Mariners Moose Tracks, 4/23/23: Travis Kuhn, Derek Shelton, and Japhet Amador

Happy Sunday, foLLks!

In Mariners news:

• Let’s take another moment to appreciate the absurdity of hitting an oppo bomb on a down-and-in sinker, shall we?

• M’s relief prospect Travis Kuhn is racking up strikeouts for a good cause.

• Further bolstering their pitching depth, Seattle has signed lefty Eric Stout to a minor league deal. The 30-year-old has 24.2 big league innings under his belt, with the bulk of those coming last year with the Cubs and Pirates.

Around the game:

• The Pirates have extended skipper Derek Shelton, which may come as a surprise after helming back-to-back 100-loss squads. As Rob Biertempfel at the Athletic writes, though, he’s been the right man for the job through Pittsburgh’s rebuild, and with the Pirates off to a fast start this year, this extension may pay early dividends. ($)
• Might not be the best team to emulate, but hey, a record’s a record.

• The Mexican League has gotten underway over the last couple of days, and this game blew any MLB Opening Day matchup out of the water in sheer entertainment.

• Marlins ace and reigning NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara did not pitch in either game of Miami’s doubleheader yesterday, missing just his second start since 2021. Although the righty is dealing with some biceps tendinitis, the hope is that he will avoid an IL stint.

Connor’s picks:

• The Kraken’s first home playoff game in franchise history didn’t go quite as planned, as they were defeated 6-4 to the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 to fall behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Tomorrow’s game - also in Seattle - will be crucial, but in the meantime, you can re-live Matty Beniers’s first playoff goal.

• In an interview with Loudwire, the British musical icon Seal opened up about grunge, and named his favorite band from the genre. Spoiler: it’s not Nirvana.