Seattle Mariners Manager Comments on Planning For Left-Handed Pitching
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners were going into the final leg of a nine-game series on Friday in one of the most unique situations the team has faced all-season.
The Mariners for the first time all season had to plan for two consecutive left-handed starters — Jose Quintana on Friday and Sean Manaea on Saturday.
Seattle did well against Quintana on Friday and beat New York 6-0. Two rookies who seldom get starts — Ryan Bliss and Leo Rivas — made the most of their rare opportunities and had a two-RBI hit apiece. Bliss' was a first-pitch 410-foot home run to left field. It was his second home run of the season and his first at T-Mobile Park.
Bliss didn't miss 💥 pic.twitter.com/ofSxwFYAD5
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 10, 2024
The Mariners have had a general lineup in place for left-handed pitching the entire season but injuries and the recent call-ups of Bliss and Rivas added some wrinkles to it. The fact that two-straight southpaws were on the slate made it even more interesting.
Seattle manager Scott Servais commented on putting together a lineup against two lefties before Friday's game against the Mets.
"Back-to-back lefties — I don't think we've seen it all year," Servais said in a pregame interview. "We'll worry about (Saturday's) game (Saturday). (Friday's) game — Obviously we're going to have most of our right-handed bats in there. ... (Garver's) done a good job against left-handed pitching this year. Get as many right-handed bats as we can in there. That's why we played the young guys in the middle of the field. Got Bliss out there along with Rivas.
"... Excited to see what those guys can do, hopefully put some pressure on their defense. It doesn't happen very often throughout the course of the season — getting the back-to-back lefties. But it's an opportunity for some of the guys who don't get consistent playing time to get in there."
The Mariners' young right-handed bats ended up doing well. On top of Bliss and RIvas' hits — they both scored and Dylan Moore went 2-for-4.
Manaea will be a tougher out on Saturday than Quintana was. Manaea is coming off two straight starts of double-digit strikeouts.
But if Seattle can replicate the kind of at-bats they put together against Quintana — then it can get through this unique situation relatively unscathed.
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