Friday Mariners Start Again

Although they call it the second half of the season in major league baseball teams actually have less than half of the games remain. In fact the Seattle Mariners have sixty-five games remaining in the regular season. Though the Mariners have lost four games in a row they are still nineteen games above five hundred with a record of 58-39. They are five games behind the Houston Astros and three games ahead of the Oakland A's. The Mariners will have to do a good job to catch the Astros and they will have to keep sliding for the A's to catch them. The Mariners play both teams thirteen times each so it is important they start this Friday on good track. We hope that they have rested up, the offense gets on track and the starting pitching does what it has before July got underway. 

It is important that both James Paxton and Felix Hernandez are healthy for these remaining games. Also that Paxton can be the ace of the staff they need him to be. If Felix can pitch where he doesn't give up runs early in the game and can go six innings with the Mariners being in position to win. With the treading dead-line coming up we are hoping that Dipoto can pick up another starter and possibly a reliever. They need to be in state not only to win games but allow Edwin Diaz to pitch on a regular basis.  He gave up three runs in the All-Star game that cost Jesus Segura the MVP after hitting a three-run homer. I believe that he should have still been MVP however there is bias against the Mariners at this point. My estimation it would be nice to take down the Astros along with the Red Sox and the Yankees. It wouldn't be easy however very satisfying for sure.

Jerry Dipoto mentioned this week that Robinson Cano will see some action at first base when he returns in four weeks from suspension. I am sure he will play a little at second as well. What that means for Ryon Healy in his future in a Mariner uniform. Also it will be interesting to see whether Dee Gordon will stay at second base next season. Those questions maybe answered by how Guillermo Heredia continues to do in center field. Of course those answers can take place after the season. We do know that Dipoto will do his job to improve the team for this season well as the future. 

The Mariners will play the Chicago White Sox in three games this weekend followed by two against the San Francisco Giants for two games before going to Anaheim to play the Angels. They will come home to play the Astros to end the month of July. 

In football the Seattle Seahawks will start training camp a week from Thursday. The Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars will start soon as well. We do hope that the Mariners will keep at so we can have a lot of exciting sports going on the rest of 2018. I look forward to giving my analysts. Until next time.