The Seattle Mariners’ nine-game road trip has gotten off to a rough beginning.
They lost to Detroit 15-1 on Tuesday, then blew a two-run lead and fell in extra innings, 3-2, on Wednesday. On top of that, Julio Rodriguez aggravated the high ankle sprain that sent him to the injured list last month.
The teams will play the series finale Thursday afternoon.
Rodriguez, who was activated Sunday, tweaked the ankle during the eighth inning. He managed to hit a bases-loaded RBI bloop single before he was removed for a pinch runner.
It was a fright that the Mariners, who are trying to catch up to the Houston Astros in the American League West, didn’t need.
Manager Scott Servais said postgame that Rodriguez isn’t likely to be out for long.
“It’s not swelled up or anything like that,” Servais said. “It’s more of like a scar tissue thing. He’s day to day. We’ll see how he is tomorrow. I think it scared him as much as anything, because he felt something.”
Bryce Miller (9-7, 3.46 ERA), who is scheduled to start the series finale for the Mariners, has held the opposition scoreless in three of his past five starts. In his most recent outing, Miller blanked the New York Mets for six innings, limiting them to three hits and one walk while striking out six in a 6-0 win last Friday.
“It’s great to see a young pitcher like that at this time in the season have so much in the tank because we’ve got so many big games ahead of us,” Servais said.
During a pair of starts against Detroit last season in his rookie year, Miller held them scoreless for a total of 12 innings while notching victories in both games.
Last season, Miller mainly relied on his fastball. In his win over the Mets last week, he mixed his four-seamer with sinkers, sliders, splitters, knuckle curveballs, sweepers and cutters.
“Last year, I was getting fatigued at this point,” Miller said. “And last year, the fastball was my pitch. So if that’s my pitch — and I’m fatigued — then it’s just like everything is kind of down. But this year, I feel like I’m getting better, getting stronger as the year goes on.”
His curveball has been especially key in keeping hitters off-balance.
“He’s got another pitch that he can tunnel off his fastball,” Servais said. “The velocity of the pitch, the depth of the pitch, he’s getting some chase on it below the zone. It’s worked really effectively for him. He needs to continue to throw it.”
Right-hander Alex Faedo (5-3, 3.62) is expected to start the matinee for the Tigers.
He has made one career start against Seattle, taking the 5-0 loss on May 13, 2023. He gave up three runs on four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts spread over six innings.
Detroit has won three straight, with Kerry Carpenter playing a huge role against the Mariners. After being activated off the 60-day injured list ahead of Tuesday’s game, Carpenter has blasted three home runs. He knotted Wednesday’s contest with a two-run shot in the eighth off reliever Yimi Garcia.
Seattle starter Bryan Woo had struck out Carpenter three times prior to that.
“I go up there pretty confident, whether I’m hitting two homers my first couple of at-bats or whether I strike out my first couple of at-bats,” said Carpenter, who had been sidelined by a back injury. “I’ve faced Yimi Garcia before. I know what his stuff is like. He missed one pitch and I took advantage.”
Manager A.J. Hinch is thrilled to write Carpenter’s name on his lineup card again.
“He’s one swing away from impact, whenever it is — early, late, starting, off the bench — you have to manage against him,” Hinch said. “He got a hanging pitch and changed the whole face of the game.”
–Field Level Media