Welcome to today’s Mariners Spring Training recap. Please turn off your cell phones out of respect for our performers. When you’re ready, I’d like to draw your attention to the stage, where our engineering team is hard at work illuminating key elements of the game for your edification.
Note: The Mariners played a Diamondbacks team composed mostly of minor league players this afternoon, while Arizona’s big league team plays an exhibition game against the Guardians tonight. Because of this, we decided to host this recap with Mariners players only. Shoutout to diamondback pitcher Mitchell Stumpo, who wins best name in the game and also fell on his butt trying to land an infield hit today.
[Curtain opens on a stage lit only by a downstage right (audience left) spotlight. In the spotlight stands a man whose curly hair sticks out from under his ball cap. He stares off into the darkness in stage left.]
Marco worked six full innings in today’s game, giving up two runs with three hits, 0BB, 5K. He had an out seemingly as soon as the show began, hitting the first batter on three pitches. After a 1-2-3 first inning, he gave up a solo home run in the second, but it wasn’t until the fourth that Diamondbacks hitters really got him working. Since the M offensive didn’t materialize until the late innings, the first third of the game flew by.
Marco worked fast in his six innings, made several great defensive plays and looks set for his first start of the regular season on Sunday against the Twins. He had good movement, especially on his off-speed pitches, and stated in a dugout interview after he finished his outing that he was happy with his stuff in anticipation of this game. In the same interview, Marco was asked about his curveball; He mentioned that he was working to improve that throw in that particular game and it’s that throw that he used to hit a batter on the 5th as he worked to master it.
Check out Marco’s five strikeouts from this afternoon here:
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[Cross fade: stage right spot dims as upstage right spot appears, focused on three men standing in a line.]
There was one assist each in the last three innings of the game: Diego Castillo, Andrés Muñoz and Matt Festa. Castillo outwitted several D-backs with a nasty slider, giving up a couple of hard shots and hitting three batters in his innings. Muñoz also had a good game (I would have liked to see his speeds, but unfortunately not in Peoria) and gave Abraham Toro the opportunity to show off his outfield strength. Festa hit two in the 9th for defense; no complaints.
[The stage goes dark for a moment, giving the stagehands time for a hasty set change as we shift from the pitching to the batting portion of our offering. A wide pool of light appears upstage left, in which stand a cluster of men holding bats.]
To your right you can now see most of the Mariners starting lineup, some embarrassed at their poor performance. After Adam Frazier [a man in the middle of the clump raises his hand to the brim of his cap] Singled on the first pitch the Mariners saw in play, the M’s didn’t get another hit until the 6th. Ty France hit hard in many places he couldn’t make contact with, as did Mitch Haniger and Jesse Winker at times [the three men closest to the back of the stage nod solemnly] The main offensive highlight belongs to two unlit performers, but please applaud some other players who contributed offensively in the late innings. First to JP Crawford for his 8th inning single that turned David Sheaffer’s home run into a 2-runner, giving the Mariners the lead! And please also give credit to Steven Souza, Jr. for his 8th inning home run, as well as Axel Sanchez for his impressive three-pointer that inning and Billy Hamilton for knocking him out.
We know Souza needs his moment to shine as he chimed in on several of the dugout interviews that featured heavily on the TV show today. He first made his presence known during Gilbert’s makeup artist interview:
He later tried his hand at set design, throwing sunflower seeds at Marco during his interview, which was also one of his specialties in previous performances.
[Stage fades to black.]
Of course, all eyes today were on Julio Rodriguez, the Mariners’ top pick, whose place on the opening day list was officially confirmed this morning.
[Suddenly, centerstage is illuminated, the light reflecting off the shiny, shiny sunglasses of the person occupying the stage.]
You couldn’t wipe away his grin this afternoon, either on the pitch or in the dugout. Although Julio’s game today was nowhere near the caliber of last Thursday, he had an excellent shot in the fourth and put the pitcher to work, fouling three times before going for a walk. It’s good to see that patience as we know he can do the shiny stuff. Julio also hit a sharp single in RF on a good pitch away, demonstrating further judgment that bodes well for his transition to the majors.
In another highlight of the Dugout interview, we got to see this ebullient and beaming Scott Servais talking about the call to Julio this morning:
What a grin, right?
[Lights fade out, leaving the stage dark again.]
On Julio Day, I think of Jarred Kelenic. Jarred grew up in the spotlight, faltered as soon as he found himself in the big spotlight last season, and then began to find his feet in the final months of the 2021 season. Today, the spotlight rightly belongs to Julio, and there’s a definite possibility that it will for years to come. It was confirmed today that Kelenic is not the primary young star potential hitter on the M Opening Day roster; What does that mean for him and his style of play? I can imagine it would be difficult for any 22-year-old to see a younger colleague debut and know that his success will be publicly compared to his fight the year before.
[Slow fade up on a spotlight in the far downstage left corner of the stage. A young man sits on a chair looking at the baseball in his hands, and then looks out at the audience.]
Oddly enough, my main takeaway from today’s game is hope and pride in Jarred Kelenic. In the second inning, Kelenic drew his own patient walk into a long at bat, making the pitcher work (which most of his more experienced peers didn’t). He swung very few balls out of the zone today. In the 7th inning, with JRod on board, Kelenic took the first two pitches of his at bat for balls. I wrote in my notes, “JK will accept a walk, he doesn’t try to pound JROD on the first pitch, good for him.”
lol
My favorite part is the high five at the end. JRod and Kelenic share the stage and enjoy the game they both fought for. They celebrate knowing they both made it today.
[Fade to black.]