Mariners Game #157: HOU at SEA, 9/26/23

once again, breach, things of that nature

The great thing about baseball is there’s almost always another game. The terrible thing about baseball is there’s almost always another game. The Mariners are running out of another games though, and face down a Houston team riding high off a dominant win last night.

Lineups:

Today’s game information:

Note that tonight’s game is a special late start, as it’s being picked up nationally: 7:05 PT instead of the usual 6:40 (tomorrow’s game is also not a day game, but will also air at 6:40). Tonight’s game will air, as it usually does, on ROOT Sports, with Aaron Goldsmith Mike Blowers on the call. It will also be televised nationally on TBS, with Don Orsillo and Ron Darling on the call. Dave Sims and Rick Rizzs will have the radio call on 710 AM Seattle Sports, if you need something cozy on this drizzly, grizzly late-September day.

Milestone watch:

• José Caballero needs two more stolen bases to take over second place in team history for stolen bases by a Mariners rookie, moving past James Jones (27, 2014) but well-trailing the leader Ichiro (56, 2001).Cal Raleigh trails Adley Rutschman by .1 WAR for the highest WAR by an American League catcher; Rutschman has 4.7 to Cal’s 4.6.
• Not a good milestone, but a milestone nonetheless: if the Mariners lose tonight, it will be their longest losing stretch of the season at five games.

Today in Mariners history:

• 1981: Bruce Bochte, who was a Mariner for a hot minute, hits his first career grand slam as the Mariners beat the Brewers 8-1. Serves you right, you team-stealing suckers.
• 1988: Mark Langston wins AL Player of the Week for Sept. 19-25.
• 1993: Randy Johnson strikes out Ruben Sierra in the ninth inning for his 300th strikeout of the season. Johnson becomes just the 12th Major League hurler since 1900 to reach 300. In the most Mariners game ever until the next most Mariners game ever, Johnson pitches 10 innings of four-hit ball but gets a no decision in a 3-2, 12-inning loss to the A’s.
• 2009: Ichiro’s first ever career ejection. In Ichi’s honor, I encourage you all to draw your own line in the dirt, metaphorical or literal.

• 2019: Félix Hernández’s final career game as a Mariner.