After Cal Raleigh’s new torpedo bat powered the Mariners to their first back-to-back win of the season last night, the Mariners look to keep the good times rolling. They’ll have a challenge in doing so, facing Kumar Rocker, who made his debut against the Mariners last season. In his big-league debut last September, Rocker struck out seven in just four innings, using his double-plus slider to put hitters away. Tonight’s game will be a measuring stick to see how far Rocker has developed the rest of his arsenal, which will go a long way towards determining if he’s a reliever long-term or not.
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Texas Toast: Mariners vs. Rangers Series Preview
Lineups:
The Mariners are running out the same lefty-heavy lineup as they did last night against Rocker, who does have some unfavorable handedness splits in a very limited sample size.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are also running out exactly the same lineup against Woo as they did against Miller last night.
News:
- RHP Jesse Hahn, last seen performing yeoman’s work in an extra-innings loss, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.
Captain’s Log:
Wilson on Bryan Woo’s fastball: “He’s got such good movement with it, and it’s unpredictable in some ways. His stuff is so good, and it moves a lot. So when he’s in the zone with it, it could be anywhere in the zone, and it makes it difficult for that hitter to be consistent.”
Today’s Game Information:
Game time: 6:40 PT
TV: ROOT Sports NW, with Aaron Goldsmith and Dave Valle (also the free game of the day on MLB TV, if you’re an out-of-network watcher)
New this season, you can stream the ROOT broadcast with their new direct-to-consumer app. More details here.
Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports with Rick Rizzs and Ryan Rowland-Smith
If you’re interested in some dual-screen action, the AquaSox game tonight is free on MiLB TV; switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje is scheduled to make the start.
Today in Mariners History:
- 1996 – Ken Griffey Jr. goes over the Hard Rock Café at the Skydome for his second home run of the game, a 9-6 win at Toronto:
- 2015 – Nelson Cruz hits a go-ahead home run in the 10th inning for an 8-7 win over Oakland:
- 2022—Matt Brash makes his MLB debut, striking out six as a starter against the White Sox.
- 2023 – Jarred Kelenic belts 482-foot home run to dead-center at Wrigley Field, marking the longest home run hit by a Mariners player in the Statcast Era (since 2008).