Seattle Mariners: 3 stars of Week 5 (April 25 – May 2)
Star #1: Yusei Kikuchi
7 innings, 1 hit, 7 strikeouts, and a win
The Seattle Mariners went 3-4 but struggled mightily to put up runs, averaging just 3 runs per game this week. In two of their three wins, the M’s had to shut out their opponent to get a win. Case in point, Yusei Kikuchi fired a gem against the Astros on Thursday. Featuring mid-90s heat, a fantastic cutter, and exceptional control, Kikuchi gave Mariners fans something to get excited about.
He took struck out Myles Straw, Jason Castro, and Jose Altuve in the 6th inning to take a no, no into the 7th. With one out in the inning, Carlos Correa laced a double by Dylan Moore, who appeared to take a bad track on the line drive to end the no-hit bid. Kikuchi finished the inning, then handed the game over to the bullpen combination of Misiewicz and Graveman (see above about their dominance on the season), which was as good as ensuring the victory.
Upcoming
This week the Seattle Mariners face Baltimore and Texas. Both teams feature better than expected offenses but atrocious starting pitching. The M’s bullpen will face a big test, especially if starters get hit hard. The good news is these teams are the cure for the Mariners’ offensive woes. Both are in the bottom quartile for nearly all starting pitching statistics. Seattle hitters should be able to tee off. I’d expect to see some offensive players in our #1 and #2 spots next week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqQ58ELxgN8
Joe Swenson is a lifelong Seattle Sports fan and author of Letter #3 and The Key as well as an award-winning playwright for “Right as Rain,” “Scraps,” and “Justin Thyme.” You can find some of his work at www.brokenartsentertainment.com