Mariners Series Review: M’s Take 2 of 3 from New York
It was a very successful weekend for the Seattle Mariners, as they won two of three games from the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
The Seattle Mariners bounced back from a disappointing home stand by taking two of three games from the New York Yankees in the Bronx. Many fans were panicking as the M’s team plane left Sea-Tac last Wednesday, but the way they played over the weekend calmed the choppy waters.
The series opener against the Yanks was on Jackie Robinson Day, and the Mariners did Jackie proud by crushing the Yankees. Seattle scored 7 runs on 12 hits and Nate Karns turned in a solid outing as they cruised to a 7-1 win on Friday night.
Seattle extended their winning streak to a season high, three games on Saturday afternoon. Felix Hernandez did not have his best stuff, but managed to keep the Yankee bats at bay. A 3-run 5th inning proved to be just enough, as the Mariners edged New York 3-2.
The Mariners had a chance to secure their first sweep of the season on Sunday, but came up just short. Hisashi Iwakuma allowed 4 runs in 7 innings, and the M’s offense could only push across 3 runs against Masahiro Tanaka.
Now that we have rehashed the results, we can dive into what the big takeaways were. We’ll begin by discussing the resurgent Mariners offense.
Next: Mariners get the Runs in New York
Mariners get the Runs in New York
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Seattle was in a bad place offensively as they traveled to the Big Apple last week. The Mariners had lost 5 of 6 on their home stand and scored 11 runs combined. Obviously scoring less than 2 runs per game is not going to lead to many wins.
Thankfully the Mariners exploded for 7 runs on Friday night. Overall, Seattle scored 13 runs in 3 days and averaged just over 4 runs per game. They had double-digit hit tallies on Friday and Saturday.
As a team, the M’s hit .264 and registered a .297 on base percentage. The Mariners went 8 for 31 with runners in scoring position, good for a .258 average. Those numbers are far from earth shattering, but they are a big improvement compared to the disastrous home stand against the Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s.
Hopefully Seattle will be able to build on their newfound success at the plate this week in Cleveland.
Next: The Bullpen Stabilizes
The Bullpen Stabilizes
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The Mariners relievers did not have a strong showing last week in Seattle, accumulating a pair of losses and giving up numerous runs. However, they looked like a whole new group this weekend in New York.
8 different pitchers combined to throw 9 innings of relief for Seattle in this weekend’s 3-game set. In those 9 innings, New York managed to score just 1 run on 6 hits. The Mariners struck out 7 and walked 3.
Steve Cishek was a standout performer as he recorded his first save of the season in Saturday’s 3-2 win. The veteran right-hander allowed a pair of hits, but recovered in time to shut the door on the Yankees.
Joaquin Benoit had not appeared in a game since April 8 prior to working the 8th inning for the Mariners on Saturday. However, Benoit did not show any signs of rust, setting down the Yankees in order.
Vidal Nuno also had a stellar weekend for Seattle. The funky southpaw pitched on Friday and Saturday, blanking the Yankees across 2.1 innings while striking out 2.
Next: Speed is Starting to Play
Speed is Starting to Play
The Mariners added a number of speedy players this offseason, and they were amongst the most aggressive teams on the base paths in spring training. However, the M’s combined to swipe just 1 base and committed a number of miscues on the bases through the first 9 games of the season.
Seattle opened things up a little bit this weekend against the Yankees. Ketel Marte may be off to a slow start with the lumber, but he flashed on the bases in the Bronx. The electric 22-year-old shortstop stole his first base of the season during the series opener on Friday night. The following day he hustled home to score from first base on a Robinson Cano single to center field. Marte was moving on the pitch, but the ease in which he rounded the bases was a thing of beauty. I also want to praise Manny Acta for having the guts to send Marte on the play.
Luis Sardinas is another young infielder with speed to burn, and he used his wheels effectively on Saturday afternoon. After reaching on an error to open the 3rd inning, Sardinas put himself in scoring position by stealing second base. The Mariners were unable to cash him in, but it was nice to see Luis causing problems for the opposing pitcher.
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The Mariners are an athletic group, and hopefully they continue to put pressure on the defense with their speed. If nothing else, all the chaos on the bases makes the game far more entertaining to watch.