5/18/22: Open Game Thread

one last chance to salvage the series

Doesn’t it feel like much longer than two days ago when the M’s took a series from the Mets? Spirits might be low once again, but there’s still hope to avoid a sweep here. All that’s standing in between is... *checks notes* Kevin Gausman. Okay!

After a disastrous game yesterday in which he hit into a double play with the bases loaded and came up short on a diving catch which led to all three of Toronto’s runs scoring - in the span of maybe ten minutes - Steven Souza, Jr. is out of the lineup. Adam Frazier is manning right field in his stead, and depending on how you feel about the bottom third of the lineup (personally, I think Toro has been coming around and Mike Ford has shown at minimum a great eye at the plate), this seems like Seattle’s current best batting order.

They’ll need to be on their A-game, as well. The Blue Jays all-righty lineup is as terrifying as ever, and Gausman has proven that last year was not a fluke, with a ridiculous 0.82 FIP that pairs nicely with a 27-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Eek! He also has not allowed a home run all season; maybe this is the day that changes? Stranger things have happened, like the Mariners and Marco Gonzales beating Max Scherzer last weekend. Let’s see if some of that magic is left over!

Game Time: 4:07pm PDT

TV: ROOT Sports NW, MLB.tv for out-of-market viewers

Radio: 710 Seattle Sports Station, MLB At Bat