Mariners heat up in a major way in sweep over Colorado Rockies

In a great example of watching people overreact way too soon into a season, the vocal minority of Mariners fans (and maybe even a bit more than that) were declaring the season already over for the Mariners. They were done, washed, out of it, and the season was done just 13 games into the season.

Yeah, if that sounds dumb to you, I'm happy... because that means you are a reasonable person who understands that baseball is a long season, and teams are going to have low points. It just stinks when it's at the beginning of the season. Anyway, on to the happy thoughts as we look back at the Mariners sweep over the Colorado Rockies.

Wait... did you say sweep?

That's right! The Mariners won all three games against the Rockies, pushing them back to .500. They did it in a handful of different ways against Colorado. A close win in game 1 highlighted by an offensive explosion in the 4th inning. A blowout win in game 2 that once again had a big 4th inning. Then a masterful performance from Luis Castillo in game 3 that saw him perfect through 6 innings.

Yeah, perfect through 6. He was dominant, quickly working through hitters and mowing them down with abandon. He went 18 for 18, before Profar led off the 7th inning with a flared single into short left-center to break it up. That was followed by a bleeder to the right of Castillo for back-to-back hits. La Piedra kicked it into high gear after that, getting Blackmon to strikeout, CJ Cron to ground out, and Ryan McMahon to line out to JP to end the inning.

Then, it was Jarred Kelenic who saved the day. With a runner on, and two outs, Diaz came in as a pinch hitter. He laced a ball toward right field, curving away from Kelenic. Jarred was determined to make sure La Piedra would get the win, racing towards the ball and making a great diving catch to keep the shutout intact.

Jarred Kelenic continues to stay hot

Kelenic went 4-10 in the series, including a bomb to center off the lefty Gomber in the opener. Long struggling vs lefties, but that didn't deter Jarred from a multi-hit game to open the series. He kept it up, getting a hit in every game and increasing his hit streak to an impressive ten games. Oh, I forgot to mention that outside of the game-saving catch in the finale, he also drove in the lone run of the game en route to the 1-0 win for the Mariners.

Mariners pitching staff quiets Rockies dangerous bats

Colorado came into this series with one of the better performing offenses in baseball. They had a bunch of hitters hitting over .300, and were sitting around 5th in many offensive categories. Yet, the Mariners were able to hold them to just 5 runs throughout the series. They went just 16-95 in the series, constantly stifled by the Mariners. It was a great showing for the M's, and they did exactly what anytime looking to get back on track needs to do. Tons of hits, and a pitching staff that silences the opponent.

We can't forget about the impressive outing from Tommy Milone, either. Learning the day of that he was getting the start to replace Marco (paternity leave), Milone came in and through 4.2 IP, allowing just one run, three hits, and two walks, setting the tone for the series. It was incredibly impressive, and was a great showing for the long-time veteran Milone.

A 5-3 win, a 9-2 win, and a 1-0 win. All impressive, and all much needed. The Mariners are now 8-8, and things are looking up for the Mariners as they continue their long stretch against National League teams, with Milwaukee next on the schedule.