Dodgers Beat On Mariners

Friday night the Seattle Mariners didn’t look like a team that is playing for a spot in the playoffs. Instead they looked more like the Baltimore Orioles or the Kansas City Royals who are at the bottom of their perspective divisions.

The Mariners playing before a sell-out crowd of over forty-six thousand which more than half were wearing Dodger blue. Also this was a game the Mariners had the best chance of winning because of the pitchers they are facing this weekend.

The game actually started in good fashion. Wade LeBlanc looked good on the mound. He sailed through the first and second inning looking good then gave up a solo home run in the third. I thought that was fine at the time that the Mariners could still win a low scoring tight game. In the inning he gave up another solo home run which made me think that is OK. However he gave up a two-run homer that made it 4-0; alright a bit tougher but it is still manageable for the Mariners to come back from.

In the bottom of the fourth inning Ryon Healy hit a solo home run to make it 4-1. I thought all right they have a good chance to come to win. Of course it turned out I was all wrong. LeBlanc started the fifth inning then left the game with one out and reliever Christian Bergman entered. I am sure hoping that he would stop the bleeding but that didn’t happen the bleeding continued. At the end of the fifth inning the score was 7-1. At that point I thought the chances of the Mariners to win the game were pretty unlikely but maybe the offense will get to the Dodger pitching. Not on that didn’t happen Bergman gave up two home runs in the seventh inning so the score now was 11-1. The only bright spot was that Bergman left the game after the seventh inning. James Pazos pitched the eighth inning giving up no hits but a walk. The Mariners had utility player Andrew Romine who has pitched in a game before throw in the ninth inning. He did the same as Pazos just giving up a walk.

I am sure the players will forget this 11-1 loss going into Saturday night’s game but I hope that they feel embarrassed at the same time allowing the Dodgers to win a lopsided game in their park. I hope they get the attitude of “not in our house”.  It reminds me of the Toronto Blue Jays in Seattle in front of a large amount of their fans as well letting them win three out of four games. This shows me that the Mariner players need to grow up in my mind anyway. If they expect to make the playoffs they have to play better ball and keep their minds into the game at all times. This continues where the Mariners don’t make the playoffs regardless of how many wins they end up with that changes will have to take place after the season. I feel they need to find players that have playoff experience and want to be in the playoffs as well. I do know that they have a few players who have been in the playoffs like Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and Cameron Maybin but this ridiculous. Not only should they feel embarrassed they should feel bad because the Mariners team is the longest running team not be in the playoffs and they have a real chance to make it this year.

Erasmo Ramirez will be making his second start of the season on Saturday night for the Mariners against left Rich Hill. For the Mariners to win Ramirez will have to pitch almost as well as he did in his first outing shutting out the Astros thru five innings. It would be nice if he could go six innings in this game.

The Mariners have decided to slide Marco Gonzales next start to Wednesday so he won’t be starting like he was supposed to Sunday. The Mariners felt that he could use a few extra days of rest. Roenis Elias is expected to come off the disabled to start the game. I expect that Christian Bergman will be sent back down to Tacoma. Felix Hernandez is expected to start on Monday against the Houston Astros in the place of James Paxton who went on the disabled list after being hit on his left arm in his last outing. Felix made his first appearance out of the bullpen in that game and did an outstanding job going five and two-thirds innings giving up two runs on a homer against the Oakland A’s.

Now it is time for all the players to start playing their A game for the rest of this series along with the three game series against the Astros at home. Go M’s.