Mariners Game #97, 7/21/23: TOR at SEA

The Mariners open the final series of the homestand with a Friday night City Connects game. The whole series has the added pressure of a packed stadium that’s half Blue Jays fans, residual emotion from last year’s thrilling Wild Card Series, and Kelenic’s depressingly poetic injury on Thursday. According to Scott Servais’ pre-game remarks, the team hopes rookie starter Bryce Miller goes five innings today, but George Kirby’s dominance yesterday means there’s not pressure on Miller to go deep in the game. If we do see several bullpen arms today, one could be Prelander Berroa’s, which would be a debut! A great opportunity to remind you what the buzz is all about via Nick’s 40-in-40 about Berroa last spring.

Lineups

Miller has an opportunity to make Mariners history tonight by recording 10+ strikeouts— this would be the third game in a row where the M’s starter did so. Seems unlikely, in general and because the Blue Jays have the fifth lowest strikeout rate in baseball. He’ll be facing a slightly mixed-up Blue Jays lineup, with center fielder Kevin Kiermaier on the bench, lefty utility man Cavan Biggio at second, and a domino effect of moves in between. On the mound for Toronto is former Mariner Yusei Kikuchi, starting at T-Mobile Park for the first time since joining the Blue Jays in 2022.

Today’s game information:

Today’s game will be televised on ROOT Sports NW and the audio will be streamed on Mariners.com or 710 AM Seattle Sports.

Today in Mariners History:

1984 - The Mariners scored eight times in the 7^th inning to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays, 9-3. Let’s do that again!

1988 - The Mariners acquire Jay Buhner, Rick Balabon and Troy Evers from the New York Yankees in exchange for Ken Phelps.

1998 - Ken Griffey Jr. belts his 40^th homer of the season, become the quickest player ever to reach that number in a season (100 games). It also marks his fifth season with 40+ home runs.

2018 – Félix Hernández recorded his 1,300^th career strikeout at Safeco Field, becoming one of 4 pitchers since 1970 to record at least 1,300 strikeouts in a single ballpark.

2019 – Edgar Martinez is inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, joining Ken Griffey Jr. as the only two Seattle Mariners in history to do so.