Seattle Mariners vs LA Dodgers Series Preview

Beginning tonight and throughout the weekend, a rare event will be happening every night at Safeco Field: the Seattle Mariners will host the Los Angeles Dodgers for a 3 game series.

This is a bit unusual. The last time the Mariners played the Dodgers in Seattle was way back in 2012. That series also featured a rare event: a combined no-hitter. On the 8th of June, 2012, 6 Mariners combined to no-hit the Dodgers en route to a 1-0 victory.

Most of the players on the field that day are long gone, but there are a few interesting connections. For starters, Kyle Seager was the only player to appear in that game for the Mariners who plays for the team now. In fact, Seager is the only player to appear in that game that still plays for the same team.

However, two current Mariners played in that game. Do you know who the other one is? Well, my friends, Dee Gordon was playing shortstop and hitting leadoff that day for the Dodgers (he went 0-4).

But enough of the past. Let’s focus on the series happening now.

The Basics

The Seattle Mariners enter this series with the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 70-52 record. They trail the Oakland A’s by 2.5 games for the second AL Wild Card spot and are 5.5 games back of the New York Yankees for the first Wild Card. They are also 4.5 games back of the Houston Astros for the AL West Division Lead.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers enter the series with a 65-57 record. They trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by 2 games in the NL West and are .5 games behind Colorado for second place in the division. They trail Milwaukee and Philadelphia by 2.5 games for a Wild Card spot.

On the Mound

On Friday night, the Mariners will send Wade LeBlanc to the mound to face rookie flamethrower, Walker Buehler. At Safeco, LeBlanc is 6-1 with a 3.50 ERA and is coming off 2 solid starts against Houston and Texas. He went 11 2/3 innings, posting a 2.38 ERA.

Buehler is on a roll, posting a 1.40 ERA over his last 19 innings, including 7 shutout innings against the mighty Colorado Rockies.

On Saturday, the Mariners will give Erasmo Ramirez his second start. Ramirez dazzled fans with a stunning 5-inning performance in his first start returning from injury. He is opposed by Rich Hill, the curveball specialist who has given the Mariners fits in the past.

Finally, on Sunday, the Mariners will send Marco Gonzales to the mound to face off against All-World starter Clayton Kershaw. Gonzales has struggled mightily in August, posting a 7.94 ERA in 3 starts. Kershaw, who has battled back injuries the past few years, is coming off his best outing on the year, firing 8 innings of 2 run ball against the Giants.

News & Stats

• Yasiel Puig is suspended for 2 games for inciting a benches-clearing brawl with Giants catcher Nick Hundley. If Puig does not appeal, he will serve the suspension on Friday and Saturday.
• Since being moved to the leadoff spot, Mitch Haniger is slashing .438/.455/.781 with 8 doubles in 33 PA.
• The Mariners are 36-24 at Safeco Field. They are just 1 game under .500 since the All-Star Break.
• Edwin Diaz is 3 saves away from 50 on the season and just 1 away from tying Fernando Rodney for most saves in a single season.
• Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen is on the 10 DL with a heart problem.

Final Thoughts

The Mariners will try to get back to winning series but will have their hands full. While the Dodgers have been disappointing for long stretches of 2018, they are a dangerous club. They hold advantages in all 3 pitching matchups and are the better offensive club.

However, their bullpen has been a weak spot of late, and without Kenley Jansen to lock down the 9th inning, the Mariners might need to grind out AB’s this weekend to get to the Dodgers bullpen. If they cannot do this, they may be lucky to walk away with 1 win this weekend.

Thankfully, the Astros start a 3 game series against the A’s on Friday, which means Seattle will not lose significant ground if worse comes to worse. Predictions: Mariners win Friday, lose Saturday and Sunday.