Mariners show fans vision of peace, take first exhibition game 4-1

After a month-plus of meaningless games, there’s only one more exhibition game left before the games start to count. Tonight’s game felt more like a real game, though: played in Petco Park (oh publicly-available Statcast data, how I have missed you), in front of a sizable crowd of fans at a time other than a matinee…it felt more like a real game than those dreamy, dozy early-spring games, and yet no less relaxing, as the Mariners cruised to a 4-1 victory.

Bryce Miller understood the assignment, going four innings and giving up just one run. He didn’t quite have a handle on his secondary pitches, walking three while striking out just two, but ran his fastball up to 98 (!) mph at one point.

The bullpen combined to hold the Padres scoreless for the rest of the game, even if they only added another trio of strikeouts themselves; they also didn’t walk anyone and only scattered two hits over five innings, so it’s hard to complain about that. Andrés Muñoz looked sharp in what will likely be his final spring tune-up, and Ryne Stanek looked rust-free despite having a shortened spring training in a 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout. As a fun bonus, prospect Troy Taylor, a 2022 draftee who hasn’t pitched above A-ball, worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Expect to see a lot more lesser-known bullpen arms tomorrow as Bryan Woo won’t be making his start, instead opening the year on the IL.

Offensively, the Mariners hitters were quieter than they’ve been other times this spring but got the job done very similarly to how they’ve been doing it for the past month, stacking up offense early. Jorge Polanco hit a two-run double, set up by a Ty France single (who I continually forget is an eight-hole hitter now) and walks to J.P. Crawford and Julio Rodríguez.

France was a menace against his former team, going 3-for-3 and hitting an RBI single in the fourth to give the Mariners a 3-1 lead; that scored Dominic Canzone, who had tripled on a ground ball (really a double with an outfield misplay but spring training scoring still in effect, apparently).

The Mariners tacked on a run of insurance in the ninth when Ben Williamson, Who Can Really Hit, hit a triple of his own, scoring Seby Zavala, who had walked. Petco Park will give up some triples, it turns out. If you’re not familiar with Williamson, get familiar: a 2023 second-round “money saver” pick for the Mariners out of William and Mary, Williamson was off to a promising start to his pro career last season before having it cut short with injury. He’s a solid third baseman, as well, providing depth at a position where the Mariners have little.

The Mariners will take on the Padres again tomorrow at 1:10 PT, and like today, it will also be a televised game. Then it’s an off-day before Opening Day on Thursday, when the days start to count for real.