Seattle Mariners: 3 Things That We Learned Today

The Mariners breezed to a 14-3 victory during their Saturday matinee game. It was their fourth straight win and their fifth W in six games.

It really was all fun and games for the Mariners this afternoon in Oakland. Felix Hernandez, looked more calm and relaxed on the mound then any other time this year. Everyone in the lineup was hitting the ball as if it were batting practice.

And Leonys Martin -who hasn’t had an extra day off since early June- was the team’s official cheerleader, making his constant praise heard all the way up in the announcers booth.

It was a steady attack from Nori Aoki at lead-off all the way down to Ketel Marte sitting in the nine-hole. Yet, aside from the overpowering offensive assault the M’s put on, here are 3 things we learned in today’s win.

We Have New Breakout Stars

It was a complete team effort in the win, but, the Mariners were helped by some of the least-likely hitting champions. Aoki’s confidence was must’ve been high after his rare home run last night. It was just his second of the year- his first since early May.

He followed that scorching shot with a lead-off double. He added a second double later in the game, capping off his third multiple double game of the season. To go along with his extra-base hits, he had a base-knock, a base-on-balls, scored three runs and drove in two runs. Aoki had never had a stat-line that looked so luscious. But he was not the only Mariner that opened the eyes of his teammates and the hometown faithful.

It took fifteen games, but Ben Gamel played an important role in Saturday’s demolition of the Athletics. Gamel, who had tallied two hits in his fourteen previous games, matched his career total in just one day. More than collecting a pair of hits, he brought in a run as well, again matching his previous career total.

What put his performance into the realm of future star-status though, happened on the base-paths. In the sixth- after he had singled down the left field line- Gamel garnered praise from announcer Mike Blowers who called his turn around second (on his way to third), “Fundamentally perfect”.

Wilhelmsen Returned

It would be a stretch to say that Tom Wilhelmsen was greatly missed during his brief stint on the DL due to back spasms. So when he got a chance to show off his “healthy” talent, not too many people seemed that excited. Unfortunately for the reliever, things didn’t go the way anyone would have hoped.

For the first two batters it seemed that he was going to receive high-fives and pats on the back, that was until- with two outs- he walked a batter to keep the inning going. It was his first walk

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since August 9th. It got worse after the walk, as he gave up a home run to the next batter.

This is more of the norm for Wilhelmsen, who is no stranger to giving up runs, often in bunches. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he is still recovering, but excuses will run dry if today’s lowly outing becomes a trend.

O’Malley’s Grandmother Likes Baseball

In support of her grandchild, Shawn O’Malley, the matriarch of the O’Malley clan watched her kin play ball. We know this because she checked in online with the #WhereIROOT, and commentator, Dave Sims, took note. She did this (or at least based on what we know) a few moments before Shawn stepped up to the plate for a surprise pinch hit at-bat. What ensued once he settled into the batter’s box was pure fate.

With the bases-loaded, O’Malley had a chance to make a big splash and he did. A bloop single off the end of his bat reached the fringe of the out-field grass, landing between Athletic defenders. It brought in two runs, and most assuredly filled his grandmother’s heart with much pride.

Bonus Knowledge

Felix Hernandez’s start should not be lost in the offensive showcase. His two starts before this, he was roughed up badly for six ERs and four BBs each time. His six shutout frames were exactly what the Mariners needed (and will need) from him in the final month of play.

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While still not vintage quality, his pitch location was far less sporadic. The movement on the ball also had more groove. It was his fourth start this season not allowing a run. Everything culminated to The King earning his eleventh win of the season and the Mariners seventy-fourth. The Mariners will need a handful more wins if they want to challenge the rest of the American League East for a Wild Card spot.

That is what we learned today.

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