Mariners Need to Bounce Back

Saturday night the Mariners are showing that they need to rebound when it comes to the hitting. Both parties the hitting and the pitching has struggled however Saturday the offense continued not to be there. Not really sure whether having Nelson Cruz out of the lineup didn't help or not. They choose not to use him in the field at all since they are in a national league park.  Of course Coors is the largest park in the major leagues so it would have been difficult on him. If the Mariners have to sacrifice his bat for three days so be it if helps for Nelson to be totally healthy for the post all-star break. I don't say second half because the Mariners have been in the second half for about twenty games already.

Saturday night the Mariners were able to get five hits in the game. The Mariners only scored one run in a park that you should score seven runs in most of the time. The Mariners only run scored by catcher Chris Herrmann who had the only extra-base hit in the game with a double in the top of the eighth inning. He drove in Ben Gamel who had the second hit of the game. Nelson Cruz hitting for pitcher Casey Lawrence had a single but wasn't able to score Herrmann who did go to the third base. Dee Gordon hit a dinky ball that the shortstop picked up and was able to get Herrmann at home. Not Herrmann's fault  running on contact. If Gordon had done anything else but the terrible swing Herrmann would have scored easy and the Mariners could have been in shape to at least tie the game instead of going down in defeat 4-1.

Wade LeBlanc who started the game gave up a two-run homer in the second inning that went out in a hurry over center field fence. He gave up two more runs in the fifth inning and left with one out. Reliever Matt Festa who was brought up before the game from double A Arkansas  made his major league debut. He is considered the Mariners number nine prospect gave up two hits but no runs in two-thirds of an inning on ten strikes. Not a great outing but alright at the same time. Elias, Lawrence, and Nicasio finished off the game pitching one inning each without giving up a run.  Now we have to see how Mike Leake does Sunday afternoon. We hope that he can do better than his last outing and the Mariners can go into all-star break with a win. Go M's.