Final Weekend

The Seattle Mariners play their final three games of this season over the weekend in Anaheim against the Angels. How the season ends may reflect by the fans with these final games. If they win all three of these games they will be a game below five hundred and if they lose all three than four games below and so forth if they win one or two. Often we look what they have done in the end.

I believe the season has been a mix. Going into September the Mariners had the chance though remote to make the playoffs as a wild card but the month turned out like we were hoping it would be. They have lost more games than they have won so we are disappointed again that they won’t make the playoffs.

With the injuries to the starting rotation early in the season and then ongoing with James Paxton being injured and Felix Hernandez getting hurt twice along the way made it hard for the team to make the playoffs. The Mariners had to use forty different pitchers along the way. Under the circumstances they did a good job but still doesn’t take away that we are disappoint especially how the lineup played coming down the stretch. The offense started dragging and was unable to do their job in the most part. I believe the stress of the starting pitching final got to them. In the most part the regular lineup were OK through the season though Mitch Haniger and Jean Segura were out for a period of time. Also Robinson Cano was out a short period and we know that Nelson Cruz had minor injuries he dealt with though he didn’t go on the disabled list. I am sure other players struggled with injuries as well. Found out yesterday from Dipoto that Guillermo Heredia had been bothered with a poor shoulder for most of the season however played with it anyway. The reason he wasn’t doing as well at the plate in the last several weeks. He will have surgery on the shoulder.

We know that Dipoto’s job during the off-season will primarily go after some starting pitching to bolster the rotation. I am sure there will be other places in the lineup along with the bullpen that will be tweaked.  The primary spot will be first base and adding possibly another outfielder along with a backup catcher and utility player. These spots could already be on the roster but we may not know for a while. I look forward to posting my final report card for the year. It may not look much different than the report card at the all-star break though we did add a few spots along the way adding Erasmo Ramirez and Mike Leake to the rotation, David Phelps to the bullpen for a little while and Yonder Alonso at first base.

Marco Gonzales and Andrew Moore both will get starts against the Angels on Friday and Saturday. The pitcher we will see for Sunday’s game not known at this time. I am sure we will see different looks to the lineup as well. It will probably look like a spring training lineup in a way. Go M’s.