Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz just hit the injured list with right knee inflammation, meaning he won’t be throwing a single pitch this final weekend of the regular season. This is a massive hit to the bullpen as we head into the very last games. We dropped a tough one last night, falling short in a 7-5 comeback effort against the Angels.
Bullpen Woes and a Broadcast Legend’s Farewell
Losing Muñoz right now is a total gut punch. Our guy, the closer, sidelined with a knee issue for the final stretch. It leaves a massive hole in the bullpen when we need all hands on deck. What a way to end the year, man. Meanwhile, the M’s will play their last night game of the season tonight, with first pitch set for 6:40 pm PT. As if losing Muñoz wasn’t enough, Seattle Times writer Adam Jude caught up with our beloved broadcaster Rick Rizzs, who opened up about his pending retirement and the incredible journey that brought him to this point. It’s gonna be so weird without his voice calling the games. Seriously, what a legend. And speaking of challenges, over on The Feed, commenter Jose Luis is asking the same question we all are: how on earth do the M’s realistically improve this defense in the offseason? It’s a valid point after some of the plays we’ve seen.
Around the League: Record Sales, Old School Pitches, and Unexpected Feats
Beyond our immediate M’s heartache, there’s some wild stuff happening in the wider league. Shohei Ohtani, somehow, became the first player since 2010 to top jersey sales for four seasons straight. That’s just insane dominance in marketing. ESPN’s David Schoenfield is on top of all the major storylines as this season wraps up everywhere. Then you’ve got the old guard, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer, as they wind down their careers. They’ve got a clear message for baseball, pushing hard for the return of the starting pitcher. You gotta respect that old school mentality, right? Tyler Kepner at The Athletic dove into that one. And on the business side, The Athletic’s Evan Drellich and Andrew Marchand broke down why 60 missed games is going to be a huge deal for owners during the CBA negotiations. It’s always about the money, isn’t it?
But nothing is wilder than the Cleveland Guardians. Seriously, they’re an absolute enigma. This team has zero qualifying hitters above .300, no one with 20+ dingers, no one with 75+ RBI, and not a single player with 40+ stolen bases. OptaSTATS dropped the bomb that no MLB team has ever finished a non-shortened season with those stats and still made it. Yet, here they are! Crazy stuff. And then there’s Ian Happ being an absolute class act. The dude played what might have been his last game at Wrigley and tossed a ball into the bleachers with $300 cash for fans to grab some beers. What a legend, truly.
Tonight’s the last night game, guys. We’ll be watching closely, hoping to see a good finish to the season before the final daylight games. It’s been a ride, that’s for sure.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lookout Landing.
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