Mariners Game Recap: LoMo Hits Walk-off to Beat A’s in 11

May 8, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Carson Smith (39) throws out a pitch in the 10th inning against the Oakland Athletics at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

Mariners’ Bullpen Saves the Day

The Seattle Mariners’ bullpen blew a pair of games earlier this week in Anaheim, but they looked much better tonight. Tai Walker was pulled after 5 innings, and the M’s ‘pen hurled 6 shutout frames. All told, the Mariners’ relievers struck out 8 and walked 1. It was nice to see them pitching effectively given their significant struggles in 2015.

Danny Farquhar has had a rough start to the season, but he looked much more comfortable tonight on the mound. Lord Farquhar pitched 1 shutout inning, and struck out 2 A’s. Farquhar excelled as the M’s setup man last season, and hopefully he is able to build on tonight’s strong outing.

Fernando Rodney was surprisingly effective tonight for the Mariners. Skipper Lloyd McClendon called on the M’s closer with a tie game in the 9th, and he managed to pitch a scoreless inning. He did allow a baserunner, but collected 2 strikeouts to escape the threat. Rodney was awful in early April, but he has stabilized nicely in the weeks since.

Carson Smith was huge for the Mariners in extra innings tonight. Smitty kept the A’s off the scoreboard in the 10th and 11th inning. The 25-year-old right-hander recorded 3 punch outs, and looked poised on the hill. Smith has appeared in half of the M’s games this season, and has the look of a future closer.

Next: Looking Ahead