Seattle Mariners’ season thus far
Seattle Mariners' Ty France takes a swing during an at-bat a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Monday, May 23, 2022, in Seattle. The Mariners won 7-6. France has been an asset to the team this season with stats putting him near the top of the league.
AP Photo/Stephen Brashear
Seattle Mariners' Julio Rodriguez hits a double off Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer during the sixth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, June 28, 2022, in Seattle.
Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Casey Sadler throws to first after fielding a grounder against the Kansas City Royals in a baseball game Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, in Seattle. Sadler was a solid reliever for the Mariners until surgery ended his season.
Seattle Mariners' J.P. Crawford, left, and several members of the Los Angeles Angels scuffle after Mariners' Jesse Winker was hit by a pitch during the second inning of a baseball game Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Anaheim, Calif. Crawford and others were later issued penalties for the incident.
Kansas City Royals' Carlos Santana bats during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Kansas City, Mo. The Royals recently traded Santana to the Mariners.
SEATTLE - The Seattle Mariners came into the 2022 season after winning 90 games the previous year, finishing one game outside of the final wildcard playoff spot in the American League.
Now sitting at 35-41 nearly halfway through the 2022 season, Seattle has a quickly fading chance to turn their season around if they hope to make the postseason for the first time since 2001.
The season began well for the Mariners, winning 11 of their first 17 games before things took a turn - they proceeded to lose 21 of the next 28 games, spiraling down to an 18-27 record by May 25. The string of losses included 10 losses in 11 games and road sweeps by the Astros in the beginning of May and Red Sox in mid-May.
Positives
First baseman Ty France has been a bright spot for the Mariners, with his .316 batting average giving him the 10th highest mark in the MLB. France has an on-base percentage of .390, the seventh-highest in the AL - which has been assisted by being hit by pitches an MLB-high 14 times. He’s hit 10 home runs, third on the Mariners, with team-highs in RBI (45) and hits (78) in 69 games. France was placed on the 10-day injured list with a forearm injury recently but has already returned to the batting cages, according to the Associated Press.
After a slow start in the majors, OF Julio Rodriguez has come into his own as of late. The 21-year-old only batted in four runs in the season’s opening month after making the Opening Day roster but turned things around in May. Rodriguez hit six home runs in May with 17 RBI, and has gone yard five times with 12 RBI so far in June.
Struggles
Bullpen pitching can be pointed at while noting differences from last season’s to this season’s squad. The 2021 bullpen recorded 51 saves in the regular season, the third-most in the majors. Through 75 games, Seattle is tied for the second-fewest saves with 14.
The bullpen misses reliever Casey Sadler, who had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder. The seventh-year reliever set the franchise record for consecutive scoreless appearances at 29 last season, becoming one of the AL’s best relievers in 2021. Sadler missed nearly three months with shoulder inflammation last season but posted an ERA of .67 upon his return.
A lacking offense has stood out throughout the season. Despite hitting 79 home runs in 75 games, tied for 15th in the majors, the Mariners have the sixth-fewest runs scored at 295. The offense has failed to put up more than two runs in 32 games this year and has been shut out eight times.
Recent news
MLB suspended 12 players involved in Sunday’s dugout-clearing brawl in Seattle’s 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. The fight sparked after an apparent retaliation pitch by Angels’ pitcher Andrew Wantz hit OF Jesse Winker, a comeback after Seattle pitcher Erik Swanson nearly hit Los Angeles’ Mike Trout in the head with a 95 mph fastball.
Seattle’s J.P. Crawford (five games), Winker (seven games) and Rodriguez (two games) all received suspensions for their involvement in the brawl. The trio has appealed the suspension ruling and were in the lineup on Tuesday night. The brawl inspired one Mariners fan to send a pizza to the dugout for Winker after he was ejected from the game.
Trades
The Mariners traded for Kansas City first baseman Carlos Santana and nearly $4.3 million, giving up right-handed pitchers Wyatt Mills and William Fleming in the process. With France on the IL, the team needs support at the first base spot. This is Santana’s second stint in Seattle, although his previous trip to the Pacific Northwest was only ten days long before he was traded again in December 2018.
Upcoming games
The homestand will continue with a four-game series against the Oakland Athletics beginning tonight and carrying through Sunday before a two-game road trip to San Diego from July 4-5. Seattle will return home for a four-game series against Toronto from July 7-10 and will wrap up before the All-Star Break with trips to Washington and Texas for a two-game and four-game series with the Nationals from July 12-13 and Rangers from July 15-17, respectively.
Seattle currently stands at fourth place in the AL West, 12.5 games back of the Houston Astros for first place. They are six teams shy of the final wildcard spot as of June 28, six-and-a-half games back of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivon@columbiabasinherald.com.
