5 takeaways from the Mariners’ Cactus League opener
After falling behind early, the Seattle Mariners nearly pulled off a late comeback Sunday afternoon at Peoria Stadium, loading the bases with two outs in the ninth, but ultimately dropped their Cactus League opener, 7-5, to the Rangers.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
1. KIKUCHI’S PROGRESSING AFTER OFFSEASON ADJUSTMENTS
Though Mariners starter Yusei Kikuchi recorded the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) early, it is clear his offseason commitment to cleaning up his mechanics and regaining the velocity he lost in spots during this rookie season, is working.
“The adjustments Yusei’s made with his mechanics, kind of smoothing them out, being more consistent getting down the mound — you certainly saw the life on the fastball today,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We did not see that consistently last year.”
In his first outing of the spring, Kikuchi’s fastball was consistently hitting between 93-95 mph, and reached as high as 96 on the stadium radar gun during his 1 1/3 innings.
“His timing is much better, and his delivery,” Servais said. “It’s all synced up right now, which is great. We need it to continue to stay there.”
Kikuchi said through interpreter Kevin Ando is was a relief to see his velocity rebound so early in the spring after the Mariners asked him to make it a point of focus during the offseason.
“My mechanics were solid today,” Kikuchi said. “Exactly how I practiced during this offseason. I was really able to go after it against the hitters instead of worrying about my mechanics on the mound during the game. ... I think the new mechanics have really stuck with me. It just feels natural already.”
Kikuchi struck out his first two batters swinging before issuing a double to Joey Gallo, who eventually scored on an error. The Rangers recorded two more hits and a walk off him in the second, and he was pulled after one out, when he hit Shin-Soo Choo in the back with a pitch.
While his mechanics felt smooth, Kikuchi said he wants to focus on command of his secondary pitches, particularly his slider, as the spring progresses, as well as getting ahead in counts.
“I’m not worried about the mechanics, really,” he said. “I’m worried about attacking the hitters correctly with all of my pitches.”
2. SPECTACULAR PLAYS AT FIRST BASE? ‘WE’LL SEE A LOT OF THAT.’
There’s been plenty of hype surrounding Evan White’s glove since the Mariners drafted him in the first round in 2017 — and it is all justified.
The 23-year-old rookie first baseman, who signed an unprecedented six-year deal with Seattle in November without ever appearing in a big league game, flashed his defensive prowess Sunday.
After a miscue in the first inning during an attempt to dig a ball out of the dirt following an off-balance Kyle Seager throw, which led to an unearned run, White came back the following inning with a fantastic diving grab down the first base line to rob Greg Bird of an extra-base hit.
“Vogey’s (Daniel Vogelbach) convinced us all that he would have had that play, too,” Servais joked postgame. “I’m not so sure about that. Evan’s really gifted defensively. He’s got range. Very, very athletic. We’ll see a lot of that out of him.”
“You don’t think at all, you just dive and it hits your glove — and the next thing you know, you’ve got a play,” White said.
White made another impressive play for the second out of that inning, running down a pop fly in foul territory, and corralling it in his glove and catching himself before falling over the low fence into the crowd near Texas’ dugout.
He made another tough play look easy in the fifth, making a nice defensive stop on a hart-hit chopper by Rougned Odor, and tapping his base for the unassisted out.
3. SMITH SLAMS INTO WALL AFTER SPECTACULAR GRAB
Mariners center fielder Mallex Smith tracked down a long fly ball in left center in the third before slamming into the wall at a sprint.
He held on for the second out of the inning, and said the wall was padded enough that his shoulder felt fine, but the crowd certainly recognized his toughness during the play, giving him an ovation immediately following the catch, and another when he returned to the dugout between innings.
“I’m glad they enjoyed it,” Smith said. “Should be plenty more where that came from.”
Smith had ups and downs defensively in Seattle’s outfield a season ago, but has shown improvement early this spring. Servais remarked Saturday morning about how Smith’s defensive plays during Friday’s situational game on the back practice fields stood out.
“It just means the work that I put in was efficient,” Smith said of his catch Sunday afternoon. “Really I’m just looking forward to making those plays all year, just being an elite defender. That’s really what I’m here to do.”
4. KELENIC SHOWS DISCIPLINE IN BIG MOMENT
It would have been easy for top Mariners prospect Jarred Kelenic to swing for the fences in the ninth inning.
Seattle, trailing 7-5, had two runners on, two outs, and Kelenic had a favorable 3-1 count. Fans were chanting his name, and teammate and friend Julio Rodriguez was circling his index finger in the dugout, signaling for a home run.
But, Kelenic stayed patient, took a tricky breaking ball from Demarcus Evans for a strike, and then took another, working a walk to load the bases.
“Jarred stays in the moment really, really well,” Servais said. “Very talented, but what goes on between his ears during the game is key. He doesn’t get ahead of himself. That’s what you saw today. He’s going to be in that situation a lot over his career.”
Kelenic logged three plate appearances after entering as a defensive replacement in the sixth. He was hit by a pitch his first time up, hit an opposite-field double to left his second, and drew the walk his third. He also scored a pair of runs.
5. MARINERS BATS WARM UP
The Mariners didn’t register a hit until Kyle Seager poked a single through the infield to lead off the fourth, but it got better from there, and they finished with eight.
J.P. Crawford opened the fifth with a single, and Shed Long Jr. doubled to right to score Crawford two batters later.
Sam Haggerty logged hits in both of his at-bats, including a double in the seventh and a single to lead off the ninth, which Jose Marmolejos followed up with another base hit.
Kelenic’s double came in the eighth before catcher Joe Odom launched a two-run shot into left center that nearly reached the walkway past the berm. His homer was Seattle’s first of spring training.
This story was originally published February 23, 2020 at 5:07 PM.
