Mariners Game #55: 5/27/24, HOU at SEA

It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times on this past road trip, as the Mariners somehow made a 4-6 road trip feel much worse than it was. Now they return home without a break for back-to-back AL West showdowns, starting with the red-hot Astros. You probably already know the Astros fairly well, but get all the latest happenings with the series preview here.

Lineups:

The Astros have reinstated José Abreu from his minor-league breather and optioned OF Joey Loperfido to Triple-A. Loperfido showed off his two loudest skills during his brief MLB stint: his big power and his big strikeout rate. Expect to see him back as soon as Houston requires another bat. The Astros also announced pregame that they’re putting Cristian Javier on the 15-day IL with right forearm discomfort. Javier saw a big downturn last year in strikeouts while losing almost a full tick on his average fastball; he was on a similar trajectory over seven starts this season, with his average fastball falling even further, barely scraping 92.

The Mariners have done some roster shuffling of their own, moving Jorge Polanco to the IL and calling up Ryan Bliss to make his MLB debut. If you ignore spots 4-7 in the batting order, this might be the fastest Mariners lineup ever. Alas, there is a large donut hole of slowness in the middle, so hopefully the speed guys can get on base for their more plodding teammates to drive them in.

News:

As you see from the lineup, Jorge Polanco has been sent to the IL to try to get his balky hammy healed up for good. Infielder Ryan Bliss has been summoned in his place to make his MLB debut. Read about all the details here. Bliss was on a hot tear before departing Tacoma, which you know if you read today’s minor league weekly report, which featured a header photo of Bliss. Synchronicity now! Speaking of synchronicity, Bliss’s parents and girlfriend are able to be here to watch his MLB debut as they were in Tacoma for the long holiday weekend watching the Rainiers play at home. Here’s hoping they all get to enjoy a memorable debut. Also in attendance, per Ryan Divish: Rainiers teammate Samad Taylor, who is staying behind to see his friend make his debut and buying his own flight back to Sacramento to meet up with the Rainiers.

Today’s game information:

Game time: 6:40 PT

TV: ROOT Sports NW, with Dave Sims and Dan Wilson on the call

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Gary Hill Jr. and Rick Rizzs on the call

Today in Mariners history:

1981: Happy Lenny Randle Tries To Blow A Bunt Foul game to all who celebrate.

2003: Randy Winn goes 5-for-5, tying a club record and his own personal best for hits in a game.

2015: Happy Nelson Cruz Hits A Homer Into the Rays Tank game to all who celebrate.

2019: Mallex Smith steals for the cycle, stealing second, third, and home, all in the eighth inning in a 6-2 win. The four bases he stole tie a franchise record.