Mariners 2023 Spring Training Game #5: Open Game Thread

Well, yesterday’s Cactus League tilt got away from the M’s in a hurry. At least Evan White hit a homer! But hey, the win-loss record doesn’t matter in February and March, and today’s game features a few notable Mariners making their first appearances of 2023 against a split-squad Guardians’ lineup.

I recognize exactly three names in Cleveland’s lineup, but that’s neither here nor there. It’s a nice relief seeing Teoscar Hernández back in the lineup after he was a late scratch on Sunday, and who is that catching and batting fifth for Seattle? The legend Cal Raleigh himself! There was some concern early after we saw no sign of him through the first few games of Cactus League play, but Scott Servais assured us on Saturday’s broadcast that they’re just taking things a bit slow with him for several reasons - one of those being the desire to give Tom Murphy some extra looks after missing most of 2022. Although Julio being out of the lineup is a mild bummer, it’s probably the right call after a hard crash into the wall yesterday knocked the wind out of him and forced an early exit. On the bright side, though, we have old friend Leonys Martín patrolling center in his stead! Kole Calhoun is also there.

The pitching slates, however, are where most of the real fun is. Luis Castillo will be making his first start of the spring, and should be going two innings as is standard in the first week of spring. Following him will be arguably Seattle’s top pitching prospect Bryce Miller, with Trevor Gott, Penn Murfee, Blake Weiman, Riley O’Brien, and Diego Castillo all set to get some work in, too. Cleveland will counter with lefty Logan Allen - who is not, in fact, the same lefty Logan Allen who spent a few years with them. Baseball is wild sometimes. Peyton Battenfield, Jason Bilous, and Luis Oviedo are all set to follow him, Oviedo being the only one of the three with big league experience (29.2 rough innings with the Pirates in 2021). Depending on how the game goes, though, we may see pitchers from each squad’s minor league camp fill in, especially on the Guardians given the other half of their team is playing Kansas City.

Surely given Seattle’s ace and top-three prospect pitching, Big Dumper’s return, and Teoscar back in the lineup, this game would be readily broadcast, right? That’s where you’d be wrong. Neither team has this game on TV, and the Mariners’ radio broadcast on 710 will be delayed until evening. Weak! We are, however, able to listen live on the MLB At Bat app or MLB.com, and might have some luck on 710’s website rather than over the airwaves. In any case, we’re getting close to a full week of spring training games under our belt, and today would be a good time for the M’s to get off the little slide they’re on.

Game Time: 12:10pm PDT

TV: Nope

Radio: MLB At Bat/MLB.com, delayed until 7:10pm on 710 Seattle Sports