Home opener against the defending World Series champs? Only one Mariners player can relate

Hosting the defending World Series champions is one way to open a regular season. And, that’s what the Seattle Mariners did Thursday night against the Boston Red Sox, working to a stunning 12-4 win at T-Mobile Park.

But, while the Red Sox are trying to become the first MLB team to repeat as champions since the 2000 New York Yankees, there are few players in the Mariners clubhouse who can relate to playing for a serious playoff contender.

Right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland, the Mariners’ projected closer this season, is one of them.

In fact, Strickland is the only player on Seattle’s active roster who has appeared in a World Series, pitching in four games for the San Francisco Giants during their 2014 title run.

“It’s something we dream about as kids, up until now,” Strickland said. “Obviously that’s our game plan, is to try to do that every year, and make it happen.”

Strickland made his major-league debut with the Giants on Sept. 1, 2014 — less than two months before the club won the seven-game World Series over the Kansas City Royals.

He appeared in nine games for the Giants leading up to the playoffs, maintaining a spotless ERA while allowing just five hits in seven innings pitched, and striking out nine batters.

“I still get chills thinking about it, because I don’t think you get to fully experience it and take it all in at that time period,” Strickland said. “I came up Sept. 1, had like nine (games) and then we were in the playoffs.”

Strickland pitched in eight more games in the postseason, making three appearances in the NLDS against the Washington Nationals — including earning the win in the decisive game — one in the NLCS against the Saint Louis Cardinals, and the four against the Royals.

The Giants won five of the eight games Strickland pitching in during the postseason, during which he logged 8 1/3 innings.

“For me, it was a whirlwind experience,” Strickland said. “I was coming off of Tommy John surgery, and started the year in an extended spring training, and ended up in a Wold Series.

“So it was kind of a lot all at once, which I’m more than grateful for honestly, but it was an awesome experience. Everybody was locked in. Obviously the whole world was watching.”

Strickland, signed by Seattle as a free agent in January to replace All-Star closer Edwin Diaz, said that experience was unreal, considering where he was after the elbow injury ended his season in 2013.

He said the opportunity to play in a World Series — something that no Mariners players has ever experienced while with Seattle’s organization — is an honor, and recognizes that few get to experience it.

Only six other players on the Mariners’ active roster have postseason experience, but no others have made it to a World Series with their previous ball clubs.

Mariners ace Marco Gonzales was added to the Cardinals’ playoff roster during that same 2014 season, making six appearances between the NLDS and NLCS, where Saint Louis eventually lost out to the Giants.

Starting pitcher Mike Leake made his only postseason appearance for Cincinnati in the 2012 NLDS, where the Reds lost out to San Francisco.

Mariners infielder Dee Gordon has made six postseason appearances in his career, all with the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the 2013 NLDS and NLCS as a pinch runner, and in the 2014 NLDS against the Cardinals, starting four games at second base.

Jay Bruce has appeared in 15 postseason games during his career — in the 2010 NLDS, 2012 NLDS and 2013 NL Wild Card game with the Cincinnati Reds; in the 2016 NL Wild Card with the New York Mets; and in the 2017 ALDS with the Cleveland Indians.

Outfielder Domingo Santana has 10 postseason appearances with the Milwaukee Brewers — all last season in the NLDS and NLCS, which the Brewers eventually lost to the Dodgers.

Edwin Encarnacion, the Mariners’ oldest active player, has made 26 postseason appearances in his career in seven different series — with the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2015 ALDS and ALCS, and 2016 AL Wild Card, ALDS and ALCS; and with the Cleveland Indians in the 2017 and 2018 ALDS.

Though, none of these players have advanced to the World Series.

“Ultimately, in between the lines you’re competing for something that most people will never have a chance to get to do,” Strickland said.

Strickland didn’t pitch in Thursday’s win, but earned saves in both games during Seattle’s two-game sweep of the Oakland A’s in Japan last week.

Now, with the Red Sox in town for four days, he said the Mariners are relishing the opportunity to open at home against a defending world champion.

“I don’t think we’d change it,” Strickland said. “I think this is what everybody wants. Obviously they were the best last year, and we’re looking to be the best this year, as is everybody. You’ve got to beat the best to be the best.

“Obviously they’ve got a great group of guys over there who’ve done a lot together and are just tremendous ball players in general, but it’s a new year and we’re looking forward to getting it started.”

Strickland, like many other players on the Mariners roster, believe this group can beat the projections, which have Seattle finishing the season with one of the bottom-tier records in baseball.

“People can have their projections, and that’s OK,” Strickland said. “I mean, that’s everybody’s opinion. But, I know from being in this clubhouse just for this brief stint, we have a great group of guys that want to play and want to be on the field, and I think that goes a long ways.”

Mariners manager Scott Servais also noted pregame Thursday that he thinks the clubhouse has a good vibe.

“When you bring in new people, often times you don’t know how long it’s going to take for that group to kind of gel and come together,” Servais said. “The trip in Japan really, really helped. I think when you go through an experience like that ... these players that have not worn Mariner uniforms before, they quickly realized there’s some tradition here, there’s some history here, there’s been some great players here.

“So, getting the buy-in, and having the group come together — it’s probably come together quicker than I thought it would, which has been great.”