn’t get a hit. Mike Zunino got one hit although he struck out three times. His batting continues to go up. He now is batting .217. If he continues to get at least one hit in the game his average should rise.

James Paxton who started the game got his fifth win of the season without a loss. He did struggle some in the game unlike his first outing after coming off the disabled list. His struggle probably had as much to do with having to wait for a while when the offense was scoring runs. With the signing of Segura sounds like Paxton will be the next one to get a contract extension. When that happens is anyone’s guess.

Yovani Gallardo goes for the Mariners on Wednesday against the Twins. He has struggled last several games he has to bounce back to keep his spot in the rotation especially with the return of Felix. Speaking of Felix he had a rehab assignment on Tuesday at Tacoma. He did struggle going two innings however he said that his arm was feeling find. He is expected to make another rehab assignment. Also Mitch Haniger made a rehab assignment at the same time with Tacoma. He played as designated hitter in that game however they expect him to play in the field on Wednesday which is a day game. This will give the Mariners a better idea how far he has come along. Not sure when Haniger will be activated after coming off the disabled list. When he does most likely Boog Powell will be sent back to Tacoma. The Mariners likely play the foursome of Haniger, Heredia, Dyson and Gamel a lot. Who plays the most will depend on who is hitting the best at the time. Haniger though will go back into the lineup as a regular. The others will play depending on whether a right hander or lefty is pitching for the other team. Anyway we hope that the offense will continue doing their job while the pitching goes well too.

Besides Paxton pitching five innings Tony Zych came in to pitch one inning giving up one hit and a walk. He was followed by Dan Altavilla who went two innings. Altavilla gave up four hits however no runs. He didn’t walk any batters and stuck out one batter. Nick Vincent finished the game in the ninth giving up just one hit but no walks or strike outs. The rest of the Mariners’ bullpen should be ready to go on Wednesday night.  Go M’s.

  

Miranda Helps Mariners Sweep Rays

 The Seattle Mariners finished off the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday behind the pitching of Ariel Miranda and the hitting of Nelson Cruz who had another home run, continued hot hitting of Danny Valencia whose streak later in the game ended at nine hits in a row, Jarrod Dyson who drove in two runs on one hit and two runs by Zunino on a single with the bases loaded. Everyone was looking to see if Zunino could do it two days in a row by hitting another grand slam.

Ariel Miranda pitched a complete game giving up one run on four hits along with striking out nine batters. He only walked one batter as well. The long run he gave up was in the eighth inning on a fluke hit to Dyson who lost the ball in the sky and it hit off his shoulder otherwise he would have had a shutout. This now makes Miranda having a record of 6-2 the best on the ball club. His era is now at 3.74 which is very good for someone who was not supposed to start the season on the major league club. He is primarily using his fast ball that is outstanding and is averaging around ninety-five miles per hour. Although his breaking pitches have given him trouble sometimes has been working better though he does go with the fast ball a lot of the time.

The win over the Rays has now given the Mariners a 5-1 record on the current home stand. The Mariners start a home series against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday for three games and then followed by three against the Toronto Blue Jays over next weekend. James Paxton takes the mound against the Twins on Tuesday. If he pitches anywhere close to what he did last Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies the Mariners should win the game.

The Mariners now have a record of 28-30 and is tied in second place with the Los Angeles Angels who have a record of 29-31. They are both a long ways behind the Houston Astros in first place. The Astros have a thirteen and a half game lead ahead of them. Unless the Astros fall flat on their faces the Mariners will have to fight for the wild cards. If the Mariners go and win four out six against these two teams they will go on the road with a record of 32-32. Go M’s.