2021 Seattle Mariners

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Oh sigh 

[Biff Tannen 45786]

Welcome to being a Mariner kid. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Maybe he needed more than one AAA start.

[Biff Tannen 45786]

If Reyes is 25, then so am I. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

The average weight of the Indians’ starting lineup has to be top of the league.

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Goddamn you Torrens!

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

The rook obviously has some issues to work on, but giving him Torrens instead of Murphy was a bad move.

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Trammel apparently is 4-5 with an HR in AAA tonight.

[Biff Tannen 45786]

Just now, MC Fresh Breath said:

Trammel apparently is 4-5 with an HR in AAA tonight.

We’ll trade him. 

[Biff Tannen 45786]

How sad is it that I’m worried about being no hit again?

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Sounds like that might have been it for Gilbert.  He shows promise.  

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Just now, Biff Tannen said:

How sad is it that I’m worried about being no hit again?

It is a legit fear.  And since as Spy said MLB pumped the game a bit, it would be perfect Mariners.

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

So uh, yeah, we might get no hit again.

[CDAK 216]

20 minutes ago, MC Fresh Breath said:

Sounds like that might have been it for Gilbert.  He shows promise.  

Agreed. I thought he looked decent and showed potential. Gave up a couple of homers which will make his stat line look rough. But his pitches looked lively and he was all over the strike zone.

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

46 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

How sad is it that I’m worried about being no hit again?

This team, man.  

[shadow_operative2.0 16071]

And exhale. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Whew!  A hit 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Spy’s boy!

[CDAK 216]

We're roughing this guy up

[shadow_operative2.0 16071]

Well, well, well. 

Torrens up to make MC apologize. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Got excited and then oh it is Torrens coming up.

[shadow_operative2.0 16071]

And goodnight. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Like I said....oh well, at least we weren’t no hit.

[Biff Tannen 45786]

9 hours ago, MC Fresh Breath said:

Like I said....oh well, at least we weren’t no hit.

I'd like to not have this be our expectation for the rest of the year.  The young kids look decent at least.  I guess.  I mean, who knows.

[shadow_operative2.0 16071]

Quote

The Mariners announced that they have placed first baseman Evan White (strained left hip flexor) and infielder Ty France (left wrist inflammation) on the 10-day injured list. They recalled infielders Donovan Walton and Jack Mayfield in corresponding moves.

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Kelenic having a hell of a night.  And there goes Haniger 

[CDAK 216]

Bats are alive tonight. 

France taking a break may be good for him. He was in quite the swoon. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Remember, we got the Mets to give us this guy for DIaz.

Quote

Kelenic's big night 'everything you dream of'

12:33 AM PDT

Daniel Kramer

@DKramer_

Share

May 14, 2021

 · 

1:46

Jarred Kelenic's first hits, HR

 

SEATTLE -- Jarred Kelenic does a lot of things loudly, and his first Major League hit was no exception. The Mariners’ prized outfield prospect crushed a 403-foot homer into the right-center-field bleachers that emphatically left his bat at 109.3 mph during the third inning of Friday’s 7-3 win over Cleveland, a victory that snapped a five-game losing streak.

 

Kelenic turned on a low-and-away 85 mph splitter from starting pitcher Aaron Civale in a 1-0 count -- a “cookie” over the plate, as the 21-year-old likes to call such offerings -- and drilled it with authority, with an echo that boomed through T-Mobile Park.

It was a telling example of the patient and disciplined approach -- putting himself into a hitter's count and jumping on the offering -- that has made Kelenic MLB Pipeline’s No. 4 prospect in all of baseball. The home run was part of a memorable night for Kelenic (pronounced KELL-Nick), who one day after going hitless in his MLB debut went 3-for-4 with the homer, two doubles, three RBIs, and two runs scored.

 

Kelenic saw four of Civale’s six pitches in his first at-bat -- a check-swing strikeout, but one that was competitive -- then he came back his second time with a revised plan.

“I want to bury our opponents, each and every night,” Kelenic said. “And what really bugs me is when I give away at-bats, or if I don't execute on what I'm trying to do, just because, like what I just said, I want to win.”

May 14, 2021

 · 

0:27

Kelenic hits HR for first MLB hit

 

Statcast was also able to finally put tangible backing to the bat speed that scouts have raved about, with Kelenic nearly touching the 110 mph threshold that is among the most elite. It was Seattle’s seventh-hardest-hit homer this season, and it gave what’s been a scuffling offense a 3-0 lead. But more telling to Kelenic’s strength was his ability to yank a pitch with a splitter’s behavior that hard and that far to the pull side. 

“Very strong,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Kelenic's look in the box. “Jarred’s got great rhythm at the plate; you're talking about hitters and short swings and having power, but you’ve got to have rhythm, and he has outstanding rhythm at the plate. And that's what allows him to see pitches, recognize pitches and control the strike zone the way he does.”

 

May 14, 2021

 · 

3:03

Servais on Kelenic, Flexen

 

After rounding the bases, Kelenic pointed to his family and girlfriend in the stands, ducked into the dugout, then came out for a curtain call -- his first ever, he said -- in front of a roaring crowd that became a moment that, if his career plays out as he and the Mariners anticipate, will be the first of many shown on highlight reels for years to come.

 

The ROOT Sports Northwest broadcast captured his parents, Thomas and Lisa, embraced in an emotional hug, with his girlfriend, Gina, capturing the moment via video.

• Kelenic’s girlfriend gifts him custom cleats

“I think it's everything you dream of, to be able to share this with my parents, and my friends, and other family members is huge, and something I'll never forget,” Kelenic said.

At 21 years and 302 days old, Kelenic became the youngest Mariners player to go yard since Adam Jones went deep on Aug. 10, 2006, though that came in Jones’ 20th career game.

He also became the first Mariners player to homer for his first big league hit since Kyle Lewis took Trevor Bauer deep on Sept. 10, 2019.

Lewis went on to homer another five times (six total) in his first 10 games, and of course, went on to become the American League Rookie of the Year the following season.

Could Kelenic be on another ROY trajectory? Despite debuting six weeks into the season, MLB.com experts predicted before the season that there’s a strong chance, as did Las Vegas oddsmakers, who put Kelenic behind only Rays postseason hero Randy Arozarena with the best odds.

“To see a guy as young as he is come in confident, especially with the work to back it, it's great to see,” veteran right fielder Mitch Haniger said. “I mean, that's what you want -- you want a young player coming up who works hard, goes about his business the right way. He's prepared every day.

“Sometimes it takes guys a couple years to get to be that way and kind of learn the ropes. He came in [against Civale] and knew what he wanted to do against him. It's been fun to watch. He's a good player.”

In a coincidental quirk, Kelenic’s deep fly came on the nine-year anniversary of Bryce Harper’s first big league homer, one that Kelenic said on his YouTube channel recently that he watched live, then another 20 times on replay the following morning before school.

May 14, 2012

 · 

2:12

Must 😄 Harper's first HR

 

Kelenic, who been compared to Harper for his makeup, swing profile and unapologetic confidence, was in sixth grade at the time.

“Over and over again, over and over again,” Kelenic recalled of watching the Harper highlight. “And he did it at home. He hit a ball to center field. I didn't know that. That's actually pretty cool. That's awesome.”

Just as impressive, in the eyes of his teammates, was Kelenic’s hustle on a pair of doubles that required a little extra effort. 

In the fifth inning, Kelenic willed his way to second on a gapper to right-center, challenging Cleveland center fielder Jordan Luplow, whose throw reached second base in time but was off-line because it was delivered with urgency.

Kelenic reached second in 8.24 seconds, with a sprint speed of 28.2 feet per second per Statcast (27.0 is league average and 30.0 is elite).

May 14, 2021

 · 

0:32

Jarred Kelenic legs out a double

 

In the seventh, he fisted an opposite-field liner along the foul line that scored Sam Haggerty, also putting him in scoring position for Haniger, who crushed his AL-leading 11th homer to put the game out of reach. Kelenic dialed his sprint speed up to 28.9 on that one.

“Ever since I was young, my dad always taught me that when you make contact, it's always a double out of the box,” Kelenic said. “So that's the same mentality I've had ever since I was young.

“And I think that, like you saw tonight, especially on the first double, I feel like those are iffy if the outfielder is going to get to it in time and make a good enough throw. But if I can put some pressure on him early, when he peeks at me coming around first base, he may overthrow it. And now I’m in scoring position for the guy behind me.”

Postgame, Kelenic was treated with the customary beer bath celebration in the home clubhouse. That part of Friday was a one-time occasion, standard practice for a rookie hitting his first homer. But a three-hit game and willing his team to a win figure to become regular practice for the Mariners.

“Sometimes, one player can make a difference,” Servais said, “just how guys go through their at-bats and the emotion and excitement that he can bring on a daily basis.”

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In this story:

• Seattle Mariners
• Jarred Kelenic

 

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[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

 

Quote

 

Jarred Kelenic homers for first hit in majors as M’s snap 5-game skid

May 14, 2021 at 10:23 pm Updated May 14, 2021 at 11:50 pm

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 1 of 15 | Jarred Kelenic gets his first hit in the big leagues, a two-run home run in the third inning scoring Sam Haggerty with a line drive bullet to right center field. The homer added to the Mariners lead, 3-0, against... (Dean Rutz / The Seattle Times) More 

 

By 

Ryan Divish 

Seattle Times staff reporter

It had to be a home run.

You knew it wasn’t going to be an infield single or a blooper into shallow left-center — that would come later.

No, Jarred Kelenic’s first big-league hit had to match the hype surrounding his call-up and align with his self-assured personality.

After going hitless in his MLB debut Thursday night and striking out in his first at-bat Friday, the Mariners’ precocious prospect gave the fans at T-Mobile Park what they wanted to see in his second at-bat — a glimpse of that talent and power in the form of a laser into the outfield seats.

BOX SCORE

Facing Cleveland starter Aaron Civale, who came into the game with a 5-0 record and a 2.91 earned-run average in seven starts, Kelenic jumped on a low splitfinger fastball on the outside half of the plate. In a testament to his raw strength and compact swing, Kelenic dropped the barrel of the bat on the pitch, sending a line drive over the wall in deep right-center over the 380 sign and into the hands of a fan, who will likely trade the valuable memento to Kelenic for some autographed memorabilia.  

But beyond the individual achievement, it provided an injection of energy into the slogfest that has been the Mariners offense for the better part of two weeks. And that homer, along with two other hits from Kelenic, including an RBI double, helped Seattle unleash an unexpected explosion of runs and snap a five-game losing streak in what would eventually be a 7-3 victory.

It was just the second time in 11 games where Seattle scored seven runs or more and the 10 hits were more than the total combined hits in the previous three games. Kelenic finished the night with three of those 10 hits — the two-run homer in the third, a two-out hustling double on a line drive to center and another hustling double on a blooper to left field that scored a run in a big four-run seventh inning.

“It’s been a rough, rough stretch for us the last four or five games and certainly what Kelenic provided tonight was huge,” manager Scott Servais said. “The quality of the at-bats that Jarred threw out there tonight got us going, certainly with the home run for the first hit and everything around that. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

While it seems unfair to view Kelenic as a savior to the offense at age 21 and in his second MLB game, it’s not impossible for him to have an effect on a team beyond the production.

“Sometimes one player can make a difference in just how guys go through their at-bats and with the emotion and excitement that he can bring on a daily basis,” Servais said. “Youthful enthusiasm is a very good thing.”

There is an intensity to the way he plays the game. He treats every at-bat like a war and refuses to give one away due to lack of focus or commitment.

“I’m a competitor and I want to win,” he said. “I want to bury our opponents, each and every night. It really bugs me when I give away at-bats or if I don’t execute on what I’m trying to do. I think especially at this level that’s what you notice in the difference between the minor leagues and the major leagues — guys just don’t give away at-bats that much, and pitchers don’t give away pitches that much. So the times that they do, you need to execute and be ready. You’ve got to be locked in each and every pitch.”

It’s a mindset that teammates noticed since he started being invited to MLB spring training the past few seasons.

“He’s just a good hitter,” said Mitch Haniger, who batted behind Kelenic. “The thing just struck me, dating back to spring training, the guy just has good at-bats, he controls the zone well, he’s got a good eye and that’s gonna play. If you swing at good pitches and you hit the ball hard, and he does plenty of that, he’s gonna be a good player. It’s been fun to watch. It’s great to have him in our lineup and we are looking forward to it for many more nights.”

After flirting with being no-hit the day before and several times before that, Kyle Seager ended that seemingly every-game drama in the first inning, launching a solo homer to deep right-center off Civale to make it 1-0.

When Kelenic came to bat in the third inning, he stepped into the box having seen all four of Civale’s pitches — cutter, fastball, curveball and splitfinger — in his first at-bat, which ended in irritating fashion with an awkward check-swing on a splitfinger in the dirt that was called a strike by third-base umpire Ted Barrett.

 

Kelenic didn’t take a half swing at the splitter again.

Off the bat, Kelenic seemed to know it was a hit hard, but wasn’t certain it was a homer. There was no bat flip or even pose. He ran hard out of the box and didn’t slow down much as he circled the bases. In the stands, his parents and girlfriend screamed, hugged and celebrated.

“I knew I put a good swing on it, and finally got a good pitch to hit,” he said.

As he crossed home plate, he pointed directly at his family before heading to the dugout. The fans in the stands gave him a standing ovation, screaming for a curtain call. Kelenic appeared from the dugout and stood on the top step next to Servais, waving his helmet to acknowledge their request.

“I never have,” he said of the curtain call. “I didn’t even know that that’s what they wanted, until people were like, ‘get out there!’ I didn’t know what was going on until I realized that everyone was standing up. You know that’s something I’ve always imagined. I’ve seen other guys do it. I remember when Bryce Harper hit two home runs on opening day and he got a curtain call. It was perfect.”

Kelenic loved Harper growing up and talked about watching his first MLB home run on his YouTube channel. In a bit of baseball coincidence, Harper’s first MLB homer came nine years to the day of Kelenic’s first homer.

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“Wow, I didn’t know that,” Kelenic said. “It was against the Padres. I was watching that game. He did it at home. He hit a ball to center field. I didn’t know that. That’s pretty cool.”

How many times did he watch that Harper homer?

“Over and over and over,” he said.

More than a few Mariners fans will be doing the same with his homer.

When he jogged out to left field after the inning was over, the fans in Edgar’s Cantina and in the left-field bleachers and near the left-field foul line gave him a standing ovation.

The 3-0 lead was useful for starter Chris Flexen, who was effective despite not being overly difficult to hit.

He pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits with a walk and no strikeouts. Of his 85 pitches, he generated just four swings and misses. Cleveland put 20 balls in play and 11 of them had exit velocities of more than 90 mph, including five over 100 mph.

With two outs in the top of the sixth and Seattle up 3-1, Servais went to his bullpen. Right-hander Kendall Graveman, who hadn’t pitched in a week, finished the sixth and worked a scoreless seventh.

 

But a four-run bottom of the seventh proved useful and necessary for victory.

Dylan Moore led off with a double, stole third and scored on a sac fly from Luis Torrens. Sam Haggerty followed with a double to right and scored easily on Kelenic’s double. Mitch Haniger punctuated the inning by crushing a fastball from Phil Maton into the mass of inhumanity known as The ‘Pen, which has now returned to full capacity, though those fans must be fully vaccinated.

Erik Swanson pitched a routine scoreless eighth inning. But the ninth inning wasn’t simple. Asked to finish what should’ve been a comfortable win with a six-run lead, right-hander J.T. Chargois made things interesting, serving up a two-run homer to Josh Naylor. Chargois appeared to have ended the game when Harold Ramirez hit a line drive to shortstop J.P. Crawford. But he dropped the knuckling liner. Crawford still had time to make a play, firing to first base. But Jose Marmolejos, playing in place of the injured Evan White, dropped the throw.

Servais brought in Rafael Montero to get the final out, which he did, getting a ground out to first, earning a one-out save.

 

 

[miguelito 11347]

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Haniger got another HR.  On a hot streak 

[shadow_operative2.0 16071]

 

 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

For Spy:

 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Not feeling good about starting the rookie reliever, but oh well.

 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

This inning going well.

[Biff Tannen 45786]

Winner winner. 

[Biff Tannen 45786]

Kikuchi got in trouble in the first, but got out of it.  We really should sweep this series if we are at all good at baseball.

[Biff Tannen 45786]

Oof.  That left in a hurry.  1-0 bad guys.

[shadow_operative2.0 16071]

Fun with the box score tonight. You kids are carrying a 2-man bench, which is crazy thin, & Det is starting a C with a career OPS+ of 12 in LF. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Kikuchi looks like dog poop.  

[shadow_operative2.0 16071]

Ha, & that’s the fucker that homered. 

 

Baseball makes no sense! 

[Biff Tannen 45786]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Det is starting a C with a career OPS+ of 12 in LF. 

lol wut.  12?

[shadow_operative2.0 16071]

Yeah, 100 is average. 

It’s probably 13 or 14 now though. 

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

3 walks.  So far.  To Detroit!

[Biff Tannen 45786]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Baseball makes no sense! 

 

[Biff Tannen 45786]

Oh for fuck's sake.

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

Well, this sucks.

[MC Fresh Breath 4074]

And because of the bullpen day crap I would think he is going to be allowed to give up a few more.  

[Biff Tannen 45786]

1 hour ago, shadow_operative2.0 said:

Yeah, 100 is average. 

It’s probably 13 or 14 now though. 

So do you mean .120?  Cause isn't it usually like 1.005+ or whatever?