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.