Mariners Game #42 Preview: 5/13/24, KC at SEA

Another promising young squad rolls into Seattle to take on the Mariners

Despite an outsized 8-1 loss on Saturday night, the Mariners still took a series from the surprisingly cromulent 2024 Oakland A’s, a squad full of young players looking to prove themselves at the big-league level and playing a fun, freestyle brand of baseball without the weight of postseason expectations. The Mariners will face a similar test this week with another young squad further along in their developmental curve with the Royals, who have accented their young core, led by franchise cornerstone Bobby Witt Jr., with a pitching staff that is much better than years past.

Lineups:

For symmetry’s sake, I wish it was Logan Gilbert making the start tonight for the Mariners, as I’ve always found Brady Singer—taken four picks after Gilbert in the 2018 draft—an interesting comp for Gilbert. Both were highly decorated college pitchers who began their professional careers with similar arsenals, but while Gilbert has refined and added to his arsenal, Singer has struggled to figure out a third pitch that will round out his pitch mix. This season, he’s off to his best start yet as far as striking people out, led by his swing-and-miss slider as well as a more functional changeup/sinker combo that lets him get a ton of ground ball outs. The Mariners have hit Singer well in the past, but this isn’t the same old Brady Singer.

For the Mariners, George Kirby takes the mound tonight and we’ll be watching him closely to see if that knee is giving him any marked trouble. Josh Rojas returns to the lineup tonight after an off-day against the lefty Wood yesterday with Urías taking a seat in favor of Luke Raley. Cal Raleigh also returns after being granted the luxury of a full off-day yesterday, a rare treat for the tireless Big Dumper.

Tonight’s game information:

Game time: 6:40 PT

TV: ROOT Sports NW, with Mike Blowers and Aaron Goldsmith

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Dave Sims

Today in Mariners history:

• 1986: The Mariners turn what is already their fourth triple play in team history, in less than ten years of being established as a franchise (for context, they have four triple plays turned total, 1995 - present). Bring back the triple play!

• 1989: The Mariners collect a season-high 16 hits and 14 runs as they defeat the Red Sox, 14-6. Alvin Davis accounted for five of those runs himself with a home run (3 RBI) and a double (2 RBI).
• 2001: Edgar Martinez scored his 1,000^th career run.
• 2010: Putting this one in in honor of my late father, whose favorite player was Michael Saunders, who hit his first career home run on this day.

EDIT: The game notes are incorrect, Saunders’s first career homer came on May 10, 2010, at home against the Angels; his first road home run came three days later, against Baltimore. Alex Mayer and Co. regret the error.

• 2021: Logan Gilbert and Jarred Kelenic make their MLB debuts. Kelenic goes 0-for-4 and Gilbert gives up four runs on five hits in a 4-2 loss. Also summoned to Seattle with Kelenic and Gilbert: a pitcher who started the season as Tacoma’s Opening Day starter, Paul Sewald.