The Mariners announced their roster for their ALDS matchup against the division-rival Astros, keeping the exact same group that they used against the Blue Jays in the Wild Card round.
Right-Handed Pitchers
- Matt Brash
- Diego Castillo
- Luis Castillo (Game 2 starter)
- Matt Festa
- Logan Gilbert (Game 1 starter)
- George Kirby
- Andrés Muñoz
- Penn Murfee
- Paul Sewald
- Erik Swanson
Left-Handed Pitchers
Catchers
Infielders
Outfielders
With the club moving from a best-of-three series into a best-of-five series, they have decided to keep the same squad and not add another starting pitcher. Jon Morosi of MLB Network relays that lefty Marco Gonzales and righty Chris Flexen are with the team but not on the roster.
Gilbert was slated to start the third game of the Wild Card round but will now be able to start this series due to the Mariners sweeping the Blue Jays. This year’s ALDS features an unusual schedule, with off-days after Game 1 and Game 2, followed by three consecutive games after that, if necessary. That means that Gilbert could potentially start Game 4 on regular rest and Castillo could start Game 5 on short rest. Alternatively, they could turn to Kirby for a start or some bulk innings at some point. Regardless of how it plays out, the club evidently feels good enough about its options to proceed without Gonzales or Flexen.
SkipperLou
Let’s Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
fred-3
The Mariners are winning this series
jjd002
Lol
M’s is for maybe
LOL
NWMarinerHawk
Good to see you laughing, bud. Better to laugh than to cry. Allow us to introduce you to WALTER. He’s shutting the Crawford box down today. We own this city.
GO MARINERS
SEAUSRISE
NWMarinerHawk
jj where u attttttttttttttt
NWMarinerHawk
It’s beautiful
jamaicajan
Walter came to play today. What a start! Go M’s.
jjd002
I’m here. Where you at?
NWMarinerHawk
The cap is tipped. See you game 2!!!
jjd002
I was actually in hospital all day yesterday (since Saturday), and they decided to check us out in the top of the 9th… couldn’t have waited a few minutes later or a lot earlier. Lol
NWMarinerHawk
Stay healthy man. I enjoy bantering with ya
jjd002
I’m good. Back home now. You are one of the few Mariner fans that seem to understand the game. A little good bantering is awesome.
I didn’t want to rub it in yesterday as I have been at the crap end of those games before.
I was in college in 2005 and spent a crap ton of money I didn’t have to watch Pujols hit a bomb off of Lidge. Best game I have ever seen live but the ending was beyond devastating.
NWMarinerHawk
Oh man. I remember watching that Lidge game on tv. That was a great series. Just happy the Ms are still in it. I’m Seattle born and raised and am a loyal ass guy.
Honestly man there are a lot of Mariner fans popping up out of nowhere when I’ve been going to 10+ games a year every year of my damn life since age 5. That’s just how it goes when you get good but yeah there’s definitely times where it can be annoying to me even.
I’m 34 now and I was in 8th grade last time we made it. I’m having a blast, man. Wouldn’t have it any other way than to beat the Astros that’s how it’s gotta be.
For the record I don’t think my Ms will win it all this year. BUT, the pitching and defense is good enough to beat any team in baseball any night. They are nails in the clutch. They have a 9.5/10 team chemistry. It can definitely happen.
Fred Park
To me, this game, Gilbert vs Verlander, is the most interesting and potentially exciting game the Mariners have played all season.
Why? Because it is the most important.
And I think the outcome will truly astound a lot of people, especially in Texas.
I think this is probably Verlander’s last big game.
That’s okay, he’s had a remarkable career, but they all finally come to an end.
hyraxwithaflamethrower
I don’t think it is mostly because I see the Astros winning this series, even though I’ll be rooting for the Mariners. That aside, Verlander’s worst game of the year did come against the Mariners, so here’s hoping for a repeat of that performance.
NWMarinerHawk
Fred this game is massive! We have the advantage with Castillo on the mound; so if we sneak this one out, look out, we just may pull this f’er off!!!
Fred Park
Amen to that, Hawk!
jjd002
In what way is Castillo an advantage over Valdez? 4.4 war for Valdez vs 3.7 for Castillo. I’d say push on the mound or advantage Houston. Overall it is still advantage Houston.
NWMarinerHawk
Lol
Castillo>Valdez
-literally anybody who knows baseball
jjd002
Yet stats say the opposite…. Your ace would be our number 3. He’s good, but he’s not Valdez good.
NWMarinerHawk
You’re sweating on your keyboard JJ. You really thought in that brain of yours that this was going to be a roll over breeze for the Astros. Y’all needed Sasquatch to bail you out in the bottom of the 9th yesterday. Buckle up for a series!!!
Fred Park
We can put this loss on Scott Servais.
I have never been so amazed and astounded in all my life as I was when he brought in Robbie Ray as a closer
There went the seasoh. And what a shame it was after the team chased Verlander after 4 innings.
martevious
I don’t know why they think they need to do something different in the playoffs than they did in the regular season! Stick to what got you to the playoffs in the first place. That, incidentally, didn’t include using Robbie Ray as a closer.
jeffsueu
Should have left Scott Service off the roster. Alvarez OPS difference lefty vs righty negligible
Fred Park
They only needed 1 more out.
I understood that they might use Ray creatively at some point, but I have a feeling this was done just to be cute.
Or something.
But the whole year is shot without a win in this game today. I guess Servais just panicked.
Fred McGriff HR
You beat Verlander but you lose, sorry, you just can’t.
How in the world you bring in Robbie Ray, who got shelled v Jays to face Alvarez is beyond me. You stick with Sewald, and you either pitch to Alvarez with Sewald, or you walk him. Analytics BS, lefty on lefty, because guess what, good LH batters can hit LH pitchers, and especially in the case of Alvarez whose average is .303 lifetime against LH pitching, he’s .292 v RH pitching. How can Servais not know that.
I would be deflated if I was a Mariners fan. You just can’t let chances like that go when you score multiple runs off Verlander.
martevious
Servais does stuff like this all the time.
Poster formerly known as . . .
If this ump today isn’t in the tank for the Astros, he’s doing a damned good imitiation.
Fred Park
Taper . . .
It’s all over. Wait till next year.
Yankee Clipper
Why I’m the world do the M’s pitch to Yordan? They could’ve, likely would’ve, won both games had they simply pitched around him. Why in the world would you give him anything close to middle-middle to hit?
Then, right after he tanks one to walk off GM 1, they pitch to him with two outs in the sixth…. That’s a strange approach for the third time through the order.
Poster formerly known as . . .
Taper?
Fred Park
It’s from an ancient joke.
It means taper off a little. Don’t be so upset.