6/2/23
Rangers 2, Mariners 0
(Arlington, TX) The Seattle Mariners landed safely in Texas to start an eight-game road trip with three at the AL West leading Texas Rangers. The bad news was, the M’s apparently left their bats back in Seattle which started the road trip off on the wrong foot. Luis Castillo kept one of the best offenses in baseball at bay but wasn’t given any run support at all in his pitchers duel with Jon Gray as Seattle dropped the opener 2-0.
Both Castillo and Gray rolled thru the first three innings with zero issues at all. Seattle put the first threat together in the top of the 4th. After two quick strikeouts, Julio Rodriguez slapped a ball the other way into right field for a single. He would then steal his 11th base of the season and Jarred Kelenic joined him on base with a walk. Eugenio Suarez couldn’t come through for the M’s this time as the third baseman flew out to center field to kill the only real threat for the Mariners on the day.
After pitching around runners on second and third with only one out in the 5th, Luis Castillo couldn’t escape the bottom of the 6th unharmed. Singles by Marcus Semien and Corey Seager gave the Rangers runners on the corners with nobody out. Nathaniel Lowe then drove in the first run of the game with a flyout to mid left field to score Semien and move Seager to second with Texas out in front 1-0. Adolis Garcia built on the threat with an infield single but Seager stayed put at second. Seattle would catch a break off the bat of Josh Jung. The Rangers rookie hit a bullet up the middle right at Jose Caballero who would make the catch and then touch second base for the unassisted double play to get out of the inning with minimal damage allowed.
Both starters were done shortly after that as both went seven really great innings. For the Mariners, Luis Castillo continued to get back to his Cy Young worthy stuff as La Piedra only allowed five hits and one run on one walk with six strikeouts on the day. On the other side of the coin, Jon Gray absolutely dominated the month of May and started June on a high note as well. The veteran only gave up two hits in his seven shutout innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Only one run was scored off of the starters in this pitchers duel.
As if that one run wasn’t enough, Texas added on an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th. After a pinch hit single by Jonah Heim to begin the inning, he would move up on a passed ball with Corey Seager at the plate. Seager would send a line drive the other way down the left field line off of Matt Brash for Seager’s ninth double of the season which allowed Heim to score making it 2-0 Rangers. Seattle would be retired in order by closer Will Smith to put the Mariners down for the count giving Texas the 2-0 win.
Seattle (29-28) will try to wake up their bats in what has been a really rough week offensively for the Mariners in game two with Texas on Saturday at 1:05pm. We will see the MLB debut of Bryan Woo who replaces Marco Gonzales in the rotation due to some forearm issues with the lefty. Woo was named the Mariners developmental pitcher of the month for both April and May and will try to follow Bryce Miller’s footsteps in successful jumps from Double A to the majors. Things won’t get easier for the offense as they face Andrew Heaney for the Texas Rangers (36-20). Heaney (4-3, 3.76 ERA) did strikeout seven his first time out against Seattle but also gave up four runs in the M’s lone win against the Rangers this season.
Not So Fun Fact
- In the last 32 innings, the Mariners have scored a total of three runs. That is not good or fun but it is indeed a fact.
Notable Performances
Mariners
- Luis Castillo (L, 4-3)- 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO
- Julio Rodriguez- 1-4
- Mike Ford- 1-3
Rangers
- Jon Gray (W, 6-1)- 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO
- Corey Seager- 2-4, 2B, RBI
- Marcus Semien- 1-4, R, 21-game hitting streak
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