Where do you want the Mariners to play a 1 game playoff at?

Right now the Mariners are on perhaps one of the best stretches to make the playoffs since the Refuse To Lose season in 1995. Question though a lot of people are asking themselves is “where would I love to see the Mariners play a 1 game playoff at?”. Naturally people would say at Safeco Field since Safeco hasn’t seen a playoff game in 13 years. The last time the Mariners had a postseason game at Safeco Field it saw the Mariners lose both Game’s 1 and 2 in heart break, the Mariners would go on to lose in 5 games to the Yankees and watched a historic 116 game winning season end in disaster.

If you look though at the statistics that the Mariners have put up at home people start to think that maybe the Mariners should play the 1 game playoff game on the road. So far the Mariners have posted a 37-37 record at Safeco Field this year the Mariners have also scored only 263 runs and have allowed 237 runs at home. On the road though its a completely different story. The Mariners have posted a 40-28 record on the road and have scored 309 runs and the pitching has only allowed 229 runs. Big difference huh?

Has anyone else noticed that the Mariners have trouble hitting at home while the opponents have no trouble hitting or hitting home runs?! But here’s the funny thing, the Mariners have a better batting average at home then their opponents do! Don’t believe me? Well how’s this, the Mariners have a .239 batting average at Safeco while, get this, while their opponents have a .220 batting average at Safeco! Now that’s really shocking seeing how there have been numerous games where the Mariners have managed between 2-5 hits at Safeco.

On the road though is again a different story. The Mariners are hitting .253 batting average on the road while their opponents are hitting .236 as the home team. So here’s the thing the Mariners have done better then their opponents both at Safeco and on the road, hitting and scoring wise, so again the question is “where do you want the Mariners to play a 1 game playoff at?”. We can safely say that Felix Hernandez will be starting in the 1 game playoff so lets take a look at his splits shall we?

Felix has a way better record at Safeco then away from Safeco! Felix has posted a 9-3 record at Safeco with a 2.13 ERA and his opponents are only hitting .197 against him at Safeco. On the road Felix…….well lets just say he gets a lot of no decisions on the road. He’s posted a 5-2 record in 15 starts with a 2.11 ERA and his opponents have put up a .204 batting average against him.

So, there’s some more interesting statistics for you that you probably didn’t know. The Mariners have also hit more home runs at Safeco than the opponents have! This is seriously tough since the statistics speak for themselves. How bout we take a look at what the Mariners $240 million dollar man has done split wise? Robinson Cano first off has hit more home runs at Safeco Field then on the road but his batting average and his RBI total is way better on the road then at Safeco Field. Cano has hit 7 homers at Safeco with a .314 average at home while hitting only 5 on the road but he has hit .326 while driving in 42. So Cano’s stats are kinda split really.

Kyle Seager though absolutely loves Safeco Field! He’s posted an impressive .315 average while clobbering 16 home runs and driving in 54. On the road Seager struggles more, he’s only managed to hit .240, hit 7 home runs, and has driven in 35. Next is Dustin Ackely, he’s not a fan of Safeco. He’s only managed a .239 batting average at home but has hit 7 home runs on the road though he’s more clutch hitting .263 with 4 homers; next player! Kendrys Morales. He’s not a fan of Safeco either. He’s posted a very poor .199 batting average with only 1 HR and on the road he’s posted a .250 average with 5 HR’s.

I’ve got five more players that will have an impact in a 1 game playoff game. The next two are the Mariners catchers Mike Zunino and Jesus Sucre. Sucre so far in just the 17 games he’s played has posted a .250 batting average compared to Zunino’s dismal .195 batting average. Now Felix has only pitched with Sucre behind the plate once, and in that one start Felix threw 7 innings gave up only 1 run and struck out 9 so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have Sucre behind the plate. Sucre’s splits though shows he’s a WAY better hitter on the road. Away from Safeco Sucre is hitting an impressive .276 with 4 RBI’s at Safeco he’s only hitting .217 with 1 RBI.

Zunino though really isn’t any better except in the power department. Zunino has posted a pathetic .190 average at home and a .201 on the road but he’s hit 10 home runs both on the road and at Safeco Field. I know some people wouldn’t agree with me but if I was manager Lloyd McClendon I would have Zunino on the bench and Sucre behind the plate. But I know McClendon will go with Zunino since Felix is more comfortable with him behind the plate. Now before I get to the last three players I would like to point out this Sucre seems to have been better in the 2nd half behind the plate than Zunino. It really does seem like Zunino has been slacking in the 2nd half defensive wise but that maybe the cause of fatigue.

Getting back to the last three players who could make an impact in a 1 game playoff, the next player is Logan Morrison. LoMo is just like Sucre, he’s posted an impressive .273 average on the road as compared to a .211 average at home. LoMo though has hit 5 homers at home as to 2 on the road. Next we have the rookie shortstop Chris Taylor. Taylor has been one of the many impressive call ups the Mariners have had this season. Taylor so far has posted a .325 average at Safeco Field as too a .265 on the road. Taylor also is better defensive wise, he won the shortstop position from Brad Miller but Miller in the last couple games has shown signs that maybe his season can still be saved.

Miller doesn’t hit well at Safeco as he’s hit .181 at home on the road is different. Miller has posted a .240 average on the road and has hit 6 homers to boot. All of these splits and statistics speak for themselves and really its split to where I would love the Mariners to play a one game playoff at. But its not up to me its up to the Mariners and how they finish on where they play at. But if I did have to choose I have to go with Felix at Safeco Field with 45,000+ fans yelling “K K K K”. Mariners face the Houston Astros for the last time at home for the final of a three game series with Hisashi Iwakuma on the mound, and the M’s are behind by only a 0.5 game in the Wild Card. Hopefully tonight the M’s can score more runs then last night and regain the 2nd spot in the Wild Card.

GO Mariners!!!!!