Get Right: Mariners at White Sox Series Preview
The Mariners head to Chicago in search of a spark of hope.
After getting swept by the Angels and losing Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford to a pair of injuries, it appears as though the Mariners season has hit rock bottom. If you really want to be cynical, things could get worse if the Mariners leave Chicago without at least a series win. On the other hand, a couple of victories this weekend could show that this team is capable of weathering this storm and prove that they’re worth investing into for the stretch run, especially now that they’ve gone out and traded for Randy Arozarena to provide a much-needed punchup to this punchless offense. Also, the White Sox have yet to clear 30 wins here, well past the All-Star Break. That’s abysmal. If ever there was a get-right time, it’s now.
It’s a pretty opportune time to match up with the White Sox. They’re in the midst of an 11-game losing streak and have lost 14 of their last 15 games and 17 of their last 20. Also, did we mention that part about their win total still starting with a “2” as the stores fill up with back-to-school sales and Halloween decor? We do not wish the bitter taste of despair on any fanbase*, but Mariners fans have eaten their fill over the past forty-whatever years of wandering in a World Series-less desert. Take advantage, Mariners. Please. We beg you.
*ok maybe a couple fanbases
The tough part of this series is the fact that, while the White Sox hitters have been somehow even more feckless than the Mariners ones, their starters have been decent, and the trio lined up for this series is a particularly tough one with Thorpe, who shut the Mariners down in his debut, the resurgent Fedde, and the why-didn’t-you-trade-him-already Crochet. It’s within the realm of possibilities that one of Fedde or Crochet could be traded away this weekend, though I’d say those odds are fairly slim.
The Mariners pitching staff will have to hold off the White Sox lineup in order for the Mariners hitters to get to the soft pliable parts of the White Sox pen. Luis Robert Jr. remains with the team for now, and remains very good, so apart from him walking over midgame to change uniforms and thus sending our John Trupin into transports of delight, the starters will have to find a way to work around him out of the leadoff spot, where he’s been batting lately. That leaves Andrew Benintendi in the two-hole; he’s really been scuffling in the second half and might still be feeling some negative effects from an Achilles injury that kept him out for a couple of weeks in early June. After a hot June, Andrew Vaughn has fallen back to Earth, but is still hitting third. Cleanup man Gavin Sheets has a wRC+ of 0 in July, which might actually be an improvement on some of the Mariners hitters. Eloy Jimenez continues to have a career-worst year despite never striking out in the middle of the lineup, and please someone just trade for this man mid-series and put him out of his misery in Chicago (not you, Houston). The bottom half of the lineup, to be honest, feels like a dart throw as far as what names appear each night. Remember, folks, it can always be worse.
Probable Pitchers
From a previous series preview:
Drew Thorpe was the centerpiece of two offseason blockbuster trades — he went to San Diego from New York in the Juan Soto trade and then made his way to Chicago in the Dylan Cease trade — he’s a very polished starter with a mid-rotation profile. He doesn’t have a great fastball on the surface but it really plays up because of his elite changeup; his short arm action produces incredible deception with that pitch pair. Across 34 minor league starts split between High-A and Double-A, he’s compiled an impressive 2.17 ERA and a 3.04 FIP.
As mentioned above, Thorpe was solid in his major league debut against the Mariners, holding them to two runs in five innings allowing three hits and two walks while striking out four.
From a previous series preview:
For some pitchers on the fringe of major league relevance, a walkabout overseas to revamp their approach has been an effective way to turn their careers around. Erick Fedde is the latest success story. He won the KBO’s MVP and their equivalent Cy Young award in 2023 and signed a two-year pact with the White Sox this offseason. He added a sweeper to his arsenal, added a few ticks of velocity to his fastballs, and started using his changeup a bit more often. The result is a profile that looks a lot more viable and sustainable than what he was producing in Washington before his stint in Korea.
Like Thorpe, Fedde was able to keep the Mariners bats at bay in his previous start against them. He went seven innings, allowing just a single run on five hits and a walk while striking out four.
From a previous series preview:
If there’s one reason for optimism on the Southside this year, it’s the development success of Garrett Crochet. Way back in 2020, Crochet debuted as a high-leverage reliever just a few weeks after being selected in the first round of that year’s abbreviated draft. He continued in that role the next year but succumbed to an elbow injury that wiped out all of his 2022 season and most of last year too. Originally drafted as a starter, he made the transition back to the rotation this spring and everything has gone swimmingly. He’s introduced a hard cutter to his repertoire to give him another weapon to work through lineups multiple times and it’s been one of the most effective pitches in baseball. His fastball and slider were already plus pitches and the results from that trio of elite pitches have been eye popping. He’s struck out more than a third of the batters he’s faced so far and has walked just 17 batters on the season. He’s a legitimate frontline starter and should be a core building block the White Sox can build around moving forward.
Crochet produced one of his best starts of the season against the M’s in Seattle; he pitched seven innings, allowing a run on two hits while striking out 13.
The Big Picture:
I don’t want to talk about the standings this week and you can’t make me.