The Mariners were hitting the cover off of the ball.
That first sentence sums up the series win against the Blue Jays nicely.
King Felix and the Mariners took the field at 7:10 on Monday evening in front of over 41,000 fans which created a playoff-esque atmosphere to open a critical series in the pennant race. After both teams were quiet early, Toronto jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Jose Bautista home run in the fourth. The Mariners responded in their half of the inning with RBIs by Kyle Seager and Mike Zunino to take a 2-1 lead. It stayed this way until the sixth, when the Mariners' offense became as electric as the thunderstorms that were rolling over Safeco Field that night. Seattle put a big fat "7" in the sixth inning column of the manual scoreboard in left field, giving them a 9-1 lead and surely a win. They added two more runs in the next inning and the Mariners held on to win 11-1.
The "Thunder Game," as it has already been nicknamed, set the tone for series and brought Seattle face-to-face with a golden opportunity to jump into a share of the second wild card spot.
The Mariners came into the second game of the series with this opportunity and Chris Young on the hill. Although Young was out to a shaky start, giving up a run in the first, the Mariners converted on a Colby Rasmus fielding error in the third and tied up the game at one. Kyle Seager came through for Seattle in the next inning, blasting his 18th homer of the year to give them a lead that they would never relinquish. The Mariners would later add to their lead and would survive a late Toronto rally to defeat the Blue Jays 6-3.
Not only did the Mariners score an whopping 17 runs in the first two games of this series, but they finally saw some decent production out of their new DH Kendrys Morales, who went three-for-nine with two doubles and a home run. Seattle also began to show some consistency in bringing in their baserunners, scoring their 17 runs with only 18 hits. Needless to say, the M's took advantage of a battered Toronto bullpen that was coming off of a 19-inning game the day before the series started.
As this Seattle Mariners ballclub is finally showing some consistent signs of contention, the fans have gone along with it, and the 206 has been hit with a sudden case of pennant fever. The Mariners have a chance to make a statement as they go for the sweep today facing knuckleballer R.A. Dickey starting for the Blue Jays. This could then set up a showdown for sole possession of the second wildcard spot with the Tigers in Detroit.
This is my first time experiencing what it feels like to root against other teams at this time of year as well as rooting for your own, and I must say, I am enjoying every bit of it.
That first sentence sums up the series win against the Blue Jays nicely.
King Felix and the Mariners took the field at 7:10 on Monday evening in front of over 41,000 fans which created a playoff-esque atmosphere to open a critical series in the pennant race. After both teams were quiet early, Toronto jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Jose Bautista home run in the fourth. The Mariners responded in their half of the inning with RBIs by Kyle Seager and Mike Zunino to take a 2-1 lead. It stayed this way until the sixth, when the Mariners' offense became as electric as the thunderstorms that were rolling over Safeco Field that night. Seattle put a big fat "7" in the sixth inning column of the manual scoreboard in left field, giving them a 9-1 lead and surely a win. They added two more runs in the next inning and the Mariners held on to win 11-1.
The "Thunder Game," as it has already been nicknamed, set the tone for series and brought Seattle face-to-face with a golden opportunity to jump into a share of the second wild card spot.
The Mariners came into the second game of the series with this opportunity and Chris Young on the hill. Although Young was out to a shaky start, giving up a run in the first, the Mariners converted on a Colby Rasmus fielding error in the third and tied up the game at one. Kyle Seager came through for Seattle in the next inning, blasting his 18th homer of the year to give them a lead that they would never relinquish. The Mariners would later add to their lead and would survive a late Toronto rally to defeat the Blue Jays 6-3.
Not only did the Mariners score an whopping 17 runs in the first two games of this series, but they finally saw some decent production out of their new DH Kendrys Morales, who went three-for-nine with two doubles and a home run. Seattle also began to show some consistency in bringing in their baserunners, scoring their 17 runs with only 18 hits. Needless to say, the M's took advantage of a battered Toronto bullpen that was coming off of a 19-inning game the day before the series started.
As this Seattle Mariners ballclub is finally showing some consistent signs of contention, the fans have gone along with it, and the 206 has been hit with a sudden case of pennant fever. The Mariners have a chance to make a statement as they go for the sweep today facing knuckleballer R.A. Dickey starting for the Blue Jays. This could then set up a showdown for sole possession of the second wildcard spot with the Tigers in Detroit.
This is my first time experiencing what it feels like to root against other teams at this time of year as well as rooting for your own, and I must say, I am enjoying every bit of it.