In terms of power, pedigree and payroll, the Los Angeles Dodgers are Wall Street, the Seattle Mariners back street. But for two games in April, it was not possible to tell which was which.
Never mind the long haul. For the here and now, the kid-heavy Mariners hung with the defending champs.
“It doesn’t get any better than that lineup,” manager Scott Servais said of the Dodgers. Actually, it does — studs Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger were out with injuries. But they likely wouldn’t have had better luck against Mariners starter Marco Gonzales.
He gave the healthy all-star lineup two hits and a walk, striking out six over seven innings. His only problem was that the two hits came in the same inning, the third, when Corey Seager singled home A.J. Pollock, who doubled.
Actually, Gonzales had one other problem, not of his making — he was out-pitched.
World Series hero Julio Urias and two relievers allowed the Mariners one hit, an infield roller by Mitch Haniger. For the second time in four games, the Mariners lost 1-0 (box).
“I thought we really stepped up and played great against these guys,” said Gonzales. “They have a great lineup, top to bottom. Those guys can really swing it. It’s a good test.”
Saturday, the test was Houston’s many-time All-Star Zach Greinke, who gave up four singles. Tuesday, Urias, 24, hit his career high of 10 strikeouts by the fifth inning. Against pressure-proof pitchers who make few mistakes, the Seattle kids will struggle, just like veterans.
The relative absence of their own missteps, however, is what allowed the Mariners (11-7) to split two one-run games (they won 4-3 Monday) early in the season with the champs. Hit-saving catches, run-saving throws, a No. 1 starter atop his game and a bullpen that understands and executes on the franchise’s prime directive, controlling the zone.
Among the positives, the bullpen stands out, relative to expectations.
A shutout inning each from Casey Sadler and Kenyan Middleton extended the group’s streak of consecutive innings without an earned run to 24. The 17.1 innings of scorelessness is the longest such team streak in four years. Entering the game, the opponent batting average of .181 was the best in the majors. The relievers also have the lowest slugging percentage and OPS.
None of this was foreseeable in the musical chairs of spring training, when newbies are in a struggle for mound time with holdovers.
“In spring training, sometimes you don’t get a fair read on guys,” Servais said. “They’re working their stuff and they’re building arm strength. I was very optimistic, but there’s still room for improvement. Our free bases are up a little bit. But we have strikeout guys, guys who can throw multiple pitches, and work well together as a group.
“It is absolutely been the key to the kind of the run we’ve had here early in the season. We’re going to lean on those guys heavily going forward.”
On offense, the Mariners had the schedule fortune of missing the Dodgers’ trio of aces, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler and Trevor Bauer. That means that Urias, tough as he was, is the No. 5 guy in in their rotation.
The club lacks production from four positions: Catcher (Tom Murphy, .138 batting average, Luis Torrens .214); first base (Evan White, .186), second base (Dylan Moore, .115) and left field (Jose Marmolejos, .212, Taylor Trammell .184).
But Tuesday had the seasonal return to center field of Kyle Lewis, last year’s rookie of year who hurt a knee in spring training. And the kids will get plenty of 
playing time.
As encouraging to Mariners fans as were the series against Houston and LA, there’s no serious equivalence going on here. Looking on the left at the 26-man payrolls provided by Spotrac April 1, the Dodgers are paying out an astounding $226 million in salaries, leading baseball by a small European principality, while the Mariners payroll is 24th at $64 million.
That’s one of the great business aggravations of baseball: The parties don’t care enough to set a minimum team salary level, like the NFL. So MLB can have a $200 million payroll difference between the Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles. Next time you hear about why baseball is losing market share to other sports, see if that point comes up. Length of games is not the problem.
That’s a glimpse at the bigger picture that is unsolvable here. What seems evident locally is that that the Mariners are no longer playing embarrassing ball, and can compete on most days with the big boys. That suggests that a break-even season is at least on the horizon.
And For a couple of days, hanging out in the castle is a welcome break from cleaning out the stalls.
47 Comments
Hopefully, Kelenic and Lewis can add some punch throughout the season, and Logan Gilbert can step into the rotation successfully.
Kelenic is likely in May, especially since Trammell is not ready yet to hit major league breaking pitches. I think Dipoto would prefer holding back Gilbert another year. The delayed start to the minors makes pumps the brakes on the progress of a lot of players.
The M’s need more players who can barrel up the 97 mile an hour 4-seamer in the appropriate launch angle.
You’ve been listening way too much of Mike Blowers and his constant “barreled up” war cry. Ugh.
Thank you.
My sarcasm-detector is twitching.
I hope you’re not amongst those implying/suggesting the Dodgers have had a successful run over the last several years – the last decade plus, actually – because of their financial ceiling and ability to afford most any high-priced FA they desire. I know it’s a popular theme amongst their detractors, but it really isn’t quite as applicable as they think.
And, I’m still not entirely convinced that the teams able to pay more, win more. If that really were as true as those who believe it is, the Angels and Yankees would at the very least have just as many postseason/WS appearances over the last several years as the Dodgers have.
The Bauer signing really isn’t the norm for them, post-News Corp. It’s actually more in line with what Anaheim would do, to no avail. But, because they never play beyond the last regular season game, no one ever notices how much high-priced player-chasing they do, too.
It’d be disingenuous to say the Dodgers deep pockets aren’t a factor. I think amongst Dodger fans, we have to acknowledge that. But, as always, they do scouting and drafting better than most. Particularly when it comes to players from outside the States. By comparison, some teams – without naming names – are just chronically inept and wouldn’t have the blueprint for success regardless of the rules surrounding financial flexibility and restrictions.
Remember, the post-O’Malley Dodgers really weren’t anything special, no matter how much money they blew on high-priced name brand players from other organizations. Things picked up a bit under Frank & Jamie, but, didn’t really swing until after the current group took over. I’ve never followed the M’s, but, am I right in assuming they’re not still owned by whomever owned them during the Piniella years? I’m curious to know when their return to doormat status began after his departure, and when the change in ownership was, if there was one at all. Whatever is happening on the field can’t be separated from what’s going on in the suites.
Sounds like we have a disgruntled Dodgers fan here.
It’s widely understood that teams besides the Yankees and Dodgers win titles, and the LA drought went back to 1988. But payroll investment has always had a more significant role in MLB because of inadequate sharing of team revenues compared to other sports. The issue in LA post-O’Malley has been weak ownership/management, which is perhaps over.
Ownership has been a large problem is Seattle since day one. The current group is largely the same one the bought the club in 1992, with the large exception that the lead investor, Hiroshi Yamauchi of Nintendo, knew little of baseball and died in 2014. Nintendo went from majority owner to a minority position, and local billionaire John Stanton is now chairman.
There’s a brighter future under Stanton, but his cred took a big hit this spring when he seemed shocked to learn his team president, Kevin Mather, held bigoted views and was a reckless gossip.
Stanton has given GM Jerry Dipoto considerable rope. It’s possible to see this spring he may not hang himself.
“Disgruntled”? Not in the sense that I think you mean, Thiel. I was legitimately questioning what I perceived to be your floating the false narrative of big market teams buying and hogging all the championships. I don’t think it’s nearly as simple as that. Nor accurate.
all the money in the world won’t buy a world series championship, but it sure helps: since 2000, the four teams at the top of the payroll list above have won five world series; the four teams at the bottom have won zero. so there is definitely a correlation between payroll and championships.
The giant payroll of one team reverberates around MLB, causing other owners to decide if they dare play the same financial game. Many don’t, and go into perpetual rebuild. It stymies regular-season competition.
The A’s have defied that logic for many years, just ask the M’s. The A’s have owned the M’s for many moons.
5 championships in a 20 year span is hardly big payroll dominance, Brent. Maybe the 4 teams at the bottom are just inept?
you’re right, it’s not a huge number. but look at that list: the top five, or ten teams, or fifteen – wherever you choose to draw the line – have a much better chance at winning a championship this year, than the bottom five, or ten, or fifteen teams. so the field is definitely tilted. I think we just disagree about how serious that tilt is. And I agree with Art: the fact that so many teams are non-competitive is a problem for baseball.
Obviously, there’s much more to the big picture of which teams win and lose. I included payroll as a single metric that measures expectations more than seasonal results. The Dodgers are expected to dominate, and any shortfall constitutes failure, in the eyes of many fans. It’s a pressure the M’s do not have.
That’s interesting. I can speak only for myself, but, in 40 years, I’ve never expected the Dodgers to “dominate”, nor considered the season a failure if they didn’t. With the exception of 1992, I don’t think I’ve ever considered any Dodgers season a “failure”. I think the expectations of dominance and a championship every year comes more from “the experts” in the media than from fans. Maybe the bandwagon types are fooled into thinking they should dominate every year, but I never have. I learned the hard way from the Sonics in ‘94 that expectations don’t mean anything, and that the games have to actually be played before a trophy can be handed out. Didn’t we all?
And, with regards to the Mariners, I would think the pressure would be far more immense and intense for them by comparison to the Dodgers precisely because of their perennial shortcomings. I’m excluding the Piniella years. They had some really good squads then from what I could tell. But, I never considered them as failures for not winning it all. MAYBE 2001. But, apart from those teams, shouldn’t the entire organization feel pressure to show SOMETHING? Again, minus the Piniella-era, 43 years is a long time to not have a clue. I get what you’re saying, but, it can’t all be attributed to the purse strings.
Apparently I’m not explaining myself well. They are expected to dominate NOW, with the bloated payroll and the title. Not the teams of 30 or 50 years ago, pre-big TV revs. Same often with the great Yankees teams.
Bottom-dwelling teams feel pressure. But it’s a monopoly. No owners get fired for 100-loss seasons. It’s a great gig.
yes, a tiny beam of optimism. Stanton has said he is willing to spend to improve the team, when the time comes. So maybe, just maybe, the youngsters will pan out, a suddenly willing and deep-pocketed Stanton will add a bunch of key free agents, and the M’s will be relevant once again.
Spending hasn’t been the issue with this group. That’s a hangover from the first three owners. With these guys after Piniella/Gillick left, it’s been baseball judgment.
The “crown jewels” over the history of major league baseball are the Yankees, Giants, Dodgers, Cardinals and Red Sox (acknowledging that even those teams have had dry spells, some quite lengthy). Not surprisingly, those franchises (in order) have the highest winning percentages. The three worst winning percentages belong to the the Padres (#30, zero WS wins), Marlins (#29, surprisingly, two WS wins) and the Mariners (#28, zero WS appearances). A strong argument can be made for building a culture of excellence (not always payroll) where winning is the expected norm demanded by committed and enlightened ownership. Even under the brief era of the Gillick-Piniella years, winning was not the expectation for the Mariners. Whether it has been Kaye-Smith, Argyros, Smulyan, Nintendo or Stanton, ownership has never committed to consistently winning. They have committed to zippy marketing, a nice ballpark during the Northwest summer and always the about future, rarely about the present, and the continuous ROOT Sports loop of the 1995 and 2001 teams.
Well said.
Couldn’t have been stated any better than this, it’s truly dead on. I would venture to say that if your post got into the hands of Stanton & Co they would merely scoff at your comments and continue on with their so called plan for the future.
Many thanks.
1) Stay healthy. Including following COVID19 protocols.
2) Keep pressure on Oakland.
3) play hard.
That’s all they need to do. Anything can happen. Why not us?
Well, I wish you had told them 20 years ago. You shouldn’t keep secrets like this.
I even kept it from the M’s. Unfortunately they panicked and signed Sexson, Figgins and Bedard.
Those lovable lugs, Bavasi and Jack Z signed those players. Don’t blame the players for being past their prime or for that matter, they just sucked. But those idiot GM’s were responsible for more than just those piss poor signings and lack of player development. Their list of failures are long and distinguished. Lest we forget who hired those GM’s. Ta Da, the infamous Mariner ownership. Like the guys that are in control now, just tweaked a tad bit.
The biggest problem the M’s have is those of us who remember the history refuse to die.
Bravo.
Ortiz, Omar, Jones, Varitek and others….all hellish trades. But, every team can look back on trades gone bad. BUT………the M’s acquired Bedard TWICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The farther back you go, the worse it gets. Which, I guess, is good.
Yep. Stay healthy but be prepared to bleed. Gotta play through some pain. This division is really competitive. The Angels are better. Oakland is making a run right NOW! Houston may struggle some but their lineup will win a lot of games. It’s early and yes, it’s possible, this year may be the year it doesn’t get ‘late early’.
I said before the season 76 wins, but unexpected competency in the pen could get them to 81. Not playoff worthy, but capable.
Oakland— Biggest bang for the buck. Again. They know something a lot of teams don’t know.
Billy Beane’s MO is out there for all to see. In both book and movie form. Still no one gets his success. And he kicks the M’s butt every year.
Well the M’s have the next best thing in GM’s as far as the ownership is concerned. Jerry thinks so as well, just ask him.
There is no bigger annoyance in the M’s front office than to get outsmarted annually by Beane. Whom they once tried to hire.
Another annoyance is watching Bob Melvin get another Manager of the Year Award (He has 3) after being fired by Mariners GM Bill (I made Zduriencik seem like an improvement) Bavasi.
Crap. Art you just wrote a column that has me actually WANTING to attend an M’s game!
You trying to pick my wallet? haha
I’ll be honest and next time Gonzales pitches (I like the odds) I will buy 3rd base tickets past the screen to get a good look at this guy, just like I used to do when Felix pitched.
I can’t believe I broke through the crust to your molten core.
Haha – When you stick with sports you’re the best Art!
1cool. I’ll look for you. Wear your red MAGA hat so that I can recognize you. I’ll be the older gentleman in tie-dye. I’ll buy you a beverage.
Savage :)