To the dulcet tones of Angie Mentink, Mariners beat Rangers 3-2

Some games have a natural storyline that lends itself to a recap narrative. Others are so abysmal you’ll do anything to avoid thinking about the “baseball” you just witnessed. And then there are games like tonight. It was a good game, don’t get me wrong. Probably in the top third of games we’ll watch this season, but pretty middle-of-the-road when it comes down to a cohesive story (beyond, you know, Mariners win!). To that end, and because it’s the Friday night of a three-day weekend and I love me some bullet points, your recap can be found in the tasty, easily-digestible tidbits below.

• Justus Sheffield looked solid tonight over five innings, but continued to rely on a slider that’s about as reliable as your flakiest friend making brunch plans before noon on a Sunday. Changeups, Sheff. Please.
• Kyle Lewis!

(Ground rule double in the second. No-hitter threat eliminated early.)

• KYLE LEWIS

• It’s a sample size approximately the width of his pinky toe, but these last two games for Tom Murphy have been good to see. Definitely more of a lick-the-dew-off-the-grass quench of thirst than anything substantial, but he’s seemed quicker in the box and the contact looks infinitely better.

(Murphy went 1-for-3 with a nice heads-up play to nab Nick Solak in the fifth.)

• What an absolute pleasure it is to watch J.P. Crawford play defense.

(He struggled a bit at the plate, going 0-for-3, but turned another double play and his quick tag on the aforementioned fifth inning play was key.)

• Ty France appears to be * knock on wood * feeling better, and tonight he was back to his Angie Mentink-described “professional” hitting. And first career double from DH - yes, DH - José Godoy!

• Dialed. The. F. In.

• Erik Swanson’s first 2021 save came with 1 ¹⁄₃ innings pitched after a fine JT Chargois inning and an uncharacteristically shaky - albeit brief - Keynan Middleton appearance. Swanson closed out the eighth no problem, but made things a bit more interesting than necessary in the ninth. But it’s done. They won. No takebacks.
• Mentink joined Dan Wilson and Mike Blowers for a special Players’ Cast broadcast tonight, and it was such a treat. Listening to her voice made me wonder how long it took for me to hear women talking about baseball. Outside of my mom and grandmother, it really wasn’t until joining LL that I got to talk to other women about this game I love. It was a little pinprick of magic tonight to imagine a young girl watching this broadcast at home and hearing someone who sounds like her.