6/16/21: SEA vs. MIN open game thread

I was in attendance at the game last night (the first one I’ve been to that was a win, yay!) and I have some insights to pass on to you: first, the Sultan of Sandwich is back open and the Vogey Hoagie is still there, rebranded as the “Home Run Hoagie,” but it will always be the Vogey Hoagie in our hearts. Mine was very dry so maybe ask for a little extra crema if yours is looking like it’s spent a little too much time under the hot lights. Also new: the Marco Pollo pulled chicken sandwich, which my pal Brittney deemed “too wet, but tasty.” It definitely didn’t have the HRH’s dryness thanks to the juiciness of the stewed chicken, which had a good flavor, and a black bean type spread. We have not tried the mysterious salmon sandwich that was apparently the Mariners’ ballpark food contest entry, but Brittney claims to have spotted it at Ivar’s, so maybe that will be a treat for next time. Also, great news for those of you who are gluten intolerant and sad that your drinking options at the park are limited to wine, which is never on happy hour: the Heritage bar in the ‘Pen now carries huckleberry San Juan Seltzer, which is awesome because it’s gluten free, a local product, AND available at happy hour. Hooray!

Last night’s game was also a really fun one to be in attendance for, just a very relaxing, enjoyable time all around. Well, not for the Twins. And not for Griffin Jax, who was demoted back to Triple-A today. Let’s see if the team can keep the good vibes rolling with Justus Sheffield on the mound:

Bailey Ober might not be a name you’re familiar with; I recognize his name because he was Rule-5 eligible in 2020, but the Twins added him, Ben Rortvedt, and Jordan Balazovic to their roster ahead of the draft. I had hoped Ober might wiggle through as he didn’t have the name recognition of Balazovic, who was a slam-dunk add as a top-10 Twins prospect and fringe top-100 guy; Ober has Kirby-grade command and would have fit in nicely as a Seattle Mariner, but alas. He’s only pitched 13 pro innings this year, again showcasing his incredible command with a 23% K-BB ratio, but has been touched up a little by the long ball. Ober went five innings and struck out seven against a good Astros team in his last outing, so this likely won’t be the fireworks-on-loop offensive explosion we saw last night (my mom worriedly texted me that they were going to use up all the fireworks for the season in one night; I assured her they have plenty stockpiled).

Helping out the Mariners: Mitch Haniger returns, DHing tonight. I will be finding my five-tool Haniger bobblehead and rubbing a protection oil on its tiny resin knee.

Tonight’s game starts at 7:10 PT and can be found like Keyser Soze and the usual suspects on 710 ESPN (radio) and ROOT Sports NW (TV), as well as on Gameday and Mariners dot com.