Seattle, WA

3 things to know as Seattle Mariners face NL East-leading Phillies

Published

1 year ago

August 2, 2024

Press Room

3 things to know as Seattle Mariners face NL East-leading Phillies

There are probably few teams in MLB as happy to see the calendar flip to August as the Seattle Mariners.

The troubling trend developing for the Seattle Mariners

July spiraled into a bad month for the M’s. They fell out of first place in the American League West for the first time in over two months, lost 10 of their final 15 games following a 5-4 start, went 1-7 in one-run contests and lost two series to the lowly Los Angeles Angels, including being swept for the first time all season.

On top of it all, star center fielder Julio Rodríguez and shortstop J.P. Crawford went on the injured list.

However, the Mariners added reinforcements at the trade deadline and enter August in a virtual tie for first place in the AL West with the Houston Astros, and they get strong challenge right away. The Mariners open the month Friday with a three-game home series against the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who come in with the second-best record in MLB at 65-43.

Here’s three things to know as Seattle begins a two-month dash for the AL West title against one baseball’s top squads:

Baseball’s best top staffs square off

The Mariners and Phillies have been considered to be the best in baseball this season. The numbers back it up.

Both rotations rank in the top five in the league fWAR, ERA, FIP, opponents’ batting average, WHIP, walks per nine innings, home runs per nine innings, innings pitched and quality starts. Here’s where they stand:

• fWAR: 1. Phillies (12.7), 2. Mariners (11.9)

• ERA: 1. Mariners (3.30), 2. Phillies (3.31)

• OBA: 1. Mariners (.222), 2. Phillies (.227)

• FIP: 1. Mariners (3.54), 4. Phillies (3.63)

• BB/9: 1. Mariners (1.81), 5. Phillies (2.47)

• HR/9: 4. Phillies (0.98), 5. M’s (1.03)

• IP: 1. Mariners (640 2/3), 2. Phillies (626)

• QS: 1. Mariners (66), 2. Phillies (58)

• WHIP: 1. Mariners (1.04), 2. Phillies (1.12)

It would appear as if a pitching clinic is in line at T-Mobile Park this weekend, but neither team will seeing the best of the other’s rotation.

Philadelphia is dealing with multiple injuries. Former Mariner Taijuan Walker went on the IL with a right index finger strain in late June. Veteran right-hander Spencer Turnbull, who was moved to the bullpen in May due to Philadelphia’s wealth of starters, suffered a right lat strain in his first start after replacing Walker in the starting rotation. And All-Star left-hander Ranger Suárez recently went hit the IL with lower back soreness.

Former All-Star Aaron Nola and left-hander Cristopher Sánchez also aren’t scheduled to pitch for the Phillies.

The Mariners’ staff remains at full strength, but Luis Castillo and George Kirby won’t be taking the mound.

There’s still some good pitching matchups in store starting with Friday’s matchup between Bryan Woo (4-1, 2.35) and Tyler Phillips (3-0, 1.80). Phillips has made just three starts, but is coming off a four-hit shutout against Cleveland.

The marquee billing is Sunday’s series finale, as All-Stars Logan Gilbert (6-7, 3.11) and Zack Wheeler (10-5, 2.94) square off.

Seattle Mariners limping into August

The previously mentioned injuries to Rodríguez and Crawford are painful, but those aren’t the only health issues the Mariners are dealing with.

Breakout outfielder Víctor Robles left Tuesday’s game and didn’t play the following day with a lingering hip issue. Manager Scott Servais’ update after Wednesday’s game in Boston wasn’t very encouraging.

“I wish it was easy as just a couple days downs and it’ll going away,” Servais said. “I think this is something that he’s going to have to deal with here going forward. And then we’ll see. We’ll see how he feels.”

Robles has been red-hot since joining the team as a waiver pickup and currently helping fill the void in center field without Rodríguez. In 33 games with Seattle, Robles is slashing .360/.422/.520 eight extra-base hits and nine stolen base .

Seattle’s bullpen is also facing uncertainty after hard-throwing reliever Gregory Santos exited the game with a bicep issues. Santos was set to undergo an MRI when the team return to Seattle on Thursday. An update on Santos’ status will likely come Friday.

The good news is the Mariners are hopeful Rodríguez, who went on the IL with a high right ankle sprain on July 23, will return at some point during the homestand. Outfielder Dom Canzone also began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday.

The bad news is Crawford likely won’t return until September due to a fractured pinky.

Mirroring slide

The Mariners’ tough month of July was detailed a bit earlier. It also didn’t go much better for the Phillies. Philadelphia produced an identical 10-14 record, went 1-5 in one-run games and closed the month with a 3-9 stretch after the All-Star break.

The short-handed rotation played a factor in the Phillies’ struggles, with their starters falling to the middle pack in most categories and ranking 20th in ERA (4.64) in July after being near or at the top of the leaderboard all season. Phillies relievers also struggled with a 6.17 ERA and 19 home runs allowed over 84 2/3 innings.

In an effort to alleviate the bullpen problems, they acquired standout Angels closer Carlos Estévez and White Sox left-hander Tanner Banks at the trade deadline.

The Mariners could be catching the Phillies at the right time, but Philadelphia could say the same about the banged-up Mariners.

More on Seattle Mariners and the trade deadline

• How experts are grading Seattle Mariners trade deadline moves
• Mariners Trade Deadline Tracker: Keep up on every move
• Mariners’ Dipoto on top prospects staying put at deadline
• Drayer: Mariners navigated thin market for deadline adds
• A closer look at Mariners trade acquisition Justin Turner

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Seattle, WA

Seattle Mariners acquire catcher from Twins, DFA RHP Kowar

Published

5 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Press Room

Seattle Mariners acquire catcher from Twins, DFA RHP Kowar

The Seattle Mariners added depth at catcher by acquiring 29-year-old Jhonny Pereda from the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday in exchange for cash considerations.

In a corresponding move, the Mariners designated right-handed reliever Jackson Kowar for assignment to clear space on their 40-man roster.

Drayer: This is an opportunity for M’s fans to celebrate Rick Rizzs

Pereda joins free agent addition Andrew Knizner as potential backup catcher options for Seattle behind Cal Raleigh. The Mariners signed the 30-year-old Knizner to a one-year contract in December.

Pereda made his MLB debut in April 2024 with the Miami Marlins and spent the 2025 season with the Athletics and Minnesota Twins. The Venezuelan native has appeared in 48 career MLB games, slashing .241/.299/.296 with six doubles.

Pereda was designated for assignment by the Twins last Friday. He has one minor league option remaining.

Kowar, 29, was acquired by the Mariners as part of the December 2023 trade that sent outfielder Jarred Kelenic to the Atlanta Braves.

Kowar missed the 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery and spent last season hopping between Seattle and Triple-A Tacoma. He made 15 relief appearances with the Mariners last year, posting a 4.24 ERA with 15 strikeouts and seven walks in 17 innings after being activated from the injured list in late May.

Seattle Mariners news and analysis

• 2026 will be Rick Rizzs’ last season as voice of the Mariners
• Seattle Mariners announce broadcast team for 2026 season
• Reports: Seattle Mariners land top international prospect for 2027
• Mariners have league-high seven MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects
• Seattle Mariners acquire RHP Cooper Criswell from NY Mets

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Seattle, WA

Seattle weather: Dry day Tuesday, showers return tonight

Published

17 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Seattle weather: Dry day Tuesday, showers return tonight

SEATTLE – We start off dry on Tuesday, then the chance of showers returns this evening. We have been dry for 14 days now with zero measurable rainfall at SEA Airport. Late Tuesday into Wednesday we could see potential freezing rain at the passes. Winds will be gusty at times Tuesday from the east, then switch to more westerly winds by Wednesday.

We start off dry on Tuesday, then the chance of showers returns this evening.

What’s next:

We will see mostly cloudy skies Tuesday with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s, with showers returning by the late evening hours.

We will see mostly cloudy skies Tuesday with highs in the upper 40s to low 50s.

A few showers will start to move in later Tuesday, with snowflakes or freezing rain into early Wednesday.

A few showers will start to move in later Tuesday, with snowflakes or freezing rain into early Wednesday.

Winds are forecasted to pick up Wednesday as our next system starts to roll through. Strongest winds will be along the coast and north interior.

Winds are forecasted to pick up Wednesday as our next system starts to roll through. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Shower chances continue through the rest of the week with milder afternoon temperatures. Snow levels will also be high through Friday, reaching 6000 to 7000ft. Forecast is looking a little drier for the weekend, with a few sprinkles still in the forecast for now.

Shower chances continue through the rest of the week with milder afternoon temperatures.

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The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.

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Seattle, WA

Walker ‘set a tone’ for Seattle Seahawks’ NFC title win

Published

1 day ago

January 27, 2026

Press Room

Walker ‘set a tone’ for Seattle Seahawks’ NFC title win

Over the past month, Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has seemingly struck the right balance between attacking downhill and taking the yardage in front of him, while still mixing in the tantalizing elusiveness and explosion that makes him such a dangerous home-run threat.

It’s resulted in the best stretch of his career.

Report details Seahawks WR Kupp’s turmoil with Rams

And it was on display again in Sunday night’s NFC Championship, as Walker totaled 111 yards from scrimmage to help Seattle advance to the Super Bowl with a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Walker rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries, while adding four catches for 49 yards. And he did so while taking on the bulk of the workload in the Seahawks’ first game since second-leading rusher Zach Charbonnet went down with a season-ending torn ACL.

“I thought Ken Walker was outstanding last night, considering he was being hit in the backfield (on some plays) almost as soon as he was handed the ball,” Bob Stelton said Monday on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob. “He was driving the pile. The legs were churning.

“It just really felt like he set a tone,” Stelton added. “He ran with an attitude. And it was really cool to see that, because they needed it.”

Kenneth Walker III TOUCHDOWN. Seattle starts fast.
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/iH8SOGpK5o
— NFL (@NFL) January 25, 2026
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Walker set that tone on the Seahawks’ opening drive, turning a potential loss of yardage into a hard-fought 4-yard gain while bulldozing his way to the Rams’ 2-yard line. Then, on the ensuing third-and-goal play, Walker showcased his spectacular explosion by bouncing outside and racing around the edge for a 2-yard TD to put Seattle on the board.

Walker really dazzled on the next possession, when he led the Seahawks on a field-goal drive with an impressive three-play sequence. It began with Walker bursting through a hole for an 8-yard gain. On the next play, he unleashed a jaw-dropping juke on linebacker Omar Speights for another 8-yard gain. And he followed that by taking a screen pass for 14 more yards.

“That juke he put on Omar Speights, that was amazing,” Stelton said. “… He had the defender grabbing at air.”

This was nasty by Kenneth Walker III
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/9V7pJ3DQCd
— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
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During a third-quarter touchdown drive, Walker had another tough, physical run where he pushed the pile an extra 5 yards for an 11-yard gain.

And in the game’s closing minutes, Walker kickstarted a pivotal clock-chewing drive by catching a short pass in the flat and eluding three defenders on his way to a 15-yard gain.

“He had a lot of great runs,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said during his Monday afternoon press conference. “He really did. And talk about hidden yardage within that game, he’s responsible for a lot of those hidden yards.

“I mean, we’d like to block him a little bit better at points. But when you have a guy like K9, he can make it right for you, so that was awesome.”

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• Seattle Seahawks Injury Updates: The latest on Thomas, Ouzts and more
• Seattle Seahawks had a brilliant way to get JSN open in NFC title win
• Seattle Seahawks’ Emmanwori ‘stood out all game’ in NFC Championship
• Brock and Salk: Seattle Seahawks have embraced Macdonald’s message
• Facing former team, Kupp helps propel Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl

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