8/23/17: Open Game Thread

So yesterday’s game was a certifiable clunkfest. I’ve been staring at this Rube Goldberg machine of baseball ineptitude all morning:

Mesmerizing.

Either way, after posting a whopping 6 errors through the first two games of this series, the M’s better be stocking up on some top-shelf towelettes that do a better job of wiping the BBQ grease from their fingers so they can maybe play some actual defense.

No stranger to the grease (I mean, who are we kidding) is 42-year-old knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who gets the start for Atlanta. His 1.35 HR/9 is good for 7th worst in the NL, a rate bolstered by the three dingers he surrendered in a single inning last Friday against the Reds.

Of course that knuckleball is notoriously volatile, so here’s to hoping it looks less like this:

And more like this:

Meanwhile Erasmo Ramírez gets the nod for the M’s. Despite his own struggles with the longball (amounting to a HR/9 of 1.51 on the year), Ramírez is coming off a pair of strong outings, having surrendered just a single run in his past 12 innings of work.

Also, in case you missed the memo, the Mariners made something of an unexpected roster move earlier today:

Servais will fill the new void in the outfield this evening with Danny Valencia in right, sliding Mitch Haniger over to left, as Guillermo Heredia takes the reins in center. Even with the righty Dickey on the mound, Ben Gamel (and his post-All-Star break wRC+ of 70) will start the game on the bench.

Time to pour one out for Leonys and nail down the series win.

Go M’s.

Game Time: 4:35pm PT

TV: ROOT

Radio: 710 ESPN

Online: MLB.TV