The Mariners are taking the field for the last game of what was supposed to be a week of easy wins. Instead, they've beaten themselves every night in place of the opposing baseball team, which in a way, is kind of impressive.
Losing eight games in a row will do many things to a ballclub. One of them is probably a demoralizing, which we can only guess and suspect without being privy to firsthand experiential knowledge. The other is that LLoyd and the front office are going to start trying to do new things. Enter today:
1. Nick Franklin is starting in right field.
2. Erasmo Ramirez may be out of the rotation.
3. Dustin Ackley is back in the eight-hole after going 0-8 with six strikeouts in two hole.
4. Mike Zunino is catching a day game only a few hours after a night game, which means that they would rather break someone than put John Buck behind the plate during an eight-game losing streak.
5. James Paxton and Taijuan Walker have been cleared to play catch this weekend, hopefully because they are ready and not because...well...yeah.
They can't lose forever!
Game Info
- Mariners, Astros, 12:40 PM PST
- TV: ROOT, Radio: 710 ESPN
- Nick Franklin is starting in right field with Chris Young on the mound, so you know what that means.