9/15/24

(Seattle, WA) Sixteen games remained for the Seattle Mariners as the Texas Rangers came to town over the weekend for a four-game series. Last year around this time, the Rangers would deal the final blows to the Mariners playoff chances while also putting themselves in the playoffs en route to a World Series title. With Texas clinging on for dear life to playoff hopes, the Mariners would look to deal some massive blows and knock the Rangers out of the playoff chase while continuing to fight their way into the postseason.

Rangers 5, Mariners 4 (Game 1, September 12th)

Opening up the series on Thursday night, Bryce Miller would look to continue his recent run of solid pitching for the Mariners as they faced yet another starting pitcher making his MLB debut. Kumar Rocker would finally make his pro debut after a controversial start to his pro career.

Seattle put some pressure on the rookie out of the gate with back-to-back singles by Victor Robles and Julio Rodríguez put runners on second and third after Julio stole second. A couple strikeouts for Rocker and a lineout by Raley helped the rookie off the hook. That would open the door for Texas to strike first. In the top of the 2nd, Josh Jung took Miller deep for his seventh home run of the season. The solo blast gave Texas a 1-0 lead.

Seattle missed out on another opportunity in the 3rd but got to Rocker in the bottom of the 4th. With the bases empty and one out, Justin Turner came to the plate in a veteran vs. rookie matchup. Turner took a couple of close two-strike pitches off the plate to run the count full before getting a fastball to hit. JT would take the heater out to center for a solo shot and his 10th home run of the season. The two teams traded the early homers and that would be all the starting pitchers allowed as the game was tied 1-1.

Texas went to their bullpen earlier than the Mariners as Gerson Garabito entered to pitch the bottom of the 5th. Another rookie pitcher and Seattle would be able to get to this one. After Garabito struck out the first batter he faced, he would load the bases, allowing a single to Victor Robles and walks to Julio and Cal Raleigh. Randy Arozarena came through with a base hit to center and let the speed do the rest. Robles and Rodríguez scored to make it 3-1. A wild pitch scored another run as the M’s extended their lead to 4-1.

Bryce Miller left the game after allowing one run on six hits in six innings with one walk and seven strikeouts. The bullpen would need the final nine outs but instead they would waste Miller’s strong start. Nathaniel Lowe welcomed Troy Taylor to the game with his 13th home run of the season to make it 4-2.

Texas used a huge 8th inning to crush the Mariners hopes. A one-out solo shot for Marcus Semien was his 21st home run of the season and made it 4-3. An error by Luke Raley allowed Josh Smith to reach and set the stage for the Rangers comeback. Wyatt Langford followed that error with his 22nd double to put runners on second and third. Adolis García tied the game with a groundout and put the go-ahead run on third with two outs. Tayler Saucedo entered the game to try to prevent that run from scoring but Nathaniel Lowe completed the comeback. Lowe shot a grounder off the glove of J.P. Crawford to score Wyatt Langford. The three-run 8th inning put Texas up 5-4.

Energy was very low after that as Kirby Yates entered for the 9th. He would get two quick outs on a groundout by J.P. Crawford and a strikeout by Josh Rojas. Victor Robles kept the game alive with a base hit but only extended it for another batter. J-Rod struck out swinging as he represented the winning run as the Mariners blew an important game. Texas pulled out the comeback win, 5-4.

Notable Performances

Rangers

Mariners

• Victor Robles- 3-3, R, BB, 2 SB
• Justin Turner- 1-4, HR, RBI, R
• Bryce Miller (ND)- 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO

Mariners 5, Rangers 4 (Game 2, September 13th)

After a massive letdown in the opener of the four-game series, Seattle had to quickly hit the refresh button and dial back in. It wouldn’t be easy as they would face Jacob deGrom in game two while Emerson Hancock got the start for the M’s in place of the injured Luis Castillo.

Texas jumped out early as they kept their momentum from the previous night rolling. The first two batters in the ballgame reached for Texas as Marcus Semien was hit by a pitch and Josh Smith singled to put runners on first and second. Hancock retired the next two Rangers but couldn’t completely escape the jam. Nathaniel Lowe sent a grounder just off the glove of Luke Raley at first and into right field for a base hit. Semien scored to give Texas a 1-0 lead while Smith moved up to third. Josh Jung then added onto the early opportunity with a single to right to make it 2-0 before deGrom ever took the mound.

The former Cy Young winner only went 3 2/3 for the Rangers before he gave way to the bullpen after his first action since 2022. Right after leaving, Texas added one more young off of the Mariners young right-hander. Leading off the top of the 5th, Wyatt Langford launched his 11th home run of the season out to left to make it 3-0. The Rangers added one more in the top of the 7th on a two-out RBI single by Nathaniel Lowe, making it 4-0 late in the game.

After Texas pulled off a comeback in the opener, Seattle would flip the script on them in game two. After Victor Robles was hit by a pitch, Julio Rodríguez drove his 15th double the other way to right to put runners on second and third with just one out. Cal Raleigh got the M’s on the board with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Robles and making it 4-1. Randy Arozarena would then clutch up with a two-out knock back up the middle and into center field. Julio scored to cut it down to just a 4-2 deficit.

Seattle completed the comeback in the bottom of the 8th. J.P. Crawford singled with one out in the home half of the 8th before Josh Rojas drew a walk to put the tying run on. Victor Robles flew out to right for the second out of the inning. That brought Julio Rodríguez to the plate in a big situation. One knock on Julio thus far into his pro career has been that he can’t come through in clutch situations. J-Rod silenced those doubters on this night. Julio clobbered a 419-foot bomb into the upper deck in left field for his 15th home run of the year. The three-run blast quickly turned things around as the Mariners had taken a 5-4 lead.

Andrés Muñoz entered in the top of the 9th looking to officially complete the comeback. Marcus Semien was his first victim as Muñoz struck him out to begin the inning. Next up was Josh Smith who flew out to Randy Arozarena in foul territory in left. Last up would be Wyatt Langford and he couldn’t do anything either. A fly ball to Victor Robles would put an end to the game as Seattle finished off a dramatic comeback win to take game two, 5-4.

Notable Performances

Rangers

Mariners

• Julio Rodríguez- 4-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Luke Raley- 2-2, 2B, SB
• Emerson Hancock (ND)- 5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO

Mariners 5, Rangers 4 (Game 3, September 14th)

After one heart pounding game the night before, there would be yet another in game three. One of the games best young pitchers would take on one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game as Logan Gilbert went toe-to-toe with Max Scherzer.

Mad Max would struggle with his command early in this one. In the bottom of the 2nd after a one-out single by Justin Turner, Jorge Polanco ripped a hanging curveball out into right field for a base hit. Scherzer would then walk J.P. Crawford to load the bases with one away. Josh Rojas sent a fly ball the other way into left field. While Wyatt Langford would make the catch in left, Turner would tag and score the first run of the game to make it 1-0 Mariners.

That lead wouldn’t last for too long as Texas had a response ready. A leadoff single for Carson Kelly began the top of the 3rd before Leody Taveras delivered the big blow. A cutter up and in was squared up by Taveras and driven on a line out to right. It would get out for the 10th home run on the year for Taveras and put Texas out in front, 2-1.

Fortunately, the Texas lead didn’t last long either. Leading off the bottom of the 3rd, Julio Rodríguez stayed scorching hot and one-upped his homer from the previous night. A changeup down and in was obliterated by the former Rookie of the Year as J-Rod crushed his 16th home run 446-feet. The bomb by Julio evened the score quickly back up at 2-2.

Getting into a home run derby with the Texas Rangers is always a dangerous proposition and Seattle began to learn that the hard way. In the top of the 5th, Carson Kelly again began an inning with a single. After Gilbert struck out Leody Taveras this time, he wouldn’t find as much success against Marcus Semien. The All-Star second baseman drove a 3-2 slider out to left for his 22nd home run of the season. A second, two-run homer for the Rangers had them back out in front 4-2.

Again, Seattle was right there for a response. In the home half of the 5th, Cal Raleigh drew a one-out walk against new pitcher Jack Leiter. The son of three-time World Series champion Al Leiter would bounce back with a strikeout of Randy Arozarena for a big second out. That brought Luke Raley to the plate and turned T-Mobile Park into an electric factory with one swing of the bat. Raley clobbered a 436-foot nuke out to right center for his 20th home run of the year. Seattle was right back into it as they once again tied things back up immediately at 4-4.

Seattle hit into an inning ending double play to kill their threat in the 7th and the game stayed tied going into the 9th. A phenomenal play by third baseman Josh Rojas set the tone for a quick and easy 1-2-3 inning for Andrés Muñoz, giving the Mariners a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the 9th. Closer José Leclerc would come in to pitch for Texas and gave up a one-out double to Victor Robles to put the winning run in scoring position. Robles then stole third for the second time in the game, but the bases were loaded on an intentional walk to Julio and a walk to Cal Raleigh. After hitting into a double play his last time up, Randy Arozarena hit another screamer towards the middle of the infield. This time, the ball clipped off the glove of a diving Josh Smith and into center field. Robles trotted home as the party was on as the Mariners celebrated a 5-4 walk-off win.

Notable Performances

Rangers

Mariners

• Julio Rodríguez- 2-4, HR, RBI, R
• Luke Raley- 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Logan Gilbert (ND)- 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO

Mariners 7, Rangers 0 (Game 4, September 15th)

After a couple of stressful wins, the Mariners and their fans looked for a relaxing win in the finale as they looked to take three of four from the Rangers. George Kirby tried to end his recent slump against lefty Andrew Heaney.

George Kirby was phenomenal from the very start of the game and gave the Mariner lineup plenty of time to work into a groove. They didn’t need much time as in the bottom of the 1st with two outs, Seattle got going. A single for Justin Turner and walk for Randy Arozarena put two men on for Mitch Garver. The former Ranger has been on a nice run in September and got some sweet revenge against his former squad. Garver sent a deep drive out to The Pen for home run number 13 on the season. The blast put the Mariners in a good spot early, leading 3-0.

Andrew Heaney was very good after that and didn’t allow another run. The Rangers bullpen would not be as strong. They took over in the bottom of the 6th as Matt Festa took over first. Luis Urías was hit by a pitch before a J.P. Crawford single put runners on first and second with two down. Victor Robles came through with a nice two-out base hit into center. Urías scored to make it 4-0.

Randy Arozarena made no friends in the bottom of the 7th after he crushed his 20th home run of the year. Arozarena definitely showboated and caught the attention of Rangers catcher Jonah Heim. He would get hit his next time up but not before the M’s added two more runs to make it 7-0 going into the 9th.

George Kirby went seven innings in a special performance for the right-hander. Kirby allowed a single in the 2nd and immediately erased that runner with a double play. Texas would not get another man on base. Kirby allowed just the one hit with no walks and three strikeouts in his seven scoreless innings. After he was done, Trent Thornton and Eduard Bazardo picked up where he left off. Those two retired the final six batters as the Mariners retired the Rangers 27 up and 27 down, facing the minimum for the first time since the 2012 perfect game by Félix Hernández. It was just a perfect ending to the series as the M’s got the shutout and 7-0 win.

Notable Performances

Rangers

Mariners

• George Kirby (W, 12-11)- 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO
• Mitch Garver- 3-5, HR, 3 RBI, R
• Randy Arozarena- 2-3, 2B, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB

What’s Next

A magnificent series win for the Mariners was dampened by Houston sweeping the Los Angeles Angels to actually gain half of a game in the AL West. Seattle sits 4 1/2 behind Houston with 12 games to go. In the Wild Card race, Kansas City took two of three from Pittsburgh while Detroit took two of three from Baltimore. Minnesota would not have success as they lost two of three to Cincinnati and Boston dropped three of four to the Yankees, knocking them two games behind the M’s and Tigers. Houston will now go to San Diego for three games beginning Monday in a battle of playoff hopefuls. Minnesota has a very tough four-game series in Cleveland while Kansas City will visit Detroit in a pivotal three-game set for both Wild Card contenders. Boston will try to cling to life with three games at Tampa Bay.

Seattle (77-73) will have a massive challenge in front of them this week as well. The Mariners will wrap up their ten-game homestand as they welcome the New York Yankees to town for three games. New York (87-63) currently own the best record in the American League and have a one game lead over Cleveland in the race for homefield advantage in the AL. The Yankees have won their last three series over Chicago, Kansas City, and Boston but have played a lot of close games over that stretch. In their last ten games, only three have been decided by four or more runs. Seattle and New York split a four-game series in the Bronx back in May.

This player spotlight was a no-brainer. Aaron Judge is well on his way to his second MVP award with 53 home runs and 132 runs batted in this season while leading the Yankees to possible homefield advantage. However, in September Judge has not finished the regular season strong. While his .240 batting average is respectable, his .797 OPS is among the worst in any month of his career. Judge did not hit a home run in September until this last weekend when he hit two. Judge has been very successful in T-Mobile Park, homering ten times in 19 games. Against the Mariners in his career, Judge has 15 homers and 31 runs batted in with an OPS of 1.163. You won’t ever completely shutdown Aaron Judge, but if the Mariners can limit his opportunities with runners on-base, the M’s should be able to give themselves a shot against one of the best teams in baseball.

There will be individual game recaps from now until the end of the season as long as Seattle remains alive in the playoff race. Check back daily for our recaps and previews for the following games.

• Game 1, Tuesday 6:40pm- Luis Gil (13-6, 3.18 ERA) vs. Bryan Woo (8-2, 2.38 ERA)
• Game 2, Wednesday 6:40pm- Nestor Cortes (9-10, 3.90 ERA) vs. Bryce Miller (11-8, 3.12 ERA)
• Game 3, Thursday 1:10pm- Clarke Schmidt (5-3, 2.41 ERA) vs. Emerson Hancock (3-4, 4.83 ERA)

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