Seattle Mariners Game Recap: M’s Knock-Off A’s in Peoria

Mar 12, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Jordan Pries (74) on the mound in the first during a spring training game against the Oakland Athletics at HoHoKam Stadium. The A

M’s Pitching Staff Dominates A’s Hitters

The M’s employed four pitchers in this afternoon’s masterful shutout of the Oakland Athletics. All four of the pitchers used by the Mariners on Wednesday spent the majority of last season in the minor leagues. Erasmo Ramirez got the game off on the right foot by hurling four scoreless frames to start. Jordan Pries picked up right where Ramirez left off by pitching three shutout innings. 25-year-old southpaw Tyler Olson has been electric so far this spring, and he pitched a perfect eighth inning on Wednesday. Carson Smith retired the A’s in order in the ninth to secure victory for the Mariners.

Jordan Pries has been a pleasant surprise this spring. After spending the bulk of 2014 with the Tacoma Rainiers, Pries has pitched 8 innings of 2 run ball in Cactus League action. Pries is unlikely to make an impact with the Mariners in 2015, but he could be a name to watch this season in Tacoma. I would not be surprised if Pries is given a chance to compete for a bullpen spot with Seattle next spring.

Tyler Olson’s incredible performance over the first two and a half weeks of spring training has to be the biggest Mariners’ storyline this spring. Olson entered camp as a complete unknown, and yet he has allowed just 1 hit over his first seven innings. Despite not having a fastball that will overpower his opposition, Olson has racked up 9 punch-outs. It is a dead heat right now between Olson and David Rollins for the second left-hander job in the M’s bullpen. Olson should see some time in Seattle at some point this season regardless of whether he breaks camp with the Mariners or is a mid-season call up.

Next: Jones, Romero, Kivlehan Put the Game Out of Reach