Mariners Game #16 Preview: 4/13, v. Texas
Eovaldi v. Gilbert
Would you believe this game will complete the first tenth of the season? The Mariners will try to ride the wave of their best game and their best stretch of baseball into this afternoon’s tilt to see if they can get through 10% of the year at .500.
To win today’s game, they’ll turn their hopes on Logan Gilbert outdeuling Nathan Eovaldi, a matchup I find delightful. This whole series has featured compelling pitching matchups: two native Texans on Friday, a pair of 2021 draftees on Saturday, and now this. Gilbert really faded his cutter toward the back half of last year, and hasn’t thrown one at all yet in 2025, but with the cutter, he and Eovaldi feature the same pitch mix. Eovaldi relies on his slider a whole lot less than Gilbert does, but it’s otherwise a pretty similar arsenal. Gilbert’s also a better pitcher, particularly at picking up whiffs outside the zone. But overall, I always enjoy a game where the starters hold up a mirror to each other.
Lineups
Jonah Heim gets a day off after a brutal game both at and behind the plate. And though Cal Raleigh has no need for days off, it’s still unsurprising that Heim would get the day game off after a night game. What is surprising is Marcus Semien being out of the lineup. He had seven days off in 2020 (which, who didn’t), but other than that has not missed more than three games in a season since 2017.
News
Ben Williamson has been called up to fortify the shaky infield. In corresponding moves, Dominic Canzone was sent back to Tacoma and Ryan Bliss was transferred to the 60-day IL. As you saw above, Williamson will not start today, but hopefully we see him before the game is over.
Captain’s Log
“He was here very early,” said Dan Wilson about Ben Williamson’s arrival at T-Mobile Park. “He’s eager. He’s excited. This is a great opportunity for him, and we’re really excited for him...It’s great to see that youthfulness and that greenness, in a way. He’s a good kid and he’s a hard worker, so it’s fun to have him around.”
Game Info
First pitch: 1:10 PT
TV: ROOT; and new this season, you can stream the ROOT broadcast with their new direct-to-consumer app. More details here.
Radio: 710, ol’ reliable
Today In Mariners History
- 1998: Griffey hits his 299th and 300th home runs, becoming the second-youngest player ever to reach 300 (six months older than Jimmie Foxx) (also today in 300th home-run history, in 2009, Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko each hit their 300th homers in back-to-back at-bats)
- 2016: Dae-Ho Lee hits a pinch-hit, 10th-inning home run to walk-off the Rangers