Mariners Game Preview: Hot Hitters Fill the M’s Lineup vs. Rockies

Hot hitters are littered throughout the Mariners starting nine on Thursday afternoon against the Rockies.

The Seattle Mariners (10-12-2) will take on the Colorado Rockies (10-8) this afternoon at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 pm PT as the M’s give Taijuan Walker (0-2, 4.73) the ball to make his 5th start of the spring. He will face Tyler Chatwood (1-0, 3.27) of the Rockies, making his 4th start.

Walker has pitched well this spring in his 4 outings. He has pitched 13.1 innings and has allowed 7 runs on 16 hits. Walker is averaging just about 1 strikeout per inning with 13 strikeouts, and he has only issued 1 free pass. If he can pitch a full season in 2016 and is able to keep up anywhere near that K/BB ratio, we could be in for quite a treat.

More from Mariners News

• A Farewell to Mitch Haniger as he signs with the San Francisco Giants
• Julio Rodríguez Racks Up the Accolades
• Thank you, Carlos Santana: All the best with the Pirates!
• Mariners offseason roundup in advance of Winter Meetings
• Kolten Wong Fits Well For The Seattle Mariners

Chatwood has made 3 starts and has made 4 appearances this spring. He’s racked up 11 innings and has allowed 4 runs on 6 hits. Chatwood has struck out 5 batters this spring, while walking 6. That could be something to watch for in today’s game. If the Mariners batters have a patient approach at the plate, we could see a few walks, and hopefully that leads to some runs.

Here are this afternoon’s lineups as announced my Mariners skipper Scott Servais and Rockies Manager Walt Weiss:

Ketel Marte was originally in the lineup but was scratched with flu-like symptoms. Shawn O’Malley will be replacing him at the top of the lineup today, and he has been tearing it up this spring. He is hitting .484, going 15-31 with a 2 doubles, a triple, a homerun and 4 RBI. O’Malley also has walked 5 times and swiped 5 bags.

Hot-hitting Seth Smith is in the lineup again as the DH after going 2-3 last night with a triple and 2 RBI. His batting average is now sitting at a respectable .556 on the spring. Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz are back in the lineup today hitting in the 3rd and 4th spots. Cano is hitting .314 this spring, going 11-35 with 3 homeruns and 8 RBI. Cruz only has 3 hits in his 29 at-bats this spring, but 2 of those hits have gone over the fence for homeruns.

Stefen Romero is slotted to play left field and hit in the 6th spot of the lineup today. He is batting .414 this spring, going 12-29 with 1 homerun and 7 RBI. Romero has been competing for the right handed platoon at first base, but he played in right field last night and is in the outfield again today. It appears that he is just fighting for a backup position at this point, despite the impressive spring.

More from SoDo Mojo

• What it would take for the Mariners to trade for Randy Arozarena
• A Farewell to Mitch Haniger as he signs with the San Francisco Giants
• Julio Rodríguez Racks Up the Accolades
• The Next Wave of Mariners Prospects Could Make Big Impact in 2023
• Mariners News: Everything from Day One of the Winter Meetings

Still in that first base competition is Dae-Ho Lee, who is hitting 7th today. Going 1-2 last night with a walk, he is now hitting .281 on the spring with a homerun and 4 RBI. Something notable so far this spring with Lee is his OBP of .378. He has walked 4 times and has scored 9 times in the 15 games he’s played.

Rounding out the order is Daniel Robertson who is competing for the 5th outfielder spot on the roster. He is hitting .448 this spring, going 13-29 with 4 doubles, 2 triples, and 9 RBI. Robertson has certainly been fun to watch this spring.

This game will not be televised by Root Sports, but it will be available on MLB Network, and it can be streamed through MLB.tv on your connected devices. 710 ESPN will be playing a delayed broadcast of this afternoon’s game tonight at 7:10 pm PT

Next: Luis Sardinas Grand Salami not Enough as M's Lose

Go follow SoDo Mojo on twitter, as we will be providing live updates throughout today’s contest. Also, check back here after the final out has been recorded for a full recap. Go Mariners!