Eugenio Suarez, Seattle Mariners.
Most Seattle Mariners fans have been lamenting the team’s recent losing skid, as they should. The ghost of “No Playoffs Past” was surely coming to strike the Emerald City again, right?
Julio Rodriguez went on the injured list with a bad back. Eugenio Suarez also got hurt, and poof, there goes the offense. Combine that with the bullpen’s epic meltdown in Kansas City, when they gave up 11 runs in one inning to blow an 11-2 lead, and there’s a major cause for concern.
Maybe the bullpen needed a bit of a reset. Maybe catcher Cal Raleigh needed a breather as well. Ty France seems to be getting his swing back just in time, while Carlos Santana has come through time and again with clutch hits. Jesse Winker, while not hitting all that much nor playing defense as well as the team would, is still getting on base. He ranks third in the American League in walks.
The Seattle Mariners starting pitching has been “lights out” most of the year. The unit avoided serious injuries and prolonged slumps. Even their perceived weak link, Marco Gonzalez, was Seattle’s best pitcher just two years ago.
Playoff rotations usually get cut down to four or sometimes three starters, depending on off days. Look for Gonzalez to move to the pen and be a much-needed lefty and long relief option.
Suarez is already back. J-Rod should be back Monday for the M’s season-ending four-game series with Detroit. Those last four games should help him get back into a groove.
It had to be a big mental boost for Rodriguez when he was named Baseball America’s Rookie of the year this week. Hopefully, he can ride the wave of momentum to a great postseason.
Also, the addition of Kelenic to the roster this month has been a shot in the arm for the team. The Mariners hope he can stay hot when they get to the “REAL SHOW.”
Last week was cause for some nail-biting, as the Mariners sank to 5-9 after September 13th. Baltimore was creeping up on the M’s, making fans nervous. Would the Seattle Mariners choke down the stretch? Are they too young yet to win these close games at crunch time?
One thing that should reassure the faithful is that Seattle seemed to play up to or down to their competition. Another indication of a young team. On the bright side, there are no more bad teams to face in the playoffs.
Get ready for the Seattle Mariners starting pitchers to strut their stuff. Newly acquired staff Ace Luis Castillo just signed a 5-6 year contract extension for $105M+.
During his press conference, Castillo said he loved the Mariners locker room environment and the camaraderie. He loved the electricity in the stadium. The frenzy will only increase in the playoffs, assuming there are any home games.
Adding Castillo to the mix with Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, and George Kirby, the Mariners’ staff is as good as any other team. If the M’s get to the sixth or seventh innings with a lead, their bullpen is no picnic to face either. With Matt Brash and Andres Munoz setting up Paul Sewald, the game gets shortened quickly.
Also, if the hitters get going and can score just 4-5 runs a night, the Seattle Mariners will be awfully hard to beat come playoff time. Now that the team is generally healthy, that’s very doable.
Part of me wants to say this reminds me of the 2012 Seahawks season. Their playoff run ended in Atlanta, but it felt like the best was yet to come, and the team had unfinished business. The following year they destroyed the league and won the Super Bowl.
Should the Seattle Mariners get bounced this year, it won’t be the end of the world. Beware of the M’s next year and for the foreseeable future. Most of their important players are signed for at least another four years.
As we enter the final week of the regular season, the Mariners “magic” number is down to just one game. So it seems almost inevitable that they will finally break the 21-year playoff drought. Was the recent slide a bad thing? Or did the M’s get their slump out of the way at the right time?
Seattle Mariners fans, enjoy the run you are about to begin. Those of us who have been fans for 30+ years know these moments don’t come as often as we would like. This might be the wildest ride yet. GO MARINERS!!!!!