Mariners Game #75 Preview: 6/18/24, SEA at CLE

Mariners start off their road trip with a tough slate against the AL Central le

After romping over the squeezed-out Gogurt tube that is the 2024 White Sox and catching the punchless Rangers at a low spot, the difficulty level jumps considerably for the Mariners, who will send the back half of their rotation against the AL Central-leading Guardians for a three-game set. But hey, they don’t have to give those wins back, so all the Mariners have to do is white-knuckle through this road trip before they can return home, where they’ve played very well this season, to preserve their lead in the AL West.

Lineups:

The Guardians are wearing their City Connects on a Tuesday, which is like soft-launching a romantic partner no one is going to like to your friend group:

The Mariners jumped on Triston McKenzie during the season opener against the Guardians; he’s had a fairly uneven season, seemingly either giving up one run or five per outing. Let’s hope for the latter.

For the Mariners, the post-Seby-Zavala era looks...pretty much exactly like the pre-Seby Zavala era, if we’re being honest. Ty France returns to man first base, sending Locklear, a hero of Sunday’s sweep, to the bench.

News:

As you probably saw, Seby Zavala was DFA’d today, as the Mariners will roll with Mitch Garver at the backup catcher position. Garver has been paired with Kirby this season, a gentle introduction to this pitching staff, and his bat has ticked up as he’s seen the field more often. Related? Who knows, but at this point, we’re not looking any offensive gift horses in the mouth.

Today’s game information:

Game time: scheduled 3:40 PT, but stay tuned for updates as we have the dreaded tarp on the field.

TV: ROOT Sports NW, with Dave Sims and Mike Blowers

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, with Rick Rizzs and Aaron Goldsmith

Today in Mariners history:

• 2000: The Mariners romp over the Twins, 10-2. Alex Rodriguez goes 4-for-5 with four runs scored, 2 RBI and a HR; John Olerud goes 4-for-5 with 4 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 HR, & 1 2B; Edgar Martinez goes 1-for-1 with 4 BB, 3 runs scored, 2 RBI, &1 HR.
• 2002: The Mariners face former teammate and current Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. for the first time since Griffey was traded to Cincy in Feb. of 2000. The Mariners win the game 8-1 in their first-ever meeting against the Reds.
• 2010: Ichiro went 0-4 against Cincinnati, ending his 20 game interleague hitting streak.
• 2022: Mike Trout hits game-winning home runs in both games of a double header against the Angels. If you watched these games, you may be entitled to compensation.