7/28/26

(Los Angeles, CA) A very disappointing series in Arlington for the Seattle Mariners started a whole lot of conversation amongst the fanbase and the front office surrounding where this team stands. Although just 2 1/2 games back in the division, the M’s have not given much reason for hope throughout the first four months of the season. That has led to the question if the Mariners should buy at next week’s trade deadline or stand pat, see if magic can happen, or even sell a couple of pieces like Randy Arozarena? From obvious buyers to a foggy mess is a result of inconsistent play by the M’s this season.

To make matters even worse, the M’s would head to Los Angeles for three games with the Dodgers. On a quest to complete the first three-peat in baseball since the New York Yankees won three consecutive World Series from 1998-2000, the superteam that are the Dodgers have run right through the rest of the league yet again. What could have been a World Series matchup last fall now feels like a cruel and unusual punishment as the M’s had to figure out how to survive the Dodgers for the next three games.

The opening pitching matchup also made things even more difficult on the M’s. They would not only have to face a lefty, but it would be an All-Star lefty in Justin Wrobleski who was pushed up a day to start in game one. For Seattle, it could be the last start as a Mariner for Luis Castillo who has become a trending trade topic as we roll towards the deadline.

Mariners 7, Dodgers 6 (Game One, July 28th)

The stars sure showed up in Hollywood for the opener between the Mariners and Dodgers and they shined bright early. Justin Wrobleski had a fairly quick top of the 1st and then Shohei Ohtani got LA off to a hot start. Ohtani got the barrel to a slider at the bottom of the zone and crushed it out to center for his 23rd home run of the season to give the Dodgers the 1-0 lead. Luis Castillo stranded a baserunner and in the 2nd, a Seattle star had his moment. Cal Raleigh stood in with the bases empty and one out and destroyed a first pitch fastball to left for his 11th of the year. The two solo shots by two of the biggest names in the sport had things even early at 1-1.

Both teams also hit into double plays early which helped both Luis Castillo and Justin Wrobleski get around some traffic. In the bottom of the 3rd, the Dodgers continue to hit Luis Castillo hard as Dalton Rushing doubled for the 12th time this season to leadoff the inning. After Castillo intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages singled to load the bases with nobody out for the always dangerous Freddie Freeman. Seattle would trade a run for two outs as Freeman hit into a 6-3 double play to J.P. Crawford to score a run but with two outs. Castillo then got Max Muncy to groundout to first to end the inning with just one run allowed after a bases loaded and no out jam.

With a 2-1 deficit facing the Mariners, they did not allow the Dodgers to build too much momentum. In the 4th, Julio Rodríguez went down to the bottom of the zone and took an 0-2 slider out to left field for a no-doubter and his 16th home run of the year. The leadoff home run tied the game right back up at 2-2 but Seattle built a threat after that. A two-out single by Josh Naylor extended the inning for the returning Rob Refsnyder. After striking out in a seven-pitch AB in his first plate appearance back, Refsnyder battled again to a 3-2 count. On the eighth pitch of the battle, Refsnyder chased a fastball well above the zone and hooked it down the left field line and deep. The ball hit the foul pole and turned into a two-run homer and Refsnyder’s fourth of the season. All of a sudden, it was Seattle out in front with a 4-2 lead.

Unfortunately for the Mariners, the LA bats were too hot against Luis Castillo and struck back right away. A single by Mookie Betts started the bottom of the 4th and he scored on Tommy Edman’s sixth double of the year to make it 4-3. Castillo would then walk Kyle Tucker before striking out Teoscar Hernández for the first out. He couldn’t get the double play ball as Dalton Rushing singled to load the bases of Shohei Ohtani. A hard base hit to center did tie the game but forced everyone to just move up 90 feet. With the bases loaded and one out, Castillo got a huge strikeout of Andy Pages before Freddie Freeman flew out to left to leave the bases loaded. It could have been worse but also could have been better as we were tied back up at 4-4.

Max Muncy hit a mammoth leadoff home run in the 5th to put LA back in front 5-4 in what was Luis Castillo’s final inning of the game. Fortunately for the Mariners, they made this a career night for Justin Wrobleski in a bad way. In the top of the 6th, Dominic Canzone answered back with a solo bomb to center for his 17th homer of the season. Wrobleski had only allowed eight home runs on the season entering Tuesday night but Seattle tagged him for a career-high four in the game and ended his night with the score tied 5-5.

Gabe Speier was great for the M’s as the first reliever used with a quick 1-2-3 bottom half of the 6th. Brock Stewart responded with his own 1-2-3 inning for the Dodgers before Jose A. Ferrer erased his own error with a double play ball to face the minimum in the bottom of the 7th. Stewart stayed on for the 8th but left after giving up a one-out single to J-Rod. With the go-ahead run on, Dave Roberts brought in lefty Alex Vesia to face Dominic Canzone. Julio made things easier on Canzone after stealing second, but Canzone had other plans. With Seattle confident in his abilities to hit lefties and becoming an everyday player rather than a platoon, Canzone lived up to that belief. A slider from Vesia hung over the heart of the plate and ended with a bat flip as Canzone nuked a two-run blast to right for his second home run against a lefty in the game. It was also his team-leading 18th homer of the season and gave the Mariners a late 7-5 lead.

Eduard Bazardo continued the great bullpen night with a quick bottom of the 8th and it was up to Andrés Muñoz in the 9th. Victor Robles came in to play right field as a defensive change but that ended up not being the best move. After Dalton Rushing singled to begin the inning, Shohei Ohtani doubled to right center but the ball was mishandled by Robles which allowed Rushing to score and Ohtani to move to third on the error. With nobody out and the tying-run 90-feet away things looked bleak for the M’s.

Andrés Muñoz stayed reliant on his fastball but struck out Andy Pages on his slider for the first out. Things didn’t get any easier with Freddie Freeman at the plate but a big chopper to Josh Naylor at first kept Shohei at third with a huge second out. Now just needing to focus on the batter, Muñoz battled with Max Muncy but a great AB by the Dodger third baseman resulted in a walk to put the winning run on base. Mookie Betts was next and he looked to walk it off after Muncy stole second. All the Dodgers needed was a single to the outfield to win it, but Muñoz settled in. A grounder to J.P. Crawford at short ended it as Andrés Muñoz and the Mariners hung on to a 7-6 win in the opener, ending a 12-game losing streak to the Dodgers and giving Seattle their first win at Dodger Stadium since 2009.

Notable Performances

Mariners

Dodgers

• Shohei Ohtani- 3-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, R, BB
• Dalton Rushing- 3-4, 2B, 2 R
• Justin Wrobleski (ND)- 6 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO

Roster Moves

• OF Rob Refsnyder activated from 10-day IL
• INF Buddy Kennedy designated for assignment

What’s Next

It was a thrilling victory for the Seattle Mariners (53-55) who take the opener from the back-to-back World Series champs and now have a shot to steal a massive road series. It wasn’t all good news for the M’s on Tuesday however as most of the AL West also won. The Rangers beat the Rays 4-1, the Athletics beat the Red Sox 4-3, and the Astros knocked off the Angels for the second day in a row 3-2. The standings stay almost identical with Texas two games up on Houston and 2 1/2 up on Seattle. All five teams will continue their respective series on Wednesday.

The Mariners and Dodgers will battle it out in game two on Wednesday at 7:10pm and if the opener was any indication, it could be another epic ballgame. In the middle game of the series, Emerson Hancock (6-4, 3.16 ERA) will make a very important start for the M’s. Enjoying a breakout season, many insiders believe that Hancock could be dealt by the deadline on Monday and if he has a good showing against the Dodgers, his price tag could skyrocket. Meanwhile, the Dodgers will turn to another lefty in Eric Lauer (5-5, 4.83 ERA) to try to even the series. Lauer has given up at least one home run in 7 of 8 starts since being acquired by the Dodgers in May.

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