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Mariners Roundup: Seattle heads home with a full head of steam

After a dominant series win over the Cardinals, the Mariners prepare to make their last stand and a legitimate push for the playoffs

By Jason Wang |
Seattle Mariners v St. Louis Cardinals
Seattle Mariners v St. Louis Cardinals / Joe Puetz/GettyImages
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In their first series win on the road since July's matchup against the White Sox, the Mariners resembled a smooth-oiled machine, outscoring the Cardinals 16-7 over three games. Aside from being shut out in the second game of the series, it seems that the offense is starting to wake up, even if it may be too little too late.

Best Hitter: Justin Turner

13 PA, .364/.462/.545, 4 H, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Part of what makes Justin Turner so valuable as a veteran presence is his ability to adapt as a hitter. As his power has continued to decline with age, he's shifted his approach at the plate to be more focused on staying disciplined and making contact. Since August 22nd, he's slashing .292/.397/.458, striking out and walking at an identical 13.8% clip. For the team that leads MLB in total strikeouts, his measured approach is a welcome change of pace.

Another interesting nugget is that he saw a total of 67 pitches over his 13 plate appearances, the most of any Mariner in this series. Seeing an average of five pitches per plate appearance means that he's grinding out at-bats and making pitchers work. Other players who had 13 or more plate appearances like Julio Rodriguez and Luke Raley saw closer to 45-50 pitches over the series.

Honorable Mention: Randy Arozarena

14 PA, .308/.286/.615, 4 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 K

While Turner had a more patient stretch of plate appearances, Randy brought the pop. He led the team in total bases with eight and was one of just three Mariners to homer. Against a lazy Miles Mikolas slider, Arozarena hit a 390-foot blast to add two runs to the board after an already bloody five-run first inning for Seattle.

Randy's .768 OPS and 129 OPS+ since joining Seattle is second on the team behind Victor Robles (.818 OPS, 142 OPS+).

Best Pitcher: Logan Gilbert

8.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

Although the two earned runs he did concede ended up being the nail in the coffin for Seattle in the second game of the series, his Herculean effort could've fully come to fruition if there had been just a smidge of run support. Nonetheless, it was another outstanding performance for Gilbert. He had 16 swings and misses (eight against his slider) and 19 called strikes (seven against his curveball).

His four-seam fastball topped out at 99.6 mph in the first inning but was sitting in the 97/98 mph range. Despite it being one of his best pitches, the home run he did give up to Pedro Pages was against his slider.

Honorable Mention: Bryce Miller

6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K

Miller's outing was much less aggressive than Gilbert's and was instead more controlled. He had just seven whiffs (three against his four-seam fastball) but an incredible 22 called strikes (ten against his sinker).

The sinker has become Miller's second-most thrown pitch and it's remarkably similar to George Kirby's, at least at a high level. It's only got a whiff rate of 9.2% but it's being thrown with great command, helping him finish off at-bats with a put-away percentage of 26.1%

Best Moment: Seattle plates nine runners in five innings

The team's offense has been so lackadaisical that it's worth discussing any time they put up some serious offense. After a disappointing 2-0 loss on Saturday, Seattle roared back to life on Sunday, scoring five runs in the first inning. Before Miles Mikolas knew what was going on, the first five Mariners hitters logged hits and put the team up 3-0. After two strikeouts and a passed ball that moved Justin Turner into scoring position, Mitch Garver would bat in two with a single of his own.

After the aforementioned home run by Randy Arozarena in the second inning, Seattle tacked on two more insurance runs in the fifth inning after a walk by Justin Turner and a 419-foot missile by Jorge Polanco put the Mariners up 9-2, a lead with which they would cruise to the end.

Despite the Astros being swept by the Reds in three games, their grasp on the AL West tightens with each passing day. Still 4.5 games ahead of the Mariners, this next stretch of home games could be the team's last chance to punch their ticket to the postseason. Standing in their way is a tough stretch of opponents that includes the Padres and the Yankees, but if they want to save their season, it has to be done now.

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