Seattle Mariners Takes: Week 5 – Not bad, but should have been better
Another week and a few more wins for the Seattle Mariners. Not as many as M’s fans hoped or wanted, but they are still in the thick of the A.L. West race.
The Seattle Mariners started this week with four straight losses before rebounding to take two of the following three games from Houston and LAA. Chris Phillips is back for this week’s Mariners Takes.
Wrong time for the oops
The Seattle Mariners played Houston well this week but had a short-circuit. They were in a position to split the series, and they absolutely would have. But then Evan White literally threw the game away. In the seventh inning Wednesday, the reigning American League Gold Glove first baseman made an errant throw on an inning-ending double play ball. The Astros took advantage, rallying for a 7-5, come-form-behind, win.
I felt bad for White. It was a throw he makes ninety-five times out of a hundred (maybe more). Unfortunately, not this time. Is Evan White the new era Doug Mientkiewicz? More on that in a future article.
Record Against Playoff Teams
If this seems like a weekly topic, it is! Nobody expects the Seattle Mariners to compete this year. Right now, the national media is not paying attention to them. That’s just fine with me. Flying under the radar is great. The National guys do their job well, but they don’t know the M’s.
How Seattle fares against playoff teams will go a long way to determining how successful they will be this year. So far, the Mariners should feel pretty good about facing any opponent. They’ve held their own against MLB’s”big boys.” After dropping three to Houston, the M’s are 7-8 against playoff teams.
Sam Haggerty
A great clip to watch is Sam Haggerty getting his first call up to the big leagues. I don’t know how that must feel, but I can imagine it’s pretty special. The utility man is the classic hardworking, “blue-collar” fan favorite. A quick bio on Haggerty says he can hit for average (not much pop), steal a few bases, and competently play almost every position.
He’s quickly taking playing time away from Dylan Moore and Taylor Trammell. I don’t mean that negatively. Haggerty is earning more playing time because he’s producing. Meanwhile, Moore is struggling, while Trammell is only slightly better. I’m all in favor of more Haggerty playing time. The kid works hard and plays with enthusiasm and intensity.
Jose Marmolejos vs. Evan White for First Base
In terms of offense, White was rushed to the majors and subsequently broken in the process. There is no doubt about his glovework. There will be more Gold Gloves in his future, provided he can play enough. His bat, though, is cause for serious concern. Consequently, someone who’s been better with the lumber (a low bar) is Jose Marmolejos.
| Hits/AB | R | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | K | E | AVG | |
| Evan White | 11/71 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 21 | 2 | .155 |
| Jose Marmolejos | 8/49 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 1 | .163 |
Not exactly what you were expecting? Suffice to say, if Marmolejos can hit while White is on the bereavement list, he might earn a timeshare at first base.
I say, Yusei
Yusei Kikuchi had a brilliant outing against the ‘Stros Friday. The Seattle Mariners lefty took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Carlos Correa hit a double. He left after the inning, allowing that one hit. Anthony Misiewicz and Kendall Graveman combined to allow Houston just one additional hit and lock up a 1-0 win.
Kikuchi is the Seattle Mariners big enigma. His stuff is good enough that he should have more outings close to this one. However, he continues to get hit hard in most games. Consequently, everyone wishes they know how to make him more consistent. Kikuchi has the potential to be a low-end #2 or high-end #3 starter in the Majors.
Where are they?
There is no update on the rookie call-up watch. However, Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert have to be getting close. If I had to guess who might get the call first, I’d go with Gilbert simply because the M’s need another starter. Only a month in, and a third of the season-opening rotation is on the IL. Big Ash James Paxton recently had successful Tommy John surgery while Marco Gonzales just went on is on the shelf for a few weeks with a left forearm strain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0IXC5ymq3A
What did you think of the Seattle Mariners performance during the week? Let us know in the comments section below or on social media.