Mariners Blow Big Lead

The Mariners looked like they

would win early but it wasn' t 

meant to be.

The Mariners scored two runs 

in the first inning on a home run

by Eugenio.Suarez his first of

the season. The Mariners scored

five innings in the top of the  second.

The Cubs scored  a run in the

second but the third went wild where

they scored eight runs. 

The Mariners should have lifted Flexen

after four runs and the bases loaded

instead gave up a grand slam home run.

The Mariners still had a chance but the bullpen gave up five runs. 

Final  Cubs 14 Mariners 9

Wednesday will be day game. 

Logan Gilbert expected to start

Mariners Lose In Extra Innings Again

The Seattle  Mariners  lost to the Chicago 

Cubs in ten innings 3-2.

Luis Castillo pitched  well going six innings.

The Mariners  scored first with a run in

the top of the 4th. The Cubs scored twice

in the bottom  of  the 4th.

Jarred Kelenic  was the player of the game 

for the Mariners, pinch hitting  for AJ Pollock. 

He hit a solo home run  to tie the game in

the 9th letting the game into extra  innings. 

Matt Brash  pitched the 10th inning. It looked 

like he was going to  try to pick off the runner

at second who went to third and Brash  wasn't 

able to catch the runner. The throw was errant.

The runner didn't  go further  on that play. He 

scored on a single.

The main reason the Cubs won was because 

Castillo  and  Brash  had trouble holding  runners.

Flexen starts Tuesday. He will need to do better 

or the Cubs will look at running more.

Kolten  Wong  who didn't start at second did

come in for Haggerty and had a couple hits

including an infield  hit. We have to  see whether 

he gets out of his slump. Go M's. 

George Kirby Not Enough

George Kirby went six innings giving

up one run. Again he didn't walk a

batter but threw 96 pitches. As the 

season goes on we should see Kirby

go seven innings regularly. 

The trouble in this game the offense 

didn't do enough and the bullpen wasn't

what it has been. The Mariners made a

couple moves in the bullpen. 

The Mariners brought up relievers  Justin

Topa and JB Bukauskas from Tacoma.

Tops pitched the 10th without giving

up a run though he walked a couple

batters. 

The Mariners looked like they had

a good chance in winning the game

going into the bottom of the 9th. They scored a run in the top of the inning. 

The trouble Matt Brash gave up a  couple 

runs in the bottom to have the game

go extra innings.

Bukauskas gave up two runs in the 11th

after the Mariners had scored two themselves. Another chance two win 

the game. 

Penn Murfee came in the 12th after

the Mariners scored a run. With a 

runner on second and first. The Mariners

walked Jose Ramirez which made sense.

The trouble Murfee tried to pick.off

the runner off at second but the ball 

sailed into center field. Both runners

ended up scoring and there was the

ball game.

Murfee has pitched in.three straight

games so I wouldn't be surprised

the Mariners make a move before

facing the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

The Tacoma Rainier's game was postponed

on Sunday because of rain. The pitcher

is probably on the way to Chicago right

now. 

What did the Mariners do with adding

the two relievers on Sunday. Matt Festa

was optioned to Tacoma and Andre Munoz

went on the 15 day injured list. I thought

the injured list was ten days but they must

have changed it again unless there is an

option of either ten or fifteen days.

The Mariners say Munoz just needs rest.

I expect Matt Brash likely will pitch

in the spot of Munoz. Certainly looked

like what happened Sunday.

Luis Castillo starts Monday in Chicago.

A good way to start the series. Oh yes the

final score Sunday Cle 7 Sea 6. The Mariners are now 4-6.

The starting rotation of the Mariners

should win three out of five for the

most part on the season. Have to

figure Castillo will win most of his

starts. Flexen in for Robbie Ray

until his return could go either 

way. I expect Ray will win more

than he loses when he gets back.

Logan Gilbert and George Kirby

should win depending on the offense.

Marco Gonzales I expect will lose

more often than he wins. Though

he is in the 4th spot he is considered

the 5th starter. The question is how

long can he go and how many runs

scored against him and how many

runs the Mariners can score for him.

Marco could be in the rotation until

May, June or July. I expect one of

the Mariners pitching prospects will

take his spot. A lot will depend on

whether there is any more injuries

in the rotation. We could see Flexen 

and Marco in the bullpen later on.

They both be able to go multiple 

innings leaving the rest of the

relievers going one inning each.

The offense has their pluses and

minuses so far in the ten games.

The top of the batting order one through

four Julio, Ty France, Eugenio Suarez

and Cal Raleigh have done their job.

Five through eight although Kelenic

is doing fine though a bit inconsistent.

Teoscar Hernandez got off to a terrible

start is starting to climb out of it. Pollock

hard to judge since he has played limited

time. 

Outside of Cal Raleigh when he has dh

the rest of the guys haven't hit. Second baseman Kolten Wong has played solid

defense but hasn't hit. Hopefully he turns

things around but a disappointment for

sure.  Tom Murphy and Sam Haggerty 

have been disappointments at the plate

to. Murphy has one hit in 14 at bats for

.071 and Haggerty at .167. Both are

supposed to be good against lefties. 

Murphy will either give Raleigh a day 

off once or twice a week behind the

while dh on occasion. Haggerty is

platooning at second with Wong. His

value to is his place on the bases if

he can get there. 

Cooper Hummel who has been at

dh for most of his at  bats is hitting

.091 and Tommy La Stella is hitting

.111. Between the two they have

two hits. Unless there is an injury

or when Dylan Moore returns the

Mariners may not make a move

until May or for a couple more

weeks.

JP Crawford has had his moments

but after Sunday he is hitting .212

in the ninth spot of the order. If he

can get at least one hit or a walk 

in a game it helps with Julio coming

to come to the plate. Since the 7th

or 8th hitters are not producing makes

it hard on Crawford and Julio. 

I see Hernandez starting to do something

but the rest of the guys in the bottom

of the order need to produce something.

Brian O'Keefe  is producing at catcher

and dh for the Tacoma at .444 average 

and four home runs. If Hummell continues

to struggle I could see him come up and

be in the mix at catcher and dh. He bats

right handed so could hit against lefties.

Mike Ford is another who is hitting well

with Tacoma but his other tries with

the Mariners has done well. If La Stella

continues not to hit Ford could be given

a chance. We will see how they do.against

the Cubs. Mariners signed veteran infielder

Cesar Hernandez at the end of training

and is in Tacoma. Depending on Dylan Moore we could see him up to.

He is a switch hitting second baseman

for the most part.  Go M's.

Mariners Look Like We Are Familiar With

The Seattle Mariners beat Cleveland

3-2. Yes a one run game.

The Mariners had opportunity to score

a lot early with bases loaded but were

only able to score two runs in the first 

inning. One key hit would have gotten

at least two more runs. The third one 

came in.the second inning.

Marco was going along fine until the sixth

inning. He left with two outs and two runners on base.  The bullpen did a fine

job especially be a tight game. Paul Sewald pitched the ninth inning and received 

the save.

George Kirby pitches Sunday. The Mariners

will serif they can sweep the Guardians

and have a record of 5-5.The Mariners

are in.third place. The Angels lead with

5-3 record and Rangers at 4-4. 

. 

Logan Gilbert Goes Four

Friday afternoon's game in Cleveland

the Mariners won 5-3.

Logan Gilbert only lasted four innings 

with a lack of velocity. A little warning

Logan might not be healthy.

Right now it doesn't look like he will

miss his next start in Chicago against

the Cubs. He gave up a run in the first,

third and fourth innings. He threw 81 

pitches by the Mariners figured he

shouldn't go another inning. The Mariners

were down 3-0 when he was lifted.

The Mariners scored two runs  in the fifth

and three in the sixth. JP Crawford had

a couple hits batting ninth. He drove in

two runs and hit a double. He was on base

when Julio hit a home run putting the Mariners.

Kolten Wong has been put down in the

lineup with struggling so far on the season.

The Mariners production has come from

the top four in the lineup. Julio is batting

.286, while France now second in lineup

is .333, Eugenio Suarez at .344 and Cal Raleigh at .280. Kelenic has raised his

average to .211. Crawford is now at .269.

The Mariners still not getting much

production out of dh.  Wonder any changes.

The Mariners face right handers against

the Guardians so won't see a lot Haggerty

or Pollock. Depending on the match ups

we will see them in one of the two remaining games. Kelenic should be in

left in all three games but Pollock could

see at dh either Saturday or Sunday.

Seattle Kraken

Thursday  night the Seattle  Kraken  

beat the Arizona Coyotes  4-2.

Haven't  mentioned  the Kraken often

however they clinched a spot in the

playoffs for the first time.

How far the Kraken  go in the playoffs 

we don't  know  but it is a historical 

achievement  for the team. Whether 

you watch a lot of games or not it

would idea to see them play in the 

playoffs. 

The Kraken  are in fourth place 

in the Pacific  division.  They are

four points behind the LA Kings.

The Kings have three games remaining 

on the season while the Kraken has

four. The Kraken  still could  finish 

in third place but would likely win

all four games or at least three depending 

on how the Kings do. Whatever happens 

it is a success.

The Seattle Mariners  are in Cleveland 

taking on the Guardians in a three game

series. Logan Gilbert is on mound for

the Mariners.  We hope the Mariners  

offense will come alive. GO M'S 

Angels Take Series In Seattle

I am sure most of us figure the Angels

would win the final game of the series

with Ohtani pitching  A lot of fans 

watched Ohtani warming up in the

bullpen before the game. I hope a good sign so the Mariners can sign him 

after the season. Before the first

game on Monday he gave honor

to Ichiro as well. Be nice a good sign.

The Mariners though need to make

the playoffs to be a contender to

sign him.

Ohtani didn't have his best performance

with four walks and two hit batters. The

Mariners were not able to take advantage

with only three hits and scoring only

once in six innings. Ohtani did strike out

eight Mariners. The Mariners need to do

the little things to score runs and not

make mistakes.

The Mariners scored two runs in the

seventh making it the score Angels 4 

Mariners 3. Unfortunately they were

unable to add on in the 8th or 9th

innings to at least tie the game.

Maybe on.the road the Mariners

will do better. No game on Thursday.

They play the Guardians in a three

game series in Cleveland on Friday.

It would be nice two take at least

two games.

Eugenio Suarez was the hitting star

for the Mariners with two hits and

driving in two runs. He did make a

mistake being an out in run down.

He did admit the mistake after the

game. Probably won't see him do

that again at least for a while.

Chris Flexen pitched well going five

innings. He made one mistake giving

up a home run to catcher Logan 

O'Hoppe. A no no since Logan bats

ninth and his second home run of the

season. Hopefully Flexen will go six

innings in.his next outing.

Diego Castillo gave up the other two runs

in the seventh inning. Castillo and Sewald

are two pitchers who have struggled 

coming out of the bullpen. The rest of

the guys are doing fine.

Announced Wednesday Noah Williams 

is using the transfer portal. The Huskies

now have seven players who are 

transferring. Still need to hear from

Keion Brooks Jr whether he is staying

or going.

The Huskies will need to bring in

at least two guards and a forward 

to have a competitive team. Right

now they have no real bench. I am

sure AD Jennifer Cohen didn't expect

this with Coach Hopkins coming

back for another year. After four

disappointing seasons Hopkins

has to turn around the ship to 

have a coaching job at Washington

beyond next season unless Cohen

expects to keep him around for

his final year of contract no matter 

what.