The Seattle Mariners return home needing a reset, and they’ll get one right away with a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels to open a six-game homestand at T-Mobile Park.
Seattle comes in after a rough 2-4 road trip that ended with one of the more painful losses of its season, a 6-5 defeat to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. The Mariners were ahead 4-1 entering the eighth inning before Cleveland erupted for five runs, flipping the game and sending Seattle back home at 42-43. That result left the Mariners a half-game behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West.
The first three games of the homestand give Seattle a chance to respond against the division’s last-place club, and the pitching matchups set the tone for the series.
June 29 opens with George Kirby for Seattle against Ryan Johnson for Los Angeles. Kirby, who owns a 3.94 ERA and a 6-7 record, has strung together three straight quality starts. In his most recent outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 23, he worked six innings, struck out five, walked two and allowed two runs, one earned, on nine hits.
Johnson, meanwhile, has recently made the move from the bullpen into the Angels’ rotation and just delivered his strongest outing of the year. Against the Baltimore Orioles on June 23, he threw six innings, struck out eight, walked one and gave up one hit.
On June 30, Bryan Woo will take the ball for Seattle opposite Jose Soriano. Woo enters with a 4.26 ERA and a 6-6 record, and his road issues showed up again in his last start against Pittsburgh on June 24, when he allowed five earned runs on six hits in four innings while striking out four and walking two.
Soriano, who has a 3.32 ERA and an 8-4 mark, is also coming off a difficult outing. He gave up five earned runs on six hits, including two home runs, in three innings against Baltimore on June 24. He struck out four and walked two in that start.
Bryce Miller is set to handle the final game of the series. He’s coming off a start against Pittsburgh on June 25 in which he allowed the most runs he has given up this season, but also recorded the most strikeouts he’s had in any outing this year. Miller finished with 11 strikeouts, three earned runs allowed and five hits surrendered, including two homers, over 5.2 innings.
In Other News...
Former Teammate Just Raised A Disturbing New Question About Josh Naylor
A tense moment between Josh Naylor and Austin Hedges during the Mariners-Guardians game on June 28 has now spilled into a much broader conversation about Naylors past. The exchange between former teammates was already notable, but it drew sharper attention when Stone Garrett, another former teammate, publicly brought up allegations tied to their days in the Miami Marlins minor league system, adding an uncomfortable layer of context for Seattle fans watching their first baseman.
Those claims point back to reported events from 2016 and to a suspension Naylor received after the incident, a detail that has kept his off-field reputation from fully fading. For the Mariners, the immediate concern is less about one shouting match and more about the lingering questions it revives around a player who has already shown he can generate headlines well beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners May Have Found The Deadline Bat Fans Have Been Begging For
The Mariners have spent much of the season trying to solve a familiar roster problem, and the deadline has only sharpened the focus. Seattle wants more right-handed pop against left-handed pitching, and there are signs the club is looking beyond its current group for a bat that can help in exactly that split.
One name that has surfaced fits the need on paper and comes with the kind of season that tends to draw attention in late July. Even if San Francisco is headed toward selling, prying away a productive player who is under control for years to come is another matter, which is why this search could turn into a real test of how aggressive Seattle wants to be. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Make Another Roster Move As Injury Questions Keep Mounting
The Mariners added another name to the injured list mix by putting outfielder Rob Refsnyder on the 10-day IL and bringing up Buddy Kennedy to fill the spot. It is the latest roster shuffle for a club that has spent plenty of time juggling availability, and the team also offered a fresh round of updates on several other players working back from their own issues.
Luke Raley remains in the active picture despite a left arm strain, while Dominic Canzone is still trying to manage hamstring tightness without losing his place in the lineup. Elsewhere, Matt Brash, Cooper Criswell and Brendan Donovan all have their own return paths taking shape, which leaves Seattle watching a crowded injury board as the season moves into a stretch where depth keeps getting tested. [Read more 🡒]