Mariners Take Series

 

After the eighth game winning ended on Wednesday the question would be can the Mariners win the series against the Angels and the answer was yes. The Mariners seem to be a better team when they are down and not expected to succeed.

 

A few hours before game time we learned that Mike Zunino hurt his ankle in Wednesday's game. Not sure whether it happened when he walked or got a hit in the game. We did see that he ran slowly home in the ninth inning when he was tagged out. I am sure none of us thought of it. Shortly before Thursday's game Zunino was put on the disabled list and David Freitas was brought up from Tacoma.  Chris Herrmann who started Wednesday's game started again on Thursday Night. I expect that he will get the bulk of the catching duties while Zunino is out. I am sure he will catch against righties while Freitas will catch against lefties. Zunino is expected to be out until the Sunday before the All-Star game when he is eligible to come off the disabled list. Wouldn't surprise me if the Mariners don't activate him until after the all-star break. They may send him down for a rehab assignment as well since his hitting has been off prior to his injury. He did get a walk and a single in the last game however he had been struggling at the plate in the last thirty games batting under one hundred.

 

The Mariners scored first in the bottom of the third however the Angels came back to tie 1-1 in the top of the fourth. The Mariners scored in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead. The game looked like it could go either way though as we know the Mariners have done well in one run games however in the seventh inning catcher Chris Herrmann hit a solo home run and then Guillermo Heredia who wasn't in the original lineup but started when Mitch Haniger was scratched because of an injury hit a double and then scored on a hit by Dee Gordon to make it 4-1 which turned out to be the final score.

 

Marco Gonzales who struggled with his control was able to make it through six innings walking only two batters and striking out seven batters. I believe he grew up more being able to get out of tight situations. He is now showing that he can go six innings or longer since the previous outing he pitched a complete game. James Pazos pitched the seventh inning followed by Colome and Diaz who recorded his thirty-four save of the season.  Right now it seems the Mariners might alternate the seventh and eighth innings between Pazos, Colome, Vincent and Nicasio. It would be nice to have Colome or Nicasio be used in the ninth inning as well. A lead like Thursday Night the Mariners could have used Colome or Nicasio instead. It would be nice to give Diaz some rest before the All-Star break.

 

Now the Mariners will be at home against the Colorado Rockies in interleague play. It will be success again if the Mariners win at least two out of the three games. A lot better if they can win the first two games however we will take what we can. The Mariners will have Felix Hernandez on Friday Night followed by James Paxton and Wade LeBlanc. Winning the series looks pretty good with that trio. Next week the Mariners will be on the road going against the Angels and the Rockies once again. That takes the Mariners into the All-Star Break. After the break they will be home against the Chicago White Sox for three games and then two against the San Francisco Giants. They will finish July by facing the Angels for three games in Los Angeles followed by the Houston Astros in Seattle.  Go M's.