The Seattle Mariners Swept

It is getting pretty routine. After beating the Milwaukee Brewers two out of three games the Mariners decided to be swept by the Houston Astros. At least the first two games they were in it until the tenth inning.

The Mariners offense didn’t do a good job of scoring runs in this series. Of course, the Astros have a pretty pitching staff as well. Hopefully, they will return home to have a good homestand before the all-star break.

The final score in the game was Houston 6 Mariners 1. Marco Gonzales pitched five innings giving up three runs. I was hoping he would continue his winning streak intact for the month of June. Mike Wright pitched the final three innings where he gave up three runs with two being earned.

The Mariners will face the St. Louis Cardinals for three games and then finish up before the all-star break with three against the Oakland A’s. Matt Carasiti will start Tuesday’s game as the opener. I expect Wade LeBlanc will come in the second inning. So far Carasiti has done a good job as the opener. He likely will start again on Thursday as the opener before Tommy Milone.

Speaking of the all-star game Sunday it was announced that Daniel Vogelbach made the team. I expect they wanted him for the home run derby.  Dee Gordon missed another game. If I were the Mariners I would put him on the disabled list and then he would be ready to go after the all-star break.

Does anyone know who they think will be traded before the trading deadline?  Mike Leake is the likely one. The Mariners might be able to get some good prospects for Vogelbach since is going to the all-star game. Maybe good timing although I am sure they want to keep him but with the right package why not.

It would be nice if the Mariners could go 4-2 at home before the break. Go M’s.

Another Loss To Astros

It was another repeated loss in Houston to the Astros. The Astros had been struggling as of late but are now being able to beat the Mariners in two games in extra innings. I wanted to say overtime but that is a different game.

Tim Beckham hit a home run in the top of the second to put the Mariners on top 2-0; however, the Astros responded with five runs themselves in the bottom of the second inning. Three of the runs were earned so an error by Dee Gordon made a big difference in the game.

The Mariners may have won in regulation time. Gordon eventually left the game when Mac Williamson pitched hit for him then Dylan Moore who started in left field went to second base. Gordon had trouble with his legs. He is day to day so not sure whether he will start Sunday in the final game of the series.

The Mariners scored a run in the third to narrow the lead to 5-3. Domingo Santana had another home run to right field in the fifth inning and then Dan Vogelbach had his 20^th home run in the seventh inning to tie the game.

Yusei Kikuchi went five innings. He was followed by Dan Altavilla who looked good striking out two without walking a batter. If he can do that on a regular basis he can be a lot of help in the Mariner bullpen.

Anthony Bass went two innings only surrendering a walk. Roenis Elias who has been doing a good job coming out of the bullpen had a tough night giving up two hits and giving up the winning run in the bottom of the 10^th inning.

Yuli Gurriel who hit a home run Friday night hit a double in the 10^th inning to win this game for the Astros. It was his only hit of the game. Good timing on his part for sure. He is another player the Mariners need to watch pitching to when they are in a close game. Should have not pitched to him with a runner on second base; Elias could have walked him.

Again the Mariners were unable to get to the Astros bullpen after scoring four runs off of Justin Verlander. Have to take advantage of the situation when you can get to a pitcher of Verlander’s stature. Don’t get an opportunity to beat him very often.   

The Mariners now play the final game of the series Sunday to see if they can scratch out a victory on the Astros and come home with a 3-3 record on this road trip. Marco Gonzales who has pitched well for most of June goes for the Mariners on the last game of June so hopefully, this is a good sign. He faces Gerrit Cole so likely will be another tight game.

They say that Mitch Haniger will likely be out until after the all-star break. Actually I thought that was the case already. I guess they wanted us to know once again. Now we have to wonder if the Mariners make any trades before the all-star break or we will have to wait until the break or after.

At least this year we don’t have to hear about a contract extension for Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais. This was the time the Mariners went on the skid for the rest of last season. At least this year the skid has already happened so hopefully, we will see some good action the rest of the way. On the positive note, they beat Milwaukee Brewers on the road in interleague play while losing last year to Colorado. So maybe a better picture; we will see so go M’s.

Close Loss For Mariners

The Seattle Mariners opened the series with the Astros in Houston. It is the first series in Houston for the Mariners.

The Mariners ended up losing in ten innings 2-1. These losses are always difficult to stomach because we always think what if they had just a little offense they would have won. Also, the Mariners pitching is such it is important to win these low scoring games as well. Plus it doesn’t help when you are playing another team in the same division.

The Mariners now have a 2-2 record on this road trip. We are hoping they at least win one game in Houston if not the two remaining game. The all-star break is around the corner as well. It will take place right after the Mariners next homestand.

Matt Carasiti made his third appearance this week after being called up from Tacoma and his second opener. He pitched the first inning giving up two hits but not surrendering a run. Sounds like he could be the Mariners opener since he hasn’t given up a run both times in the role; we will probably see him again when it comes for Wade LeBlanc to pitch next week.

Tommy Milone came in the second inning and pitched five innings giving up three hits and no runs. His ERA is now at 2.95 for the Mariners. The Mariners used four relievers. Anthony Bass gave up a home run in the eighth inning for the Astros to tie the game.  Austin Nola starting at first base for the Mariners hit his first career home in the third inning.  The Mariners had only five hits in the game. Nola had another hit as well. Outside of Nola’s home run, the Mariners didn’t have an extra-base hit in the game.

JP Crawford continues his hot hitting having two hits in the game. Besides him and Nola’s two hits, each Dee Gordon had the only other hit for the Mariners.

Yusei Kikuchi starts Saturday for the Mariners. He has struggled as of late so hopefully, he can rebound in this game to give the Mariners a chance to win. Marco Gonzales who has gotten back on his winning ways after having a poor May will be pitching for the Mariners on Sunday. Gonzales will be going for his tenth win on the season; a good sign going into the all-star break.

Friday it was announced that three of the Mariners top prospects will be playing in the Futures game during the all-star break. They are number one prospect Jarred Kelenic, Justin Dunn, and Evan White. Kelenic and Dunn were a major reason the Mariners traded Edwin Diaz and Robinson Cano was traded to the New York Mets. Those two were among the prospects the Mariners picked up. Right now it looks like the Mariners have made out well in the trade. All three of the prospects look like they will be in Seattle someday. Dunn and White are the closest playing at double-A Arkansas while Kelenic is at high-A Modesto. We probably will see Dunn and White in Seattle probably in September.

The question now will the Mariners make any trades in the next few days or wait until later into July. Knowing Jerry Dipoto both can be true. Stay tuned. Go M’s.

Milwaukee Brewers Avoid Sweep

 

The Seattle Mariners had one of their best series on the season; however, they were unable to sweep the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers were able to beat the Mariners 4-2 Thursday afternoon. Now the Mariners move on to play the Astros in Houston Friday night.

Mike Leake pitched well for the Mariners except in the fourth inning when he struggled. He gave up a three-run homer to shortstop Orland Arcia batting ninth for the Brewers hit a three-run homer. The Brewers did score a run prior to Arcia’s home run when pitcher Chase Anderson was able to put down a suicide squeeze bunt.  Leake pitched six innings giving up eight hits, walking a batter and striking out five.

The Mariners scored their two runs in the sixth inning when Daniel Vogelbach and Tim Beckham each hit doubles. Vogelbach was able to bring home Domingo Santana and Beckham brought home Vogelbach. It was the second game in a row the Mariners didn’t hit a home run. Vogelbach hit the only home run in the series in the first game.

Kyle Seager missed two games against the Brewers after starting in game one. He hurt his right hand early on in game one. Tim Beckham played in game two and three in Seager’s spot. By the way, Seager injury that kept him out until May was to his left hand. Seager is expected to play in the Houston series though not sure whether he will in game one or not.

Mariners Win Series Now Go For Sweep

The Seattle Mariners Wednesday night beat the Milwaukee Brewers in a tight game 4-2. Mallex Smith led the game off with a triple followed with JP Crawford’s double. Both players scored in the first inning. His second at-bat Crawford hit a double and scored again. Crawford had three hits in the game driving in three of the Mariners four runs. He has been hot on fire at the plate raising his average to a season-high .318. The Mariners final game in Milwaukee will be Thursday afternoon. I am sure the Brewers will be glad to see Smith and Crawford both leave after this game.

The Brewers scored their two runs in the sixth inning off of Wade LeBlanc who came into the game in the second inning. Matt Carasiti making his second appearance on the season for the Mariners was the opener. He gave up no runs with one walk. This is what the Mariners vision when deciding to go with an opener though they have had trouble in the most part using one. The Brewers two runs were on solo home runs in the sixth inning by Moustakas and former Mariner Ben Gamel.  LeBlanc went five innings giving up five hits with the two runs, walked one and struck out six.

Austin Adams who had an excellent game against the Brewers on Tuesday night came in for LeBlanc pitching one inning. He walked a batter but struck out two. Roenis Elias pitched the eighth inning giving up no hits, no walks and struck out two. He recorded his tenth save on the season. The Mariners have only 19 saves on the season.

The Mariners scored an important run in the top of the ninth inning making the score 4-2. This one run made all the difference since the Brewers would have to score two runs to tie instead of one.

Mike Leake is scheduled to start the afternoon game to see if the Mariners can sweep. Leake will need a better performance than his last outing where he gave up eight runs though the Mariners still beat the Baltimore Orioles. Leake has done a fine job bouncing back over the season.

Tommy Milone is scheduled to start the opening game of the series against the Astros in Houston on Friday night. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Mariners go with the opener once again and Matt Carasiti will be the guy since he did only go one inning Wednesday night.  

No other news from the Mariners right now. Stay up to date right here. Go M’s.

Mariners Win Opener of Road Trip

The Seattle Mariners are in Milwaukee taking on the Brewers in a three-game series before finishing off the week and the month of June in Houston against the Astros. The Mariners didn’t look like the team is in dead last of the American League West while the Brewers are second in the National League central a game behind the Chicago Cubs.

The Brewers scored a run in the first inning. I am thinking not again. For one thing, the Mariners hadn’t won a game in interleague play as of yet. The Mariners though scored four runs in the third inning including a two-run mammoth home run off the bat of Daniel Vogelbach. I have to say mammoth is used a lot when it comes to home runs from Vogelbach. It was his 19^th of the season leading the Mariners. Also, it was the only home run the Mariners had for the night.

The Mariners had two more runs in the fourth inning followed by another run in the fifth inning making the score 7-1. Marco Gonzales who had been cruising after giving up the lone run in the first inning had trouble in the fifth inning giving up two runs. I thought the Mariners should have taken him out of the game after the second run scored since he had given up four hits as well. I didn’t want him to squander the big lead the Mariners had; however, he was able to get out of it. So the Mariners were leading 7-3.

Corey Gearrin came in the sixth inning replacing Gonzales. He gave up one walk; however, with two outs the Mariners decided to go with Austin Adams who had an outstanding time pitching an inning and a third striking out three. He looked like an animal out there throwing his wicked slider that was really working. He continues pitching this week the Mariners certainly have a good pitcher to bring in the late innings against the other team’s tough middle of the lineup. Final Seattle 8 Milwaukee 3. 

The Mariners ended up scoring a final run in the ninth inning when Kyle Seager hit a double the second hit of the game for him. He moved over to third base on a grounder that made it two outs. It looked like he could end at third base with a final out of the inning; however, Tim Beckham who was pinch-hitting for the pitcher it a slow grounder to third base that ended at the bag scored Seager. There was thought that Roenis Elias would pitch the ninth inning but with Seager scoring, they decided to go with Matt Festa who ended up getting all three batters including striking out the first two.

The Mariners haven’t announced their starter for Wednesday night. They will go with an opener followed by Wade LeBlanc. Mike Leake is scheduled to start the final game of the series on Thursday. Although the opener hasn’t done well for the Mariners Wade LeBlanc had done quite well on most occasions coming into the game though he usually has had to with the team already behind. We hope for a different result from the opener on Wednesday night.

The news came out that the Mariners had put Tayler Scott on waivers before sending him down to Tacoma. The Baltimore Orioles decided to pick Scott off of waivers. I am not sure why the Mariners would do that except they needed the 40-man roster spot. Although he didn’t do great while in Seattle I thought he had a lot of talent to help the Mariners not only this year but in the future. I would have put a couple of other pitchers ahead of Scott if they needed the spot. I wish the best to him in Baltimore, and I hope he succeeds.  No other news as of Wednesday morning but we all know with Dipoto we could hear about something anytime. Go M’s.

Russell Wilson At His Best

The Seattle Mariners didn't have a game on Monday; however, they do resume Tuesday in Milwaukee so I decided to write about Russell Wilson since so many do during the off-season. Don't take what I say seriously unless you want to. 

I guess writers whose job is to write about the Seahawks even during the off-season had to let us know that Russell Wilson is doing his best job this year in OTA's and mini-camps. I suppose he can look good and he should since he signed a new contract during the off-season that pays him more than any other player. At least today anyway. 

Looking good in the OTA's and mini-camps doesn't mean a lot in my mind because the defense can't rush or hit the quarterback. The only look is how it does when the receiver catches the ball. It is a good sign if he is doing that better than any other years this time of the year. 

For me, the sign will be how he does in September. Often Wilson and the offense play poorly in September. At least in the first half of games. He ends up looking like a hero if the Seahawks come back and score multiple times in the fourth quarter. Last year the Seahawks lost the first two games of the season horribly where they decided to go to running the ball first which is actually what they should have done in the first place. 

Most seasons since Russell Wilson has been on the scene the Seahawks have done quite well in the second half of the season after getting off to a poor start. I believe two years ago it wasn't the case and the Seahawks didn't make the playoffs. Coach Carroll has no problem how the team plays long as they win by one point or greater. Fine for him but I am sure a lot of the fans don't feel that way.

Tomorrow will return to normal scheduling with the Mariners playing the Brewers in Milwaukee. We are hoping for a victory except those who think they should lose every game so they get a high draft pick. It doesn't work the same as in football though. The Mariners did quite well when picking Ken Griffey Junior and Alex Rodriguez number one overall but that doesn't happen often. Mike Trout wasn't near the top of the draft though he was picked in the first round. Actually, the Mariners could have picked him that year. Some times you get it and sometimes you don't. I believe the Mariners biggest issue is developing the players. In the past, they have brought up high picks early aka Dustin Ackley and Mike Zunino.  Now they have a farm system they can wait to bring up the player when he is ready to do so.  Until tomorrow enjoy your day. 

Mariners Take Series

It shouldn’t be a big surprise; however, the Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles Sunday 13-3. It means the Mariners took three out of four games; the only loss took place Saturday afternoon.

Both the Mariners and the Orioles scored a run in both the first and second innings then the third inning it was all Mariners scoring eight runs to put the game away. The Mariners did something we would like to see more often they hit a lot of singles in the third inning. All the runs happened because of the singles hit except one and that was a sacrifice fly by Omar Narvaez which actually was the first out of the inning.

The Mariners scored two more runs in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by Mac Williamson. Though he hasn’t had a lot of hits they do count well when he does. The Orioles scored their third run in the sixth inning and the Mariners tacked on one more in the seventh inning.

Mariners brought up two relievers on Sunday from Tacoma. They both pitched in the game. Matt Carasiti relieved for Kikuchi in the seventh inning striking out three batters. His control was excellent in the game. Something we haven’t seen much from the relievers. The other reliever was Mike Wright who pitched the final two innings. He gave up a hit but struck out two batters as well. He had been scheduled to start Sunday for the Tacoma Rainiers so going to innings not a big deal for him.

The Mariners sent down Gerson Batista to Tacoma. He has a wicked fastball going upper 90s but having control problems. He will be back with the Mariners sometime this season I expect. Also, the Mariners released lefty Jesse Biddle who they had acquired earlier from the Atlanta Braves. He had struggle pitching for the Mariners, and to add Carasiti and Wright to the 40-man roster they had to designate Biddle for assignment.

The Mariners had to transfer Chasen Bradford to the 60-day injured list to make room for the two relievers as well. Bradford is on the 60-day injured list because of a strained right forearm. Right now the Mariners are not sure whether he needs surgery or extensive rehab. We hope things go well for Bradford because he can be a good part of the Mariners’ bullpen.

The Mariners have Monday off before resuming action on Tuesday at Milwaukee against the Brewers. This allows Marco Gonzales who will start Tuesday and the rest of the starting rotation an extra day off. The Mariners will play three games in Milwaukee followed by three more in Houston to finish off June. The Mariners right now are 10-12 for June so they do have a chance to break even or have a winning record for the month though not an easy task since the Brewers and Astros are good teams.

The Mariners will start off July at home taking on the St. Louis Cardinals for three games then three more against the Oakland A’s which is followed by the all-star break. The rest of July the Mariners will play mostly division rivals Oakland, Los Angeles, and Texas. The only team outside the division will be the Detroit Tigers where the Mariners will play four games them at home near the end of the month. Go M’s.

Streak Over For Mariners

Saturday’s game looked like it was going to be a win or a close game with a low score. Tommy Milone started the game instead of the Mariners going with an opener. The first three innings he did an outstanding job. The Mariners were up 1-0 however in the 4^th inning he gave up a three-run homer. So the score was 3-1 Baltimore at that point. The Mariners still had a chance.

Milone pitched the fifth inning; however, he was replaced in the sixth inning by Gerson Batista who gave up a two-run homer. Batista is going to be a good reliever but he isn’t there yet. The reason the Mariners are using him right now.

The Mariners scored one run in the sixth inning then another in the eighth when Domingo Santana hit a home run. It is his fourth home run in three games. Also, he had another hit in the game as well. He walked to so he scored three of the Mariners four runs in the game. 

The Orioles scored a run in seventh and two in the eighth to put the game out of reach the final score was 8-4. Besides Santana’s two hits Mallex Smith had a hit that drove in a run. Also, Vogelbach and Narvaez in the middle of the lineup plus Mac Williamson and Dee Gordon at the bottom of the order had hits.  Neither Seager nor Tim Beckham had a hit. Beckham played first base Saturday while Vogelbach was designated hitter.

Jake Fraley in his debut at Tacoma Friday night had a three-run homer in his second at-bat of the game. He had a single and a stolen base in the game. He was involved in five of the six runs the Rainiers scored. Saturday he had a triple in his first at-bat. A great way to start his triple-A career which could be short-lived if he comes up in a short period of time. If the Mariners have an injury of one of their outfielders before Haniger returns we could see Fraley in a Mariner uniform.

Yusei Kikuchi pitches Sunday for the Mariners. We are hoping he can return to form and the Mariners will take the series. Stay tuned go M’s.  

Now Three In A Row

I am sure no one is really surprised that the Seattle Mariners have won three games in a row. The only surprise is that they didn’t win four or five games in a row since they lost two games against the Kansas City Royals before beating them in the final game of the series. Now beating the Baltimore Orioles in the last two games Mariners are now 3-2 at home after going 5-4 on the last road trip.

Mike Leake started the game for the Mariners going five and one-third innings. He gave up 11 hits and 8 runs. Not one of his better outings. It started right out in the first inning where he gave up three runs. The Mariners responded with Mallex Smith leading off with a hit and scoring the first of his three runs in the game. Smith has been hitting well as of late. Although his season average is still at .230 in his last seven games he is hitting .276 with an on-base percentage of .364.

The Mariners tied the score at 3-3 in the second inning which included a solo home run by Dylan Moore who was playing second base. The Mariners scored five more runs in the third inning including a two-run homer by Kyle Seager.

Thought to be a comfortable lead especially scoring two more runs in the fifth inning; however, the Orioles scored five runs of their own in the sixth inning making the score 10-8. Corey Gearrin came in the sixth inning for Leake. He got out of the inning but in the seventh inning he gave up a run making it 10-9 which turnout out to be the final score because of the outstanding relief of Austin Adams who struck out four batters in two inning and Roenis Elias recorded the save in the ninth inning.

Right now Adams and Elias seem to be comfortable pitching in the eighth and ninth innings. The rest of the bullpen is still questionable at best. Friday the Mariners sent Tayler Scott down to Tacoma and recalled Dan Altavilla. I expect the move was to have a healthy reliever in the bullpen. I am sure this won’t be the last we see of Scott. Though he hasn’t pitched well we did see some talent out of him. He can be effective if he can get his slider over on a regular basis.

The Mariners have an afternoon game on Saturday well as Sunday. The Mariners are expected to go with an opener once again on Saturday before Tommy Milone comes in. Milone has pitched well coming in early into the game. We just hope the opener this time can get through an inning or so before Milone comes in. Friday night’s game with Leake shows that there is no guarantee the starter will do better than the opener.

Although I think the opener is a good idea. Right now I am not sure the Mariners have any pitcher currently on the roster who could fill the bill. Austin Adams might be the best choice but he is doing so well coming in late in the game before Elias. Actually Elias would be another good choice but the Mariners need him to pitch in the ninth inning whether it is a close game or not.

Sunday Yusei Kikuchi will start for the Mariners. We are hoping he can rebound after having several poor outings recently. He would make a good opener himself but who would the Mariners use when he comes out of the game?

I know many people do not like the opener role but LeBlanc and Milone are both doing well coming in either in the first or second inning. The Mariners pitching staff not only doesn’t have someone to fit the role they don’t have a bullpen that can help out either unless LeBlanc and Milone can go deep enough in the game where Adams and Elias can pitch.

Far as the rebuilding goes the position players are doing well but the pitching isn’t. Though LeBlanc and Milone are considered the fourth and fifth starters I guess though they don’t really start they are right now two the best pitchers on the staff although Marco Gonzales has come back to being number one right now.

We just hope that some of the pitchers in the minor leagues can step up next season or the Mariners can go out and pick up a couple free agents whether starting or relieving go M’s.

Two Wins In a Row

It has been over a month since the Seattle Mariners have won two games in a row. It was in a two-game series when the Mariners beat the A’s in Oakland. Thursday night the Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of the series after beating the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

The opening game of the series the win happened in somewhat the same fashion the last game against the Royals. The offense came alive along with good pitching. The difference though the Mariners had Tayler Scott start the game as the opener then Wade LeBlanc took over with two outs in the bottom of the first inning with the bases loaded. Unfortunately, he gave up a hit two score two runs. LeBlanc settled down to go six and one-third innings without giving up any runs on four hits.

We could blame Scott for the two runs in the first inning but with a break or two, the Orioles may have not scored a run at all. Scott didn’t give up a hit but did walk three batters. He was having trouble with his slider getting over the plate. I would not give up on Scott in being the opener though. All he needs to do is throw strikes.

Omar Narvaez hit a home run in the bottom of the second making the lead 2-1 by the Orioles. The Mariners scored three runs in the sixth inning including a solo home run by Domingo Santana his third in two games. They added another run in the seventh inning.

Austin Adams came in for LeBlanc in the eighth inning where he struck out the side. Roenis Elias took care of the three batters he faced in the ninth inning.

This game had another similarity where every hitter who started had a least one hit in the game except Dee Gordon. So he hasn’t had a hit in his last two games. I wonder if he will be in the lineup tonight or he will be rested. We will see, won’t we? Final score Seattle 5 Baltimore 2.

In other news, it looks like Mitch Haniger will likely be out until after the all-star break. He is working out lightly but hasn’t taken batting practice as of yet. He will probably go on a rehab assignment as well. Jake Fraley who came in the trade along with Mallex Smith from Tampa Bay was promoted from double-A to triple-A Tacoma. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mariners need an outfielder before Haniger or Braden Bishop’s he will be the one called upon. We will see him in September if not before. He looks like he could stick next year for the Mariners or call up during the season depending on how much time the Mariners feel he should have in triple-A.

In other local sports in the NBA draft Washington Huskie’s Matisse Thybulle was picked in the first round as the 20^th overall by the Boston Celtics; however, they traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers. Jaylen Nowell was taken in the second round by Minnesota.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs had two players taken in the first round. Power forward Rui Hachimura out of Japan was picked number nine by the Washington Wizards while Brandon Clarke was taken right after Thybulle by Oklahoma. Bol Bol the son of former NBA center Manute Bol who was out most of the season at Oregon as a freshman was drafted right after Nowell going to Miami. Another local product Kevin Porter Jr who played for USC was taken as the last pick in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks.  The Pac-12 had six players drafted in total with Thybulle being the first one. Best wishes for Thybulle and Nowell along with the other four Pac-12 players along with the Gonzaga guys.

Mariners Win Final Game of Series Over Royals

Wednesday the Seattle Mariner had their final game of the series and the season against the Kansas City Royals. After frustration in the first two games, the Mariners pitching and hitting surface.

Marco Gonzales had his third good start in a row winning all three games. This was after losing five games in May and his first start in June. In all three games, he has only given up two runs in each game. I would have to say that is a good sign for Marco.

In this game, Gonzales went six and two-thirds innings scattering six hits, one walk and striking out five. Another good sign he and the relievers didn’t give a home run in the game.

Speaking of home runs the Mariners started off well with Domingo Santana hit a three-run homer in the first inning. It was the first of two home runs for him in the game. Daniel Vogelbach followed him with a home run as well. So after the first inning, the Mariners were leading 4-0. A very good sign; they often win when scoring in the first inning.

The Mariners had three more runs in the fourth inning and one more in the sixth inning. The Royals had their runs in the third and seventh inning.

The Mariners’ bullpen did a fine job over the final two and one-third innings. The three relievers gave up one single and a walk. I feel nervous when the relievers come into the game even with a large lead.

Mallex Smith who has been hitting well lately led off the game with a double. JP Crawford walked before Santana’s home run. Santana was the only Mariner hitter with more than one hit. He had three hits including the two home runs. He drove in five of the Mariners eight runs.

The Mariners had ten hits in the game. Everyone in the starting lineup had a hit except for Dee Gordon; got to give him a break since he has done well as of late.

We just hope this offensive outpour in this game will go into the series against the Baltimore Orioles. The series starts Thursday so it is a four-game series. It would be nice if the Mariners could win at least three if not sweep it. The Orioles is one of the worst teams in the majors so the possibility is here.

Wade LeBlanc is scheduled to start for the Mariners on Thursday night; however, the Mariners come go with an opener to start the game and bring LeBlanc in the second inning. Mike Leake is scheduled for Friday. All the starters except Gonzales will pitch in this series.

On the injury front, Felix Hernandez MRI showed no additional injury to his shoulder. He will throw several bullpen sessions then go on a rehab assignment with Tacoma when he is ready. Sam Tuivailala who has been out all season and was shut down on previous rehab assignment is expected to pitch Friday at Everett. Hunter Strickland who was expected to come off the injured list initially on Wednesday has to wait now. He is expected to throw light on Friday. Not sure when he will return right now.

I am sure everyone is looking to see who and when the next trade by the Mariners will be. With Jerry Dipoto it isn’t a sure thing but something could happen soon or wait until July before the trading deadline. How many will be traded is a good question too. The most likely player is pitcher Mike Leake. Also, Tim Beckham and Dee Gordon could go as well. Not sure on either one of them. Beckham doesn’t have a large salary and might not get much in return. Gordon does have a large salary but the Mariners may want to keep him because of his energy levels. We will have to see. Go M’s.

Mariners Draw Blanks

The Seattle Mariners lost again Tuesday night to Kansas City Royals. This time the Royals won 9-0. They are one of the worst hitting teams in the major leagues and they are making mincemeat of the Mariners pitching.

It is so hard to believe the Mariners can’t win at home. There are only three teams with worse home records than the Mariners. On top of that, the Royals have the worst record on the road. We do hope the Mariners can beat the Royals Wednesday then beat the Orioles the next four games. Oh yes, the Orioles have the second worst record on the road.

Yusei Kikuchi continues to having trouble starting as of late. Not sure if he needs another break or the Mariners begin with an opener. Kikuchi gave up two runs in the first inning so the opener can’t do much worse. He ended up giving up six of the nine runs over five innings which included nine hits. Two of the hits were home runs which included a three-run homer in the fourth inning. The bullpen didn’t do much better either. Of course, they are going to be the Mariners Achilles Heel all season.

On the other hand, the Mariners offense who have actually been good over recent times let the Royal pitchers especially the starter look like Cy Young. Homer Bailey went 7 and 2/3 innings giving up five of the six hits the Mariners had. This is to a guy with an ERA of 4.84. The Mariners were only able to get one more hit over 1 and 2/3 innings. The Royals two relievers look like they fit in the Mariners’ bullpen where the ERA is over five for both of them.

Tom Murphy who was dhing and Omar Narvaez at catcher had the only extra base hits. They have been two of the Mariners hottest batters.

Marco Gonzales will be going in the final game against the Royals Wednesday afternoon. We hope that he has gotten over his struggles since he has done well in his last couple starts. We will really shake our heads if the Royals offense can get to him. Go M’s.  

Mariners Pitching Fails Against Royals

The first game of the series against Kansas City Royals back at T-Mobile Park on Monday night looked like for a while a victory in the Mariners' hand but it didn't turn out to be. The final score was 6-4. 

The Royals began the game scoring two runs in the first inning off of “opener” Tayler Scott. So far the Mariners don’t look to have much success with the opener though I think it is a good idea. In my opinion, they need to stick with one pitcher as the opener.

Tayler Scott lasted only two-thirds of an inning before Tommy Milone came in. Scott had given up two runs but I wouldn’t say it wasn’t really his fault because with two outs the Royals hitter Cheslor Cuthbert hit a blooper into shallow right field between second baseman Dee Gordon and right fielder Domingo Santana. It has been happening a lot lately where the opposing team gets bloopers early on in games. Either Santana needs to play in further with two outs or more communication between Gordon and Santana.

The Mariners responded with a run in the third inning and three more in the fourth on a home run by catcher Tom Murphy. It was his sixth home run in his last eight games starting. He has eight home runs on the season. He has been a pleasant surprise as the number two catcher. He is hitting .300 on the season.

Tommy Milone did a fine job going six and one-third innings giving up three hits, one run, no walks and striking out six. He should have had the victory but relievers Anthony Bass who recorded the loss and Gerson Batista couldn’t stop the Royals. Bass gave up a two-run homer in the eighth while Batista gave up a home run in the ninth.

What we do know right now a lot of the Mariners losses going forward will be like this game having a bullpen that is mediocre at best. Manager Scott Servais can only throw pitchers out there but any one’s guess what may happen and most of the time not good.

Now we have to see if the Mariners can bounce back and win the final two games of the series. Yusei Kikuchi goes Tuesday night followed by Marco Gonzales on Wednesday. Both of them will need to go a good six innings for the Mariners to win. The Royals have had trouble scoring runs as of late so we hope this is a good sign they had their offense only go in game one.

How the Mariners are measured has to do with how they play against the Royals and the Orioles coming up since they are not very good teams either. We just hope the Mariners are at least a little better than both those teams. Go M’s.

Mariners When Road Trip

The Seattle Mariners won 6-3 Sunday to take the series against the Oakland A’s 2-1, while at the same time going 5-4 on the nine-game road trip.

While the Mariners were on the road they traded Edwin Encarnacion to the New York Yankees for a prospect and giving the Yankees in cash about half of Encarnacion salary. The Mariners activated JP Crawford off the injured list when arriving in Oakland. The Mariners sent Shed Long back to Tacoma. Also, reliever Brandon Brennan went on the disabled list as well after having another poor outing with shoulder problems. Depending on how he is doing should be back in a week. Matt Festa was recalled in his place.

Mike Leake had another outstanding game going seven innings giving up three runs with two being earned. He is another being rumored to be traded as well as Dee Gordon who played well on Sunday after missing Saturday because of his wrist.

Mallex Smith continues to hit well hitting a two-run homer in the second inning in the win over Oakland Sunday.

Austin Nola made his major debut on Sunday being called up from Tacoma with the trade of Edwin Encarnacion. The news came out to that Ryon Healy will miss another three to four weeks so he won’t be traded any time soon. Nola has versatility where he can catch and play the outfield well as first base.

It will be interesting to see who the Mariners will trade next with the departure of Encarnacion. I would put my guess on Tim Beckham. He doesn’t have a large salary so moving him won’t cost as much for the Mariners. It might mean they may not get a very prospect either.

I will keep you up to date not only the games but what is happening off the field too. Go M’s.

Another Blowup Game

Saturday night's game in Oakland became another blowup game. If you didn't watch it or you left early that was it. The best play of the night for the Mariners was when JP Crawford made a great dive flipped to Dylan Moore onto first base.

The Mariners defense wasn't stellar as Mallex Smith had an error along with Kyle Seager and Crawford who had an error on fielding and throwing despite the great dive earlier.

Gerson Bautista started the game for the second time as the opener. Again it was a disaster where he lasted two-thirds of an inning giving up three runs on two hits and three walks. His fastball was in the upper 90s but he couldn't get his pitches over the plate. The two hits were solid ones by the Athletics.

This game Wade LeBlanc who entered in the first inning didn't have his A game. He lasted only two and two-thirds innings giving up six runs. He gave up a solo home run in the second inning and five more runs in the fourth inning primarily on doubles.

Reliever Tayler Scott relieved LeBlanc going two innings. The A's scored two runs in the sixth inning with Scott on the mound but both of them were not earned runs.

Jesse Biddle went an inning and two-thirds innings giving up just one hit though he did strikeout a better. Anthony Bass pitched the eighth inning for the Mariners giving up no hits and walking one batter.  We will see if the Mariners can rebound and win Sunday afternoon before returning home to play the Kansas City Royals on Monday. 

Mike Leake is scheduled to start. This could be one of the last starts he makes in a Mariner uniform as the Mariners are looking to unload most of the veteran players.

During the game, news came out that Edwin Encarnacion was traded to the New York Yankees for a prospect. The Mariners will pay about half of Encarnacion remaining salary. I wish the Mariners had picked up a second prospect in the deal too. We wish you the best Edwin in New York. You did the Mariners proud the time you were here. 

I figure Jerry Dipoto must believe in the prospects he had already picked up prior to the Bruce and Encarnacion trades. The prospects will have to perform well in the years ahead along with the players that will be on the roster next year or the next several years will be misery with many losses. This happens where they don't do well for several years Dipoto and Servais each will be gone at the end of their contacts. That is a reality all. 

I do hope the Mariners do well with as many prospects as they can. They will have the cash to spend to fill areas that the prospects don't. This year's draft helped with the future pitching we hope. The cash will probably fill in the top of the rotation and the bullpen. Go M's. 

Mariners Win Opening Game In Oakland

The Seattle Mariners were able to go into Oakland and beat the A's 9-2. The game was close early with the A's scoring a run in the 2nd inning then the Mariners scored a run in the top of the third inning. The A's took the only other lead they had in the bottom of the third making it 2-1. 

The Mariners scored three runs in the fourth inning breaking open the game. JP Crawford who was activated off the injured list hit a double that helped score the runs. He had another double in the game as well.

In the seventh inning, Omar Narvaez hit a two-run homer his 10th of the season; it is now a career high for him. Mallex Smith hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning. The Mariners ended the scoring with another run in the ninth inning.

Marco Gonzales pitched another good game after having a poor May. He went seven innings giving up the two runs, however, only one run was earned. Austin Adams pitched the eighth inning walking a batter along with striking out one too. Matt Festa who was recalled because Brandon Brennan went on the injured list pitched the ninth inning with the same results as Adams. The Mariners will have the bullpen ready to go Saturday with only Adams and Festa pitching.

Felix Hernandez made a rehab assignment Friday for Tacoma. He went only two and third innings. He had to leave the game because of fatigue. Hopefully, he will be able to make another rehab assignment soon.

With the activation of Crawford, the Mariners sent Shed Long back down to Tacoma to play every day. With only three outfielders in Seattle, I am sure they will have Long playing some in the outfield.

Mac Williamson who has struggled at the plate since arriving had two hits on Friday night. Hopefully, this means he will start hitting on a regular basis.

Right now the two utility players in Tim Beckham and Dylan Moore may spend some time in the outfield. Beckham was dh on Friday but didn't get a hit. Moore came in for defensive purposes late in the game at first base. Whenever Williamson, Mallex Smith, and Domingo Santana each need a day off we will see Beckham or Moore in the outfield. Also, Moore showed he is capable of playing shortstop to if Crawford needs a day off. 

Saturday Gerson Batista will make another start as the opener. Not sure right now who will come in the game after he pitches an inning or two, however, it could be Wade LeBlanc who has done well since he has come into the game in the second inning. Mike Leake is scheduled to start on Sunday. Go M's.  

Mariners Don't Sweep Twins

Going into the bottom of the sixth inning the Mariners had a chance to sweep the Minnesota Twins with the game tied at 1-1; however, they had to go to the bullpen which once again cost the Mariners the game. 

Yusei Kikuchi had a rough outing though he only gave up one run and that was to former Mariner Nelson Cruz who hit a home run in the third inning. Kikuchi had runners on base in almost every inning but was able to get out where the Twins couldn't score. The Mariners relievers couldn't do the same thing.

The Mariners tied the score in the top of the sixth inning but Brandon Brennan couldn't hold the Twins at bay. The Twins had runners on first and third without an out. The batter was on a count of 2-2; all Brennan had to do was strike out the batter and get the other runner out on a double play. Even if he couldn't do that the Twins could have had the runner on third score on a fly out or a ground ball out to second; instead Brennan tried to pick the runner off first but the ball went into the dirt so the runner scored from third and the other advanced. 

Brennan wasn't able to get a single out and he was replaced by Corey Gearrin who didn't do much better other than getting one out. When the sixth inning ended the Twins had scored six runs and they were ahead 7-1. Things didn't get better where the Twins scored three more runs in the seventh inning which included a two-run homer by CJ Cron who has lived off Mariner pitching for years. He is another the Mariners should never pitch too. So that left the score 10-1 going into the eighth inning.

The hope for the Mariners was to see how many runs they could score in the last two innings since the Twins relievers aren't much better than the Mariners. The Mariners scored two runs both in the eighth and ninth innings. The final was 10-5.

After the game, Brennan said that he had a fatigued and sore shoulder which isn't really a surprise so he could be going on the ten-day injured list. We will know more sometime on Friday if that is the case. Whether it is an injury or not I would say add Brennan to the injury list. 

The Mariners are expected to reactivate JP Crawford on Friday before playing the Oakland A's over the weekend. The Mariners have had success playing the A's in Oakland so hopefully, it will happen again. The Mariners might make a couple moves with Crawford coming back and Brennan to the injured list. 

No news on the trading block but something could happen over the weekend or sometime soon. Just under seven weeks until the trading deadline on July 31. I am sure the Mariners will make at least a couple of transactions over this period. Go M's. 

Seahawks Offensive Line

I know that I haven't written much on the Seahawks because it is baseball season though the Mariners are not having a good season so far, however, we are getting closer to the season. 

The Seahawks had OTA's and mini-camp the last three weeks. Not much news out of there though. Some fans like going out and few the players especially the new ones but I would rather watch the Mariners.  

Last week I believe Duane Brown said that he thinks the Seahawks will have the best offensive line in the NFL this coming season. I am sure most fans are skeptical though they will probably be better since it will be the third year that most of them will be together. 

What will make us believe is if the Seahawks lead the NFL in rushing, and Russell Wilson won't have to run for his life. We will have to see how the passing game goes without Doug Baldwin. I am sure Tyler Lockett will be the inside slot receiver on third down. He will be on long passes as well. 

I am looking forward to a good season out of the Washington Huskies football team as well. It will be interesting to watch a new quarterback at the helm along with the running backs and receivers. Also, seeing new faces on defense too.

We will have to see turns out to be the quarterback at Washington State as well and see what kind of success they will have too. It would be nice to see the Pac-12  North division come down to the Apple Cup.  

I will provide updates and analysis over the summer well as when the seasons start for Seahawks, Huskies, and Cougars. It can take its time so we can enjoy the summer too.  

Exciting Finish

You wanted to see good offense and not great pitching it happened the last part of Wednesday's game. The game was 1-1 after seven innings. Tommy Milone pitched another wonderful game for six innings after coming into the game in the second inning. The Mariners used the opener once again. Gerson Batista did his first hand as the opener going one and third innings when Milone entered the game at 0-0. 

The Mariners scored first with Daniel Vogelbach hitting a home run in the sixth inning. The Twins tied it in the seventh inning on a home run by Marwin Gonzalez. The Mariners scored five runs in the eighth inning in part by Shed Long's first major league home run with two runners on base. 

Milone and the bullpen couldn't hold the lead where the Twins scored three in the eighth and two more in the ninth to tie it. I was almost sure the Twins would win on a walk-off home run but fortunately, it didn't happen.

The Mariners scored three runs in the 10th. Dee Gordon started off having a double then Long walked. Dylan Moore was able to lay down a sacrifice bunt to move Gordon and Long along. Mallex Smith hit a grounder to Miguel Sano who tried to get Gordon at home but a wild throw scored Gordon and Long. The Mariners added another run making it 9-6 which turned out the final score.

Roenis Elias came in and took care of the Twins in fast order getting them on ten pitches.

Yusei Kikuchi will start the final game of the series Thursday at noon. The Mariners will see if they can sweep the Twins. This hasn't happened for some time. Whether they win or not they will go to Oakland with at least four wins. This is looking like a successful road trip which the Mariners really need. 

Blown Save

The Mariners haven't had the opportunity to have a save in the last three weeks or so; however, Tuesday the bullpen did blow one.

The Mariners scored first in the third inning when Edwin Encarnacion who has been really hot, hitting eight already in June hit a three-run homer to put the Mariners up 3-0. Encarnacion now has 21 home runs on the season.

The Minnesota Twins scored three runs in the fourth inning to tie the game including a two-run homer by second baseman Jonathan Schoop then catcher Jason Castro followed with a solo home run.

The Mariners scored a run in the fifth and seventh inning to put them ahead 5-3 going into the eighth inning. Brandon Brennan who has struggled as of late gave up a couple hits without getting an out. Austin Adams came in to relieve him. He gave up a hit and a wild pitch that allowed three runs, however, they were applied to Brennan though Adams was recorded with a blown save.  

The Mariners don't have many choices late in the game but Brennan anyway looks like he needs to have a break. Someone thought he should be sent down, however, he is a draft 5 pick the Mariners picked up the last off-season so can't be sent down. He would have to be offered back to his former club the Colorado Rockies. So I am sure the Mariners won't do so.  There is a possibility they could put him on the injured list though.

Tommy Milone is expected to start Wednesday night for the Mariners though there was thought they would have a reliever open the game like in his last start. With Austin Adams pitching last night I am sure the decision was changed. Thursday afternoon Yusei Kikuchi will start. He changes places Marco Gonzales who the Mariners decided to give an extra day off.

Shortstop JP Crawford is doing a rehab assignment at single-A Modesto. The thought is that he may be ready to be activated on Friday when the Mariners go to Oakland to take on the A's. Right now hard to say who could be sent down. It might be Shed Long so he can play every day in Tacoma.  This would put Dylan Moore back in the utility role. The Mariners could trade Tim Beckham if there are any takers out there. The Mariners likely wouldn't get much for him in return though. Most likely a low single-A player I expect. In the meantime, the Mariners hope to bounce back tonight against the Twins who are having an excellent season so far. Go M's.  

Mariners Take Series

It has been a while but the Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday 9-3 to take two out of three from the Angels  The last time the Mariners won a series was back on May 13 and 14 when they beat the Oakland A's in a two-game series. Before that, we have to go back to April 18 thru April 21 when the Mariners beat these Angels three out of four games again took place in Anaheim.

The Mariners had another long ball day hitting six home runs. It started off with catcher Tom Murphy hitting a two-run homer in the second inning. It was the first of two home runs that Murphy hit on Sunday. The Angels had a home run off of Wade LeBlanc in the third inning making it 2-1.

No scoring again happened until the sixth inning when Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer followed by Daniel Vogelbach massive home run making it back to back. Also, Encarnacion hit another home run in the seventh inning making it #400 on his career. The Mariners had a final home run in the ninth inning by Kyle Seager to conclude the scoring after the Angels scored a run on reliever Gerson Batista who made his second outing after being recalled from a rehab assignment.

Wade LeBlanc pitched another fine game going six innings giving up six hits, two runs, a walk, and struck out eight. He came in the second inning after Austin Adams pitched a scoreless first inning. Adams struck out two of the three batters he faced on sixteen pitches. 

The Mariners now have Monday off before playing three games in Minnesota and three more in Oakland before returning home. Dee Gordon is expected to come off the injured list and resume playing second base. The Mariners are expected to send down a reliever to Tacoma in his place.

In sad news, former Mariner farmhand and Boston great David Ortiz was shot in his native Dominican Republic on Sunday. The good news he is going to be OK. So give out your prayers to him.

Another Terrible Start

The Mariners continue having bad first innings and it happened again on Saturday. It started with two outs when Shohei Ohtani picked up an infield hit beating a throw from second baseman Shed Long. Albert Pujols hit a double over the head of Kyle Seager into left field. Catcher Kevan Smith hit a blooper into right-center to score Ohtani and Pujols. Smith ended up scoring because of an error. 

Ohtani had the best of his countryman Yusei Kikuchi who lasted only three and third innings. Besides the infield hit Ohtani had a home run off of Kikuchi which chased him. It was the third home run in a row off of Kikuchi as leadoff hitter La Stella and Mike Trout had home runs ahead of him. 

Kikuchi leaving the game in the fourth inning the Angels were leading 7-2. Kyle Seager hit a home run in the top of the second inning and the Mariners scored another run in the third inning. This again was another poor outing by Kikuchi not having his best stuff once again but can't put all the blame on him because of the errors.

Tayler Scott making his major league debut, being called up from Tacoma, the first South-African ever to pitch in the major leagues had tough going as well. He went two and two-thirds innings giving up three runs on four hits. Though it wasn't the debut he would have liked, he did strike out four angels and walked only one. His fastball reached the mid-90s. He did look like he could be a good reliever for the Mariners over time. Not sure whether he will stick around when Dee Gordon is expected to be activated on Tuesday from the injured list or not but I expect it won't be last we see of him either.

Jesse Biddle who the Mariners acquired a couple weeks ago from the Atlanta Braves didn't fare so well either. He went two innings giving up two runs on three hits including a two-run homer. 

We do hope things change around on Sunday. Wade LeBlanc is expected to pitch, however, he may not start the game and come in the second inning instead. Not sure who will start the game instead. Since the Mariners only had two relievers in Saturday's game it could be anyone. 

The final score ended up being 12-3. The game was closer than the score indicated that is for sure. The defense and pitching need to be better than it has been. It will continue to be a long season without changes. Probably will be since we will see trades happening before the deadline at the end of July. It will be interesting to see who stays well as those that leave. Go M's. 

Mariners Win Opener On New Road Trip

The Mariners lost a heart breaker on Thursday night to the Houston Astros on Thursday afternoon going 14 innings 8-7. Friday night they beat the Angels in Anaheim 6-2. They looked like the team in some ways that got off to the good start at the beginning of the season.  

We know the pitching will continue being a problem it was nice to see them do a fine job Friday night against the Angels and the offense do well as well. Marco Gonzales won his first game in more than a month. He struggled on the mound going 5 2/3 innings but he was able to get Mike Trout and Albert Pujols pretty effectively though Kole Calhoun hit a home run off of him; fortunately, it was without anyone on base which was good. 

The bullpen was able to keep the Angels at bay not giving up a run over three and third innings. Cory Gearrin finished off the sixth inning then followed by Austin Adams, Brandon Brennan, and Roenis Elias each throwing an inning. Elias had the most trouble walking two batters. He did throw a strike to get the last batter on a 3-2 pitch.

The Mariners scored five of their six runs by the long ball. Domingo Santana hit two solo home runs in the fifth and seventh innings. Also, catcher Tom Murphy hit the big blow hitting a home run with two runners on base.

Santana is looking more comfortable back in his old surroundings in right field. In fact, he had to wrestle a ball away from an Angel fan for an out. Mitch Haniger had to go on the injured list so at least for the next several weeks Santana will be in right field. 

With Haniger going on the injured list the Mariners have only the three outfielders. They will likely have to go with Beckham and Moore in the outfield if necessary. The Mariners brought up reliever Tayler Scott, a South-African from Tacoma to take Haniger's spot so the Mariners are going with 14 pitchers right now and 11 position players. We hope no more injuries will happen to the position players.  This is expected to go through this series only. The Mariners are hoping to activate Dee Gordon on Tuesday. He currently is on a rehab assignment with the Tacoma Rainiers. He made his first appearance with the Rainiers on Friday night going one for four. 

Tayler Scott when he makes his first appearance which may be Saturday according to manager Scott Servais will be the first South-African to pitch in the major leagues.

Ryon Healy had a setback in regards to his injury so not sure right now when he will start a rehab assignment. 

Yusei Kikuchi will be starting for the Mariners on Saturday after being given a break not starting when his turn came up last time. Having a couple poor performances the Mariners felt he needed a break. We hope to see old Kikuchi on the mound. Wade LeBlanc will start on Sunday after coming in the second inning on his last outing where he went the rest of the way giving up only one run. Unfortunately, the Mariners lost that game. 

The Mariners will have Monday off before playing the Twins in Minnesota for three games then onto Oakland for three next weekend. Go M's. 

Tough Loss For Mariners

The Seattle Mariners had a chance to win Thursday afternoon's game a couple time plus a couple times able to score runs with two outs to keep the game going. 

The game went into overtime where the Mariners lost in the 14th inning to the Houston Astros 8-7.  Reliever Austin Adams started the game, however, he gave up three runs in the first inning and able to get only two outs. Catcher Robison Chironis hit a two-run homer to help chase Adams. Tommy Milone who was originally planned to start the game ended up going 5 and 1/3 innings in the game. He gave up three hits and a run that came on a home run. 

Six relievers followed Milone with Brandon Brennan and Cory Gearrin the only ones not giving up a run in the game.

Justin Verlander went 6 1/3 innings and the Mariners were able to score three times against him. Also, in the 9th the Mariners were able to score a run off closer Roberto Osuna when Edwin Encarnacion hit a single to right field to tie the game to allow them to play extra innings. The Astros scored in the top of the 10th, however, Omar Narvaez hit a home run off Hector Rondon.

The last two relievers for the Astros struggled to get the ball over the plate. Josh James and Chris Devenski each walked three batters to load the bases but the Mariners were not able to score a single run. In the top of the 14th inning, the Astros were able to score a run off of reliever Matt Festa. Outfielder Myles Straw hit a ball to deep right field, however, Domingo Santana wasn't able to play the ball off the wall correctly so Straw who is very fast made a triple out of the play. Had Santana played it right it probably would have been a double. Straw scored on a sacrifice fly where had he been on second base would have gone from second to third on the play.

The Mariners had the bases loaded when Shed Long hit a fly ball to end the game. It was a 3-1 count. Had he taken the pitch likely he would have walked and the game would have been a tie with the Mariners still having a chance to win. 

Mitch Haniger was lifted from the game in the seventh inning. Whether he will miss some time will be forthcoming. Always tough when a team is struggling that injuries happen too.

Marco Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, and Wade LeBlanc are expected to start against the Angels in Anaheim over the weekend. We hope all three can have success after struggling recently. Gonzales hasn't won a game since April.  Kikuchi missed his last turn,  he had trouble in his last two starts and LeBlanc still trying to get things straighten out after being on the injured list. It would be nice if the Mariners could win at least of the three games in Anaheim.