Mariners Take Another Win

 The Seattle Mariners continue their up and down chase toward the wild card. Right when we think they are out of it they go on another win streak. They were swept by the Astros though the games were close and the Mariners could have swept them now they have the chance to sweep the Angels on Sunday.

Saturday night being Cano Bubblehead night the offense decided to do their job and Andrew Albers had another good quality start. He certainly is making it where the Mariners will invite him back for spring training.

Albers went six innings throwing one hundred pitches giving up only four hits with one walk and four strike outs. The Mariners started the scoring out in the first inning when red hot Mitch Haniger hit a home run to take a 1-0 lead. He also had a triple and a single scoring three runs on three hits. He missed out getting a double. The Mariners got their second run in the third inning when Haniger hit the triple and then his final run in the fourth inning when Nelson Cruz hit a three run homer. The fourth inning the Mariners scored their final six runs to take an 8-0 lead. Angels scored a run in the ninth inning that had no meaning other than preserving a shutout.

Erasmo Ramirez will be starting on Sunday afternoon against the Angels before the Mariners head on the road. He has had an era under three in his last five outings. The Mariners will be facing Parker Bridwell who has a 7-2 record of an era even at four runs. In his last outing though against the A’s last week seven runs in three plus innings however he was not charged with the loss. This is a great opportunity for the Mariners to sweep the Angels.

The Mariners will be heading out on the road to have a four game series against the Rangers in Texas followed by a three game series next weekend in Houston. With Hurricane Harvey it is hard to know at this point how those series will go especially in Houston. The Mariners than will come home to face the Astros and then the red hot Cleveland Indians the following weekend. These series will be challenges for sure. The Mariners could be out of the race by the end of the road series or stay in the race if they can produce on the road. Both Felix Hernandez and James Paxton could be starting next week. Most likely Felix against the Rangers while Paxton will go against the Astros and neither one is expected to throw any more than fifty or sixty pitches so likely will have someone pitch in long relief. I expect those pitchers would be the ones they took out of the rotation to stick them in the rotation.  I expect the Mariners will keep both Ramirez and Mike Leake in the rotation along with either Ariel Miranda or Andrew Moore.

In other local sports the Huskies and Cougars won both of their games though the Cougars had to go into three overtimes to do so over Boise State. The Seahawks will take on the Packers in Green Bay. That game will take place at the same time as the Mariners. In my case I will be switching back and forth between games. So we say Go Hawks and Mariners!