8/6: Open game thread

Well today the Mariners are going to play a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, and if they win, you will suddenly be hearing excited declarations of a series sweep all over the place. This is, of course, accurate. It would technically be a series sweep. But it would also feel a little disingenuous to call two consecutive games a "series sweep," because sweeps should be a little harder to earn than that.

But you know, we could call it a season sweep. This would also be accurate, because the Mariners defeated the Braves in both Atlanta games in June, thanks to the mighty bravado of one John Buck (RIP), Hisashi Iwakuma, and a bizarre outing that solidified the strength of the M's bullpen after a mini-Erasmo implosion. So yes, if the Mariners win today, they will have swept the Braves, can move to .5 games back from the Wild Card spot, and then...it would be time for more scoreboard watching. This is fun. This is strange. Let's keep it up for a little while, why don't we?

Today it's Chris Young on the mound to counter Julio Teheran, who has quietly been having himself a season in Atlanta by deciding not to walk anyone and trotting out a pretty slick 3.54 xFIP. Logan Morrison appears to be the only Mariner who has ever faced Teheran, going 4-10 with a double, two strikeouts, and three walks. This of course means very little, and knowing how things usually go we could have a 15 hit game with everyone contributing except for Morrison. Mariners!

Thanks to everyone in the Wild Card hunt losing yesterday, the M's could really make up some extra ground with a win this afternoon. Of course, they are going to have to face Hector Noesi and the White Sox this weekend, so let's just win this one now, why don't we?

Go M's.

Game Info

• Braves @ Mariners, 12:40 PM PST
• TV: ROOT, Radio: 710 ESPN, Online: mlb.tv