Man, you really gotta wonder what’s going on out there. Our Mariners dropped another one, falling 5-3 to the Cincinnati Reds. And adding salt to the wound, some pitcher out there, Trey Yesavage, allowed *our* offense to score 3 runs while shutting down the Astros and Mets, going so far as to call us “Seattle’s weaker offense.” Ouch. That stings a bit extra today.
AL East Chaos: How The Tables Turned
While we’re trying to figure out our own offensive woes, there’s some wild drama unfolding in the AL East. The Toronto Blue Jays are in a total freefall, going a dismal 12-18 over their last 30 games. With the trade deadline looming, the source says they’re “too many games back, too many teams to pass, not enough time.” Remember when the Jays swept Boston for three games in Fenway back in June? And then won 2 of 3 in Canada? Well, the tables have absolutely turned. The Red Sox, meanwhile, are absolutely on fire, posting a red-hot 23-7 record in the same period and now sitting in third place in the division. It’s a total flip. Even Caleb Durbin has more home runs than Vlad Jr., who only has 6 on the season. All-Star top vote getter Ernie Clement is slashing .297/.321/.425, and Myles Straw has a .592 OPS despite looking like Babe Ruth when he faces Boston.
Pitching Battles and Staff Shuffles
This weekend in Boston is supposed to have “one of the best pitching matchups,” which is saying something given the drama. For the Blue Jays, Dylan Cease was their big offseason addition, and he’s been “worth every penny.” His first start against the Red Sox this season was a little rough, giving up 4 runs in 5.2 innings. But his second was much stronger, going 5.0 innings with 0 runs. He did get “ambushed by the Rays” for 5 runs last time out, so maybe there’s a playbook to follow. Don’t forget, he’s got six games with double-digit strikeouts. Kevin Gausman, on the other hand, has “fallen on some hard times as of late,” giving up 6, 1, 7 (4 earned), 3, and 5 (4 earned) runs in his last five starts, with his last outing against the Rays only lasting 3.1 innings.
For the Red Sox, Patrick Sandoval is making his third start, having thrown 9.1 innings with 6 runs (5 earned), 10 Ks, and 2 walks across his first two. And then there’s Sonny Gray, who wasn’t an All-Star but “might pick up some Cy Young votes.” He hasn’t allowed more than 1 run in any start for over a month and is considered the ace of their staff. They even briefly considered trading him! Boston also hopes Ranger Suarez is ready to return from the IL after dealing with soreness and illness.
So while the AL East sorts itself out, with the Jays spiraling and the Sox surging, our M’s gotta figure out how to shake off that “weaker offense” label. With that 5-3 loss to the Reds fresh, we need to see some pop, some consistency. It’s early in the season, but those comments and losses add up. Let’s see how our boys respond.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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