Mariners tempt fans with vision of what could be, win 8-1 to take season series against Astros

Cold comfort is still comfort

After watching the Astros clinch the division last night—a division that could have belonged to the Mariners with even a semblance of competent offense back in June—today’s game could have felt like an afterthought. To their credit, the Mariners, after scuffling through five-plus innings against former Mariner Yusei Kikuchi, came alive for eight runs, capping the game off with a pair of milestones and taking a decisive series win against the Astros for the season: 9-4 against the AL West winners. If Jake was writing this recap he’d pull up some historical battle that perfectly illustrates “winning the battle vs. winning the war,” hanging heavily on the fact that it’s the Mariners who hand Yusei Kikuchi his first lost as an Astro, but we must acknowledge all of this is cold comfort, if comforting at all. One team is heading to the postseason as division champs, and it’s not the Mariners, who watched the Astros celebrate yet another title last night.

The hangover lineup for the Astros nonetheless made George Kirby work, although it could be argued it was George working against himself in the first, as he hit Peña, hitting in the two-hole today, with a pitch—he’d go on to steal second and third—and walking the normally walk-averse Jon Singleton, needing 20 pitches to clear the first. He needed another 20 in the second, although that was due to some bad luck on ground balls, one that didn’t leave the infield.

Meanwhile, the Mariners offense didn’t give Kirby much of a blow, making three very quick outs on eight pitches in the third—a disappointing followup after the middle of the order had hung over 20 on Kikuchi in the second—sending Kirby right back out there. for the bottom of the third. Once again, Kirby got two quick outs on three pitches, only to leave a fastball right in Singleton’s happy zone that stayed just fair for a ground-rule double. Kirby then compounded his trouble by again failing to put away literally Victor Caratini, who singled to bring home the Mariners’ first run of the game, and made it to second when Cal couldn’t reel in the relay throw from Julio. Kirby was able to limit the damage there, getting Heyward to ground out, but that one run loomed large as the Mariners scuffled to get anything going against the former Mariner Kikuchi.

The Mariners had their best scoring threat of the day in the sixth when they loaded the bases on a walk and a pair of hits that didn’t leave the infield, but Julio wasn’t able to move the runners with two on and no outs, and Arozarena struck out with the bases loaded, putting Justin Turner in a tough spot. The crafty veteran came through, though, jumping on the first pitch and hitting the first ball that left the infield all inning for a two-run single that put the Mariners in front, 2-1. Justin Turner has brought extreme Carlos Santana vibes of veteran leadership to this club, both on and off the field, and when we discuss needs for this club this off-season, I think that’s a role that shouldn’t be discounted: the front office has valued good thinkers about baseball (the two Mitches), but it’s even more important to have good teachers and good role models: this is a great first-pitch swing on 97 in on his hands, driving it into that left-field corner for what would be a double for any combination other than Baby’s First Ballpark + the Oldest Position Player in Baseball.

But wait, Justin Turner wasn’t done, showing some quick instincts at first base, where he’s been forced back into the field after mostly getting to retire to the DH spot with Toronto to start the season. 35-year-old Jason Heyward works hard, but 39-year-old Justin Turner works harder:

It wasn’t Kirby’s most efficient outing outside of the fourth and fifth, but it does close up his season against the Texas teams in impressive fashion, as his season ERA against the Astros is 1.50 (he’s even better against the Rangers: 0.95 ERA). With the win, Kirby sets a new career-high in wins with 14, a new career-high in games started (33) and a new career-high in innings pitched, with 191.

Kikuchi’s day was done in the seventh and the Astros called for Shawn Dubin. Mitch Garver greeted him rudely, reminding the other Mariners hitters that the Crawford Boxes work both ways:

J.P. Crawford didn’t go to the eponymous boxes, but he did lace a double into the right-field corner and then took third on an overthrow by Heyward, clearly still shaken from that display of defensive prowess from the mighty Turner. Dylan Moore was then punched out for the first out of the inning on some questionable calls, but Victor Robles again created chaos, hitting a ball to Shay Whitcomb—in for Alex Bregman and having a miserable time of it at third—that Whitcomb threw off-line to home, allowing J.P. to score and Robles to reach safely. He then immediately stole second because of course he did. Things got worse for Whitcomb after that, as he bobbled a ball, allowing Julio to reach, but Cal Raleigh struck out for the second out of the inning. Arozarena battled for seven pitches before grounding one to third base and, Whitcomb, absolutely experiencing the infamous Dylan Moore inning of 2019, made a low throw that a good first baseman probably should have been able to pick, but Jon Singleton was not, allowing Robles to scoot home and pushing the Mariners to their magic number of five runs.

JT Chargois followed with about as pretty a shutdown inning as you’ll see, retiring Whitcomb, Dubón, and Meyers on six pitches, and Collin Snider and Tayler Saucedo combined for a scoreless eighth, although Snider/Sauce did have to navigate around a leadoff walk. The offense then banded together to make sure Andrés Muñoz would get another day off (Gabe Speier took care of the bottom of the ninth handily), thanks in part to Whitcomb’s nightmare game continuing with a leadoff throwing error that allowed Dylan Moore to get to second. Victor Robles then knocked him home on a double—followed by a brief injury scare, because of course there was, as Peña seemed to step on Robles’s injured hand. Thankfully, good teammate Julio said: don’t worry about running any more, buddy, I got you:

Julio and Bobby Witt Jr. are now the only two players in MLB history to go 20/20 in each of their first three seasons. And the fact that this came off Hector Neris, now demoted to mop-up duty? A little extra sweet.

It’s gut-wrenching and, frankly, unacceptable that Mariners fans have been asked to stomach so much loss, so much mediocrity, from a franchise that’s been in turns inept, unlucky, and unwilling to commit significant resources to winning. Today’s win is emblematic of the sweet-and-sour relationship fans have had with the team for years. Sure, they handed Kikuchi his first loss as an Astro—after the Mariners were unable to maximize his potential when he was here. Julio gets revenge on Neris for 2023—but it’s Neris who gets to go on to the playoffs, even relegated to mop-up duty. And Shay Whitcomb might have shown the tough choice the Astros have to make in deciding whether or not to strain their finances further and offer Alex Bregman an extension—but it’s also a reminder that the Astros began this season with about $100M more than the Mariners in payroll, and despite their old team and slow start to the season maintain their stranglehold on the AL West. It’s unfair for the players to have to constantly perform under the shadows of decisions made in the front office, but it pales in comparison to the ask that’s made, year after year, of the fans, to ask them to enjoy the battles while ultimately losing the war.