The Mariners played their first split-squad game of the spring this season now that they finally have enough players back from the WBC and split the games, losing at home against the Padres and winning on the road against the Rockies.
Home game: San Diego 9, Mariners 6
It wasn’t as bad as the 27-6 blowout from the other week but San Diego’s offense once again ran roughshod over the Mariners pitching. The Rad Dads dinged Luis Castillo for two solo homers and a boatload of hard contact – although he only surrendered runs on the two solo shots. The rest of the pitchers didn’t fare well, either: Andrés Muñoz gave up a solo homer to new Padre Nick Castellanos [scans headlines urgently] plus another run; Gunner Mayer, a pitcher I hadn’t heard of before today, gave up two homers and three runs in just a third of an inning; and José Ferrer, despite striking out the side, also gave up a two-run homer to the Padres’ second-string catcher. The best pitching performance of the day was turned in by Casey Legumina, who pitched two perfect innings behind Castillo.
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The Mariners offense made a steady effort, holding a slender 4-2 lead through the sixth thanks to Legumina’s effort, with the runs coming on this Luke Raley opposite field shot:
And this Colt Emerson homer, his second of the spring:
Emerson was also involved in the Mariners’ go-ahead score in the fifth; he made a gutsy challenge on a called strike three and instead got it called a ball for a walk. Luis Suisbel then doubled, and Brendan Donovan sacrificed him home to give the Mariners the go-ahead run.
Another young player helped the Mariners pad their lead in the sixth, with Cole Young continuing his strong spring with an RBI single scoring Luke Raley, who had singled and moved to second on a wild pitch.
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San Diego opened up the scoring after that, beating up on the Mariners bullpen, but the young kids did claw back another pair of runs late, with Felnin Celesten coming through with a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh and Austin St. Laurent adding one last run in the ninth on an RBI single scoring Colt Emerson, who had doubled for his second hit of the day in a nine-inning effort.
Away Game: Mariners 10, Rockies 6
Cooper Criswell turned in a solid effort, albeit with some loud contact: a 114 mph EV single in the first, and back-to-back 100 mph+ EV doubles in the second that led to two runs for Colorado, tying the game after the Mariners had struck first. He wasn’t especially efficient, needing 61 pitches to clear his three innings of work and giving up five hits, but he also struck out five, working out of jams by enscorcelling the Rockies with a beautiful changeup and a devilish cutter. The loud contact is worrisome, but Criswell has enough craft in his arsenal to be able to survive a lineup at least once through.
Meanwhile, the Mariners “B” offense went to work on the Rockies tandem of Ryan Feltner and Chase Dollander, who are fighting it out for the fifth rotation spot like George Kirby and Matt Brash back in 2022, but like, badly. The Mariners hitters tagged Feltner for three runs over 3.1 innings, taking advantage of some poor command – four walks – and then beat up on Dollander for another five runs over 3.2 innings, again taking advantage of three walks, although Dollander struck out four. The big blows came off Dollander in the sixth, who gave up three doubles in a row to Rhylan Thomas, Connor Joe, and Carson Taylor, giving the Mariners an 8-5 lead
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The Mariners got another pair of runs in the top of the ninth on a homer by prospect Colin Davis, scoring J.T. Arruda, who I am embarrassed to say I’ve never heard of before today. So we’re at that point of spring training. That would give the Mariners a 10-6 lead they would not relinquish, securing a split in today’s split-squad action.
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