Mariners Game Recap: Slugging M’s fall to Dodgers in Extras

Apr 13, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Alex Guerrero (7) celebrates with teammates Yasiel Puig (66), Andre Ethier (16), Howie Kendrick (74) and Yasmani Grandal (9) after hitting a bases-loaded walk-off single in the 10th inning against the Seattle Mariners in an interleague game at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Mariners 6-5 in 10 innings. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners went to extra innings for the 3rd consecutive game, but unlike the previous 2 games, the M’s came up short on Monday night. The Los Angeles Dodgers were down early, but managed come back and win tonight at Dodgers Stadium. Yimi Garcia (1-0, 1.80 ERA) got his first win of the season after hurling a perfect 10th inning. Dominic Leone (0-1, 3.86 ERA) pitched 2 spotless innings in relief, but he ran into some trouble in his 3rd inning.

The Seattle Mariners started the ballgame with a boom—literally. Robinson Cano has had a slow start to the season, but he sliced a single to left field with 2 outs in the top of the 1st inning. Nelson “Boomstick” Cruz hit a deep fly ball to right field that just snuck over the fence for a 2-run home run.

The M’s doubled their lead in the top of the 4th. Nelson Cruz had himself quite a night on Monday and he clubbed his second homer of the game in the 4th inning off Brandon McCarthy. Kyle Seager made it back-to-back jacks by yanking a solo home run deep to right field. Seag’s dinger made it 4-0 Mariners.

The Dodgers came storming back in the bottom of the 4th inning. Yasiel Puig led off the frame with a single to right field. Following an Adrian Gonzalez force out, Howie Kendrick doubled down the right field line to put runners on second and third with only 1 out. Scott Van Slyke walked to load the bases, and the Dodgers pushed their first run across on an Alex Guerrero sacrifice fly. Rookie center fielder Joc Pederson plated a pair of runs on a single to left field. The Dodgers trailed 4-3 after 4 innings.

The Mariners extended their lead in the top of the 5th inning. Dustin Ackley has been the Mariners’ best hitter over the first week of the season, and he hit his 3rd home run of the season on Monday night. Unfortunately, Ackley’s home run was of the solo variety, but the AckAttack gave the M’s a 5-3 lead.

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Unfortunately, Seattle’s lead was short lived. Mariners’ starter James Paxton retired the first 2 hitters of the 5th inning, but the Pax-Man had a hard time with Yasiel Puig. The Dodgers’ right fielder is one of the most powerful hitters in the game, and he proved it on Monday night. Puig drilled a solo home run to left field to make it a 1 run game. Adrian Gonzalez has been the hottest hitter in baseball over the last week, and he contributed a 2 out double to the Dodgers’ cause in the 5th. Howie Kendrick came through with an RBI single to right field. Kendrick’s single tied the game at 5.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the 10th inning. Dom Leone was dominant through his first 2 innings of relief, but veteran Andre Ethier led off the 10th with a double. Puig grounded out weakly to the pitcher, but Gonzo was intentionally walked. Howie Kendrick was unintentionally walked, and Lloyd McClendon opted to bring in rookie Tyler Olson with the bases juiced. The Spokane product struck out Carl Crawford swinging to give Mariners’ fans hope. However, Alex Guerrero drove in Ethier on a 2 out single to right field.

The full box score can be found here.

Next: Pax-Man Struggles in LA

Apr 13, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners starter James Paxton (65) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in an interleague game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Pax-Man Struggles in LA

James Paxton cruised through the first 3 innings on Monday night at Dodgers Stadium, but he ran into trouble in the 4th and 5th innings. Pax-Man was touched up for 5 runs tonight on 6 hits across 6.1 innings. He struck out 6 Dodgers, and walked just 2. Overall, he struggled to keep the ball down over his final 2.1 innings.

Paxton pitched well in his debut outing last week, but after tonight’s start he has registered a disappointing 5.11 ERA. He has struck out 11 and walked just 3 over his first 11.1 innings this season. Paxton has some of the best stuff on the club, and I expect him to pitch much better in his next outing.

The Mariners have had problems with their starting pitching over the first week of the season. Hopefully, Hisashi Iwakuma is able to buck this trend on Tuesday night.

Next: The Mariners’ Ate their Wheaties this Morning

Apr 13, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners left fielder Nelson Cruz (23) celebrates with third baseman Kyle Seager (15) after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in an interleague game at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Mariners’ Ate their Wheaties this Morning

It was a remarkable night for the Mariners at the plate. Seattle clubbed four home runs during Monday’s game, however 3 of the 4 homers were of the solo variety. It is rare for a team to hit 4 big flies in a game, but it is even rarer to score just 5 runs after hitting 4 home runs.

Nelson Cruz has been on fire over the past 3 games. He has hit 4 home runs in his last 10 at bats, and has driven in 7 RBI’s. Fans were clamoring for more production from the Mariners’ cleanup hitter, and Cruz has delivered.

Kyle Seager is a prime time performer and he came through under the bright lights of Los Angeles on Monday night. Seags clubbed his 2nd home of the season tonight in the 4th inning. The Mariners’ third baseman also made an incredible diving stop at the hot corner to prove why he is amongst the best in the game defensively. It has been a painfully slow start to the season for Seager, but hopefully he is able to build off of tonight’s impressive performance.

Dustin Ackley hit out of the leadoff spot and got the start in center field tonight for Seattle in the series opener with the Trolley Dodgers. Ackley held his own in the field, and he produced yet another stand out performance at the plate. The AckAttack went 1 for 3 with a home run and an RBI Monday night in Chavez Ravine. Ackley has been the best hitter in the M’s lineup this season, and he is currently hitting .353 on the season.

Next: The M’s Bullpen Needs a Rest

Sep 23, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Dominic Leone (52) throws a pitch during the fifth inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Toronto Blue Jays won 10-2. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The M’s Bullpen Needs a Rest

The Mariners have gone to extra innings in 3 consecutive games, and the bullpen is paying the price. Lloyd McClendon announced prior to the game that Fernando Rodney, Yoervis Medina and Danny Farquhar would be unavailable tonight. Factor in Tom Wilhelmsen being put on the DL, and the M’s bullpen was pretty thin tonight.

Apr 13, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners reliever Tyler Olson (66) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in an interleague game at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Mariners 6-5 in 10 innings. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Dominic Leone was called up to fill Wilhelmsen’s spot on the roster, and he was put to work immediately. Leone was the only fresh arm in the M’s pen, and McClendon rode the young right-hander for multiple innings late in tonight’s game. Leone was brilliant in the 8th and 9th innings, retiring the first 6 hitters he faced. However, the 10th inning did not go according to plan. Overall, it was a fantastic outing from the 22-year-old. Pitching 3 innings is difficult for any reliever, but Leone fared remarkably well despite taking the loss.

Tyler Olson was called on to pitch with the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the 10th inning. The rookie southpaw made veteran outfielder Carl Crawford look silly, striking out the former All Star to record the second out. But, it was not meant to be for the Gonzaga alum, as he surrendered the game winning single after getting ahead of Alex Guerrero early in the count.

The Bullpen needs a break. A strong outing from Hisashi Iwakuma would do wonders for the beleaguered Mariners’ relievers.

Next: Looking Ahead