9/15/23

Dodgers 6, Mariners 3

(Seattle, WA) With just two weeks and some change left in the regular season, every game is now magnified even more as the Seattle Mariners try to make the playoffs for the second consecutive season. A three-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers would be about as big of a test as a team could have in the MLB as the Dodgers are closing in on their 10th NL West title in the last 11 seasons. Seattle’s grip on a playoff spot would loosen as the Dodgers took one step closer to locking up their division title as the M’s could not keep up in the opener as they dropped the game 6-3.

A couple of rare early walks allowed by George Kirby was really all that the Dodgers could get in the early going. Seattle would have a baserunner in each of the first three innings but could not cash in. In the bottom of the 4th, the Mariners got a baserunner and cashed in on just one swing. With nobody on and one out, Eugenio Suarez would put the Mariners on the board. Geno pulled a breaking ball on the inner third out just between Edgar’s Cantina and the left field foul pole for a solo home run. The 21st home run of the season for Suarez gave Seattle a 1-0 lead.

It would be a short lived lead for the Mariners. A leadoff single in the top of the 5th for Jason Heyward seemed harmless enough for LA. Kirby would get Kiké Hernández to lineout to center and then struck out James Outman on three pitches for a quick two outs. That brought up the Dodgers #9 hitter and of course he would be the one to hurt Kirby. A fastball up and in out of the zone should have just been ball two but instead it was a two-run home run. Miguel Vargas tomahawked one just over the wall in left field for his fourth home run of the season. That shot woke up the Dodger bats as they had a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the 6th, the Dodgers started to get some breathing room. George Kirby hit Will Smith with one out to bring Max Muncy to the plate. Muncy would rip one down the right field line and all the way to the wall. Teoscar Hernandez bobbled the ball a bit and a terrible relay allowed Smith to score and Muncy to record his first triple of the season to make it 3-1. J.D. Martinez followed that with a base hit to center to score Muncy, making it 4-1 Dodgers.

Seattle had to answer before things got too out of hand. In the bottom of the 6th, Julio Rodriguez singled and Cal Raleigh walked as the first two batters reached for the Mariners. A wild pitch by Bobby Miller but moved Julio to third and Cal to second with nobody out. Teoscar Hernandez would extend his on-base streak to 29 games with a base hit to left field. That scored Julio to make it 4-2 with runners on the corners and nobody out. The Mariners would have to sacrifice the rally to get a second run as Eugenio Suarez hit into a 5-4-3 double play but did score Raleigh to make it 4-3 and ended both starters days. Seattle ended up leaving runners stranded on second and third so they remained behind by one.

After leaving the tying run stranded at third in the bottom of the 7th, the Mariner deficit grew. Gabe Speier hit Freddie Freeman to start the inning and on a Freeman stolen base, the throw to second sailed into center to move him up to third with nobody out. After big strikeouts of Will Smith and Max Muncy, Speier gave way to Matt Brash. The Canadian reliever could not get out of the jam as J.D. Martinez lined another knock into right field to make it 5-3. A solo home run for James Outman in the top of the 9th was the rookie’s 20th of the season and had Seattle down 6-3 with just three outs remaining.

Facing a flamethrower in Evan Phillips, it was not going to be easy for the Mariners. A leadoff single by Sam Haggerty was followed by a J.P. Crawford pop out and a Julio Rodriguez fielder’s choice. With J-Rod on first and two outs, Cal Raleigh kept the game alive with a single to left. That brought the tying run to the plate in Teoscar Hernandez. Teo just could not get the job done this time as he struck out swinging to end the ballgame. Missed opportunities hurt the Mariners again as they dropped game one to the Dodgers, 6-3.

With the Mariners (81-66) in the thick of the playoff race, we have to take a look around the league as well. Houston lost to Kansas City on Friday night and Texas was blown out by Cleveland. Toronto did earn a win over Boston which tightens the Wild Card race a bit. Seattle still sits behind Houston by 1 1/2 in the AL West and just one game behind Texas for the second Wild Card spot. The Mariners are still in a playoff spot as they sit half of a game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card. The west coast series will resume on Saturday at 6:40pm when a Mariner rookie takes on one of the best pitchers of a generation for the Los Angeles Dodgers (89-57). Bryce Miller (8-5, 4.05 ERA) will make the start for Seattle against the dangerous Dodger lineup. He had mixed results in two starts on the road trip in Cincinnati and Tampa Bay but the Mariners dropped both of his five inning outings. It won’t be easy for the bats either as Clayton Kershaw (12-4, 2.61 ERA) gets the start for Los Angeles. Kershaw is once again in the NL Cy Young mix which would be his fourth if he can win the award. The lefty is still working his way back from injury so he will not go too deep in the game.

Notable Performances

Dodgers

• J.D. Martinez- 2-4, 2 RBI
• Miguel Rojas- 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Bobby Miller (W, 10-3)- 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

Mariners

• Eugenio Suarez- 1-4, HR, RBI, R
• Teoscar Hernandez- 1-5, RBI
• George Kirby (L, 10-10)- 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

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