Kade Anderson delivered his best-ever performance on Sunday, absolutely dealing in a 2-1 Mariners win over the Colorado Rockies. This wasn’t just any win, either: it was the one that officially clinched the series for our M’s and, more importantly, kept them from being eliminated as we head into the final week of the season. Talk about a sigh of relief, right?
A Rookie Gem in the Mile High City
Seriously, Kade Anderson was the story of this game. We’ve seen him struggle through his first five big league starts, with a 5.33 ERA and a 4.44 FIP. He hadn’t quite found his rhythm, struggling to throw strikes, miss bats, or keep the ball on the ground. Totally normal for a rookie who jumped straight to the majors after just 93 innings in the minors, none above Double-A. But this game? This was different. Anderson was fantastic for the first time, throwing seven dominant scoreless innings. He allowed only three hits, walked *zero* batters, and punched out seven. Plus, he got a career-high 14 whiffs! Sure, it came against the league’s worst offense, but let’s not forget it was also at Coors Field, the league’s notorious launching pad. However you slice it, this was a legitimate Big League start that counts, and it’s a huge confidence booster for him heading into the offseason. We needed to see that.
Offense Scratches and Claws for Runs
The bats, though? Oh man, they made us sweat. We were getting absolutely no-hit through three innings, and I was starting to think this was gonna be a real grind. Thankfully, we finally figured out Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano in the fourth. After a gritty, eight-pitch walk, a batter singled up the middle, bringing that hustling runner home for the game’s first score. Cal Raleigh then stepped up and drew a walk, and you could feel the momentum building! But then Julio grounded into a double play, and just like that, the threat was over. Classic M’s, right? We scratched another one across in the sixth, this time off Ryan Feltner. A lead-off single got things going, and then a batter delivered a double, bringing that runner home. That was it for our offense, folks. Two runs, total. We ended up with four hits and three walks all game, including Julio picking up an infield single in the ninth.
Ninth-Inning Drama Keeps Us on the Edge
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Mariners game without a little ninth-inning heart attack. A relief pitcher gave up a solo shot to Hunter Goodman, cutting our lead to 2-1 and making my stomach drop. Then, after a walk, the trainer came out and that pitcher had to leave the game with an injury. Another pitcher came in to close it out, struck out a batter, walked another to put the winning run on base, and then somehow, mercifully, struck out the next batter to slam the door shut. Talk about drama! But we got the win, took the series, and lived to fight another day.
The Mariners now face the Angels next week. It’s time to keep this fight going, M’s fans, and build on Kade Anderson’s incredible performance. Let’s see what else this squad can do before the season wraps up!
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.
Leave a Reply