" 𝔹𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕢𝕦𝕖 𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕟 𝕓𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕗𝕖𝕔𝕥 "

~ SEATTLE MARINERS 2024 ~

Seattle-Mariners-SS-J-P-jp-crawford-kingkaps7

Years of disagreements cause JP Crawford to lash out on umpire, a breakdown

MLB rumors: A list of available bats for Mariners to target at trade deadline

Story by Michael Gianakos

The Seattle Mariners desperately need to add to their offense at the MLB trade deadline. The team has been struggling at the plate all season and now with the loss of center fielder Julio Rodriguez (high ankle sprain) and shortstop JP

Crawford (fractured finger) to the injured list, the situation is all the more dire.

Following a rough loss to the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday the Mariners are now a game behind the Houston Astros in the AL West. As recently as June 18 Seattle led the division by 10 games. Since then the team has lost 19 of 29 games,

including dropping two of three to Houston. That double-digit lead is now a distant memory as the Mariners have steadily relinquished control of the division to the Astros.

Clearly offensive reinforcements are necessary if the Mariners have any hope of winning the division and competing in the postseason. After waiving veteran first baseman Ty France this week, the team signaled its obvious desire to upgrade the

position.

While it once seemed that big-name power hitters like the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso might be available at the deadline, that no longer appears to be the case. But there are a number of hitters expected to be on the trade block and it’s imperative

that the Mariners land at least one of them.

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Seattle could pursue first baseman Yandy Diaz or third baseman Isaac Paredes of the Tampa Bay Rays. Either player could provide the offensive upgrade at a corner infield spot that the Mariners so

desperately need. Rosenthal also listed Rays’ left fielder Randy Arozarena as an option.

The Mariners desperately need to add offense at the trade deadline

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports© Provided by ClutchPoints

Clearly Arozarena would be a welcome addition to the Mariners’ lineup. However, he’s expected to have a number of suitors at the deadline. And while he’s unquestionably talented, Arozarena has struggled mightily at the plate this season, an issue

Seattle is already dealing with throughout its lineup.

Another name offered up in The Athletic’s report is Baltimore Orioles’ first baseman Ryan Mountcastle. It appears that the team is willing to part with the 27-year-old slugger and he could provide exactly what the Mariners have been missing.

Mountcastle has 22 doubles and 12 home runs so far this season but he’s shown his power potential in the past, belting 33 homers and knocking in 89 runs for Baltimore in 2021.

The ultra-talented Miami Marlins’ center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is also an option, per The Athletic. While center is obviously not a position of need with two-time All-Star Julio Rodriguez expected to return from injury and continue manning the

middle of the outfield for the Mariners, Chisholm Jr. is a versatile player. He’s spent time as a middle infielder but could also be asked to take a corner outfield spot. Chisholm Jr. will no doubt draw interest from a number of teams but his 20/20

potential could help spark Seattle’s stagnant offense.

Rosenthal also mentions the often overlooked Jesse Winker. While he isn’t flashy, Winker has turned his career around this season with the Washington Nationals, posting an OPS+ of 133 and 2.2 WAR in 97 games. The 30-year-old left fielder is on an

expiring contract and could provide a steady bat in the middle of the Mariners’ lineup.

Seattle has only been able to challenge for the division crown thanks to an excellent pitching staff that leads MLB in ERA, WHIP and batting average against while ranking 4th in fWAR. And while the team has been terrific at preventing runs, allowing

an AL-best 381 runs to date, the Mariners are dreadful at scoring runs. Seattle’s offense is the third worst in MLB in runs scored with just 390. They’re also dead last in batting average, strikeouts and strikeout percentage.

Mariners make drastic Julio Rodriguez, JP Crawford injury moves

Story by Russell Steinberg

The Seattle Mariners desperately need more offensive firepower. That need grew more dire on Tuesday when the team placed Julio Rodriguez and JP Crawford on the injured list.

Rodriguez has been one of the team’s most dependable hitters, playing in 100 of Seattle’s 102 games this season, hitting .263 with 18 stolen bases. Crawford has struggled this season, hitting .204, but has continued to improve defensively.

Rodriguez’ injury came after he crashed into the outfield wall on Sunday during the Mariners’ game against the Astros. Crawford suffered a hairline fracture on his right pinky finger after he was hit by a pitch on Monday.

In addition, the Mariners designated 2022 All-Star Ty France for assignment.

To take their places and fill out the roster, Seattle called up a quartet of players from Triple-A Tacoma: outfielder Jonatan Clase, infielder Tyler Locklear, outfielder Cade Marlowe, and infielder Leo Rivas.

All four players have Major League experience, with Marlowe the only one to not take a swing for the big league club in 2024. Clase and Locklear are both top-10 prospects in the Mariners’ system, per MLB Pipeline, though they’ve struggled in limited

MLB duty.

The Mariners actually optioned Clase back to Tacoma yesterday but were able to bring him right back with the injuries. The switch-hitting left fielder is just 22 years old and is hitting .195 in 43 MLB plate appearances. He also has three stolen bases

to go with the 26 he’s accumulated in Tacoma this year. Clase is not in the Mariners’ lineup on Tuesday but has batted eighth or ninth in 15 of 19 games.

Locklear is in the lineup and will bat sixth for the Mariners against the Los Angeles Angels. The first baseman has hit two home runs in limited time and the power-hitting prospect has an .887 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A this year.

Marlowe held his own in 100 plate appearances for Seattle last year. He only hit .239, but three homers, three doubles and two triples gave him a 112 OPS+. Marlowe, who will bat ninth and play right field on Tuesday, also stole four bases for good

measure.

As for Rivas, he is 2-6 in his brief career and had the pleasure of tripling in his first MLB at bat on April 28. He was also the 999th player to appear in a game in Mariners history. Rivas will be on the bench for Seattle Tuesday.

Mariners cut Ty France in surprising roster move

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports© Provided by ClutchPoints

There’s no getting around that France is mired in the worst season of his career. In addition to a .223 average, he’s 0-11 over his past five games. The Mariners placed him on outright waivers and will be able to assign him to the Minor Leagues if he

clears. Because of his service time, however, France will have the right to refuse an assignment.

France is due $6,775,000 this year and has one more year of arbitration before he hits free agency.

The first baseman finds himself a long way off from where he was just two years ago. The former All-Star hit .274 with 20 home runs in 2022, building on his breakout season the year before. 2023 was undeniably a step back as his average dropped

to .250 and his OPS from .774 to .703.

Now, however, with the Mariners struggling to hit, the team is opting to look for a jolt from their minor leaguers. Locklear, who presumably took France’s spot, is one of the Mariners’ top prospects at 23 years old.

The impromptu youth movement serves another purpose for Seattle: The team is in the market for a few big bats at the MLB trade deadline, but those bats will cost some prospects. What better way to show them off than in the Majors?

Mariners’ JP Crawford gets crucial injury timeline up

Story by Michael Gianakos

The Seattle Mariners have made a number of transactions in the lead up to the MLB trade deadline. However these moves have not been trades to help the team stave off the Houston Astros in the AL West. The Mariners are dealing with injuries to

key players at the worst time possible.

Gold Glove shortstop JP Crawford was the most recent Mariner added to the injured list. And the news is not ideal for the struggling club. According to Seattle general manager Justin Hollander, Crawford will be out of action 4-6 weeks, per Ryan

Divish of the Seattle Times on X.

Crawford was hit on the hand by a pitch from the Los Angeles Angels’ Tyler Anderson on July 22. The eight-year veteran doubled over in pain and was later diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his right pinky.

Like most of the Mariners’ lineup, Crawford has struggled at the plate this year. Prior to hitting the 10-day injured list, the shortstop was slashing a meager .204/.299/.347 with nine home runs and 42 runs scored in 77 games. Still, he’s managed to

put up 1.5 WAR so far this year despite missing nearly a month of play with a right oblique strain suffered in late April.

Just last season Crawford was a key offensive cog in Seattle’s lineup with 35 doubles, 19 home runs and 94 runs scored with an OPS+ of 132 and 5.1 WAR in 145 games for the team. He even finished 16th in MVP voting in 2023.

JP Crawford’s injury could keep him out of Mariners’ lineup until September

Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports© Provided by ClutchPoints

Of course it’s Crawford’s defense that makes him such an important part of the Mariners’ team. He’s compiled 5.4 dWar over his career and 4.9 dWAR in his six seasons in Seattle.

Just a day before Crawford went down with the broken finger, the Mariners lost star center fielder Julio Rodriguez. The two-time All-Star had to leave the game against the Astros on Sunday after tracking a deep shot off the bat of Yordan Alvarez and slamming into the wall.

While x-rays were negative, the former Rookie of the Year sustained a high ankle sprain and landed on the 10-day injured list. High ankle sprains can be notoriously bothersome and the Mariners will reevaluate Rodriguez’s progress in 7-10 days.

The same day that Rodriquez was injured, Seattle placed veteran first baseman Ty France on outright waivers. France had spent five years with the Mariners and made the All-Star team in 2022. But like most of Seattle’s hitters, France struggled this

year producing an OPS of .662.

The Mariners are now down three staples of the lineup as Seattle attempts to hold off the Astros in the AL West. The teams are tied for the division lead entering play Wednesday. However, the Mariners have lost four of five games since returning

from the All-Star break – including losing two of three games to the Astros.

Whichever team finishes second will likely miss the postseason altogether as the Mariners are 3.5 games back in the American League Wild Card race despite being tied for first in their division. Both the Mariners and the Astros hope to improve their

rosters at the trade deadline, with Seattle particularly interested in adding a power bat at a corner infield spot.

TTS Ep.16 Mariners' Second Half Preview with Rick Rizzs: The Road to the AL West Crown

#AllStarGame

Logan Gilbert and Andrés Muñoz Had A Week To Remember in Texas

Jerry Dipoto's Seattle Mariners Mid-Season Report

All I saw was purple. #Marinersstickywalkoff Angie Mentink @angiementink getting soaked mariners

Time to Shine. #SeaUsRise

? EVER?

#Mariners #GoMs! #TruetotheBlue

My Buddy, Dave Niehaus Welcomes Baseball Back into our lives in a Beautiful way.

#MyArt been drawing since I could hold a pen or pencil, I've meet some great people Mr. Dave Niehaus, good friend, here's the pic. he signed,

" When we where signing the prints, Dave was talking, it was only me and him and my agent at the time, but my head was down signing and I'm hereing him talk, I thought the radio was on, nope! it was Mr. Dave Niehaus sitting there with me, that lasted all afternoon. many

dinners together with the whole press team. What was very cool, I had a standing offer to stop by the press box when ever I wanted, just had to be a hour before the game, that's his prep time.

"Opening Day, Dave Niehause, Fly, Fly Away! My Oh' My"

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

MLB Community Mourns the Loss of Former Infielder and Esteemed Coach Mike Brumley

Mike Brumley, a former MLB infielder and respected coach, passed away at the age of 61. Known for his tenure with six MLB teams between 1987 and 1995, Brumley transitioned into coaching, where he made significant contributions, most recently

with the Atlanta Braves. His dedication to the sport and positive influence on players and colleagues have left a lasting impact, making him a beloved figure in the baseball community.

WillieMays-Willie-Howard-Mays-Jr-May-6-1931-June-18-2024-nicknamed-Say-Hey-Kid-kingkaps7

Jurrangelo Cjinte Reacts to Being Drafted By Seattle Mariners & Discusses Being a Switch Pitcher

Ambidextrous Pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje Drafted by Seattle Mariners

Look familiar? I've always how close these pics are!

NEXT UP

6:40 PM PDT on @ROOTSPORTS_NW

Time for a T-Mobile welcome

MLB.TV: Deadline acquisitions Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner make their Mariners home debuts Friday.

W L % GB

57 52 .518 0.0

Tuesday July 30

FINAL/10

SEA 2 vs 3 BOS

Kirby pays tribute to Wakefield with first-pitch knuckleball

A first pitch for Wakefield

George Kirby began his day at Fenway by throwing a knuckleball in honor of Red Sox legend Tim Wakefield.

Back at home Friday vs. the Phillies.

Mariners vs. Red Sox Game Highlights (7/31/24) | MLB Highlights

By Daniel Kramer @DKramer_

BOSTON -- George Kirby's extraordinary ability to manipulate pitch grips and add more offerings to his arsenal has been among the most impressive attributes of the third-year Mariners starter. But he utilized that skill with extra meaning in

Wednesday’s game against the Red Sox, twirling what he confirmed to be knuckleball for his first pitch in the matinee at Fenway Park.

The venue was just as intentional as the pitch itself, as the knuckler represented a respectful and touching nod to the late Tim Wakefield, the Red Sox great who was most synonymous with the pitch during his 19-year playing career from 1992-2011,

spending his final 17 of those seasons in Boston.

Wakefield passed away last Oct. 1 due to brain cancer. He was 57.

George Kirby on using knuckleball for Tim Wakefield

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

“He was a special player,” Kirby said after Seattle’s 3-2 loss in 10 innings. “So just being able to do it here in Boston was pretty cool.”

Kirby said that he’s been thinking of throwing a knuckleball at Fenway for 2-3 weeks, when he saw that his rotation spot would likely slot out at MLB’s oldest ballpark.

Kirby’s knuckler on Wednesday was delivered to Boston leadoff man Jarren Duran at 73.9 mph with a spin rate of just 155 RPM. It was first classified by Statcast as a splitter, but the lack of spin along with Kirby’s delivery -- a minimal leg kick and

easy hurl towards the plate -- suggested that it was a knuckleball. For context, Kirby’s splitter has an average spin rate of 891 RPM.

Justin Turner makes a Great Catch in Foul Territory

The pitch was high-and-in to Duran for a ball, which Kirby joked wasn’t as competitive as he would’ve liked, admitting that he was experiencing extra adrenaline.

“I wish I could take that one back,” Kirby said. “I wish I had started 0-1.”

Wednesday’s tribute to Wakefield wasn’t the first time in which Kirby threw a knuckler to recognize the two-time World Series champion. He hurled one on the final day of last year’s regular season -- the day that Wakefield passed -- to Corey Seager,

inducing a massive swing-and-miss to the eventual World Series MVP.

Josh Rojas with a Huge Home Run to CF

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

“It's hard to replicate the one I did last year,” Kirby said. “So I was just hoping it wasn't a home run on the first pitch or something; just get it over the plate.”

Kirby was born in 1998 in Rye, N.Y., a 20-mile drive from Yankee Stadium, growing up a huge fan of the Bronx Bombers. But he still clearly has respect for one of the greatest to play for the Yankees' biggest rivals.

“I loved watching him,” Kirby said. “I started throwing knuckleballs because of him. I'm a Yankees fan at heart, but just watching him do his thing all the time, it was incredible. I'm just honored to be able to do something like that.”

The Red Sox dugout also took appreciation to the gesture.

Dylan Moores RBI Single

“That’s what Wake represents to this family, right?” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We're family regardless of where you play. Obviously, we like to compete against each other, but when you wear a big league uniform, from that day on, you're a

big leaguer, regardless of what happens -- one day or two days. That's why I get so defensive when they say, ‘This guy stinks.’ He’s a big leaguer, you’re not. It was a great tribute and I bet he will keep doing it."

Kirby wound up surrendering one run in that first inning, after issuing a full-count walk with two outs to Masataka Yoshida on a borderline pitch low-and-in, who then came around to score after Rafael Devers doubled off the Green Monster and Kirby

threw a wild pitch to Rob Refsnyder.

Mariners Earn Double Play on Interference Call

Boston ground him up to 87 pitches entering the sixth, then a double from Dominic Smith and RBI knock from Danny Jansen tied the game at 2-2 and ended Kirby’s day in visible frustration, snapping his streak of quality starts at nine.

Nonetheless, Kirby has been one of MLB’s best pitchers over the past two months, perhaps thrusting himself into the race for the American League Cy Young Award. Since that quality start streak began on June 9, and including Wednesday, Kirby’s

1.87 ERA trails only Tampa Bay’s Taj Bradley (1.31) and Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes (1.34) for the Majors best in this stretch.

And for the season, Kirby pulled into a tie with Garrett Crochet and Chris Sale, both All-Stars, for the lead in FanGraphs’ wins above replacement, at 4.1.

Justin Turner and Cal Raleigh signing autographs

Randy Arozarena wasn’t too happy about getting hit by a Brayan Bello fastball, gave him a little stare then winked to say everything’s good

Tuesday July 30

FINAL

SEA 10 vs 6 BOS

Dipoto: Mariners 'meaningfully better' after Deadline

Seattle adds two impact bats (Arozarena, Turner), two bullpen arms (García, Chargois)

Seattle 'meaningfully better'

The Mariners capped an exciting Deadlineday with an offensive outburst at Fenway Park to even the series.w

Got it done in Game 2 #TridentsUp

Mariners vs. Red Sox Game Highlights (7/30/24) | MLB Highlights

first win dance for @redturn2... check. we'll get him a few more reps

Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images

By Daniel Kramer @DKramer_

BOSTON -- The Trade Deadline officially passed on Tuesday, and as the dust settled, a Mariners team that was among the most active buyers in this year’s market believes that it is “meaningfully better than we were a week ago,” in the words of

Jerry Dipoto.

“The fact that we were open to and willing to make decisions earlier than many teams, I think, played to our advantage in this market,” the Mariners’ president of baseball operations said. “We thought it was going to be relatively slow, and that will

end up being true. ... We’re really happy with what we were able to do.”

Tyler O’Neill to ground out to third to end the game.

Andrés did Andrés things

Yesterday and today, both teams came out swinging, with a fair share of legitimate hits and runs and also a

Mariners’ Trade Deadline recap

• Players acquired: OF Randy Arozarena, RHP JT Chargois, RHP Yimi García, C Andruw Salcedo (Minors), OF Rhylan Thomas (Minors), 1B/DH Justin Turner

• Players dealt: OF Jonatan Clase (No. 10 prospect), 1B Ty France, RHP Brody Hopkins (No. 22 prospect), RHP Will Schomberg (unranked) OF RJ Schreck (No. 29 prospect) C Jacob Sharp (unranked), OF Aidan Smith (No. 12 prospect), RHP Ryne

Stanek, player to be named later

A brutal 1-5 homestand last week -- and squandering a 10-game lead atop the American League West earlier this month -- did not deter Seattle from being aggressive buyers. After Tuesday’s 10-6 win over the Red Sox, the Mariners took a one-

game lead over Houston for first place in the AL West.

Dylan Moore's Bases-Clearing Double

“We feel like we're in a more meaningful position, as opposed to any of the last three years, because this year we have an opportunity to go win a division,” Dipoto said. “And that's very different than playing for a second or third Wild Card in a lot of

ways. So we took it seriously.”

Dylan Moore

Some other takeaways from Dipoto:

They were looking to add another bat

Arozarena filled a much-needed power void, and Turner was among the best contact hitters available. But the Mariners were looking to do even more.

“We had other irons in the fire on bats, particularly infield bats,” Dipoto said. “Ultimately, the players did not wind up moving. We were generally engaged -- I think about midday today was when it really started to become apparent to us that the

next big thing likely wasn't [going] to happen.”

First look of Justin Turner in a Seattle Mariners uniform

Justin Turner's RBI Single in Mariners Debut

Seattle had interest in Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz, and the biggest fish of all, Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., according to sources. Both players stayed put, as did Pete Alonso, who was linked to trade rumors earlier this year before

his Mets stormed up the National League standings. Guerrero, it seems, was never truly available.

• Mariners acquire reliever García from Toronto

Other notable players who weren’t moved include Reds second baseman Jonathan India, Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo, Rockies infielder Ryan McMahon, A’s outfielder Brent Rooker and Angels outfielder Taylor Ward.

“The biggest names that were being floated out there as potentially available, I'm not sure how available they ever really were,” Dipoto said.

Jorge Polanco's Solo Homer (10)

That's Jorge Polanco's 10th homer of the season!

The lineup will have a much different look

It already does, with the additions of Arozarena and Turner -- who were among the most productive bats dealt ahead of this year’s Deadline. Both were vessels behind Tuesday’s win, driving in a combined three of Seattle’s 10 runs.

Arozarena has solidified left field. And Turner, who played only 11 games at first base with Toronto, is expected to see regular reps there in Seattle, with Luke Raley appearing to shift into the backup role on days he’s not playing right field. Speaking

of that spot, Mitch Haniger has looked better of late. And Victor Robles, filling in for Julio Rodríguez in center, has been the club’s biggest surprise.

Cal Raleigh Scores on a Wild Pitch

“It's going to be a heck of a lot more fun than it was before,” Dipoto said.

Rodríguez (high right ankle sprain) is progressing towards a return that Dipoto hoped would be “sooner than later,” while J.P. Crawford (fractured right pinkie) is still 3-5 weeks out.

Mitch Garver

They believe they addressed their needs

Seattle set out to add multiple bats and multiple bullpen arms, and did so without parting with prospects at the top of its farm system.

• Mariners re-acquire reliever Chargois in trade with Marlins

...and also with you

Luis Castillo Strikes Out Four over Six Innings

“We did the things that we intended to do,” Dipoto said. “We were pretty aggressive throughout. And, you know, to no one's surprise, we manned the phones all day today, trying to do a little bit more, but it is what it is, and we’re very happy with

what we were able to do.

“I think the fact that we were able to do this sends a message to our team, to the players and staff in the clubhouse that we want to win and I think this was a step in that direction.”

“EVERYBODY SCORES!!”

Rick Rizzs on the mic with his legendary bases-clearing call as Dylan Moore rips a 3-RBI double top of the 5th!

Monday July 29

FINAL

SEA 7 vs 14 BOS

Fateful pitch turns into snowball Gilbert, Seattle couldn't stop

'The snowball got rolling'

With a 1-2 count and two outs, the third inning quickly went downhill for Logan Gilbert after a close ball call.

La Piedra takes the mound in game.

Mariners vs. Red Sox Game Highlights (7/29/24) | MLB Highlights

By Daniel Kramer @DKramer_

BOSTON -- There were 313 pitches thrown between the Mariners and Red Sox on Monday night at Fenway Park, but it felt like there was only one that completely changed the dynamic in Seattle’s 14-7 loss.

In a 1-2 count with two outs and runners on second and third in the third inning, Logan Gilbert fired a 97.8 mph fastball to Wilyer Abreu that, according to just about every angle, appeared to be in the strike zone for what would’ve been an

inning-ending, backwards K. It was instead called a ball by home-plate umpire Andy Fletcher, which kept the fateful frame alive and unexpectedly opened the floodgates to the scoreless tie.

Two pitches later, Gilbert darted a splitter too far inside and out of Cal Raleigh’s range to block, which allowed Boston’s Connor Wong to score from third base easily. Then five offerings later, as part of a 12-pitch battle with Abreu, Gilbert

surrendered a 100.9 mph RBI single that lasered past the outstretched glove of second baseman Jorge Polanco and into right field.

And it all snowballed from there.

Making memories

Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh hit back to back homers!

On his very next pitch after the single, Gilbert paid for a center-cut, 94.6 mph fastball that Masataka Yoshida blasted for a two-run homer sailing beyond both bullpens and 425 feet into the right-field bleachers. Rafael Devers then doubled. So

did Tyler O’Neill. And Dominic Smith, too.

And by that point, with Gilbert at 43 pitches in the never-ending third inning and 69 overall, Mariners manager Scott Servais was forced to relieve the first-time All-Star and turn to a heavily-taxed bullpen.

“That stuff's going to happen,” Gilbert said of the call. “I will say, it's a tough game already. It's tougher when you have to get four outs or an extra strike or whatever it may be, especially against a good team like that.”

Adding another gut punch was that one of Gilbert’s pitches in the third led to an injury scare for Raleigh, who was plunked in his right hand on a slider that bounced in front of the plate, through his legs and into the hand, which was behind his

back.

Raleigh remained in the game after conferring with Servais and Mariners head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson, then he crushed his 23rd homer in the sixth, but after shaking the hand out just prior. Even so, it was nonetheless another dink in a

summer that’s been full of them for the backstop who is arguably as important to Seattle’s roster as any player.

After Gilbert left, Servais needed four relievers to reach the finish line.

“It's crazy, games are decided oftentimes by just the narrowest of margins,” Servais said. “And you look at a game like tonight, and you wouldn't think that. ... They got momentum. The snowball got rolling down the hill, and we couldn't stop it.”

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

To be sure, there were ample moments on Monday for Gilbert to escape the third, before and after the call that didn’t go his way.

Gilbert nearly ignited a 1-6-3 double play that also would’ve ended the third, on a comebacker from Jarren Duran. But the speedster forced Seattle to settle for a forceout after he beat out the relay throw from shortstop Dylan Moore. Duran

dialed his sprint speed up to 30.4 feet-per-second, well above the 27.0 league average. He then stole second base just before the run-scoring wild pitch.

Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

“I mean that play, too, definitely changed the inning,” Gilbert said. “So a couple of things there. But he's a great player all the way around. What he can do at the plate and then obviously his speed.”

Moreover, Monday’s loss was at the hands of the team directly ahead of the Mariners in the American League Wild Card standings. Seattle’s likeliest path to the postseason would be by winning an underachieving AL West -- which they ended

the day tied atop -- but victories against other AL contenders would create a safety net should the club need to get in via the Wild Card route.

Randy Arozarena's first Mariners home run (16)

Randy Arozarena hits his FIRST Mariners home run!

Randy Arozarena hit his first Home Run with the @Mariners #Beisbol #Baseball #MLB #RandyArozarena

The Mariners have a reinforcement coming in the form of Justin Turner, and perhaps more if the front office strikes another deal before Tuesday’s 3 p.m. PT Trade Deadline. And their other prized acquisition, Randy Arozarena, crushed his first

homer since Thursday’s trade with the Rays, over the Green Monster and left-field foul pole -- close enough to warrant a crew chief review.

But other than that, Monday was a night that the Mariners would like to soon forget.

This just in... Justin Turner We’ve acquired two-time All-Star INF @redturn2 and cash considerations from the Blue Jays in

exchange for minor league OF RJ Schreck. #TridentsUp

Sunday July 28

FINAL

SEA 6 vs 3 CWS

Mariners find their mojo in Chicago as Deadline nears

Another Big Dumper thump

Cal Raleigh homered for the second straight game to start the scoring, and the Mariners rolled to a sweep.

Weekend in Chicago and didn’t take the L once. #TridentsUp

Mariners vs White Sox

Mariners vs. White Sox Game Highlights (7/28/24) | MLB Highlights

By Daniel Kramer @DKramer_

CHICAGO -- For one dominant weekend, the Mariners’ middling offense looked, felt and played like a completely new group.

Seattle ambushed White Sox All-Star Garrett Crochet early and ran away to another convincing win on Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field, this one a 6-3 decision that secured a series sweep. Over these three games, the Mariners outscored

Chicago, 22-6.

Mariners Sweep

Leo Rivas Knocks in His First-Career RBI

Cal Raleigh homered again for his 22nd of the year and in a tone-setting first inning against Crochet, who is arguably the top starting pitcher available ahead of Tuesday’s Trade Deadline and who struck out a career-high 13 in Seattle on June 13.

Victor Robles stayed hot with a 2-for-5 day to raise his batting average and OPS since joining the Mariners to .377 and 1.006, respectively.

So did Jorge Polanco, who ripped a 99.4 mph single then scored on one of two costly errors by White Sox third baseman Paul DeJong.

And Randy Arozarena had a pair of knocks to settle in with his new team after Thursday’s big trade with the Rays.

Showing love to one of the newest Mariners

Live image of the Mariners getting back in the race. Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Here me out... Since Robles dropped that routine fly ball in his first game He's been the best @Mariners since Huge pick up

Encouraging signs, to be sure, even against a Chicago club that’s now lost 14 straight. Yet back in Seattle, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander are actively looking to keep adding to the lineup, with just

48 hours to do so shortly after final out.

“With the offense, we do still feel like there is still opportunity,” Dipoto said Sunday morning on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, “whether that’s adding a bat to the corner infield positions, another outfielder. We feel like the offense, again, is an area

that has been in need of help.”

Big Dumper Cal Raleighs rbi Single

Cal Raleigh Hits a 2 Run Homer off Garrett Crochet!

K'ing the Side with a Couple of Swords ⚔️⚔️

MLB: Seattle Mariners at Chicago White Sox

Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Cal meet Jr.

Today in Mariner’s history

1977 - The Mariners’ John Montague has his consecutive batters retired string stopped at 33, tying the American League record. Montague came on in relief against Minnesota and walked the first batter he faced, the Twins’ Craig Kusick, to

end his streak. The Mariners went on to win 5-2.

1985 - Jim Presley collected the first 4-hit game of his career, leading the Mariners to a 7-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. Gorman Thomas hit his 20^th homer of the year in the Mariners win.

1993 - Ken Griffey Jr. homers off the right-field, third deck facade off Minnesota’s Willie Banks to tie the Major League record for home runs in consecutive games. It is his eighth straight game with a HR. Also, in this game, Randy Johnson records

career strikeout #1000 when he gets Chuck Knoblauch.

2000 - Kazuhiro Sasaki logs single-season record 15^th consecutive save, topping Mike Timlin’s 14.

2010 - Chone Figgins hits his first home run as a Mariner in the 2^nd inning against the White Sox’ Mark Buehrle.

2015 - Mike Zunino and Nelson Cruz hit home runs to nearly the identical spot over 450 feet away from home plate in a Mariners 8-4 loss to the Diamondbacks…Cruz’ home run gave him 7 in July as he and Robinson Canó became the first pair of

Mariners to each hit at least 7 home runs in one month since September 2006.

2021 – Abraham Toro homers for the fourth consecutive game, and second with the Mariners…becomes the first player to homer in his last 2 games with a franchise (Houston) and the first 2 games with a franchise consecutively…the Mariners

acquire LHP Tyler Anderson from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for minor leaguers Carter Bins and Joaquin Tejada.

Saturday July 27

FINAL

SEA 6 vs 3 CWS

'It's paying off': Polanco's power surge continues with two-HR night

Make it two for Polanco

Jorge Polanco crushed a solo home run to center field in the fourth inning -- and then another to right in the fifth.

Back-to-back Ws! #TridentsUp

Mariners vs. White Sox Game Highlights (7/27/24) | MLB Highlights

Randy is a Natural Already!

By Daniel Kramer @DKramer_

CHICAGO -- The Mariners’ prized Trade Deadline acquisition joined them on Saturday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field, but it was their most prominent offseason addition who wound up stealing the show in a 6-3 victory a few hours later.

Randy Arozarena went 1-for-4 with an infield single and a walk in his Seattle debut while putting together a few quality at-bats even with two strikeouts in his final line. Jorge Polanco, meanwhile, finished with a season-high three hits that included a

pair of emphatic homers, one night after blasting one in Friday’s 10-run rout, perhaps a sign that the struggling second baseman has finally turned a corner.

Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

“He has risen,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “It's a credit to him because the first half was really rough. He took a little break there for a couple days. He made some adjustments. And this is the guy that I think we all expected.”

Polanco’s two homers on Saturday were no cheapies. The first left his bat at 107.9 mph and traveled 426 feet, way beyond the wall in straightaway center field. The second he pulled 110.7 mph and 382 feet deep into the right-field bleachers --

stopping, staring and smiling before beginning his trot.

For good measure, Polanco ripped a 105.7 mph, run-scoring single that plated Arozarena in the eighth. And each of his three knocks were with two strikes.

“I'm on time with the fastball right now,” Polanco said. “The beginning of the season, I wasn't too much. But I've been working on things, trying to be consistent on things, and it's paying off.”

Polanco’s demeanor throughout this weekend’s series has been reflective of a player feeling -- and looking -- more at ease.

In the nearly three weeks since Seattle’s deflating July 7 loss to Toronto, when he was loudly booed by the T-Mobile Park crowd and his status with the Mariners appeared to be legitimately in question, he’s slashing .278/.339/.537 (.876 OPS) with

four of his eight homers on the season. Prior, he was hitting .189 with a .564 OPS.

Polanco is hitting the ball harder (a rise in average exit velocity from 86.8 mph to 91.2 mph in this stretch), making more consistent contact (a drop in whiff rate from 31.4% to 20.8%), getting the ball in the air more (a drop in ground-ball rate from

38.1% to 28.9%) and striking out less (a dip in K rate from 33.6% to 20.3%).

Jorge Polanco's RBI single

Jorge Polanco ties the game with his 8th homer of the year!

Basically, he’s looked much more like the player he was over 10 successful seasons in Minnesota -- one that Seattle’s front office was banking on being a key contributor when it centered its offseason personnel overhaul around him after a Jan. 29

trade.

Polanco says the improvements are more centered on approach rather than mechanics, with help from personal hitting coach Osvaldo Diaz, who also works with Julio Rodríguez and was in Seattle earlier this month.

Victor Robles' RBI single

“Approach is a lot of stuff,” Polanco said. “It's how you stand at the plate, what you think, what you look for, all of those kinds of things. It's helping right now, but we've got to keep working on it.”

Cal Raleigh also went deep with his 21st of the year and preceded Polanco’s second, marking the second straight day that the Mariners went back-to-back. It was the first time that the club hit back-to-back homers in back-to-back games since Sept.

17, 2019 (Omar Narváez and Austin Nola) and Sept. 18, 2019 (Kyle Lewis, Tom Murphy).

Cal Raleigh's Solo Home Run (21)

Cal Raleigh and Jorge Polanco hit Back to Back Home Runs! (Including Polanco's 2nd HR today)

With the win, the Mariners secured their second series victory on the road since June 6, with their lone series win in that period being a two-game sweep of the Padres on July 9-10. They also handed the White Sox their 13th straight loss.

It wasn’t all easy, as Gregory Santos -- pitching for the first time since exiting with a right knee injury on Wednesday -- put the club on the cusp of the precarious, loading the bases against his former club in the eighth. That brought Luis Robert Jr. to

the plate and forced Mariners manager Scott Servais to turn to Andrés Muñoz to escape the jam, which he did via a strikeout, but only after a wild pitch that allowed a run to score.

Yimi García strikes out two in Mariners debut

#yimigarcia a two-strikeout inning in his debut #seattlemariners

Yimi Garcia Strikes Out 2 in Mariners Debut

Bryan Woo also reaggravated the right hamstring that landed him on the 15-day injured list last month and departed after just four innings and 70 pitches, though he and the Mariners believe that he’ll make his next start, which would be next Friday

back in Seattle.

Got it done

This Day in Mariners History

1975: In a Manhattan hospital, Víctor Manuel Rodríguez Marcano and Lourdes Nelly Navarro Melo welcome their son, Alexander Emmanuel, who’ll later go by A-Rod

2011: The Mariners hang nine on Phil Hughes and the Yanks to finally end their 17-game losing streak

2021: The night after hitting a home run against the Mariners, Abraham Toro hits a home run for the Mariners, in a pinch-hit appearance in the ninth inning (I told you Scott likes to get guys in games right away)

Friday July 26

FINAL

SEA 10 vs 0 CWS

Mariners' bats break out ahead of Randy's anticipated arrival

First-inning barrage

Watch on MLB.TV: Back-to-back-to-back homers highlighted a massive 8-run first frame for Seattle.

Southside shutout #TridentsUp

Mariners vs. White Sox Game Highlights (7/26/24) | MLB Highlights

The Mariners at the Plate Tonight (It's Literally the First Inning):

The Mariners GO OFF for 8 runs in the 1st inning! 😤

Randy Arozarena watches Rays from the crowd after being traded | ESPN MLB

Strong start to the road trip. #TridentsUp

By Daniel Kramer @DKramer_

CHICAGO -- Randy Arozarena won’t join the Mariners until Saturday, bringing with him a power bat that is expected to be a middle-of-the-order force following Thursday’s blockbuster trade with the Rays. But for at least one night, and for a

team that badly needs impact offense, it didn’t show.

Seattle’s makeshift lineup, without everyday players Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford, put together one of the team’s most dominant efforts of the season in a runaway, 10-0 victory over the White Sox in Friday’s series opener.

Mariners hit back-to-back-to-back HRs in the 1st

Baseball, after all, can sometimes have a flair for the ironic.

The Mariners put up an eight-spot in the first inning alone off Chicago starter Drew Thorpe, then turned things over to George Kirby, who cruised through seven shutout innings. Kirby has now twirled nine straight quality starts, over which

he’s carried an MLB-best 1.73 ERA.

Each of Seattle’s runs in the opening frame was with two outs, and spearheaded by back-to-back-to-back homers from Josh Rojas, Dylan Moore and Victor Robles.

Jason Voslers Two-Run Single

Finally, a game worth catching. Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Some statistical superlatives of the big inning:

It marked the first time that the Mariners have gone deep three times in a row since June 21, 2022, when Rodríguez, Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez pulled off the hat trick in Oakland.

It was the first time in team history that they’d gone back-to-back-to-back in the first inning.

It was the first time that Seattle had put up that many runs in the first inning overall since July 30, 2003.

Then in the fourth, Jorge Polanco crushed a projected 421-foot, two-run blast to blow the lid off even further.

As for Arozarena, he’s widely known to bring charisma, flair and good vibes -- beyond his overall production. But perhaps those intangibles arrived in the Mariners’ clubhouse one day before he did.

Jorge Polanco's Two-Run Homer (7)

Jorge Polanco adds to Mariners' lead with 2-run HR

Mariners exercise their legs on home run trots, exorcise some demons, blank the White Sox 10-0

“He’s an electric player,” said Mariners outfielder Luke Raley, who played with Arozarena in Tampa Bay from 2022-23. “He’s really loved by his teammates and fans, and he’s going to be a fun addition for sure. He’s the low heart-beat kind of

guy. He’s just made for the big moment. Late in the game, you need a big hit, you want Randy at the plate.”

Raley said he received a call from Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto during Monday’s off-day in Chicago seeking consultation on his former teammate. At first, though, Raley’s heart stopped when he saw Dipoto’s name on

the phone screen -- because he thought he was being traded for the fifth time in his young career.

Dylan Moores Solo Homer (9)

Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

“He just kind of sat back and listened,” Raley said of Dipoto, “and I kind of gave him a three-, four-minute spiel about my thoughts and the things that [Arozarena] does. You try to explain it, but it's really hard -- because until you see it, you

don't fully understand it. But he just is like a bright star.”

Raley, who is earning just over the league minimum salary ($754,200), has objectively been the Mariners’ best offseason acquisition in a winter where Dipoto and general manager Justin Hollander aggressively reimagined their offense --

which also included much costlier pieces, such as Mitch Garver ($12.5 million), Jorge Polanco ($10.5 million) and Mitch Haniger ($20 million).

Yet even Raley hasn’t been immune to Seattle’s team-wide struggles of late, entering Friday with a .171 batting average and a .577 OPS since the club had its largest lead atop the American League West, at 10 games entering June 19.

George Kirby fans seven over seven scoreless innings

Josh Rojass Three-Run Homer (5)

Even back then, it was clear that Seattle would need impactful offensive reinforcements ahead of next Tuesday’s Trade Deadline. But amid the Mariners’ spiral in the standings, Arozarena represents much more than just a bat -- he could also

bring a clubhouse jolt. Players recognize that the front office is aggressively adding to make a postseason push, but that it ultimately falls on them to make it materialize.

💣 BACK TO BACK TO BACK 💣

Here’s how it sounded on the #Mariners radio network: https://tuner.bonneville.com/live/KIRO-AM

Today in Mariners history:

2011: The Mariners get perfecto’d by the Yankees’ CC Sabathia into the seventh inning and score just one run on one hit while striking out 18 times. Around here we call that a Tuesday.

2013: Félix Hernández carried a shutout into the 9th inning, but allowed a run on a pinch-hit single by Trevor Plouffe to tie the game at 1-1, and the Twins won 3-2 in extras thanks to a two-run home run by Chris Colabello in the 13th inning.

2015: Franklin Gutierrez hit a walk off home run and the Mariners turned a rare triple play in a 6-5 win over Toronto in 10 innings. The 3-6-2-2 triple play, the 11th in franchise history, was the first Triple Play featuring a 3-6-2-2 putout

since Aug. 3, 1955 (per SABR).

2019: J.P. makes The Throw:

2021: Dylan Moore hits a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth as the Mariners overcome a 7-0 deficit to beat the Houston Astros, 11-8.

Wednesday July 24

FINAL

LAA 2 vs 1 SEA

'It's just a struggle right now:' Seattle swept as Santos adds to injuries

'It's just a struggle right now'

The Mariners suffered yet another injury, this time to Gregory Santos, as they capped a rough homestand.

Off day tomorrow before a three-game set in Chicago.

Angels vs. Mariners Game Highlights (7/24/24) | MLB Highlights

SEATTLE -- It just does not stop.

The Mariners capped off a dreary return from the All-Star break with a 2-1 loss to the Angels at T-Mobile Park on Wednesday, capping a 1-5 homestand with their first time being swept this season.

It’s the first time the Angels have swept Seattle in a three-game series since July 12-14, 2019. Coupled with the three games the Mariners lost to end their four-game set in Anaheim going into the All-Star break, they’ve dropped six straight

games to the Halos for the first time since the summer of 2010.

“It’s just a struggle right now, there’s no question about it,” manager Scott Servais said.

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

But it’s not the loss, or yet another silent game at the plate, or another blown lead that’s the main story in Seattle -- it’s the injury.

For the third time in the past four games, the Mariners had a key component in their plans for the stretch run walk off the field with the trainer. On Wednesday, it was Gregory Santos, who gave up a game-tying single in the eighth and left

before throwing another pitch.

Mariners turn Strike-Em-Out Throw-Em-Out DP

Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

Santos, making just his fourth appearance since coming off the injured list on July 9, allowed a leadoff single but bounced back with two quick outs -- the latter of which moved Nolan Schanuel to second base. Willie Calhoun followed with a

ground ball through the left side that got past a shifted-over Dylan Moore, bringing Schanuel around to score.

The Angels pinch-ran Kevin Pillar for Calhoun, and Santos immediately threw over to first. Getting the ball back on the mound, Santos looked in, got the sign and began to come set, but immediately grimaced and stepped off the mound --

without disengaging, sending Pillar to second on a balk and bringing Servais and the trainer out to the mound to look at his right knee.

“He said he’d felt it a couple pitches earlier. He got up there and felt a sharp pain in his knee,” Servais said. “I don’t have a whole breakdown, diagnosis or anything from the doctor yet on where that is at. We’ll find out more here later tonight.”

Scott Servais on the Mariners' 2-1 loss

Santos is just the latest in what’s become a stream of injuries out of the break. Sunday’s win over the Astros -- the only win on this homestand -- was marred by Julio Rodríguez hurting his ankle. Monday’s series-opening loss to the Angels

was compounded by J.P. Crawford leaving with what turned out to be a broken hand.

Tuesday didn’t bring any new maladies but saw Seattle officially put its starting center fielder and shortstop on the IL, and Wednesday, general manager Justin Hollander made a surprise appearance to the media and confirmed that while the

timeline for Rodríguez is fluid, Crawford is going to be out at least a month.

Now, it’s the bullpen’s turn to get bit by the injury bug, after a brief period of relative health.

Luis Castillo Strikes Out Brandon Drury

Luis Castillo goes 6 scoreless against the Angels

Santos was the key piece in recovery for the entire spring, after being placed on the injured list in March with a lat strain. His long road back finally ended in June, and he looked like a weapon from the get-go, dominating in his first two

outings. The Mariners tried to slow-play his return by limiting his usage; earlier this week Servais said they were hoping to get him a stretch of pitching twice in a series and see how he responded, before making the stretch into outings on

back-to-back days.

Stephen Brashear-USA TODAY Sports

The @Mariners are the only team in @MLB

featuring 4 pitchers with 100+ strikeouts this season:

Logan Gilbert (132)

George Kirby (122)

Luis Castillo (119)

Bryce Miller (103)

And the most depressing Seattle Mariners photo of the day is…..

Now, that’s come to a halt.

Trent Thornton came in as an emergency replacement, and allowed a game-tying single on the second pitch he threw after an extended warm-up on the mound.

It’s the second game in the series that the Mariners have taken a 1-0 lead into the eighth inning, only to lose the game.

“It’s very thin margins there,” Servais said. “You’ve got to throw strikes, which we did today. We didn’t do that the other day, we kind of gave that game away. We threw strikes, they got a couple hits.”

Mitch Haniger's Solo Home Run (9)

Prior to July 14, Seattle had only lost three games all year when leading after seven innings; in the 10 days since, they’ve lost three. In that span, the bullpen has a 6.48 ERA, while the offense has averaged fewer than two runs per game.

“Getting those final outs in these games [has] been difficult,” Servais said. “It’s hard to win one-run games and 1-0 games, no question about it. No real production in this series at all offensively.”

What is going on?! A salmon run at the #Mariners game.

Rocking the Northwest Green under the sun

Tuesday July 23

FINAL

LAA 5 vs 1 SEA

J-Rod, Crawford placed on IL in flurry of moves
What's next for the Mariners?

The Mariners are in a tough spot after dropping 6 of 7. To make matters worse, they're missing some key pieces.

FINAL: SEA 10, CWS 0

First-inning barrage

Watch on MLB.TV: Back-to-back-to-back homers highlighted a massive 8-run first frame for Seattle.

It marked the first time that the Mariners have gone deep three times in a row since June 21, 2022, when Rodríguez, Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez pulled off the hat trick in Oakland.It was the first time in team history that they’d gone back-to-back-to-back in the first inning.It marked the first time that the Mariners have gone deep three times in a row since June 21, 2022, when Rodríguez, Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez pulled off the hat trick in Oakland.2021: Dylan Moore hits a go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the eighth as the Mariners overcome a 7-0 deficit to beat the Houston Astros, 11-8.

La Piedra takes the mound in tomorrow’s finale vs. the Angels.

Angels vs. Mariners Game Highlights (7/23/24) | MLB Highlights

By Josh Kirshenbaum

SEATTLE -- The Trade Deadline is just over a week away. But at this point, July 23 might well be a bigger delineation point in the Mariners’ summer, with Tuesday becoming one of their biggest transactional days of the season.

Three storylines from the past three days came to a head in the hours leading up to the Mariners’ matchup against the Angels on Tuesday. Star center fielder Julio Rodríguez and starting shortstop J.P. Crawford went onto the 10-day injured list with

an ankle injury and a fractured pinky, respectively. Meanwhile, Ty France, who had been placed on outright waivers Sunday afternoon, cleared waivers and was designated for assignment.

In their place, Seattle called up No. 6 prospect first baseman Tyler Locklear, shortstop Leo Rivas, outfielder Cade Marlowe and outfielder Jonatan Clase -- who had been optioned on Monday but is allowed to return right away because he's replacing a

player going on the injured list. They join Jason Vosler, who was called up Sunday, making one wall of the Seattle clubhouse 50% new lockers.

Seattle lost 5-1, its fifth straight loss against the Angels. Locklear, Vosler and Marlowe had the only hits. Marlowe drove Vosler in for the Mariners’ only run on a double play in the fifth inning.

Cade Marlowe

“I thought the new guys on the roster, the at-bats they had tonight, were good,” Servais said. “They put the ball in play and found some holes, but certainly not enough.”

It was a very different-looking Mariners lineup than the one Servais put out two games ago.

Logan Gilbert 8 strikeouts vs Angels

Mariners today 5-1.

MLB: Los Angeles Angels at Seattle Mariners

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

“We’ve got a different look to our team with some new faces on the roster today,” manager Scott Servais said. “They’ll get the opportunity to play, and we’ve got to get the most out of them.”

Rodríguez left Sunday's game against the Astros with a right ankle injury after a collision with the outfield wall. X-rays returned negative, and he remained out of the lineup Monday after undergoing further testing that morning. The 23-year-old

outfielder has a .687 OPS with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases in 100 games.

On Tuesday, the Mariners got official word from the medical staff that Rodríguez would miss enough time to warrant a trip to the IL with a high ankle sprain. He was in the clubhouse Tuesday, walking around in flip-flops -- though he said the doctors

gave him a walking boot to use if needed.

Luke Raley's Diving Catch

“I feel good. Some restrictions here and there,” Rodríguez said. “But I can move around. It looks promising. I’m really happy to just tackle this recovery and be back as soon as I can for the team.”

Servais didn’t give a specific target for Rodríguez’s return.

“I don’t know how long it’s going to be,” he said. “It could be a quick turnaround in 10, 11 days. It could be longer. We’ll see. We’ll know more here in the next few days.”

Mariners get BOOED OFF THE FIELD after another brutal loss

The outlook for Crawford -- who came into the clubhouse wearing a full wrist brace with the bottom two fingers on his right hand immobilized -- is also vague but with less hope for a quick return. He was initially diagnosed with a hairline fracture on

his right pinky when a pitch hit him during Monday's game. The Mariners’ shortstop has a .646 OPS with nine home runs in 77 games. He missed roughly a month earlier this season with a right oblique strain.

“Any time it’s a fracture, it’s going to take some time to heal,” Servais said. “So he’s going to be out for some time and I don’t have a timeline.”

France was placed on outright waivers on Sunday and said Monday was a “weird, hard day.” The Mariners acquired France in a massive seven-player trade in 2020, bringing Andrés Muñoz, Luis Torrens and Taylor Trammell to Seattle in exchange for

Austin Adams, Austin Nola and Dan Altavilla. France was a 2022 All-Star. He struggled with a .703 OPS last season and dropped even lower to .662 in 88 games this season.

Josh Rojass Great Diving Stop

“I said it yesterday and I’ll echo that again: Ty was a big part of our offense for a number of years,” Servais said. “He was very productive, hitting the ball all over the field, one of the tougher guys in the league to strike out. The bat-to-ball skills, I

always rave about. This guy can put the bat on anything. But over time, that hasn’t been the case.”

These moves come at a trying time for the Mariners. After holding sole possession of first place in the AL West from May 12 to July 19, they’re now in a tight battle with the Astros, who were 10 games behind Seattle as recently as June 18. Now, the

Mariners will have to navigate without two of their most important position players and one of their longest-tenured players in the fold.

"We’re going through it right now,” Servais said. “These things happen throughout the course of the season, the ups and downs. We’re going to keep grinding through it with a couple of our key players out of the lineup right now and some new faces

in there. Going to give these guys a chance to play, and everybody’s got to step it up a little bit.”

Today in Mariners history:

1990 - Alvin Davis collects his 1,000^th career hit off Milwaukee’s Teddy Higuera.

1991 - Ken Griffey Jr. hits his first career grand slam, a shot in Yankee Stadium off Lee Guetterman.

2006 - Adrián Beltré hits the first inside-the-park home run in the eight-year history of Safeco Field. The eighth-inning blast to centerfield comes off Mike Timlin in the Mariners’ 9-8 victory over Boston.

2021 – Cal Raleigh clubs his first MLB home run, a 444 foot blast in a game against the Athletics.

Monday July 22

FINAL

LAA 3 vs 1 SEA

'That was brutal': Mariners face tough loss in series opener

Mariners in rough spell

Not only was J.P. Crawford injured, but Seattle faced a 'brutal' loss due to a poor showing by the bullpen.

Logan Gilbert’s on the mound tomorrow at 6:40 p.m.

Album Covers that go Hard Bryan Woo and B Money

Angels vs. Mariners Game Highlights (7/22/24) | MLB Highlights

By Josh Kirshenbaum

SEATTLE -- Seattle manager Scott Servais didn’t waste any time when he got to the mic for his postgame press conference on Monday.

“No other way to put it. That was brutal,” he said.

Servais has consistently preached patience almost every time he's met with the media during the Mariners’ recent slide. Seattle was still in first place, and there was plenty of time left to turn things around.

Bryce Miller: "I wish we could go out and play and just have fun. No one's having fun right now."

But after Monday’s 3-1 loss to the Angels at T-Mobile Park, in which the bullpen allowed three runs after walking four batters in two innings and the offense combined for four hits and 14 strikeouts, Servais’ tone shifted.

Fast.

“It depends on where you want to be 60 games from now. Do you want to be playing playoff baseball, or do you want to be driving home?" he said. “Sixty games. We talk about it being a marathon. It's getting to be close to a sprint. Not quite there

yet, but getting close … You’ve got to show up to compete and be ready to take it every night. If you don’t, this league doesn’t care -- they’ll just walk on by you.”

In spells of tough losses -- Seattle has gone 9-17 since June 19, and 15 of those losses came by three runs or fewer -- teams turn to their clubhouse leaders to steady the ship and lead the resurgence. After Monday, though, the Mariners may find

themselves without one of their stalwarts for an extended period, making the loss an even harder pill to swallow.

J.P. Crawford, who has started every game at short since returning from a strained oblique on May 20, took a 0-1 changeup off the back of his right hand to lead off the bottom of the first. Crawford walked to first base and scored on Cal Raleigh’s RBI single.

But as the Mariners took the field for the top of the second, Crawford didn’t come out with the defense. Dylan Moore -- starting at first in Ty France’s place -- moved to short, and Luke Raley entered to play first.

Scott Servais on Mariners' "brutal" 3-1 loss

Manager Scott Servais on his frustration

The Mariners will be without JP Crawford for some time

After the game, Servais confirmed that Crawford had suffered a hairline fracture in his right pinky finger. He didn’t provide a timeline for a return, but a trip to the injured list is almost inevitable.

"We’ll know more once the specialist looks at it and go from there,” Servais said.

Seattle is already without Julio Rodríguez, who left Sunday’s game against Houston with an ankle injury. After Monday's game, Servais confirmed that Rodríguez appears to have gotten away with just a “mild” sprain but will still be day to day.

And while Ty France was still technically on the roster and available after being placed on waivers Sunday, the fact that he didn’t start against a left-handed pitcher sent an obvious sign that he was only going to be used as a last resort. He didn’t end

up playing, and by the time the clubhouse opened after, his locker was already cleared out.

That leaves the Mariners without three of the four players who have started 75 games at any single position this season. The only one left is Raleigh.

The lone bright spot -- as it generally has been this season in Seattle -- was the starting pitching. Bryce Miller put down his second straight scoreless start, going seven innings and allowing just three hits while striking out five, keeping the game at

1-0 until being pulled after 94 pitches going into the eighth.

Then things went downhill. Ryne Stanek walked the first two batters he faced before getting a strikeout but took the run to his line when the Angels pulled a double steal against Andrés Muñoz and tied the game on a sac fly.

Cal Raleigh's RBI Single

It’s Stanek's third straight outing with a run allowed.

Trent Thornton got two easy outs to start the ninth but then issued back-to-back walks before serving up a first-pitch fastball that Jo Adell sent back up the middle for a go-ahead single.

Seattle’s starters have thrown quality starts in each of the Mariners’ past five games; the Mariners have lost all five.

“No way to sugarcoat it. We just handed them the ballgame tonight,” Servais said. “In the situation we’re in, every game is really important. I’m disappointed. Our guys usually make plays at the end of the game, throw strikes. We didn’t do that, and

it obviously cost us the game.”

Today in Mariners history:

1990 - Alvin Davis collects his 1,000^th career hit off Milwaukee’s Teddy Higuera.
1991 - Ken Griffey Jr. hits his first career grand slam, a shot in Yankee Stadium off Lee Guetterman.
2006 - Adrián Beltré hits the first inside-the-park home run in the eight-year history of Safeco Field. The eighth-inning blast to centerfield comes off Mike Timlin in the Mariners’ 9-8 victory over Boston.
2021 – Cal Raleigh clubs his first MLB home run, a 444 foot blast in a game against the Athletics.

Sunday July 21

FINAL

HOU 4 vs 6 SEA

J-Rod will undergo MRI on injured right ankle, but X-rays negative

Star outfielder's exit dampens finale win over Astros as Mariners grab share of first place

J-Rod's injury tempers finaleJulio Rodríguez will undergo an MRI on his right ankle after hitting the wall as Seattle regained a share of 1st.

Wrapping up the weekend with a W! #TridentsUp

Astros vs. Mariners Game Highlights (7/21/24) | MLB Highlights

Congratulations to Adrián Beltré on his induction into the @baseballhall!

By Josh Kirshenbaum

SEATTLE -- The Mariners got a much-needed offensive outburst and a much-needed solid start from Bryan Woo. But their 6-4 win over the Astros -- which snapped a season-high five-game skid and moved Seattle back into a tie for first

place in the AL West -- didn’t come without a sour note.

With a runner on third and two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Yordan Alvarez laced a shot to center field. Mariners star Julio Rodríguez covered 89 feet to get within reaching distance, jumping into the wall with his right leg outstretched.

Julio Rodríguez leaves game with a right ankle injury in the top of the 6th inning

He got his glove on the ball, but couldn’t hold on as the rest of his body hit the wall, and his left foot got caught enough to leave a hole in the padding.

As he fell to the warning track, Rodríguez grabbed at his right ankle, and after Dylan Moore got the ball back into the infield on what ended up being an RBI triple, he and Victor Robles immediately began waving for trainer Taylor Bennett and

manager Scott Servais to come out.

J.P. Crawford turns DP

After a delay, the two took Rodríguez out, though the center fielder walked off under his own power. Robles moved from right field to center, Luke Raley went from first base to right and Ty France came in to play first and bat in Rodríguez’s spot.

The Mariners ended up bolstering their lead thanks to a three-run home run off the bat of Raley in the bottom of the sixth, and Andrés Muñoz struck out the side in the ninth to earn his 16th save of the season.

Luke Raley's Three-Run Home Run (11)

Luke Raley Hits a 3-Run MOONSHOT!!!

“Obviously, we’re going through it right now,” Raley said. “So to get one and hopefully be able to build off of it is really important.”

And after the game, Seattle got a dose of good news, with X-rays on Rodríguez’s right ankle coming back negative. Servais said that Rodríguez would undergo an MRI exam, but that for the moment, he is considered day to day.

“Certainly there’s a lot of adrenaline going on at that moment,” Servais said. “It was a heck of a collision running into the wall. That wall’s not moving, and that’s a big dude who’s really moving fast. You’re concerned once you get out there.

“I think once he started putting a little weight on it and realized that he just twisted it, got caught up in the wall.”

John Froschauer-USA TODAY Sports

Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
Seattle Mariner starting first baseman Ty France has been placed on waivers.

Rodríguez already has dealt with one injury scare on a play in the outfield this month, when he caught his thumb on the turf while stumbling to make a catch. He also left the Mariners’ July 6 game against the Blue Jays with right quad

tightness, and didn’t start the following day.

The close calls have come at the same time as a resurgence for the two-time All-Star, who’s hitting .375 in July with a 1.122 OPS. Coming into the series finale, Rodríguez had hit .459 over his past 12 games with four home runs and eight RBIs.

“Hopefully, we can escape a long absence from him,” Servais said. “He’s been swinging the bat so well here over the last couple weeks. We’re going to need him. He’s pivotal to our offense turning the corner.”

Rodríguez hasn’t had a trip to the injured list since July 2022, when he was hit by a pitch and landed on the 10-day IL with a bruised right wrist.

“Hopefully, he’s OK,” Raley said. “You don’t want to see that happen to anyone, but especially a guy that runs center field every day for us, and an elite guy like that.”

Andrés Muñoz secures the Mariners' 6-4 win

J

John Froschauer-USA TODAY Sports

The injury put a damper on what was otherwise the brightest day in a slow start to the second half for Seattle. After managing just two runs and seven hits in the first two games of this set against Houston -- and falling out of first place in the

AL West for the first time since May 11 – the Mariners broke out with five extra-base hits in the first six innings and finished with nine knocks.

Moore opened the scoring with a two-run triple in the second inning. Jorge Polanco hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth, and Raley delivered the telling blow in the sixth, hammering a first-pitch sweeper from Seth Martinez after

Polanco and Mitch Haniger executed a perfect hit-and-run to put runners on the corners.

Jorge Polanco's Solo Home Run (6)

Jorge Polanco Hits a Solo Homer!

Dylan Moore's Two-Run Triple

Dylan Moore 2-Run Triple!

John Froschauer-USA TODAY Sports

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

“A lot of good at-bats up and down the lineup,” Servais said. “That’s good to see. We kept the strikeouts in check today; when you put the ball in play, you’ve got a chance, and we did that today.”

Saturday July 20

FINAL

HOU 4 vs 2 SEA

J-Rod's homer breaks scoreless streak, but Mariners continue to scuffle

Seattle's struggles continueJulio Rodríguez belted a 2-run HR in the 6th,

breaking Seattle’s 17-inning scoreless streak, but it wasn't enough.

Astros vs. Mariners Game Highlights (7/20/24) | MLB Highlights

SEATTLE -- For a flash of a moment, the fans at T-Mobile Park thought things might be starting to flip.

When Julio Rodríguez launched a two-run home run to break a 17-inning scoreless streak dating back to the first half, Seattle had the one swing it thought it would need.

It turns out that the Mariners needed a second big hit, and that proved to be too much in a 4-2 loss to the Astros that slid Seattle a full game back of Houston in the AL West standings.

JULIO RODRIGUEZ HITS A 2-RUN HOMER FOR THE LEAD!!!

“This club is going through a lot of things,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “It happens through the course of a season. We’ve got guys that are struggling right now to try to get some traction and get it going, and they know it, they feel it.”

The Astros certainly did their part on defense, particularly in the bottom of the eighth inning when Trey Cabbage reached over the wall in right field to take a second home run away from Rodríguez, and Joey Loperfido laid out for an inning-ending

catch in left that took an RBI double away from Mitch Garver.

Not even a luck dragon could save this offense.

“It happens; it’s the Major Leagues, those plays get made once in a while,” Servais said. "We’ve made plays like that against other teams as well. You have to give them credit there.

“But we have to do more than that. You can’t just look back and focus on those big eighth-inning, seventh-inning, ninth-inning at-bats. We’ve got to do more earlier in the game to create more opportunities for ourselves.”

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

That was the issue for the Mariners, who drew six walks but only had one other hit leave the infield all night.

Seattle got a runner on third with two outs in the first inning thanks to a single and a pair of steals by Victor Robles, and put a runner on second in the fourth on a walk and a Jorge Polanco bunt single. Both times, though, the Mariners struck out to

end the threat. And outside of those two frames and the sixth – when Rodríguez hit his home run -- Seattle managed just three baserunners.

In the bottom of the seventh, Mitch Haniger drew a one-out walk and was pinch-run for by Jonatan Clase, who was promptly picked off at first. In the eighth, Cal Raleigh took a curveball off his leg, but Loperfido’s diving play in left stranded him. And

in the ninth, Clase drew a two-out walk thanks to a pitch-timer violation by Josh Hader on a 3-1 count, but Luke Raley struck out swinging to end the game.

“You’ve got to put constant pressure, you’ve got to do it every inning,” Servais said. “There are gaps in the game where we’ll go through two or three innings and we don’t get anything going, just soft contact.”

Mariners' 4-2 loss to the Astros

On the other side of things, the Astros didn’t get much more going against Seattle starter George Kirby. The right-hander put down his fifth straight quality start against the Astros, logging six innings on 99 pitches, striking out six and allowing one

run on four hits. The four knocks against him averaged an exit velocity of 88.9 mph; two went the other way, one barely made it past the mound and the fourth tipped off an infielder’s glove on the way to the outfield.

For the second consecutive outing -- and just the fourth time all year -- Kirby threw more sliders than any other pitch, and got 12 of his 15 whiffs on secondary pitches.

George Kirby strikes out six against the Astros

“I can’t say enough about the job he continues to do and the season he’s putting together,” Servais said.

But for the fourth straight game on Seattle’s five-game skid, the Mariners couldn’t back up a quality start enough to earn a win. After Rodríguez’s homer, Ryne Stanek came in for his first appearance of the second half, walked the first batter he faced

in the seventh and gave up a two-run home run to Jake Meyers on a 1-2 fastball that was off the outside corner.

The Astros added an insurance run in the top of the eighth on a Yainer Diaz laser of a home run off Trent Thornton that skipped off the top of the wall in left.

“It’s the little things when you’re playing good teams … teams that you’re evenly matched against,” Servais said. “You’ve got to execute, you’ve got to get the big outs, you’ve got to make the big pitches in the right spots and we haven’t been able to

do that.”

Servais said pregame that Stanek is 100% recovered from the back spasms that knocked him out of the game in the Angels series, but it’s hard not to notice that his velo was significantly down across the board tonight.

Stanek then allowed a single to Altuve before Servais went to lift him, and Altuve decided to test Garver’s arm, only to be immediately thrown out trying to swipe second before Thornton could even throw a pitch. That’s what 44% sprint speed do,

baby.

Friday July 19

FINAL

HOU 3 vs 0 SEA

'Not happening right now': Seattle's hefty lead evaporates in record time

Mariners caught by foe

Seattle watched a double-digit AL West lead dwindle in a span of just 24 games and it now trails the Astros.

Photo credit should read DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images

Back at it tomorrow evening with George Kirby on the mound.

Astros vs. Mariners Game Highlights (7/19/24) | MLB Highlights

Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images

Mariners Jamie Moyer Throws out First Pitch

On July 15th, 1999, Jamie Moyer tossed the first pitch in @TMobilePark history to Dan Wilson. Tonight, the batterymates, now both Mariners Hall of Famers, tossed the first pitch to celebrate the ballpark’s 25th anniversary!

By Josh Kirshenbaum

SEATTLE -- And just like that, first place slipped away.

On June 18, the Mariners beat Cleveland, which -- coupled with losses by the Rangers and Astros -- moved them 10 games up in the AL West.

It was the first time Seattle had led the division by double-digits since its 116-win season in 2001. That year, the Mariners were in first place with a 10-game lead on May 11, and never let the gap get back into single-digits. This year, it’s gone a

whole lot differently.

The Mariners opened their second half with a 3-0 loss to the Astros on Friday night at T-Mobile Park, losing their lead in the AL West and falling to 52-47 on the season and behind Houston by percentage points.

“Great crowd, they were all jazzed up and ready to go,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t give them too much to get loud about.”

It took just 24 games for the Mariners to lose their 10-game divisional lead. That’s the shortest span to lose a double-digit lead in the divisional era (since 1969) -- by far, per Elias. Going into this year, the dubious record was held by the 1995

Angels, who led the AL West by 10 1/2 games on Aug. 16 before the famous “Refuse to Lose” Mariners stormed back and ultimately won the division in a one-game playoff. That gap was covered in 33 games.

Friday night, in particular, nine innings encapsulated the difference between the beginning of the season and the past month for Seattle.

From Opening Day to June 18, the Mariners hit a combined .222, 28th in the big leagues. But with runners in scoring position, the average jumped to .257 (17th in MLB) and their .756 OPS was 13th.

From June 19 to the All-Star break, the club’s hitting with runners in scoring position cratered. The Mariners hit .183 with runners within 180 feet of home plate (29th in MLB) with a .603 OPS (28th).

Friday, Seattle went 0-for-4 with men in scoring position, and left six runners on base. The Mariners’ best opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth, when Luke Raley drew a leadoff walk and Victor Robles reached on a bunt single to set the table

for the top of the order, but J.P. Crawford popped out to shallow center and Josh Rojas hit into an inning-ending double play.

That was the third inning in which the Mariners put a man in scoring position, but all they managed in the first two was a two-out walk to Julio Rodríguez to load the bases in the third, followed by a soft lineout off the bat of Cal Raleigh.

Josh Rojas' Barehanded Play

When the Mariners left Progressive Field in Cleveland on June 18, they had a clutch score (a FanGraphs metric designed to quantify a team’s performance in high-leverage situations) of 3.05, third-best in the league. Since then, it’s fallen to -1.20 --

25th in baseball -- while the Astros have climbed from last to 14th.

Speaking of Houston, the Astros got all their offense Friday by cashing in on one chance. In the top of the third, the visitors took the lead on a leadoff double followed by a Jose Altuve bunt single, with a run coming around on Seattle’s second error

in the field. Then, a pair of free passes loaded the bases for Yainer Diaz, who chipped a two-run single into right to blow the inning open.

“They cashed in,” Servais said. “They got a big hit with runners in scoring position. That’s something we were not able to do, again tonight. We’ve got to keep on going. Our group understands where we’re at. Offense has been a struggle for us here.

We’re trying different things to unlock it and get it going, but it’s just not happening right now.”

And once again, the ice-cold hitting made another solid outing on the hill go for naught. Luis Castillo came back from his one rough inning with four straight scoreless frames, finishing with just three strikeouts, but logging his 13th quality start.

Luis Castillo's three strikeouts against the Astros

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Seattle’s 59 quality starts lead the Majors, but the Mariners have lost 16 of them.

“Not for lack of effort, and certainly our pitching staff continues to do a really good job of to keep us in games,” Servais said. “But we’ve got to step up and score.”

Today in Mariners history:

1994: Four Kingdome ceiling tiles fall prior to game vs. Baltimore, causing the first game postponement in Kingdome history.

1998: Alex Rodriguez hits home run #30 on the year and becomes the third shortstop in history to have two or more seasons with at least 30 home runs.

2013: Astros CF Brandon Barnes hits for the cycle, but the Mariners win against the Astros anyway, 10-7. Brad Miller went 3-for-5 with the first two home runs of his MLB career, and drove in a career-high five runs.

2016: Edwin Díaz records his 39^th strikeout, the most in Major League history (since 1913) in a reliever’s first 20.0 career innings or fewer. Diaz had thrown 39 strikeouts over 19.2 innings pitched in his first 19 career appearances.