Mariners Lose First Road Series

It looked like the Mariners had a good chance to win another series because James Paxton was on the mound starting on Sunday. The Mariners looked like they would win the series however it didn’t help that they had to play a doubleheader on Saturday because of Friday night’s rainout. It isn’t an easy thing to do win a doubleheader even against a team like the Tigers who are rebuilding their team.

A team like the Tigers might play above their level against a better team and the Mariners seem to play below the level of the competition. With the Mariners at this point it is really hard to tell though they have been playing better ball on the road then at home. This has happened the last few years for the Mariners. At least this year they are 8-8 at home when they have lost more games at home early on in the season. Often when the season goes on the Mariners seem to get better at home while on the road it levels off. I do hope that the Mariners will start winning at home while continuing well on the road. If the Mariners could win like forty-five wins at home and then forty-two on the road that would give them eighty-seven wins which is a good record. Home and away records on their own don’t seem that fantastic but when you combine them along with playing one hundred and sixty-two games it turns out pretty well. Right now the Mariners look like they need to place second to the Astros at worse because the Red Sox and Yankees are doing so well that whoever doesn’t win the AL east will be the first wild card so to make the second wild card they will have beat out the Angels. I believe that is possible because the Angels right now are playing above their level. If it weren’t for Mike Trout having an outstanding season and a few players playing above their level the Mariners would be solid in second place. On Sunday though Robinson Cano hurt his hand and he might be out for a month or longer so this could hurt the Mariner chances. We do hope that he will return before the all-star break. So the other regulars will have to step up with him out of the lineup. Who plays second base we will know tomorrow. The Mariners often don’t announce who is added to the roster until a few hours before the game.

Wade LeBlanc will be starting on Monday in the makeup game against the Twins in Minnesota. This will be his third start since taking over for Erasmo Ramirez when he went on the disabled list. If he continues pitching this way Ramirez will probably find his spot in the bullpen. Mike Leake will take the mound on Tuesday in the first game of two at home against the Texas Rangers. The Mariners take on the Tigers Thursday through Sunday this time at Safeco Field. No pitcher has been announced yet for the Wednesday game since both Gonzales and Hernandez pitched on Saturday. Gonzales would have been the scheduled pitcher if it were not for the rainout on Friday. There is a possibility the Mariners will bring up a pitcher from Tacoma to start that game.  Ariel Miranda could have been the choice however he pitched the first game of a double header on Sunday for Tacoma so it wouldn’t be him.  Go M’s.