6/12: Open game thread

It wasn't supposed to be like this. The Mariners should be the team that shot off like a rocket, riding dynamic pitching and an offense that used a low OBP, high home run attack to bash opponents into submission. It should be Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton helping Felix anchor a rotation that hands off to one of the league's dominant bullpens. The Astros already have 2017, there's no need for them to be greedy and take 2015 as well.

And it appears they agree. Houston comes into the series on a 7 game losing streak that has finally brought them back to the pack in the AL West. The Mariners, despite everything, still have a nearly 30% chance of making game 163 according to Fangraphs. It's all gone so wrong but now, right now, through Father's Day the team has a chance to start changing the story. With a palindromic stretch of HOU/SF/SF/HOU the Mariners can either launch themselves right back into the thick of it or go very far into making themselves sellers next month.

Felix is on the hill, Nelson Cruz' back allows him to be back, but at DH which means the team finally gets a properly leveraged outfield defe...........oh........well.........

But It's not going to matter. Felix Hernandez flyballs are rarer than watchable episodes of Family Guy, this lineup should crush left-handed pitchers and the Mariners will be, must be for my sanity, a better team than the Houston Astros in 2015. In fact, screw it, it's Friday. Enough.

Mad Mariners to this. And this. And this.

The future may belong to the Houston Astros but today is ours! HAIL TO THE KING! SUNSHINE AND LOLLIPOPS! GET ME A BEER LET'S GOOOOOOOOO MARINERS!!!!!!

Game Info

• Mariners @ Astros, 5:10 PST, Minute Maid Stadium
• TV: ROOT, Radio: 710 ESPN, Online, MLB.TV