Mariners Game #153 Preview, 9/22/23: SEA at TEX

[Europe’s “The Final Countdown” playing in the background]

It’s here. The Mariners are about to start on a ten-game stretch that will be unlike any other end-of-the-season push in literal decades—maybe ever, if you consider the unique, engineered-for-maximum-drama schedule where they play only the two AL West rivals they’re trying to pace/outpace for a playoff spot down the stretch. My stomach lining is already fizzing like an Alka-Seltzer tablet and today’s game hasn’t even started yet. If you’re feeling the need to vent about this feeling in general, check out today’s Fanpost Friday, or better yet, come join us on Saturday at Growler Guys for a meetup where we can all hold hands and march bravely into the unknown together.

The Rangers hold the tiebreaker over the Mariners thanks to the Mariners laying a big fat egg during their previous meetings, but the two teams haven’t met since literally before the All-Star Break, when Texas swept the Mariners in convincing fashion to open June in a series where the M’s were outscored 9-30. Things have changed for Texas’s pitching staff in a bad way since that last meeting, and although their offense remains fearsome, the Mariners have been playing much better since their somnambulant start to the season—although they’ve hit a rough stretch over recent weeks. Can they banish the ghosts of their past poor road trip and the Dodgers sweep and beat up on Texas’s poor pitching? Can the pitching staff recover from the last meeting, where they surrendered double-digit runs in back-to-back games? Can the offense please please wake up? Will Seattle-area stores be able to keep heartburn medication in stock over the next week-plus? Let’s all find out together.

Lineups:

Today’s game information:

Tonight’s game starts at 5:05 PT and will be televised on ROOT Sports NW, with Dave Sims and Mike Blowers on the call. You can also listen to the audio broadcast on 710 AM Seattle Sports or Mariners.com with Rick Rizzs and Aaron Goldsmith on the call there.

As a reminder, tomorrow’s game starts a little earlier, at 4:05 PT, and we would love it if you could come out and watch with us at Growler Guys for our watch party. There will be Mariners dogs and garlic fries and most importantly, good friends to watch the game with and understand when you need to bite a sweatshirt to get you through the seventh inning.

Milestone watch:

• Cal Raleigh, #29, needs one more home run to become the 29th catcher in MLB history with a 30-home run season. Let’s hope he gets there during this series!

Today in Mariners history:

• 1984: Danny Tartabull hits his first big-league home run, allowing for another shoutout of one of my favorite LL handles, DannyTartabullsOnParade.
• 1987: Mike Campbell collects his first big-league win and his only ever complete game in a 5-1 win over Kansas City.
• 2000: Edgar Martinez drives in his 137^th RBI, tying Babe Ruth for most RBI by a player 37 years or older.
• 2004: Raul Ibanez sets a club record with 6 hits in a game during a 16-6 win over Anaheim.
• 2021: Kyle Seager hits what would be his final career home run, #242, in a 4-1 win over Oakland. The home run is his 35^th on the year and also his 100th RBI, making 2021 his first career 100 RBI season.

May the spirit of Kyle Seager, Ranger Killer, live on in every Mariner during this series.