Mariners Game #32 Preview: 05/04/24, SEA @ HOU
Be like a goldfish
Well last night sure happened! I will present two sunny sides. First, I just find it pretty remarkable that a game that was basically a disaster was still only lost 5-3.
Second, the starters have now completed four full turns through the rotation since one of them allowed more than two earned runs. The last time a starter allowed more than two earned runs was April 9. Today is May 4. Over those 20 starts, they have allowed 20 earned runs. I am excited to see if Logan Gilbert can keep that going into the rotation’s fifth turn. He’s tossed a couple of gems against Houston before. In the first game back from the 2022 All-Star break, he went 6 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K, taking a hard-luck L against Verlander. Last June, he tortured the ‘Stros with his slider for seven innings in a 3-1 win.
Lineups!
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25433502/Screenshot_2024_05_04_4.04.55_PM.png)
Mariners and Astros Twitter
Against the lefty Valdez, the Mariners will run out Urias at third base and Haggerty in left. I am sympathetic to those who’d like to see more of Josh Rojas, but I also believe one of the keys to his success has been not overexposing him. Framber Valdez is one tough customer, and Urias is better against lefties than Rojas is. Rojas’s platoon splits don’t jump off the page (91 v. 99 wRC+), but that’s in no small part because he generally does not even play at all against tough lefties. Haggerty, meanwhile, continues his first batch of playing time since coming off the IL with a non-baseball injury.
Game Info
First Pitch: 4:15 PT
TV: FOX, as in Q13, with Goldy and AJ Pierzynski (who is a surprisingly good broadcaster, IMO) on the call. If you live where Fox is showing the Rays take on the Mets, you should be able to watch on MLB dot TV or the MLB app, assuming you have the package
Radio: 710 ESPN and Mariners dot com
Today in Mariners History
- 2016: Dae-Ho Lee hits two home runs to rescue a Felix meltdown in a 9-8 victory over the A’s
- 2018: Mike Leake surrenders Albert Pujols’s 3000th hit
Pregame Discussion Poll
If you’re looking to expand beyond the major media, Ders has the Twitter thread for you.
Are you a Star Wars fan who loves reading? On this #MayThe4th, I’ll give you my Star Wars book recommends!
— Anders Jorstad (@AndersJorstad) May 4, 2024
Spanning many different genres, characters, and points in the timeline, these “canon” stories can all be enjoyed with zero existing knowledge outside the movies.