Mariners @ Astros

[Bulltalk]

Those last few innings were a Hitchcock movie. Thankfully it's over. I'll take it. But don't do that to me again.

[Bulltalk]

You're right. That Smoak HR was absolutely crushed.

[Bulltalk]

As bad as these past two games were for each their own reasons, if we can win tomorrow, then we're only 1 game back of .500. That would be great.

[Bulltalk]

Alright. Looking good. I like 4 run innings. 5-1 M's. Inching our way back to .500.

[Sweezo]

Nice to see the M's touch up McHugh for some runs. He earned that after what he did to us last time.

[Bulltalk]

Nice to see the M's touch up McHugh for some runs. He earned that after what he did to us last time.

You know Sweez, this is it, this time just ahead on our schedule. After our 4 game series in Oakland, we play the next 18 out of 24 games at home; one of the two homestands has 11 straight home games; of the 7 teams we'll be playing 4 have losing records (TB, KC, Minnesota, Houston), and of the remaining 3 with winning records (Texas, LAA, Detroit), only one of these teams (Detroit) is really a first order team this year so far. With the exception of Houston, these are precisely the teams we'll be vying with for that 4th and 5th wild card playoff spot (we're only 2 games back from the 4th and 5th playoff spots as it stands now).

If we can win today, get to 14-15, somehow come out of Oakland with a split, then we're set up to make a little noise here. We could easily be a winning team come the 1st of June (the last game of this stretch), and probably in the 5th and final playoff spot at that point.

I know this sounds crazy, but it's really in the realm of possibility, don't you think, especially with our starting pitching getting healthy again? We could be truly relevant in June.

Anyway...

[Sweezo]

You know Sweez, this is it, this time just ahead on our schedule. After our 4 game series in Oakland, we play the next 18 out of 24 games at home; one of the two homestands has 11 straight home games; of the 7 teams we'll be playing 4 have losing records (TB, KC, Minnesota, Houston), and of the remaining 3 with winning records (Texas, LAA, Detroit), only one of these teams (Detroit) is really a first order team this year so far. With the exception of Houston, these are precisely the teams we'll be vying with for that 4th and 5th wild card playoff spot (we're only 2 games back from the 4th and 5th playoff spots as it stands now).

If we can win today, get to 14-15, somehow come out of Oakland with a split, then we're set up to make a little noise here. We could easily be a winning team come the 1st of June (the last game of this stretch), and probably in the 5th and final playoff spot at that point.

I know this sounds crazy, but it's really in the realm of possibility, don't you think, especially with our starting pitching getting healthy again? We could be truly relevant in June.

Anyway...

I think we have a decent shot. If you look at how badly Maurer has struggled so far, just think how confident we'd feel in this game right now if it was Walker or Paxton out there. Earning that split from Oakland is a tough task. They're just a strong, well-balanced team who's just better than the rest of the division.

I'm curious to see what Jack Z does in terms of roster moves. We know he had trade offers on the table in the spring and he chose to stand pat because he wanted to see what he had. Now, he should have a good idea. Saunders is a serviceable outfield, Ackley might be. Almonte might get there but there's some work to be done. We need to add another bat out there. Franklin doesn't have a clear spot on this team, and Chris Taylor's producing at a level that might make Franklin more expendable.

[Sweezo]

Hell of a day for John Buck. He's hitting everything hard into the outfield.

[nuke the whales]

Wilhelmsen with two perfect innings. Given the bullpen the last two games, that's kind of a big deal, especially with Furbush here.

[Sweezo]

Wilhelmsen with two perfect innings. Given the bullpen the last two games, that's kind of a big deal, especially with Furbush here.

Hell of a job by Charlie. Gives up two hits, gets no one out, and is taken out.

[Bulltalk]

Just can't make it easy.

[Bulltalk]

Yes! Mission accomplished. Got to a game within .500 at 14-15. Good job M's.

[nuke the whales]

https://twitter.com/RyanDivish/status/4 ... 9196145664
Almonte headed to Tacoma

[Sweezo]

https://twitter.com/RyanDivish/status/463075819196145664
Almonte headed to Tacoma

Some might argue Almonte was used too long, other might say maybe they should have given him a longer look at the back-end of the lineup, but I think they handled this situation pretty well. So, who's on the way?

[tweet]https://twitter.com/tnt_mariners/status/463092976332177408[/tweet]

I think that's a good call. Jones isn't a perfect player but I think he's a steadier defensive presence and he offers a ton of sped. None of the outfielders on the roster are great fits in CF from a defensive perspective. Saunders can do it, and so can Ackley and Gillespie on occasion, but Jones seems more natural out there.