MLB

The Mariners plenty of shots alone weren’t enough against the Rangers in the Opening Day loss

For an offense that should have added more touches and on-base talent this offseason, it was a disappointing showing from the Mariners on Opening Day in front of a sellout crowd (as announced by the Mariners crowd). Mariners hitters combined for 14 hits, scoring all of their runs on solo homers. They had only two non-dinger hits: a double, a single from Brendan Donovan and a Randy Arozarena single (which probably should have been hit as a double-extended single with a shaky play from the Guardian outfield).

Early on, it looked like the Mariners would be able to outrun the Rangers, despite Logan Gilbert giving up a first-inning home run to rookie Chase DeLauter, who hit a slide from Gilbert and took him deep to put the Mariners in an early hole.

“Maybe I was too dependent on not going [DeLauter] there,” said Gilbert postgame.

But Brendan Donovan was there to pick up his teammate, making history in his first plate appearance as a Water. This is the best first game on Opening Day in Mariners history:

“A lot of prayers answered right there,” said Donovan after the game, who admitted he was trying to show off the ball when it came off his bat.

A marine layer? Similar to the Mariner layer, as in the second Dominic Canzone showed that he has not left the power in Arizona, again, blasting this forward run at 108 mph.

But it was the Mariners’ last lead in the game. Guardians starter Tanner Bibee was able to quiet the Mariners, striking out seven in his five innings of work before being forced out of the sixth without throwing a pitch with what was later announced as right shoulder inflammation.

Logan Gilbert, while not the most efficient with his pitches, was able to match Bibee until the top of the fifth. He had a bit of bad luck hitting Rhys Hoskins, but then gave up a double to Daniel Schneeman on a slide that didn’t slide enough to put runners on second and third with no outs. Bryan Rocchio then punished a bad cutter into the right field corner with an RBI double that put the Rangers up 3-2.

Gilbert relies on his cutter as the most used in his second pitches, second only to his four-seamer, while burying his slider in his arsenal. The fastball, which started in 95-96, is down to 94

But again, Luke Raley took his teammate, making sure Logan couldn’t be given anything worse than a no-call on a game-tying solo shot in the bottom of the fifth. The Raley continues to look like its 2024 self instead of the gutted 2025 version and it’s fun to see

Both teams returned to their home fields in the sixth. Tanner Bibee came out to pitch the sixth, but left shortly after throwing his warmup pitches with what was announced as right shoulder inflammation.

The Rangers took the lead again in the seventh against Gabe Speier, again using their brand of tight-knit baseball to create traffic on the bases. Brayan Rocchio cut a single into the bottom of the zone, and Chase DeLauter snuck into the first baseman with too much at the plate of his own. José Ramírez then doubled a slider that landed almost on the tops of his shoes, sent it deep into the gap and struck out both runners, then added insult to injury and stole third base before Speier could

And, it was Canzone who pulled the Mariners back into it, clinching an MLB home run (for today, at least) with his second homer of the game, brutally saluting former Mariner Shawn Armstrong in the seventh with this titanic blast:

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“Mid-range hitters,” Canzone gushed when asked what he was looking for in these home runs. “And they were just inside the beehive, down and inside.” (Hey Honey Hole sandwiches, I got you a pitch.)

Casey Legumina also had to deal with some traffic against the bad Rangers, walking Rhys Hoskins in what Cal should have challenged for a strikeout and giving Gabriel Arias a first base hit. Brian Rocchio then appeared to have his pants leg swept, loading the bases, but Legumina got out of trouble with a nice sequence from uber-pest Steven Kwan, finding Kwan focused on contact and reaching after diving high and away before burying Kwan for a swing. In a game that probably wouldn’t have had a ton to cheer about without Canzone’s big day at the plate, let’s pause for Casey Legumina to hit Steven Kwan.

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It was Legumina’s first opening day and he arrived at the park in a sharply tailored cobalt green suit. When I complimented him on it, he smiled and said, “Thank you. My Opening Day suit. I’ve been waiting three years to wear it.”

Cooper Criswell was fouled with a solo home run in the out, and was also victimized by rookie DeLauter, who knocked down one of Criswell’s cutters to lead off the ninth, but also struck out José Ramírez on a changeup at the edge of the plate. Former Coug Kyle Manzardo then walked but was able to find Bo Naylor in pursuit after two poor turnovers, which were well covered by Criswell. If those are two powerless arms those are two welcome outings from Criswell and Legumina.

A six-run leaky pitch is no way to win baseball for any team, let alone the Mariners, but the problem tonight was the offense, which couldn’t click all night, putting up different at-bats. Cal Raleigh hit a home run to lead off the eighth, and again missed his challenge even though the field looked like it was out. After the game, Dan Wilson also confirmed that his strikers had the green light to challenge and “will remind the boys as much as we can by using challenges” (which in Dan Wilson’s language is about as strong a rebuke as you will find).

“It’s new for everyone, and I think it doesn’t jump to the front of your mind every time you’re in the box. But it’s part of the game now and something we’ll use.”

One player not panicking after tonight’s game was Brendan Donovan, who said the focus was on at-bats and earning a small “dot” in Kevin Seitzer’s notebook to represent a quality at-bat: “chase as many dots as possible.” Sounding uncannily like his new manager, he praised the team’s ability to not give up, fighting for every stick.

“I know we didn’t get the win,” Donovan said, “but it’s good to show that this team can turn it around at any time.”

“I’m happy.”

Sometimes happiness is a green suit that you don’t wear and then one day you take it out of the closet. The Mariners will look for their first win of the season tomorrow at 6:40 with George Kirby on the mound.