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Tanaka and Sabathia Breeze Through Hot Mariners’ Offense

By Collin Ferguson

Aug 24, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances (68) shakes hands with catcher Gary Sanchez (24) following the final out of a 5-0 victory against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher Dellin Betances (68) shakes hands with catcher Gary Sanchez (24) following the final out of a 5-0 victory against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Mariners dropped two of three at home to the Yankees thanks to poor offense.

It is rare in baseball that you can predict an outcome, but who would have predicted that the Mariners’ red hot offense would be shut down completely in two games against Masahiro Tanaka and C.C. Sabathia? The two Yankee veterans pitched 14 innings and allowed only one run the last two days at Safeco Field. A field in which the Mariners were 11-3 in the month of August coming into yesterday’s game.

The Mariners were shut out yesterday for the first time at home since May 23rd against the Athletics. A promising fact is that they bounced back by winning the next two games, scoring 20 runs against the A’s.

Not so promising is that the M’s face two even better pitchers in Chris Sale and Jose Quintana in the series in Chicago coming up next.

However, tomorrow we face unproved right-hander Anthony Ranaudo. Ranaudo has struggled with an ERA close to 10 in just four games this season. The Mariners have yet to announce for sure who is starting today, but best guess is that James Paxton will return from his elbow injury to get the nod.

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Ariel Miranda vs. Wade LeBlanc for the 5th Spot in the Rotation:

Miranda has shown good command of his fastball, but has struggled to keep his off-speed pitches down in three starts so far with Seattle. Ariel and Wade LeBlanc appear to be competing for the Mariners’ fifth spot in the rotation heading into September. Miranda will get his shot first and probably start on Saturday as Wade LeBlanc fills in for a very tired bullpen.

Fingers crossed that Taijuan Walker and James Paxton can return to form. If so, Seattle will have a pretty formidable rotation for the first time this season.

Mariners
Aug 4, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Ariel Miranda (37) will see time in the M’s rotation for now while Wade LeBlanc fills in for the bullpen. /

About the offense? Well, I think Scott Servais explained it best that when you have an offense like the Mariners, you “live by the homer, and die by the homer.” The M’s are third in baseball with 175 long balls already this year, including five walk off home runs. No other team in baseball has more than three. So, let’s all hope Nelson Cruz is back in the lineup soon, we’re going to need him.

Next: Sounders' Lodeiro Steals Point at the Death

By Collin Ferguson at Collin-Ferguson.com & EmeraldCitySwagger.com

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