Photo credit: (Ken Lambert / The Seattle Times)
It has been a long time since the Seattle Mariners have looked this dominant. And granted the Texas Rangers are an awful mess bereft of direction and talent, but a 3-0 sweep is a victory nonetheless for the hometown 9. The Mariners saw themselves put together performance in all elements of the game. They allowed just 6 runs in 3 games and piled on a massive 21 runs. After a series of “what if’s” against a good team in the LA Dodgers, the M’s put together a series that showed what the next generation is all about.
8/23/20 vs Rangers W 4-1
Justin Dunn had the game many thought he should have. He went 6 innings of shut out ball with just 1 hit and 6 strikeouts. Dunn had been lit up several times this year, finally got in a groove to shut down his foes. On the other side Texas’ Mike Minor has been mysterious this year in flubbing yet another game. The Ranger pitcher who had won 14 games last year and has been a solid 10 year veteran has been lit up in every game this season.
Kyle Lewis would launch another homer this time a solo shot. Austin Nola would get his own solo dinger. New comer left fielder Sam Haggerty would get into the books with a homer of his own and 2 RBI.
“I say it all the time: That’s `Showtime,” Dunn said of the nickname he’s given the AL Rookie of the Year candidate. “That’s all I got for you. Hopefully, in a couple of months here it will be `ROY.’ He’s a blessed player.”
8/22/20 vs Rangers W 10-1
1st baseman Evan White would return off his knee injury with a vengeance. The rookie who earlier this week fouled a pitch off his kneecap, would return and have a double and homer in his first 2 at bats and finish with a career high 6 RBI. Kyle Lewis would add 3 hits upping his batting average to 373 and he would add 2 more walks, adding to his insane on base percentage of .463.
“It’s really nice to start seeing him getting some results,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “All the work, and a little bit of a struggle that he went through early on, he’s getting on the other side of it now and you start to see all the talent come out at the plate.”
Starter Justus Sheffield had another fine performance with a 6 inning 1 run game. He struck out 5 but managed to go only 85 pitches in those 6 innings. The bullpen were solid in 3 innings with zero run allowed.
8/21/20 vs Rangers W 7-4
The Mariners unloaded on Texas Rangers. Former Everett AquaSox Kyle Lewis slugged a homer in his Rookie of the Year campaign to help the M’s get some footing in Friday’s win. The centerfielder scored 3 runs in the game walked twice in another outstanding performance.
“That’s been huge,” the center fielder said. “I’ve been trying to get my walks up so I can get on base more and score more runs in different fashions. Getting my walks up, that’s been encouraging. That’s a big thing I evaluate at the end of the year, how many walks I have versus strikeouts.”
The Texas Rangers were a complete mess allowing 3 errors and failing to compose themselves, but that would be the case for the whole series and honestly their issues, are none of the Mariners concerns.
Austin Nola would serve at 1st base for Dylan Moore who was a scratch due to injury.
