Seattle Mariners News: Team Needs to Rally Quickly
By Todd Pheifer
Apr 19, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (left to right), shortstop Brad Miller, second baseman Robinson Cano and first baseman Justin Smoak talk during a pitching change in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Six games ago the Seattle Mariners were looking alright. Six games ago the M’s were 7-5, and still within striking distance of the Oakland A’s.
Then, the wheels came off. Truthfully, the wheels came off and whatever vehicle this is simply broke into pieces.
Where did it all go wrong? Injuries to the starting rotation? An inconsistent bullpen? Hitting slumps?
Yes, yes, and unfortunately, yes.
After Felix Hernandez, the starting rotation is a mess. Hopefully Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton and Taijuan Walker will eventually provide some stability on the mound, but at some point this offense will need to get going in a positive direction.
Very quickly, the 2014 Seattle Mariners have started to look like the offenses of the last few years. In other word, inept.
Early in the season the Mariners looked like the offense had finally turned a corner, and that the presence of Robinson Cano was providing some much-needed inspiration. Now, the Mariners are batting .226 as a team (29th in MLB) and have an on-base percentage of .283 (28th).
The slugging percentage is 22nd in the league (.365), but this offense has struggled to consistently put runners on base. Cano was hitting .300 on April 15, but is now batting .268 after a disappointing 4-for-21 stretch.
This team needs a spark. After a distasterous 1-6 road trip, the Mariners return home for six games. It is still very early in the season, but the M’s need a momentum shift to occur at Safeco Field before heading out on a 10-game road trip.
This team needs to rally quickly, and the Houston Astros are coming to town. The Astros are on an even more “impressive” seven-game losing streak and the M’s will send King Felix to the mound in the first game of the series.
Time for a rally. Time for the Mariners to get back into the win column. Otherwise, this season could be lost in the month of April.