The Seattle Mariners did not start the season well back in the spring, losing 13 games in April and 22 in May. But they have started to slowly turn things around in the latter parts of June. While they remain at the bottom of the AL West at 35-47, 15.5 games behind first-place Houston Astros, […]
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Just this week, Seattle Mariners infielder and utility man Tim Beckham added another page to the MLB’s long novel detailing its struggles pertaining to its players and performance-enhancing drugs. Although today’s additions appear minimal in comparison to the chapters etched in by poster boys such as Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, Beckham’s actions nevertheless […]
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Felix Hernandez was all tears as he finished what could be his last start as a Seattle Mariner. Fans stood up and gave him a loud standing ovation as he hugged coach Scott Servais and his teammates, including Kyle Seager, who was also noticeably crying as well. It was an emotional send-off to one of […]
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James Paxton will be returning to the Seattle Mariners after a two-season stint with the New York Yankees.
The left-handed pitcher and Seattle agreed to an $8.5 million one-year deal. Paxton is able to earn an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses for starts. The bonuses are $150,000 each for six to 10 starts and $750,000 moreover starts 11-22.
Paxton played for Seattle from 2003-2018, the pitcher compiled a 41-26 with a 3.42 ERA during his tenure with the team. In addition, he earned 617 strikeouts, 168 walks in 582 1/3 innings. In November 2018, he was traded to the Yankees in exchange for left-hander Justus Sheffield, along with outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams and right-hander Erik Swanson.
Seattle held out hope that the left-handed pitcher would return to the team, one day. In his first season with New York, he struggled but was able to find his stride to go 15 wins and six losses with a 3.82 ERA. In his second and final season with the Yankees, the left-handed pitcher only had two wins and three losses with an ERA of 6.64 ERA in five starts.
The 32-year-old was unable to play after August 20 because of a low-grade strain in his left forearm flexor. After the season ended, the Yankees allowed the 32-year-old to walk in free agency.
Paxton will be joining a Seattle team that will employ a six-man rotation pitching style, which will likely take away about five starts from each pitcher in the rotation.
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There have been various disagreements and distrust growing between the MLB and the MLBPA. Areas of disagreement from the players union stem from teams tanking, teams scaling back on their free-agent spending, and manipulating the service time of their top prospects. The collective bargaining agreement expires in December, and negotiations are expected to be difficult.
Service-time manipulation is one of the widespread uses by teams but is difficult to prove. Kris Bryant filed a grievance against the Chicago Cubs for manipulating his service time in 2015. Unfortunately, Bryant lost the case due to a lack of evidence.
Service-time manipulation is a tactic that is openly used by a team to delay a player’s free agency but also delays them of wages. It is not against the rules, so it makes the tactic legal. Speaking more about the tactic, it delays a player’s wages that are owed to them. It is essentially robbing them of money they earned. Not only that, but it affects players with zero service time in the big leagues because 15 days being in the minors pushes players’ free agency back a year. Multiple teams have done this with their prospects, intentionally not playing them in the majors but having them in the minors to delay their free agency by one more year.
Finding evidence to prove this tactic is hard, but recent comments said by Seattle Mariners president Kevin Mather have provided some clear evidence of the tactic. During an event with the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club, Mather indicated the club was not going to call up their top prospects last season for service-time reasons no matter what.
A video had been posted showing the full speech, but it was later removed. The video showed Mather talking about manipulating service-time. “If our major-league team had a COVID outbreak or injuries, and we had to call people up from the taxi squad, we were a little short on players because there was no chance you were going to see these young players at T-Mobile Park,” Mather said. “We weren’t going to put them on the 40-man roster, we weren’t going to start the service-time clock.” The speech continued as the team president remarked, “You would not have seen our young players, our prospects, playing at T-Mobile Park.”
The Mariners president did not finish his comments there but went beyond as he talked about the team’s top pitching prospect, Logan Gilbert. The team president stated, “You won’t see him on April 1, but by mid-April, you will see a young man named Logan Gilbert.” Mather did not stop there either, but continued to talk about another team top prospect, Jarred Kelenic. “We control his major-league career for six years, and after six years he’ll be a free agent,” said Mather on the topic of Kelenic. Mather continued to explain the team’s plan for the prospect, “We’d like for him to get a few more at-bats in the minor leagues, probably at Triple-A for a month, then he will likely be in left field at T-Mobile part of the next six or seven years, then he’ll be a free agent.”
After these comments were revealed, the Seattle president released a statement on Sunday night, apologizing. Mather expressed remorse as his statement read, “there is no excuse for my behavior, and I take full responsibility for my terrible lapse in judgment.”
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Major League Baseball’s Opening Day is rapidly approaching. With that being said, it is time to make predictions for each team heading into the 2021 season following a 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign.
The Seattle Mariners have unanswered questions in all areas of the game that will probably prevent them from making a postseason run in 2021. Missing the postseason will bring their playoff drought to 20 years. The Mariners have never played in a World Series and have played postseason baseball four times in 44 seasons. Looking onto 2021, there are a multitude of concerns that will probably prevent the team from finishing the season with a winning record.
Here are Seattle’s projected starters.
During the offseason, the Mariners signed starters Chris Flexen and James Paxton. They also signed reliever Ken Giles and Keynan Middleton. Another reliever, Rafael Montero, was acquired via trade. He is the favorite to be the team’s closer this season.
Regarding the Mariners’ starting pitching, the rotation is below average, and hope for the future lies with young pitching prospects and their development. Seattle’s bullpen has potential if Montero can stay healthy, but new acquisition Ken Giles will not pitch this season after having Tommy John surgery.
Looking at Seattle’s offense, Kyle Lewis and Kyle Seager are solid, but the real difference maker will be outfielder Mitch Haniger if he can bounce back after an injury-ridden 2020. With all of this in mind, it seems likely that the Mariners will finish at the bottom of the standings in the American League.
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James Paxton’s first season back with the Seattle Mariners has come to an abrupt end before it began.
Paxton will undergo season-ending elbow surgery, according to Mariners manager Scott Servais on Tuesday. “It’s a blow this is a guy who is a top-end starter, a top-of-the-rotation type of guy,” Servais said. “Certainly nothing against our other guys, but they just don’t have the experience and the track record that Pax has accumulated over his time in the big leagues,” Servais explained.
Paxton made his season debut on April 6 but was pulled after two innings and 24 pitches. Paxton was originally diagnosed with a forearm strain, but a second opinion indicated that the injury was far be more serious than initially believed.
“I feel terrible for Pax and having to deal with this one again,” Servais said. “If I know Pax, he’ll take the right attitude with it and go forward and try to make the best out of it and come back stronger than ever.”
The 32-year-old pitched for Seattle from 2013-2018, compiling a 41-26 record with a 3.42 ERA. In 2018, the Mariners traded him to the New York Yankees.
The pitcher struggled during the first half of his season with the Yankees. However, during the second half, he was able to find his form and went 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA. Additionally, Paxton won a career-best 10 straight starts. Last season, the left-handed pitcher was limited to five starts due to a left flexor strain.
The 32-year-old decided to return to Seattle after signing a one-year deal worth $8 million. The pitcher was off to a great start during spring training. In two spring games, Paxton recorded two wins, 17 strikeouts and a 1.08 ERA.
Servais did not disclose what surgery the pitcher will be undergoing.
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It is the year of no-hitters in Major League Baseball. Detroit Tigers‘ Spencer Turnbull is the latest pitcher to record a no-hitter. His victim was the Seattle Mariners.
Turnbull produced the best performance of his career as he recorded his first career no-hitter. Turnbull struck out nine batters on a career-high 117 pitches. The only two batters that did reach first base were the ones he walked. Jarred Kelenic was walked in the fourth inning and Mariners’ first basemen Jose Marmolejos was walked after a full-count curveball missed wide in the ninth inning.
Turnbull’s no-hitter was the Tigers’ eighth in franchise history and the first since Justin Verlander accomplished the feat in 2011.
The 8th no-hitter in #Tigers history! pic.twitter.com/uovIcYJjEv
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) May 19, 2021
Being the fifth no-hitter of the season, the occasion also marked the most no-hitters in the regular season since 2015. In 2015, seven no-hitters were thrown, which is tied for the second-most in a season. In 2016 and 2017, there was only one no-hitter, three in 2018 and four in 2019. Last year, there were only two no-hitters.
Spectacular Spencer.@spencerturnbull throws the fifth no-hitter of the season.
pic.twitter.com/E8ioVEwhDv
— MLB (@MLB) May 19, 2021
The Mariners have now been no-hit twice this season. Earlier this month, Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means threw a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts against Seattle. The Mariners are the first team since 1900 to be no-hit twice in the same month.
However, the Mariners are not alone because the Cleveland Indians have also been no-hit twice this season. The Indians were recently no-hit earlier this month, courtesy by Wade Miley of the Cincinnati Reds.
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Héctor Santiago became the first player to be ejected under the league’s plan to heavily check pitchers for the use of foreign substances. Umpires enforced the rule for the first time when they inspected the Seattle Mariners pitcher’s glove for sticky substances.
“He was ejected for when his glove was inspected, for having a foreign substance that was sticky on the inside palm of his glove,” crew chief Tom Hallion explained after the game. Hallion also said that the substance was “very noticeable,” and all members of the umpiring crew agreed with the determination that it was a foreign substance.
#Mariners Hector Santiago is ejected after check of his glove.#SeaUsRise pic.twitter.com/PRwBjMXlro
— Robert Flores (@RoFlo) June 27, 2021
Any sort of foreign substance anywhere on the pitcher, his glove, his hat, and belt buckle carries an automatic ejection. The league office will now examine the glove where the umpires found the substance deemed as a rules violation. This will determine whether the ejection was warranted or not. If the league concludes that Santiago was violating the rule, he’ll be suspended for 10 days with pay.
Both the Mariners and Santiago dispute the claim that he had a foreign substance in his glove. “Once they take it back and check it, it’s just sweat and rosin,” Santiago told reporters. “If they’re going to do all this science stuff, it’s going to be sweat and rosin. We’ll be all right.”
As part of the deal, the Mariners wouldn’t be allowed to replace him on the active roster, which means they would be down one pitcher spot for 10 days.
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Longtime Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager announced via his wife’s Twitter account his retirement from Major League Baseball.
“Today I’m announcing my retirement from Major League Baseball. Thank you to all of my family, friends and fans for following me throughout my career. It’s been a wonderful ride but I am unbelievably excited for the next chapter of my life.”
A note from my husband. pic.twitter.com/Zl5peB3vR2
— Julie Seager (@JulieSeager15) December 29, 2021
The 34-year-old was set to become a free agent this offseason after 11 years in Seattle.
A third-round pick out of UNC-Chapel Hill in 2009, Seager made his MLB debut with the Mariners in 2011. Over the ensuing years, he batted .251/.321/.442 (112 OPS+) with 1,395 hits; 242 home runs; and a 36.9 WAR. Seager won a Gold Glove in 2014 and made his only All-Star appearance that same year.
Knowing it could be his last at-bat in an M’s uniform, the fans gave Seager a standing ovation in Seattle during his final game in October:
Kyle Seager pulled out of the game to get a standing ovation from the crowd as soon as the Red Sox game goes final pic.twitter.com/in8RxVKw8e
— Kelly Ward (@kellynnward) October 3, 2021
Why he is retiring is anyone’s guess. Seager’s coming off a 2021 season in which he hit a career-best 35 home runs.
Kyle’s younger brother, Corey Seager, was also a free agent this winter, though he signed a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Texas Rangers prior to the owner-imposed lockout.
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For a team with a playoff drought that’s finally old enough to drink alcohol—in addition to a general manager who said he was “ready to transact”—the Seattle Mariners sure seem to be idle this offseason.
On the heels of the new CBA announcement and the ensuing transaction freeze being lifted Thursday, M’s GM Jerry Dipoto said Friday that his team is in the market for two sluggers, a lefty reliever who could start, and perhaps even a high-end starting pitcher.
Well, Seattle fans have (so far) been given Steven Souza Jr.—who signed a minor league deal with a spring training invite. If he makes the team, he’ll receive a $1 million salary.
Souza, 30, spent most of the ‘21 season with the Dodgers’ Oklahoma City Class AAA affiliate and racked up a .274/.396/.554 line with 14 doubles, a triple, 12 homers, and 35 RBI over 56 games. He had a cup of coffee with the MLB club to the tune of .152/.222/.333 with a double, triple, homer, and three RBI over 17 games off the bench.
So… the move doesn’t exactly light up the transaction page. It did light up the Mariners faithful on Twitter, though:
Waiting on the Mariners to make a move like… pic.twitter.com/YsMRBaXabo
— Jake Heaps (@jtheaps9) March 12, 2022
Dear Mariners,
I would really like it if you could sign Kris Bryant and Michael Conforto today.
Sincerely,
This Mariner Fan— chris w (@zipkidcw) March 13, 2022
Come on, Mariners. pic.twitter.com/avxMwtNK7t
— Marielle (@marielle922) March 13, 2022
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In a game that ended up with benches clearing, eight ejections, and a crate of sunflower seeds being thrown, the Los Angeles Angels came out on top with a 2-1 win over the Seattle Mariners.
The benches have cleared between the Mariners and Angels
(via @BallySportWest)pic.twitter.com/U20AkK0KfZ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 26, 2022
It all started at the top of the second inning when Angels pitcher Andrew Wantz threw a wild fastball that struck batter Jesse Winker in his leg. Winker on his way to the plate jawed at Wantz and tried to storm the mound when both dugouts emptied and a full-on brawl ensued. This wasn’t a one-time incident, however. Wantz had already faced some issues earlier in the first inning when he threw just behind Julio Rodriguez‘s head. The previous night, Trout also faced a pitch that was too close to his head as well.
At the end of the brawl, six players and both managers were sent off including Winkler who had some choice gestures for the crowd in his departure. While this was being sorted out, however, Raisel Iglesias took a crate filled with sunflower seeds and threw it onto the field in anger. Those sent off include Mariners manager Scott Servais, Angels manager Phil Nevin, JP Crawford, Julio Rodriguez, Ryan Tepera, Iglesias, Winker and Wantz.
Each of them received various suspensions from the league. Iglesias, Rodriguez and Angels bench coach Ray Montgomery were given two-game suspensions. Angels pitching coach Dom Chiti, third baseman Anthony Rendon and Crawford were given five-game bans. Wants and Tepera were given three-game suspensions while Nevin was hit the hardest with a 10-game suspension from the league for “intentional throwing by pitcher Andrew Wantz while warnings were in place.”
Winker went full double birds to the crowd pic.twitter.com/ZORxoLm9ow
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 26, 2022
Winker’s antics earned him a seven-game suspension for his role in causing the fighting, but it also earned him a meal. One Seattle fan sent him a pizza directly to the Angels’ stadium and instructed the delivery driver, “For the visitors’ clubhouse, pizza is for Jesse Winker.” Winker thanked her for the pizza and the Mariners’ shouted her out on Instagram.
Many are blaming the escalation of conflict between the two teams on the officiating competency. Some say, home plate umpire John Bacon, who was a Triple-A call-up, should have issued both benches a warning due to the events that transpired the night before. Others are claiming he should’ve ejected Wantz immediately after he hit Rodriguez.
The Angles and Mariners will meet a multitude of times towards the latter part of the season. They play a two-game series in Seattle on August 5-6, a three-game series in Anaheim from August 15-17, and a four-game series on September 16-19 at Angel Stadium
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Luis Castillo has been traded days ahead of the deadline and Yankees fans aren’t too happy about it.
The Seattle Mariners pulled the trigger on a deal that is sending two MLB-ranked top 100 prospects Edwin Arroyo (93) and Noelvi Marte (18) to the Cincinnati Reds.
Additionally, the Reds are getting pitching prospects Levi Stoudt and Andrew Moore.
While the Mariners certainly paid a price to obtain Castillo, he isn’t scheduled to become a free agent until 2024.
So, the team will have another year plus before deciding whether it wants to keep him around long-term or not.
The 29-year-old is making $7.35 million this year and is commanding a 2.86 ERA this year with 90 strikeouts in 14 games.
And you can see why fans of other teams aren’t too happy that their front offices couldn’t make a trade for the Red’s ace.
New York Yankees fans in particular were furious about it.
“Yankees not getting Luis Castillo is such a disgrace,” said one fan.
“They have the capital to get him and beat any offer. Best chance at a World Series since 2009 don’t let this season go to waste, [GM Brian] Cashman.”
Another weighed in and stated: “I don’t care if this is an overreaction. “You are the New York f**cking Yankees, you clearly are a player or two from cementing yourself as the best team in baseball.”
And one fan took his frustrations out on the Yankee’s general manager: “Good morning coffee is ready, today’s a great day to make a trade or fire Brian Cashman.”
Instead, Castillo will join a Mariners club that is 54-47 and look to bolster a starting rotation that headlines reigning American League Cy Young winner Robbie Ray.
Next up all eyes will be on superstars Juan Soto and Shohei Ohtani and see if they will be traded in the coming days.
The MLB trade deadline is Tuesday, August 2.
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It took more than two decades – but the Seattle Mariners are back in the playoffs.
In a 1-1 game in the ninth inning, the team was looking for a hero.
That was 21-year-old catcher Cal Raleigh, who came up with the biggest hit of his life.
With two outs left he drove a breaking ball off Oakland Athletics pitcher Domingo Acevedo out of the ballpark to walk it off.
Cal Raleigh sends the Mariners to the postseason with an emphatic walk-off
… This place is going nuts. pic.twitter.com/dMkfWu2wvX
— Daniel Kramer (@DKramer_) October 1, 2022
As you’d imagine the Mariner’s home crowd went wild, as it marks the first time the team will qualify for a postseason birth since 2001.
For context on how long it’s been, Mariner’s Japanese star outfielder was just 27 years old in his rookie season.
The U.S. has had four different presidents since then.
The New England Patriots and Tom Brady have combined for seven Super Bowls.
Heck, the Chicago Cubs even won a World Series in a non-video game fashion.
While the pain is finally over at least for now for Mariners fans, there are teams with some long active droughts.
None are more than two decades long, but NBA’s Sacramento Kings have the longest one – not qualifying for the postseason since 2005-2006.
The Kings are followed by the NFL’s New York Jets and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, which both haven’t appeared in the playoffs since 2011, or 11 years.
To end the long playoff droughts, the Mariners have been active since the offseason in making moves.
That includes the Mariners acquiring infielder Eugenio Suárez and pitcher Luis Castillo in trades.
Additionally, young talents including pitcher Logan Gilbert and especially Julio Rodríguez have emerged.
Rodriguez reportedly recently signed a 12-year contract worth around $210 million.
And now it’s playoff time for the Mariners.
But it won’t be easy as they will have to play a best-of-three game series against either the Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians or the Tampa Bay Rays in the wild-card round.
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As MLB’s one-in-a-million unicorn, it seems like every step on the field is history-making for Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese phenom’s game Wednesday against the Mariners was no different, even if the footnote, in this case, was more of a curiosity than a remarkable achievement.
Shohei Ohtani: 1st Player ever to have a Pitch Clock Violation as a Pitcher AND Hitter.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 5, 2023
In the first inning of his second start for the Angels, Ohtani was called for a pitch clock violation on the mound, awarding a ball to batter Cal Raleigh. Then, in the sixth inning, he took too long to step into the batter’s box, awarding a strike to reliever Matt Brash. In doing so, he became the first player in MLB history to receive a pitching and hitting violation in the same game.
Ohtani is far from the first player to fall victim to MLB’s new pitch clock rules, which were instituted in order to increase the pace of play and shorten game times. They have been extremely effective, with a game between the Marlins and Twins on April 4 finishing in less than two hours, but players have also struggled to adjust to the new limitations.
Because Ohtani spent much of the preseason playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic, which did not use a pitch clock, he has not had as much time to adjust to the new rules. Other WBC players have had similar experiences, as an odd delay on Opening Day between Jeff McNeil at the plate and Pete Alonso on first base led the umpires to erroneously call a strike on McNeil.
Though Ohtani’s pitch clock violations became the story following the game, his performance on the mound and plate eventually secured the Angels a 4-3 victory. The 2021 MVP struggled on the mound early, walking two and allowing a run in the first, but eventually settled down to strike out eight batters while allowing just three hits in six innings of work.
“Locating my fastball [was the key],” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “When I was able to throw more fastballs mid-count for strikes, it made everything a lot easier.”
Ohtani also walked twice at the plate and drove in a key insurance run in the seventh. Pitch clock adjustments will come in time, but the versatile star continues to propel the Angels in all aspects.
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Didi Gregorius is back, just not in the majors, yet. The former Yankees shortstop signed a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners, as reported by national MLB insider Russell Dorsey.
Veteran INF Didi Gregorius is signing a minor-league deal with the Seattle Mariners, sources confirm to @BallySports and @Stadium. Gregorius had a 1.208 OPS with 11 HRs for Union Laguna in the Mexican League.
— Russell Dorsey (@Russ_Dorsey1) June 8, 2023
The 33-year-old’s stint for the Phillies wasn’t a pleasant one.
In Philadelphia, his career there lasted over three seasons with the Phillies, he owned a .670 OPS, hit only 24 homers, and made 27 errors. That was the last time he was on an MLB team in 2022.
Since then, he’s been more successful in the Mexican League, as the Dutch shortstop signed with Algodoneros de Unión Laguna on May 1, 2023. Ever since and more recently, he has had a league-leading 11 homers with a 1.208 OPS.
But for the Phillies, Gregorius was hitting .210 with a .567 OPS before he was cut and cost Philadelphia $5.5 million to take him and his salary off the books.
In his prime, the former Yankees star took over shortstop for Derek Jeter and was productive from 2015 to 2019. His batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage at the time were .269/.313/.446 with 97 homers.
His notable moment in the Bronx was his game-tying grand slam during the American League Wild Card game that jumpstarted the Yankee’s run during the 2017 ALCS playoffs. His three-run homer for New York led to the Yankees beating the Minnesota Twins 8-4, as Seattle is looking for a similar spark in signing Gregorius as they are looking for a playoff berth in an underwhelming season so far.
Currently, the Mariners are fourth in the AL West and are ten games behind the Texas Rangers, who are leading the division. The Phillies, in 2020, also brought in Gregorius when they were desperate but were forced to cut ties after a disastrous few seasons with the team, which is something Seattle will hope doesn’t happen to them.
The Mariners currently don’t have any young shortstops close to the major leagues and J.P. Crawford has a .685 OPS with three home runs as the team’s defense-first starting shortstop. Their highest-ranked shortstop prospect, Cole Young, is a 19-year-old in Single-A.
Gregorius has had success internationally in other baseball leagues as well other than the Mexican League, as he played for the Netherlands at the World Baseball Classic, batting .348 with a home run in six games this past March.
Despite this recent dominance, Gregorius is just looking for another shot at sticking with a team in the majors, as this minor-league deal is just the first step in his comeback endeavor.
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The Seattle Mariners defeated the Oakland Athletics 5-4 Wednesday in a sloppy back-and-forth contest to win their 21st game in the month of August. In doing so, the team set a franchise record for wins in a single month and has catapulted back into the hunt for a division title.
The @Mariners have set a new franchise record with their 21st win in a calendar month! pic.twitter.com/r3qQYJRrRd
— MLB (@MLB) August 30, 2023
After dropping a game to the A’s Tuesday, the Mariners nearly dropped the series Wednesday when they fell behind 3-0 in the second inning. The team trailed again later on but tacked on two runs in the bottom of the seventh and eventually closed out the game.
“There’s like 60 days in August isn’t there? I wish there was,” Mariners manager Scott Servais told reporters. “What a month.”
Servais went on to compare his team to the 2001 Mariners, one of the greatest teams in MLB history that won 116 games. The team lost in the ALDS that year.
“Twenty-one wins in a month and there was a really special team here that won 116 games one year and they didn’t even do that,” Servais said.
The Mariners’ historic month coincided with slumps for the Astros and Rangers, the two teams that were ahead of Seattle in the AL West standings at the end of July. Going into the final month of the season, the Mariners and Astros are now tied for the division lead with the Rangers one game behind the pair.
Mariners star Julio Rodriguez was enjoying the team’s momentum after its 20th win Monday. The slugger did not participate in the 21st win because of a foot injury.
“It’s really good. I feel like everybody is playing like we all know we could,” Rodríguez said Monday. “It’s been really good seeing everybody having fun, seeing everybody getting good at-bats and getting on base and passing the baton, and getting the big hits when we need them.”
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In a highly anticipated pitching matchup between former teammates Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, the Houston Astros soundly defeated the Texas Rangers 12-3 to maintain a one-game lead in the AL West.
The game Wednesday night was the first time Verlander and Scherzer had ever faced off. The two future Hall-of-Famers were teammates on the Detroit Tigers from 2010 to 2014 and again earlier this season with the New York Mets. They were traded to opposing AL West rivals at the trade deadline as both the Astros and Rangers seek a hotly contested division title.
But in a game many expected to be closely contested with two aces on the mound, the Astros quickly overwhelmed Scherzer and took a 7-1 lead after three innings. Scherzer did not make it to the fourth inning, but Verlander went on to pitch seven, allowing a home run in the first inning but allowing no further runs while striking out six batters. Houston tacked on another run in the fifth and four in the ninth to cruise to a 12-3 win.
“I couldn’t get all the way through the ball, couldn’t explode through the ball,” Scherzer said after the game. “I can go out there and compete. I went out there against Minnesota last time kind of with a similar issue and was able to compete and locate. … Today, just didn’t get it done and didn’t locate the ball well enough.”
In 26 starts this season, Scherzer has earned a 12-6 record with a 3.91 ERA, his highest since 2011. Though he has made several solid starts for Texas, he has not provided the punch many expected him to as the team fights for the division. While the Astros recently took the lead with an 80-61 record and the surging Mariners sit just behind them at 78-61, the Rangers are now three games back at 76-63.
After leading the division for most of the year, if the season ended today, the Rangers would not even have a postseason berth, as they are currently a half-game out of the last Wild Card spot behind the Toronto Blue Jays. Seven games against the Mariners at the end of the month may end up determining the season.
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Texas Rangers pitcher Max Scherzer will miss at least the rest of the regular season after suffering a teres major injury in Tuesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays. He could also miss the postseason, though the Rangers were already on the cusp of losing a playoff berth before Scherzer’s setback.
The teres major is a small muscle in the shoulder, and while Scherzer will not require surgery to treat the injury, the strain will prevent him from appearing on the mound again for the foreseeable future. In addition to Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, the Rangers have now lost three top pitchers to injury in a single season.
“In some ways, I was almost relieved that it’s not worse,” Scherzer told reporters Wednesday. “It’s not surgery. Talking about the doctors, I fully expect to make a full recovery.”
With an 81-64 record, Texas recently overtook the Seattle Mariners for second place in the AL West division. Both teams are within two games of the first-place Houston Astros, setting up a tense three-way fight for the division with less than 20 games remaining.
The two losing teams in the division battle will have to resort to the AL Wild Card to make the playoffs. If the season ended after last night’s games, both the Rangers and Mariners would earn postseason berths with the two final spots in the Wild Card, but the Blue Jays are just one game behind Seattle with an 80-66 record.
When the Rangers acquired Scherzer from the Mets at the trade deadline, giving away top prospect Luisangel Acuna in the process, the plan was for him to fill in as the team’s ace during a massive playoff push. Instead, Scherzer struggled at times, earning a 4-2 record and 3.20 ERA in eight starts. In a highly anticipated matchup against his Astros rival and former teammate Justin Verlander, Houston batters ended his night early and went on to win the game 12-3.
Following Scherzer’s injury, many sportsbooks made the Rangers the third favorite to win the AL West despite their current half-game lead over the Mariners for second. The team’s offense, stellar all year, will need to continue providing run support as the regular season quickly comes to a close.
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Baseball fans have criticized the Houston Astros after the team’s game Wednesday, claiming that the team instigated a fight with Mariners star Julio Rodriguez. In the midst of a tight division race, the Astros were frustrated after two of their batters were hit in the game Tuesday.
“I’m tired of our guys getting hit,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said before the game Wednesday. “It makes guys a lot bolder when they don’t have to hit.”
Baker’s comments were seen by many as loading the powder keg, which nearly exploded in the bottom of the sixth inning when Astros pitcher Hector Neris charged Rodriguez following a strikeout. Neris seemed intent on taunting Rodriguez but he was quickly held back to prevent him from escalating the matter further. Both benches cleared and it took several minutes to resolve the dispute.
“He’s my friend,” Neris told reporters after the game. “Just, it’s part of the game.”
For his part, Rodriguez said through a spokesperson that he was shocked by Neris’ behavior.
The Astros went on to win the game 8-3, taking the three-game series and a 1.5-game lead in the Wild Card over Seattle. The primary reason for such high tensions was the playoff race, as both teams desperately needed the win in order to earn the last postseason berth. The Rays and Blue Jays have the first two spots, leaving just one for the runner-up in the AL West.
With just a few games remaining for each team, Houston now controls its own destiny in a series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Mariners must try to sweep the Texas Rangers in a four-game set, and even then, the Astros could eliminate them with a sweep of their own. There is an exhaustive list of possibilities from there, but in short, Houston’s series win over Seattle put them in a vastly more comfortable position.
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… This place is going nuts. 
