Mariners Game #74 Preview, 6/23/23: SEA at BAL

After salvaging one game of the series against the Yankees, the Mariners face a tougher test against the AL East upstarts, the Baltimore Orioles. FanGraphs gives these two teams roughly equal odds in every contest, predicting a close fight in each game, but the Orioles are the clear winners for momentum and have the advantage of playing at home. The Mariners need to win this series to salvage this road trip, but it’s not looking great after the offense failed to show up for the first two games in New York and then love-bombed fans with a 10-run explosion to avoid the sweep. The good news is the Mariners won’t have to face Gerrit Cole in this series, although they will still have to face the top of the Orioles rotation (meaning we won’t get old friend Cole Irvin to kick around this time). However, the offense will need to get after those starters, as the Orioles boast a bullpen that’s comparable to or even better than the Mariners ‘pen.

The Orioles also have the clear lineup advantage, as their lineup...well, hits, which Seattle’s hasn’t consistently. Read more about their success in today’s series preview.

Lineups:

J.P. Crawford remains out of the Mariners lineup with a shoulder contusion and I remain concerned. Tom Murphy gets the catching duties for Logan after yesterday’s marathon game at Yankee Stadium. The Orioles are a little banged up themselves: slugger Ryan Mountcastle and speedy centerfielder Cedric Mullins themselves have both just started rehab assignments with Triple-A Norfolk after missing time on the IL with vertigo and a groin strain, respectively. They could be back this series, but it seems the safer play would be to wait until Monday’s series against Cincinnati to return them to full speed, especially for Mountcastle, who hasn’t played since June 8.

Tonight’s game info:

Inclement weather warning: tonight’s game might be called due to thunderstorms in the area. At the very least, a delay looks likely, possibly of an hour or more. Check back for updates.

Rejoice, for tonight we get the gift of Angie Mentink on the TV broadcast (ROOT Sports NW) along with Aaron Goldsmith. Dave Sims is off, so Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr. will handle the radio duties on 710 AM Seattle Sports. Tonight’s game is technically this afternoon’s game for those of us in the Pacific timezone, beginning at 4:05 PT. Knock off work early and go catch the game at Buckley’s on Second, where they turn up the TV audio for the game like a proper sports bar should. Tell your boss I said it’s okay.

UPDATE: Rain delay indeed as of 3:51 PM PT

And while I have you here: come to Growler Guys tomorrow afternoon and watch the game with us! We’ll be raffling off some cool prizes the Mariners were nice enough to give us and all your favorite internet baseball friends will be there. 1:05 PM at Growler Guys on Lake City Way, kids and dogs and non-baseball friends welcome.

Today in Mariners history:

• 1993: Jay Buhner becomes the first Mariners player in franchise history to hit for the cycle. His day was bookended by the two most impressive parts of the cycle, in grand fashion: a grand-slam home run in the first inning, and a 14th-inning triple; he’d later score the winning run for a Mariners walk-off win over Oakland, 8-7.
• 2008: Félix Hernández hits a grand slam for the first-ever home run by a Mariners pitcher in franchise history and the first grand slam by an AL pitcher in interleague play.

• 2017: Félix records his 157th career win in a 13-3 victory over the Astros to pass Freddy García for the most wins by a Venezuelan-born pitcher in MLB history.