There’s hope after all.
First place in the American League West evaporated in a flash, and the Seattle Mariners still rank at or near the bottom in several offensive categories league-wide, dropping a crucial home series to rival Houston to open the season’s second half.
But with 61 games remaining, the Mariners and Astros are now virtually tied for the division lead.
It’s what made Sunday’s 6-4 win over Houston in the finale so vital.
Dylan Moore ripped an early, two-run triple to the gap, Luke Raley added precious insurance with a three-run home run in the sixth inning, and Seattle starter Bryan Woo went 5 2/3 strong frames as the Mariners salvaged Sunday’s series finale to avoid a back-breaking sweep.
“We know where we’re at,” manager Scott Servais said. “We have been struggling … to the point we haven’t seen in a couple years.
“We kept the strikeouts in check today. And when you put the ball in play, you’ve got a chance.”
Houston’s Yordan Alvarez hit the 10th cycle in Astros history and pummeled a 95-mph fastball above the Hit It Here Cafe for a solo home run in the fourth inning – but Woo avoided critical damage and mixed lively fastballs and well-placed breaking balls across 73 pitches. Seattle’s 24-year-old right-hander whiffed five and walked none, surrendering two earned runs and four hits.
“It’s a really good [Houston] lineup,” Woo said. “You’ve got to make sure you make good pitches, and (you’re) making your pitches, and not just (what) the scouting report (says).
“You’ve got to trust what you’re putting out, and I did a good job of that today.”
Timely hitting and Woo’s strong afternoon snapped Seattle’s five-game losing skid, a win that evens the Mariners and Astros atop the AL West. The Texas Rangers lurk five games behind.
“We’re going through it right now,” Raley admitted. “To get one and hopefully build off of it is really important.”
JULIO RODRIGUEZ EXITS SUNDAY WITH ANKLE SPRAIN
At first, jubilation. Moments later, confusion.
And now, fear.
Julio Rodriguez nearly provided the catch of Sunday’s finale – what could have been the inning-ending, run-saving grab in the sixth inning mashed by Houston’s Yordan Alvarez. But as J-Rod leapt and subsequently crashed into the center-field wall, the ball escaped the young star’s glove and the 23-year-old collapsed quickly to the dirt, grasping his right ankle.
“Initially, my hands went up thinking he made a great play,” Raley said. “And then my heart sank.”
The rowdy crowd north of 35,000 turned silent, stunned. With help from manager Scott Servais and an athletic trainer, Rodriguez hobbled, slowly, to the dugout under his own power as the crowd rose to its feet with an ovation.
Rodriguez had “twisted and caught” his right ankle in the wall. Initial x-rays returned negative, instead revealing what appeared to be a right ankle sprain, Servais said. An MRI is next.
And though Servais is “concerned,” Rodriguez may have avoided an extended stint on the injured list, listed as day-to-day.
It’s possible – but unlikely – Rodriguez appears in Monday’s series opener with the Los Angeles Angels.
“Hopefully, knock on wood, we escaped (a longer absence),” Servais said.
THREE QUESTIONS FOR THE SECOND HALF
How will the offense respond? — For this month-plus slump to meet its merciful demise, it’s up to the bats. The Mariners rank last in MLB in multiple offensive categories, as of Sunday morning: batting average (.217), hits (708), doubles (130), and strikeouts (1,032). They are the only MLB club, to date, with more than 1,000 whiffs.
Deeper metrics highlight the issue. Despite Seattle’s impressive 42.1 hard-hit percentage – that ranks third in MLB, behind only the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles – the Mariners still own baseball’s worst expected batting average (xBA), at .225, entering the second half. That’s from a mixture of whiffs and occasional home-run pop the Mariners often rely upon (Seattle’s 110 home runs rank 12th in MLB).
There’s no question the Mariners possess the pitching necessary for a deep playoff run. But timely, consistent hitting remains the key to unlock it.
“It’s up to us,” Servais said. “Nobody’s going to hand it to you, nobody feels sorry for you.”
Can the Mariners make a deadline splash? — President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto will scour the trade market for offense. Particularly, contact.
But he’s not sure if help will become available in 2024.
“I don’t know if we’re going to be able to access that on the trade market,” Dipoto told Seattle Sports on Thursday. “But we’re going to try.
“This is as late as we’ve ever gone into a trade deadline where I can honestly say it’s not (available).”
Why? Because so many teams are still in contention, leaving them unwilling to move game-changing pieces. Thirteen National League clubs are within five games of a postseason spot, and 10 American League clubs meet the same criteria, slimming Dipoto’s list of potential suitors.
It’s not that the Mariners don’t have the trade ammunition — Bleacher Report ranked Seattle’s farm system atop MLB after the 2024 draft.
What are the odds? — FanGraphs gave the Mariners a 45 percent chance to make the playoffs, as of Sunday morning. After Saturday night’s loss, the Mariners had just a 34.6 percent chance to win the AL West.
MARINERS RELEASE 2025 SCHEDULE
The Mariners have released their 2025 regular season schedule, headlined by Opening Day at T-Mobile Park with the (no-longer Oakland) Athletics next March 27.
Thirteen of Seattle’s first 16 games will be played at T-Mobile Park, with a three-game series at San Francisco (April 4-6) in between. And several American League contenders make their visit to Seattle in the 2025 first half, including the Houston Astros in April, New York Yankees in May, plus the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians next June.
The newer, “balanced” schedule MLB debuted in 2023 allowed for the Mariners to face all 29 opponents per season. That caveat has created a unique finish line for the 2025 campaign. Seattle’s season ends with a six-game interleague homestand with the Colorado Rockies (Sept. 23-25) and Los Angeles Dodgers (Sept. 26-28).
All first pitch times are to be determined.
SHORT HOPS
– The Mariners placed 1B Ty France on outright waivers after Sunday’s game, reported first by The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish. France is up for grabs, but would return to the Mariners if he is not claimed. Due to service time, France could reject a minor-league assignment and elect free agency, should no team pick up the remainder of his roughly-$2.5 million remaining in salary this season.
France is slashing .163/.293/.245 with just one home run, 11 walks, and 31 strikeouts across his last 30 games.
– Entering Sunday, Mariners pitchers led the American League in team ERA (3.46) and ranked second in MLB (Atlanta, 3.44).
– Cal Raleigh leads MLB catchers in home runs (20) and caught stealing (18).
– 3B Adrian Beltre, who played for the Mariners from 2005-09 and won two AL Gold Gloves with the club in 2007-08, was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday morning. Beltre’s illustrious, 21-year career featured 3,166 hits, 477 home runs, and a career .819 OPS in 2,933 major league games.
— Twenty-five years after Jamie Moyer threw the first pitch in Safeco Field history to Dan Wilson, the Mariners reunited the battery mates for another toss.
In celebration of Seattle’s home since July 15, 1999, the longtime Mariners emerged from the dugout for Friday night’s ceremonial first pitch, part of the club’s 25th Anniversary Celebration at the renamed T-Mobile Park.
ON DECK
Seattle completes a six-game homestand with the Los Angeles Angels (July 22-24) before embarking on a six-game road trip in Chicago (AL) and Boston (July 26-31).
Bryce Miller takes the mound in Monday night’s opener with the Angels at 6:40 p.m.
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