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Your Seattle Mariners hosted the Oakland A’s this week in Safeco Field, and wound up taking the series 2-1. It was a rough series for the starting pitching staff, with both Hisashi Iwakuma and Mike Montgomery getting roughed up. Nelson Cruz continued his torrid pace however, proving to be one of the best free agent acquisitions in the league this year. While the season may be pretty much over, there continue to be bright spots on the horizon; Ketel Marte being the most prominent.
Game 1
This game was going fine until the 5th inning, upon which it became Kuma’s nightmare. He wound up allowing 7 total runs, and the bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding. The final would be 11-5. Franklin Gutierrez and Mark Trumbo were able to contribute home runs, but the true spark of the offense was Ketel Marte once again, getting 3 hits, 1 run, and a stolen base.
Game 2
Tuesday it was Mike Montgomery’s turn to have a bad day. lasting just 1.1 innings. The already over-worked bullpen was able to hold off the A’s for the final 7.2 innings, with newly promoted Edgar Olmos providing a clutch scoreless 3.2 innings pitched. Nelson Cruz and LoMo combined for HRs, but there was Ketel Marte again! The kid’s a machine, getting another 3 hits on Tuesday.
Game 3
Wednesday was FELIX DAY, and the King stepped to the mound with authority, protecting his home with a tenacity we hadnt seen in a while. He didnt have all his best stuff, but he hung in there, allowing 2 runs over 8 innings. The offense was able to give him a surprising 8 runs of support, led once again by Ketel Marte and his 2 runs scored. The kid looks for real, and has this writer excited for next season with him leading off for the Mariners!
Monday August 24
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
| Oakland Athletics |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 15 | 0 | |
| Seattle Mariners |
0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
Offensive Highlights
HR: Gutierrez (8), Trumbo (17)
Winning Pitcher
Edward Mujica – 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1K. (3-4)
Losing Pitcher
Hisashi Iwakuma – 4.2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 4 K. (5-3)
Tuesday August 25
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
| Oakland Athletics |
1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 0 | |
| Seattle Mariners |
0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 1 |
Offensive Highlights
HR: Cruz (38), Morrison (13)
Winning Pitcher
Edgar Olmos – 3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K. (1-0)
Losing Pitcher
Jesse Chavez – 4.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K. (7-13)
Save
Tom Wilhelmsen (4)
Wednesday August 26
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | ||
| Oakland Athletics |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| Seattle Mariners |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | x | 8 | 12 | 0 |
Offensive Highlights
HR: Seager (18), Cruz (39)
Winning Pitcher
Felix Hernandez – 8.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K. (15-8)
Losing Pitcher
Chris Bassitt – 4.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 1 K. (1-6)
SSU Player of the Series:
Ketel Marte– This kid has been incredible, providing the spark the offense needed at the top of the lineup all year. He’s constantly on base and constantly a threat.
Next Side Up:
The Chicago White Sox host the Mariners for a 4 game series of two mutually disappointing teams to round out the end of August. Roenis Elias takes the mound Thursday afternoon to begin the series.