Brendan Donovan’s last two series have given the Seattle Mariners something they badly needed: a clearer picture of what this offense is supposed to look like when it’s clicking.
That wasn’t really the case in New York. Against the Yankees, Donovan went 1-for-11 over three games and spent most of that series near the bottom of the order. He also grounded into a key double play that shut down a rally the Mariners could have used to steal another win.
Houston looked different. Over three games against the Astros, Donovan went 4-for-14, struck out just once and drove in four runs as Seattle took the series. His biggest night came in Saturday’s 10-5 win, when he knocked in three runs while batting leadoff.
It’s still a tiny sample, but the contrast matters. When Donovan is getting on base and turning over the lineup, the Mariners can line up their bats in a way that feels much more complete.
That’s the version of the offense Seattle was hoping for when it brought in the former St. Louis All-Star to lengthen the order and take some pressure off the home run ball.
That plan hasn’t had much time to breathe because Donovan has only appeared in 35 games, thanks to two trips to the injured list. But when he’s healthy and productive, the lineup starts to make a lot more sense.
As discussed on the most recent “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast, Donovan at the top changes the shape of everything behind him. Randy Arozarena and Cole Young can slide out of the leadoff spot and settle into roles that better fit the rest of the order. That gives Seattle more chances for each spot to matter, with the talent spread more evenly from top to bottom.
When the lineup is working the way it was built to work, Donovan is part of a group that includes Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, Young, Cal Raleigh, Brock Rodden and Victor Robles. Naylor, in particular, has been rolling since the All-Star break, hitting .326.
The point is simple: if Donovan keeps this up, the Mariners have a better shot at becoming the kind of lineup that can hang with the pitching they’re about to see.
And the schedule doesn’t exactly offer much relief. Seattle is headed into matchups with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, then the Philadelphia Phillies, before trips to Toronto and Boston. Four of the next five series come against teams currently in playoff position, with Toronto on the fringe as well.
That’s why Donovan’s return to form feels so important right now. If the Mariners are going to make a push over the final six weeks, they need him to keep setting the table the way he did in Houston.
Seattle enters that stretch at 59-66, 4.0 games back in the American League West and 2.0 games out of the third and final wild card spot, though that race is crowded.
The latest “Refuse to Lose Territory” podcast also includes talk about Jerry Dipoto, Colt Emerson, Dan Wilson, Bryan Woo and Brendan Donovan.
In Other News...
Bryan Woo Just Gave Mariners Fans A Real Reason To Worry
Bryan Woos latest outing ended earlier than the Mariners would have liked, even if the right-hander tried to downplay it afterward. Seattle had him continue pitching in the game before he eventually departed, which fit the clubs usual conservative approach to handling pitcher health and suggested the team was watching the situation carefully rather than forcing anything in the moment.
For a rotation that has leaned on Woos stability, the next few days now matter. He is slated to take the ball again on Saturday, and the Mariners will be monitoring how he comes through the short-term recovery window before deciding whether everything is on track. [Read more 🡒]
Colt Emerson Just Added To A Mariners Pattern Fans Hate
Colt Emersons season has followed an all-too-familiar Mariners path: a young player grinding through offensive struggles, then later revealing that something physical was getting in the way. The shortstop was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma after a season in which he hit .190/.246/.335 with an elevated strikeout rate, and his numbers tailed off sharply after mid-June. Once the demotion was already in place, the club placed him on the injured list because of a left wrist injury.
For Seattle, the larger concern is less about one disappointing line than the pattern it reflects. Mariners players have repeatedly tried to play through injuries, and the result has often been the same - production that never quite gets going and an offense that keeps searching for answers. Emersons situation fits that frustration, because the wrist issue helps explain the slump, but it also raises the same lingering question the Mariners keep facing: how much more damage gets done before someone speaks up? [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Have Found A Needed Right-Handed Answer Against Houston
Seattle has added another right-handed bat to the organizational mix, signing Andy Ibez to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Tacoma. The Mariners are looking for depth and a little more balance in a lineup that has wanted more help against left-handed pitching, and Ibez brings the kind of versatility teams value this time of year. He has played multiple defensive positions and has previous big league stops with the Tigers, Athletics and Mets.
The fit is easy to see from the Mariners' side, especially with the club continuing to search for answers that can play in different spots and offer a different look off the bench. Ibez has a track record as a right-handed hitter who can move around the diamond, and Seattle will get a longer look at whether that profile can translate into something more than just insurance. There is also a familiar Houston connection in his past that gives this move a little extra edge, even if the full reason for the intrigue is still waiting down the road. [Read more 🡒]