Seattle, WA

Mariners week: Gilbert’s brilliance lifts Seattle to sweep | HeraldNet.com

Published

7 months ago

June 17, 2024

Mariners week: Gilbert’s brilliance lifts Seattle to sweep | HeraldNet.com

Inside the friendly confines of T-Mobile Park, Seattle pitchers routinely shift into a new gear.

For starters and relievers alike, the numbers are undeniable. The Mariners have the best home ERA (2.60) and WHIP (0.940) in baseball, walk the fewest hitters (78), and own the most home wins in the American League (27).

It’s why Logan Gilbert’s brilliant, eight shutout innings on a sold-out Father’s Day was all the more foreseeable.

Gilbert was superb on a Sunday afternoon, allowing Seattle to celebrate a three-game sweep of the reigning World Series-champion Texas Rangers, the divisional foe that could have regained precious ground in the standings. Instead, the Mariners stomped them further down the ladder and extended a season-high lead in the AL West to 8 1/2 games.

Seattle’s towering, 6-foot-6 right-hander mixed five pitches to perfection, working ahead with painted fastballs paired with a standout slider that induced silly swings in the dust. Gilbert fanned nine without a walk for his Seattle-best 12th quality start, surrendering just two hits in eight frames with a depleted bullpen behind him.

Aided by Luke Raley’s fourth-inning RBI double, Tyler Locklear’s seventh-inning solo homer, and ample insurance in the final frames, Gilbert provided an early off-day for much of the bullpen and cruised to Sunday’s 5-0 win, improving the Mariners to a season-high 12 games over .500 (43-31).

“That was fantastic,” manager Scott Servais said. “(Logan was) in total control of the ballgame and had great stuff, of course, but the execution of the slider and split-finger was electric today.

“I hope everybody appreciates it as much as I do and our pitching coaches do, because that’s really hard to do.”

Seattle’s third series sweep this season was, undoubtedly, its biggest.

Since May 26, the Mariners are 16-5, the best record in baseball during that span. And they are 23-6 at T-Mobile Park since April 15, the best home mark in the American League.

It’s the largest division lead — and the first time the Mariners have won nine consecutive home series in a campaign — since their record-breaking 116-win season in 2001.

“To have a sweep, especially at home? It’s a good feeling,” Gilbert said. “When everybody’s doing their job, we’re definitely at our best, and that’s what it looked like today.”

And what a difference Julio Rodriguez could make if this extended hitting stretch continues. The J-Rod Show sparked Seattle’s 7-5 win in Saturday’s middle game with a third-inning, two-run smash to left center off Texas righty Nathan Eovaldi and, entering Sunday’s finale he had slashed .278/.350/.463 in the month of June.

Rodriguez’s bat continues to warm up with the weather, like it did in his rookie and sophomore seasons from 2022-23. The career .238 hitter between the months of March and April ignited those numbers to .316 in July and August across his first two campaigns — a promising sign Seattle’s franchise center fielder is again turning a pivotal corner.

“Julio is at his best when he’s playing free,” Servais said. “Not thinking too much. Just letting his abilities take over, and being super competitive, and that’s what we’re seeing right now.

“He is competing his tail off. That’s what it takes.”

The Mariners own a 78.8% chance to win the AL West, per FanGraphs, the highest chance to win a division among American League clubs. Seattle has an 86.2% chance to make the playoffs and a 6.1% chance to win the World Series.

Raleigh, fans shave heads at ‘Buhner Buzz’

The Mariners teased the question in the days leading up to the first Buhner Buzz Night since 2001 — which current player would make their surprise entrance and receive a shaved head from Jay Buhner himself?

Three decades after Seattle launched the “iconic promotion” featuring its famously bald right fielder, Buhner returned to Victory Hall next door to T-Mobile Park for the revival of Buhner Buzz Night. And it was only fitting that catcher Cal Raleigh was Thursday’s featured volunteer, just three days removed from demolishing a heroic, walk-off grand slam over the White Sox.

“They did a little (promotion) tonight — buzz cuts by Jay Buhner here at the yard,” Raleigh told MLB Network. “I volunteered to get the cut. It’s a little shorter than I thought it’d be, but (Jay) told me there were some hits in it… I said, I’ll do anything for a few knocks.”

Freshly-shaved fans (and those who arrived bald) received a free ticket and Buhner-themed shirt for Thursday night’s series finale with the White Sox, a 3-2 loss in extras. But it wasn’t before 620 fans snagged a free seat and 437 buzzed their heads.

“It’s a big deal around here,” Raleigh said. (Jay’s) a legend. Great player, great person. We should bring it back. It’s a really cool thing for the fans, the community around here.”

Rojas picking it at third

Third baseman Josh Rojas is quietly enjoying one of the sport’s better defensive campaigns at the position. He leads all qualified third baseman with nine outs above average, per Baseball Savant, the continuation of stellar Seattle defense at the ‘Hot Corner’ despite the offseason departure of Eugenio Suarez.

“I always want to be a utility guy,” Rojas said Saturday. “I want the manager to be able to feel like he can use me anywhere on defense.

“But right now, I’m a third baseman, and I feel pretty good over there.”

Consistent, pregame work from third base and guidance from infield coach Perry Hill rewards Rojas with some of the best defensive metrics in baseball — including seven prevented runs.

“I think he’s one of the best defensive third basemen in the league,” Servais said. “We’ve been spoiled here with outstanding defensive play at third base, but Josh is right up there with (Kyle) Seager and what we saw from Geno (Suarez) for a couple of years here. He has been fantastic.”

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Seattle, WA

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Published

9 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

State ferries: A better idea from Nordic countries

Re: “Diesel or hybrid ferries? How about simply reliable” (Jan. 7, Opinion): Gov. Jay Inslee, Gov.-elect Bob Ferguson and The Seattle Times editorial board are asking the wrong question: diesel or hybrid ferries? Inslee and the majority of Democrats support…

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Seattle, WA

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Published

17 hours ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

Manhunt underway for Mason County shooting suspect

Manuhunt underway for Mason County assault suspect

Mason County deputies are looking for a man wanted in a shooting in Belfair on Monday.

MASON COUNTY, Wash. – The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is currently searching for a convicted felon wanted in a recent shooting.

The sheriff’s office says Michael Allen Beyer is wanted for first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

Deputies believe Beyer was involved in a shooting that happened in Belfair on January 6.

Beyer is considered armed and dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and call 911 immediately.

Anyone with information regarding Beyer’s whereabouts is asked to call Detective Helser at 360-427-9670 x657, or Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

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Seattle, WA

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike

Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.

At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.

Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.

“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”

Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.

More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift

A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike

Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.

“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.

The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”

Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.

More from Jason Rantz: Democrats blame Los Angeles fires on climate change to deflect from their own complicity

Will more restaurants close?

Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.

Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.

“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.

Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”

More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year

Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people

The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.

Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.

Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.

One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”

KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.

Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.

Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

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