Scott Servais Outlines Three Key Takeaways from the Mariners’ Latest Series Win
The Seattle Mariners secured their third consecutive series win, maintaining their lead in the American League West. Thursday’s 3-0 victory over the Oakland A’s brought their record to 36-28, marking a season-high of eight games above .500 and extending their division lead to five games over the second-place Texas Rangers.
The Mariners now face a challenging series against the 37-26 Kansas City Royals. Here are three key observations from the recent series win in Oakland.
Woo’s Pitching Limitations Not a Concern
There was significant fan uproar last Friday when starter Bryan Woo was pulled after throwing just 66 pitches in six shutout innings against the Los Angeles Angels. This was exacerbated when Seattle’s bullpen subsequently gave up a four-run lead on a grand slam.
However, in Thursday’s game, Woo was pushed further, throwing a season-high 85 pitches over six shutout innings. Mariners manager Scott Servais has emphasized the importance of being cautious with Woo’s usage. Woo allowed just two hits, struck out six, and didn’t walk a batter against Oakland. This marked the third time in his last four appearances that he delivered six shutout innings. In six starts this season, Woo has a 3-0 record with a 1.07 ERA, 0.53 WHIP, 24 strikeouts, and just two walks over 33 2/3 innings.
The cautious approach with Woo is justified given his recent injury history. The 24-year-old missed the first six weeks of the season with a sore elbow and had previously set a career high with 131 2/3 innings pitched last season after throwing just 57 innings in the minors in 2022 and 28 innings in his final season at Cal Poly following Tommy John surgery.
Woo’s performance has been stellar, and the rest of Seattle’s rotation has ensured the bullpen remains rested. Entering Thursday, Seattle’s bullpen had thrown the fewest innings in baseball and ranked fourth in FIP and ninth in ERA. Woo has proven himself as one of the team’s top-five starting options, regardless of his limited innings.
Offense Still Adjusting After Brown’s Departure
Following the firing of offensive coordinator and bench coach Brant Brown, the Mariners immediately scored 19 runs in a three-game series against the Angels and had a 10-hit performance in the series opener against Oakland. However, the subsequent games showed the offense still has work to do.
The Mariners didn’t get a runner on base until the seventh inning in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Oakland and managed just four hits in Thursday’s 3-0 win. Despite this, there are positive signs, such as a reduction in strikeouts. Before Brown’s firing, the team struck out 10 or more times in 38 of 58 games. Since then, they have reached double-digit strikeouts only once in six games and struck out seven or fewer times in five of those games.
Individual performances have also shown promise. Julio Rodríguez hit a 102.5 mph fastball for a home run, the fastest pitch hit for a home run this season. Mitch Garver reached base in all four plate appearances on Thursday, including hitting his sixth home run of the season.
The Mariners have upcoming games against teams with poor pitching records, providing further opportunities for offensive improvement.
Mariners Dominate AL West
The Mariners have excelled against AL West opponents, winning three consecutive series and going 8-2 over 10 games against the Astros, Angels, and Athletics. This improved their record against divisional opponents to 14-5, the best in the division by a wide margin. Seattle has won all six series against AL West teams, outscoring them by a combined 27 runs. Only the Astros have a winning record within the division.
Performance against AL West teams will be crucial for the Mariners’ playoff chances, particularly against the Rangers and Astros. Last year, the Mariners had the best record within the division but struggled against the Rangers, ultimately missing the playoffs.
The Mariners have an opportunity to further their lead in the division with an upcoming series against the Rangers at T-Mobile Park in mid-June, which could set the stage for a strong finish in September.
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