9/24/21: Open Scoreboard Watching/Game Thread

Well, here we are again. After pulling off the first four-game sweep mop in Oakland in franchise history, the Mariners find themselves just two games out of the second wild card spot with nine to play. In case you haven’t been glued to the realtime standings, here’s where things stand before today’s slate:

In case you haven’t read Jake’s piece on what exactly will be needed for the M’s to break through, I’ll keep it simple: for this weekend, as tough as it may be to swallow, we must root for the Red Sox to sweep the Yankees. Boston has all but wrapped up a wild card spot, and pushing down the Yanks is crucial if Seattle has any hope of playing past October 3rd. Gerrit Cole and Nathan Eovaldi are squaring off in a brilliant pitching matchup, and first pitch is at 4:10pm.

The second rooting interest is a lot more enjoyable: we’re pulling for the Twins over the Blue Jays, and they’ve made things a little easier by already taking the first game of a four-game set. José Berríos - who was traded from Minnesota at the deadline for a pair of blue chip prospects - is on the hill for Toronto, and the Twins are countering with Bailey Ober, who’s put up a decent rookie campaign marred by a homer problem. No pressure against these guys, Bailey.

Of course, the Mariners and the Angels don’t square off until both games are well underway, and we’ll update this post with a full lineup and commentary once the former drops. For now, though, welcome back to another round of helpless scoreboard watching. May it be a grand time for all.

UPDATE: We have a Mariners lineup!

With the lefty José Saurez going for Anaheim, Seattle is running out their righty-heavy lineup, and notably, Luis Torrens is hitting fifth after his glorious pinch-hit, go-ahead two-run homer yesterday. Old friend Jack Mayfield is hitting fifth for the Angels. Make of that what you will.

Game Time: 6:38pm PDT

TV: ROOT Sports NW, MLB.tv

Radio: 710 ESPN Seattle, MLB At Bat