Mariners had stars, but were dimly lit in 0-6 Week 8
Star #1: Justin Dunn
Only Mariners’ starter not to earn a loss this week. 5 innings pitched, 1 earned run, 4 strikeouts. He also went 1-for-2 at the plate with an RBI.
Justin Dunn was efficient to start his outing on Sunday in San Diego. On four days’ rest, he raced through the first three innings with just 27 pitches. His lone blemish was a solo shot to Fernando Tatis Jr. No shame there; Tatis is second in the National League home run standings.
Dunn looked sharp early on with a good command of the strike zone. But then he started to lose control. It took him nearly 50 pitches to complete the fourth and the fifth innings combined.
With the no-decision, Dunn lowered his ERA to 3.40, which leads the Mariners. The sophomore still has control issues, but at points, he looks absolutely dominant.
Let’s not forget that Dunn also chipped in at the plate. He collected his first major league hit. Not just a hit, but it was a run-producing double. In a horrid week for the Mariners, his star shone brighter than anyone else’s star for sure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwJqtnjC3Ks
Joe Swenson is a lifelong Seattle Sports fan and is well versed in all things baseball. He has recently written a play called “Just Three More Outs” which will go into residency at a soon-to-be-published venue.