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Mariners Look to Ignite Offense in Opener vs. Angels
Introduction
The Seattle Mariners are hoping to reignite their offense as they start off a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels messengers on Friday night in Seattle. After an extreme 4-0 misfortune to the Houston Astros that forestalled a series clear, the Sailors are anxious to refocus and show their solidarity in the MLB.
Manager’s Perspective and Recent Performance
Seattle Mariners manager Scott Servais acknowledged the team’s disappointment but emphasized the positives. “It happens, gang,” Servais said after Thursday’s loss. “We just beat the
Houston Astros three out of four. That’s a pretty good series. And we will continue to try to focus on winning the next series. That’s what happens in baseball: You don’t win every game. But we are playing better. There’s still a long ways to go for us offensively, and we know that. You got to look forward to the weekend and score some runs.”
Challenges at the Plate
The Mariners struggled offensively against Astros rookie Spencer Arrighetti, managing just two hits in six innings. Infielder Dylan Moore reflected on the team’s difficulties. “We wanted to get on top of him early,” Moore said. “Trying to sweep these guys, it would’ve been huge. We had to make the adjustment pretty quick that he was controlling all his pitches, and he was pitching pretty well. We tried to make the adjustment as best we could, but he was making pitches.”
Moore stressed the need for consistent quality at-bats. “We need better ABs in a row, keep it simple and score more than zero runs,” he continued. “This is the big leagues, and you have to make those adjustments on the fly.”
Seattle has consistently struggled on offense, only managing to score nine runs on 21 hits in their recent four-game series against Houston, while also striking out 46 times. They currently top the league with 594 strikeouts and are projected to surpass the MLB record of 1,654 set by the Minnesota Twins last year.
Pitching Strengths and Matchups
Despite their offensive struggles, the Mariners’ strong pitching has kept them at the top of their division. They are the only team in the AL West with a winning record and hold a three-game lead over the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers.
Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo (2-0, 1.66 ERA), who began the season on the injured list due to elbow inflammation, is scheduled to make his fifth start of 2024 on Friday. Woo was impressive last season, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.20 ERA in three starts against the Angels.
He will face off against Angels righty Jose Soriano (2-5, 3.61 ERA). Soriano, who primarily pitched in relief last season, was 0-0 with a 2.57 ERA in five appearances against the Mariners.
Angels’ Recent Struggles and Key Players
The Angels are also facing challenges, coming off an 8-3 loss to the visiting New York Yankees. Despite Logan O’Hoppe’s recent hot streak—hitting a home run for the second consecutive game and the fourth time in eight games—the Angels have lost five of their last six games.
Patrick Sandoval, who pitched well against the Yankees, allowing just two runs on two hits over six innings, saw his effort overshadowed by Aaron Judge’s 275th career home run. “One mistake pitch that he got to, probably shouldn’t have thrown it,” Sandoval reflected. “Logan wanted changeup and I should’ve thrown it. I didn’t have a lot of confidence or feel for it early. I had confidence in the sweeper, got him on it last time and just left it over when he hit it.”
The Angels have confronted misfortunes because of the shortfall of central members, as Shohei Ohtani withdrew in free organization and Mike Trout was out following knee medical procedure for a torn left meniscus recently.
Conclusion
While the Mariners are focusing on improving their offense and continuing their solid pitching, they will be up against an Angels team trying to reverse their recent poor performance. This first game in the series is expected to be important for both teams, as they are both looking to gain momentum and make progress during the MLB season.
