Strong Starting Pitching

 

Friday Night the Seattle Mariners had another strong pitching from their starting rotation. Again it is the surprise Marco Gonzales who is now 4-0 in his last five starts. He has pitching so well that he has only given up three runs in his last 33 and 1/3 innings with an era of  0.81. Although he isn't known as a strike out pitcher he has struck out twenty-one batters in that same mount of time while walking nine. Right now you would have to say he must be the second pitcher in the starting rotation behind James Paxton though it is close between him and Mike Leake who has been pitching outstanding as of late as well. Wade LeBlanc went only four innings in his last outing but before then had been pitching pretty well too. Only Felix has had trouble pitching though he was outstanding in his last outing last Sunday.

 

 

The Mariners have Felix going today against Blake Snell. Both pitchers pitched outstanding last Sunday. Snell left the game after six innings with a 1-0 in which the Mariners came back and won the game against the Rays bullpen. We hope to that Felix can go again Saturday afternoon in the same way. The Mariners are now 40-23 on the season. If they go 50-49 the rest of the season that will give the Mariners a record of 90-72. It certainly better than anyone of us expected at the beginning of the season. Not only due able but the Mariners could win even more games. This will depend whether the starting pitching can continue going late into games and that there will be any serious injuries that can hurt them.

 

Dee Gordon seems to be struggling at the plate lately however Jean Segura got a hit and drove in a run along with Mitch Haniger. Segura getting only one hit was a surprise since he has been hitting multiple times as of late.  The Mariners took a 4-0 lead scoring two in the third plus one each in the fourth and fifth inning. The Rays scored a run in the bottom of the fifth. The Rays scored a run with homer off the bat of second baseman Arroyo to make the score 4-1. It stayed that way until Alex Colome gave up a home run after getting the second out in the eighth inning. He gave up a two-run homer so the Mariners brought in Edwin Diaz to get a four out save in which he did. The Rays had a runner on first with two outs in the bottom of the ninth however Mike Zunino through him out to end the game.

 

Now we will have to see whether the Mariners can get a win today or tomorrow or both against the Rays. At the worst they will lose both games and come home with a 3-3 record on this road trip. I have a strong feeling that the Mariners will come no more than one loss or a sweep against the Rays. The Mariners still have a one game lead over the Astros and 4 1/2 over the Angels. Go M's.