More Intersquad Games

As the Mariners get ready for season

opener on July 24 against the Astros

in Houston they will have an intersquad

game every day this week except Friday.

Taijuan Walker is expected to start

Monday's game. He is excited since

he is ready to go for the season.

The Mariners will have the players 

who stay back on the taxi squad

playing four intersquad games a 

week when the season begins down

in Tacoma.

This will be an important week for

the players to give to make the 30-man

roster beginning the season.

It looks like the Mariners will have

17 pitchers to begin with along with

13 position players.

As the seasons moves along with the

pitchers getting enough innings and

the rosters are shortened they will have

less pitchers on the roster.

The Mariners likely will stick with 13

position players all the way through even

when getting down to a 26 roster in a 

month.

So they will have four reserve players 

coming off the bench including backup

catcher Austin Nola.

Mariners Ready To Go?

During the radio broadcast Friday of the 

first intersquad game manager Scott

Servais said the players look like

they are ready to go.

Kyle Lewis certainly looks to be ready

for sure as I had mentioned in another

post. On Friday he hit two more home runs.

Lewis first home run was in the first inning

right after JP Crawford hit one out.

I am not sure what the final score was.

They played six innings though things

didn't look like a regular game.

Every half inning the teams would add

an extra out. They either put a player

on second base or third base. They would

work on a pickoff move or getting the

runner at home.

The intersquad games are being show

on twitter as well or the Mariners

YouTube channel. So for those out of

the state or country you have the chance

to see them anyway.

Other local sports the PAC-10 announced

they won't have any non-conference games

in the fall. This was after the Big Ten announced

the same thing.

The Washington Huskies first game was

supposed to be against Michigan so that

game will be postponed to another year.

The game wouldn't have been played 

anyway since the Big Ten announced

their intentions first.

So the Huskies first game if played in

the fall will be against the Oregon Ducks

on the road on October 3

The Huskies and the PAC-12 might still

move their football season to next spring.

Two Weeks Until Opening Day

This week the Seattle Mariners got into

the swing of summer camp or known as

spring training 2.0. 

So far the Mariners have one player on 

the sixty man roster we know of that has

the virus. According to manager Scott

Servais there is probably at least a couple

more as well. We don't have the names

of the players.

It looks as though the players expected

to make the thirty man roster when

opening season begins not one has

the virus as of yet.

Friday begins intersquad games. This

first game will be on the Mariners radio

network. Let you know to at least at this

time the radio announcers will not be

making trips on the road. They will do

the games like were done years ago.

I expect the TV guys will make the trips

however, they could do the game from

home as well.

Taijuan Walker says he is already set

to pitch when the season begins. He is

ready to go since he has only pitched

in one game in the last two years because

of injuries. 

It will be interesting whether we will see

the old Taijuan Walker when he was last

in Seattle or a new Walker. Let you know

he is still young enough to have a good 

career whether in Seattle or not  for the

long term.

The Seattle Mariners have a stock of a 

lot of talented starters wanting to make

their turn in the rotation so the chances

are good he will be traded at some point

if he is looking healthy. 

Young Players Getting At Bats

Besides the young players like Evan White and Kyle Lewis

are getting their at bats at summer camp so are the Mariner

prospects of the future.

Jarred Kelenic has at least one home run so far and Julio

Rodriguez has gotten in his swings as well.

Though we likely won't see Kelenic or Rodriguez in a

Mariner uniform this year at least they are now able to

get in some swings and against major league pitchers

even though they won't be the ones they face in the

future.

Mariners baseball season will start in 15 days from now

against the Houston Astros down in Texas. The pandemic

is still soring there, however, the Mariner players will be

protected as best as possible. 

Though we won't be able to go to games we will at

least see baseball on television. 

Kyle Lewis Hot At Plate

Wednesday morning outfielder Kyle Lewis hit 

a home run off of Austin Adams on the first

pitch. It was Adams first appearance since

end of last September when he had to leave

of injury.

Adams wasn't expected to pitch until now 

anyway so for him starting the season at

this point is OK.

Lewis on the other hand has hit at least

two home runs so far. We will see how

he does when intersquad games start

happening. He looks like he is in season

form so far.

I would say don't go overboard Lewis

we want to see you hit well during the

season. Lewis struck out in his first at

bat so I say he wanted to make up for it.

Jake Fraley was hit in the head on Tuesday

having to leave the game. He is going to be

Ok without a concussion.

Still looks to be Fraley, Mallex Smith and

Lewis in the outfield.  Whether Fraley is

in right field or Lewis not sure right now.

They both can play either spot.

Fraley may play center field on occasion

depending on whether Braden Bishop

makes the 30-man roster coming out of

camp or not. 

Bishop being hurt the last couple years

it has been hard for him to hit major

league pitching but he hopes it is over

now.

We do know he is the best defensive

center fielder the Mariners have so be

good for him to do some hitting when

he starts while at the same time coming

late into games.

Bishop is a right-handed hitter so he

may start in either Fraley or Smith's 

spots against lefties on occasion. I am

sure the Mariners will have both in

against some lefties.

Tim Lopes on the other hand will 

dh some against lefties at DH in

place of Daniel Vogelbach.

Until next time let you know you can

the Mariners on Youtube, Facebook,

Twitter or Twitch if you like seeing

the practices. Go M's. 

Seahawk Wednesday

This week we look at the cornerbacks.

Shaquill Griffin and Tre Flowers are the

Seahawks starting cornerbacks. Griffin

was a pro bowl last season. The Seahawks

are hoping Flowers will step up next.

During the off-season the Seahawks 

acquired. Quinton Dunbar from Washington

for a fifth round pick. He could compete

against Flowers along with being the

nickel back,

Neiko Thorpe is an extra corner, however,

he is the Seahawks captain on special teams.

Other players competing for playing time

are Brian Allen, Gavin Heslop, Ryan Neal,

Debione Renfro, Kemah Silverand, and Linden

Stephens, 

Most likely they will be competing for two

spots on the Seahawk roster.

Next week we will be going to the offense.

We will start with the quarterback position.

Major League Baseball Schedule

Monday afternoon the major league schedule

came out  where the Mariners start play on

July 24.

The Mariners start the season on the road at

Houston followed by Los Angeles Angels

before coming home. 

The Mariners first home game is against

the Oakland A's on July 31 for four games

followed by the Angels and the Colorado

Rockies.

The schedule is lopsided with the Mariners

playing seven of the ten games at Houston

and Los Angeles. The same goes the other

way where they play the A's and Rangers

seven games at home. Doesn't that seem

a bit unfair.

The three games on the road against the

Oakland A's ends the season on September

25-27. It might be a  meaningless series

depending on how both teams fared out.

The teams will have to deal with it along

with everything else.