Mariners spangle the outfield grass and bleachers with hits to avoid a sweep

A convincing victory keeps the M’s unswept all season.

Following a winning team is a joy the Seattle Mariners have ensured is a precious morsel to be savored rather than a multi-course meal. However, quality comes with expectations, and with expectations investment, and with investment, the risk/reward of even sweeter joy or more bitter defeat. The 2024 Mariners were and are worthy of expectations, investment, and, despite the ghastly run of play they’ve been mired in, joy. For the first game in far too long, the first-place M’s looked worthy of their tiering, riding a stellar day in the sun with Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford to a 7-3 victory.

The pitching is the easy tale today, as Bryce Miller dug in his heels and spurs to the dirt of the pitcher’s mound and withstood a Baltimore Orioles lineup that had been dangerous and dominant leading into and within this series. Outside of a two-run opposite field display of dominance by Gunnar Henderson, Miller spoiled several opportunities from Baltimore, scattering eight hits and a walk deftly. Though he was chased after 5.2 frames by a Cedric Mullins double that, in a grimmer game, I might take some time to ponder Ty France’s “range” in attempting to stifle, his start put Seattle in position to yield the second-fewest runs (9) in a three-game series to the Orioles all season (8, by St. Louis). Miller was chided in the first inning for the flutter he does as he comes set by the umpires, and remarked postgame that he was thrown off the rest of the afternoon, however the M’s pitching staff secured yet another game within reach for any offense.

Finally, today, the Mariners looked like they had an offense of their own. Blistering contact, ringing out like a backfire from the Belltown Hellcat, screeched just past The Pen, as Julio elevated an 0-2 fastball down and in off O’s ace Corbin Burnes.

Everything looked, for the first time in quite some time, all lined up.

Julio even got to crane his neck at an angle he’s rarely had cause for in relishing his relief.

It was a thing of beauty, glimmering in the place where so much ugliness has poisoned our views.

Of course, this fifth inning blast merely halved the deficit, but good at-bats by Ty France, Josh Rojas, and Mitch Haniger gave Ryan Bliss the bases loaded with no outs. In many cases a grounding into a double play would be near-catastrophe for clubs, but given Seattle’s embarrassing efforts at the dish lately in particular, the consolation prize of a game-tying run was a relief.

Following a scare on a sun ball that Julio snagged but seemed to jam his finger or hand on the ground amid, the 6th inning passed unremarkably. Seattle stretched into the 7th with things knotted before another laser double in nearly the same location by Julio ignited things. France reached again before Julio swiped third, pushing himself 90 feet from first for Josh Rojas to try and hit or sacrifice in. Instead, a punchout, followed by a second walk worked by Haniger on the evening, the bases came full once more for Bliss. This time a double play ball could not do, but a strikeout was little more useful. Two down, three on, none in, as Baltimore went to southpaw Keegan Akin for J.P. Crawford.

The gap was open and J.P. hit it. The bases cleared, Mitch Garver indulged with blast of his own to put it at 7-2, out of reach even with a claw-back solo shot by Jordan Westburg. Independence at last from the absence of offense, even if for just one day.