9/5/24

Entering the final stretch of the season, the Seattle Mariners headed out on their second to last road trip that started with a couple division series against AL West foes in California. Three games with the Los Angeles Angels followed by four games with the Oakland Athletics gave Seattle the opening to try to make up some ground in both the AL West race with Houston and the AL Wild Card race. It would be a bumpy ride that saw the M’s lose a little bit of ground in both.

Mariners 9, Angels 5 (Game 1, August 30th)

Opening up the series in Anaheim on Apple TV+ the Mariners looked to snap a six-game losing streak to the Angels with George Kirby facing off against the debuting Samuel Aldegheri.

An early error by shortstop Zach Neto opened the door for the Mariners early. A line drive that should have got Aldegheri out of the inning without a run allowed turned into a two-run error that kept the inning alive for Seattle. A Mitch Garver two-run double broke the inning open as Seattle put up five in the first inning to grab the 5-0 lead before Kirby threw a pitch.

Los Angeles got two back in the 1st highlighted by a Taylor Ward leadoff home run. Seattle got those two runs back in the 4th on a two-run shot by Julio Rodríguez to make it 7-2. The Angels cut their deficit down to 7-5 after Mickey Moniak and Brandon Drury each homered and Drury drove in another run on a single. Seattle got insurance late with both Justin Turner and Victor Robles each driving in a run to make it 9-5. Troy Taylor shut down the Angels in the 9th to slam the door as Seattle took the opener 9-5.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Angels

• Brandon Drury- 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Mickey Moniak- 2-3, HR, RBI, R, BB
• Samuel Aldegheri (L, 0-1)- 5 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO

Angels 5, Mariners 4 (Game 2, August 31st)

The weekend started off with arguably Seattle’s most consistent pitcher taking the mound as Bryan Woo got the ball in game two. A brief former Mariner would take the hill for the Angels as lefty Tyler Anderson would face Seattle for the third time in 2024.

Justin Turners two solo shots in his first two at-bats were answered by Jo Adell who also hit two solo home runs. The difference early was Julio Rodríguez who had a two-run single as part of his three-hit day that had Seattle up 4-2. Bryan Woo was coasting along as he entered the 7th still below 60 pitches in the game. He would make a big mistake that completely changed the game. An 0-2 changeup to Mickey Moniak didn’t get down enough and Moniak crushed his 11th home run of the season to tie the game at 4-4 and turned it into the battle of the bullpens.

There were plenty of opportunities for the Mariners in the game but an abysmal 1-8 with runners in scoring position and 12 runners left on base turned those opportunities to a waste. Seattle would leave runners stranded at second and third to end the 9th and gave the Angels a chance to walk it off. Dan Wilson would put in his closer as Andrés Muñoz looked to get the game to extras. After retiring Anthony Rendon and Logan O’Hoppe, Muñoz would have one last hurdle to clear in Mickey Moniak. Once again, Moniak clobbered another pitch this time to end it. His second home run of the season would walk it off as the Halos came back to crush the Mariners hopes, 5-4.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Angels

• Mickey Moniak- 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
• Jo Adell- 2-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Tyler Anderson (ND)- 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO

Angels 3, Mariners 2 (Game 3, September 1st)

A pitchers duel between Bryce Miller and the debuting top prospect of the Angels, Caden Dana would wrap up the series and decide which team would take the final series of the season between the two teams.

Early solo shots for Taylor Ward and Luke Raley got each team on the board early with a 1-1 score. Seattle capitalized on a Josh Rojas double in the 3rd as he moved up on a groundout before a sacrifice fly for Victor Robles brought him in to give Seattle a 2-1 lead. In the 5th, runners were on second and third for the Angels with two outs for Anthony Rendon. He sent a screaming liner that just clipped off the glove of a diving Leo Rivas at short. Both Taylor Ward and Zach Neto scored to put the Angels back out in front at 3-2.

Seattle would put runners on first and second in the 8th but couldn’t do anything with it. That meant that they would have to tie the game against flamethrower Ben Joyce. Luke Raley would single to begin the inning and gave the Mariners some life. A double play would kill that momentum as J.P. Crawford couldn’t keep the fire alive. Josh Rojas went down swinging for the final out as Seattle dropped one last series to the Angels, dropping the finale 3-2.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Angels

• Taylor Ward- 2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R
• Anthony Rendon- 1-4, 2 RBI
• Caden Dana (W, 1-0)- 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 SO

Athletics 5, Mariners 4 (Game 1, September 2nd)

After a massive letdown in the series with the Angels, Seattle looked to bounce back quickly on Labor Day to open up the series in Oakland. The four-game series would be the final trip to Oakland for the Mariners as the A’s will move to Sacramento beginning next season while their new stadium in Las Vegas is built. Logan Gilbert started the series for the Mariners as he faced off against a red-hot Athletics lineup and starter Osvaldo Bido.

A quick two-run homer was Cal Raleigh’s 28th home run of the season and put the Mariners up 2-0 in the 1st inning. Julio Rodríguez added a sacrifice fly to drive in Victor Robles and extended the lead to 3-0. One bad inning for Logan Gilbert erased the lead and put Seattle in a hole. Brent Rooker got the scoring started with an RBI double to make it 3-1. Shea Langeliers then dealt a huge blow with a two-out, three-run bomb on a hanging slider from Gilbert. Langeliers 24th home run of the season had Oakland in front for the first time 4-3.

Justin Turner evened things back up in the 6th with an RBI single to tie it up at 4-4 and get Logan Gilbert off the hook. Gilbert had another solid day going six innings and allowing four runs on four hits with one walk and nine strikeouts. Dylan Moore would get thrown out trying to steal third in the 8th and that seemed to be the Mariners last gasp. The game went into the bottom of the 9th still tied with Austin Voth entering to pitch. With a full count against Shea Langeliers, Voth ran a sweeper just over the inside corner, but it hung belt-high. Langeliers launched his second home run of the game to walk-off the Mariners for the second time on the road trip as the A’s took game one, 5-4.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Athletics

• Shea Langeliers- 2-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, R
• Brent Rooker- 1-4, 2B, RBI, R
• Osvaldo Bido (ND)- 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO

Athletics 3, Mariners 2 (Game 2, September 3rd)

After another heartbreaking loss on Labor Day would need to be quickly erased as Seattle looked to even up the series. Luis Castillo would need to be a stopper for the M’s as he battled J.T. Ginn for Oakland.

Cal Raleigh would once again get the scoring started in the 1st. A two-run double brought home J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodríguez to put Seattle out in front, 2-0. Lawrence Butler would answer with his 21st home run of the year to leadoff the bottom of the 1st, making it 2-1. Luis Castillo would give up another run on a Seth Brown homer in the bottom of the 4th, but outside of that he was terrific. La Piedra went seven strong innings and allowed just two runs on four hits with one walk and five strikeouts. It was a quality start that the Mariners needed to give their bats a chance.

Unfortunately, the bats could not come alive. Seattle mustered just five hits against J.T. Ginn in his six innings of work and three of those hits came in the two-run first inning. Seattle tried to play small ball in the 7th but it didn’t work out. A strike him out, throw him out double play would end the top of the 9th as Justin Turner and Randy Arozarena both thought that Turner had drawn a walk but the umpire said Turner swung at the pitch and the door was open for another walk-off defeat. Trent Thornton issued a one-out walk to JJ Bleday before a Shea Langeliers single put the winning run in scoring position. Seth Brown would then get his third hit of the game with a single to center to score Bleday and walk-off the Mariners again. Seattle had dropped their fourth straight game with three of them coming via the walk off as the M’s dropped game two to the A’s, 3-2.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Athletics

• Seth Brown- 3-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Lawrence Butler- 1-4, HR, RBI, R
• J.T. Ginn (ND)- 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO

Mariners 16, Athletics 3 (Game 3, September 4th)

Lots of frustration would be released by the Mariners in game three as George Kirby would lead the charge against JP Sears.

For the first time in the series, Oakland would get on the board first on a 1st inning RBI single for Brent Rooker. Mitch Garver would be the unlikely hero as he drove in the next three runs of the game with a two-run double in the 2nd and an RBI single in the 4th. Luis Urías drove in Garver with a double before scoring on a Dylan Moore single as the Mariners opened up a 5-1 lead. JJ Bleday gave the A’s some life with an RBI double in the bottom of the 6th, making it 5-2 as both starters exited the game after six innings pitched.

In the 7th, Seattle turned it into a laugher. Luis Urías started the big inning with his fourth home run of the season and things snowballed after that. Five different Mariners collected at least one RBI in the 7th as they sent 12 batters to the plate that included a stretch of eight consecutive Mariners reaching base. with a 12-2 lead, Seattle would not coast from there. After Oakland scored a run in the bottom of the 7th, Seattle added four more runs in the 8th with Victor Robles driving in two while Garver and Urías each drove in one more. The game came to a merciful end for the A’s as Seattle exploded for a season high in runs scored, blowing out the A’s 16-3 while ending their four-game losing streak.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Athletics

• Brent Rooker- 2-3, RBI, R
• JJ Bleday- 1-3, 2B, RBI
• JP Sears (L, 11-10)- 6 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

Mariners 6, Athletics 4 (Game 4, September 5th)

For the final time ever, the Seattle Mariners took the field in the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday as the M’s tried to earn a split of the four-game series with the A’s. The Northern California native Bryan Woo would get the start in the finale against Joey Estes who had allowed just three hits in 11 1/3 innings against the Mariners this season.

Cal Raleigh continued his 1st inning dominance in this one. Raleigh drove his 29th homer of the season to the second-deck in right field to put the Mariners up 2-0. Raleigh drove in six runs in the 1st inning in the series, but Seattle would actually build off of it this time around. Julio Rodríguez added his 14th home run of the season in the 3rd to make it 3-0. Both teams got sacrifice flies shortly after to make the score 4-1. Brent Rooker dealt the final blow to the starting pitchers with his 34th home run of the season as the M’s lead was cut to 4-2 before things got very interesting in the 9th.

Julio Rodríguez drew a walk to begin the 9th against Tyler Ferguson. Following a Cal Raleigh strikeout, Luke Raley continued his sneaky strong stretch at the plate by sending a fastball on the outside corner to straightaway center field for his 18th home run of the season, making it 6-2. Those insurance runs turned out to be very important. Andrés Muñoz got two quick outs in the bottom of the 9th by striking out Tristan Gray on three pitches and getting Jacob Wilson to lineout to Julio on one pitch. The game stayed alive as Lawrence Butler walked before Rooker made things very tight. Rooker sent his second homer of the game and 35th of the season to center to make it 6-4. Luckily, Mariner fans didn’t have to sweat too much as Muñoz struck out JJ Bleday for the final out. In the final meeting in the Oakland Coliseum between the M’s and A’s, it would be Seattle coming out on top with the 6-4 win.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Athletics

• Brent Rooker- 2-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R
• Seth Brown- 2-3, RBI
• Joey Estes (L, 6-7)- 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO

What’s Next

Only 21 games remain for the Seattle Mariners (71-70) as they try to fight into the playoffs after narrowly missing last season. It is a very tough uphill climb for the M’s who face a 4 1/2 game deficit in the AL West after Houston lost two of three to Cincinnati. In the Wild Card, the Mariners are 5 1/2 games behind Minnesota who split four games with Tampa Bay and five games behind Kansas City who avoided being swept by Cleveland to snap a seven-game losing streak. This weekend, Houston will host the Arizona Diamondbacks for three while Kansas City visits Minnesota in a massive three-game series.

For Seattle, they will head to St. Louis for three-games against the Cardinals. St. Louis (71-69) also sits five games out of a playoff spot in the NL Wild Card but the Red Birds haven’t lost a series since dropping two of three to the Dodgers on August 16th-18th. St. Louis has been on a wild ride this season with some inconsistencies costing them. At times, St. Louis has looked like a legit playoff threat in the National League while other times they have looked like the worst team in the NL Central. Seattle will get them at a tricky time as the Cardinals just ended a six-game road trip in which they took two out of three from both the Yankees and Brewers.

No singular player really stands out for St. Louis, but the one guy that the M’s don’t want to see is closer Ryan Helsley. Currently leading all of baseball in saves with 42, Helsley has had some tough outings but is a very tough closer to get any sort of offense against. After blowing a save in his season debut, Helsley rattled off 31 saves without another blown save from April to the beginning of July. While he is not as much of a strikeout pitcher as many closers in today’s era, Helsley generates a lot of soft contact and won’t give into hitters if the lead is more than a run. With one of the best bullpens in terms of ERA in the sport, St. Louis can shutdown teams late. Seattle must take advantage of a bumpy rotation in what has turned into a must-win series for the Mariners to end the 10-game road trip.

• Game 1, Friday 5:15pm- Bryce Miller (10-8, 3.30 ERA) vs. Erick Fedde (8-8, 3.43 ERA)
• Game 2, Saturday 4:15pm- Logan Gilbert (7-10, 3.19 ERA) vs. Kyle Gibson (8-6, 4.39 ERA)
• Game 3, Sunday 11:15am- Luis Castillo (11-12, 3.60 ERA) vs. Miles Mikolas (8-10, 5.27 ERA)

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