Update: Starting Lineups Announced For M's, O's, But Game to Begin in Delay
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Update, 12:29 p.m. PT: The lineups for both teams are now out. They can be seen below, however we will be starting in a rain delay.
It’s La Piedra Day 💪 #TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/Id5H4wemth
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 18, 2024
Grayson back on the bump. pic.twitter.com/a6m2Kh0Ld1
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 18, 2024
Saturday AM: The Seattle Mariners continue a brutal 10-game road trip on Saturday afternoon against the Baltimore Orioles after suffering a 9-2 loss on Friday night. The M's will attempt to rebound by sending Luis Castillo to the hill in an effort to even the series. As we do before every game, here's what you need to know about the 1:05 p.m. PT matchup:
1) About Last Night: The M's loss was disheartening on the surface, but a little better when you get under the hood. Seattle scored first, putting together a solid first inning thanks to a double by Dylan Moore and a single by Mitch Garver. Moore also popped a home run off John Means and Julio Rodriguez robbed a home run in center field.
As noted by popular M's "X" user @MarinerMuse, the M's hit the ball consistently hard as well, having an expected batting average higher than Baltimore through nearly seven full innings.
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) May 18, 2024
Bryce Miller uncharacterstically struggled, surrendering five runs in the bottom of the first inning, and Moore made a critical error in the same frame. You can read our full recap, and see Rodriguez's home run robbery, at this link.
2) The Records: The Mariners enter play on Saturday at 24-21 and in first place in the American League West. They are 1.5 games ahead of the Texas Rangers and just 4.0 ahead of the now-surging Astros. The Orioles are 28-14 and trail the Yankees by 1.0 game in the American League East.
3) Home vs. Road: The Mariners enter the game at 9-11 on the road this season, and they are 12-15 against teams over .500. Baltimore is 16-9 at home and has gone 15-5 against teams over .500.
4) The Pitching Matchup: The young phenom Grayson Rodriguez is back from the injured list to make the start for Baltimore. He's gone 4-1 with a 3.71 ERA thus far. Castillo is going for the Mariners, and he is 4-5 with a 3.31 ERA this season.
The last time out, Castillo went 6.0 innings against the Oakland Athletics. He got the win after allowing two earned runs and striking out eight.
5) News and Notes: The M's don't seem likely to play Jorge Polanco in this entire series, and the team may need to place him on the injured list. So, essentially, the M's will be playing with a short bench this weekend and are likely to continue playing Luis Urias, Josh Rojas and Moore together while Polanco and JP Crawford are out.
6) What to Watch For: Luke Raley stayed hot at the plate last night, going 1-for-4. He also started against a lefty in John Means as he continues to work himself into an everyday role.
We'll have this post updated as the Orioles announce their starting pitcher and as the lineups get released.
