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Three things that stand out after Seattle Mariners' wild series in KC

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Three things that stand out after Seattle Mariners' wild series in KC


In another crazy series at Kauffman Stadium that was filled with wild twists and turns, the Seattle Mariners escaped Kansas City with an extra-inning win on Sunday to avoid getting swept for the first time this season.

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The Mariners suffered their most demoralizing loss of the year on Friday night, blowing an eight-run lead in a 10-9 walkoff defeat. They lost again Saturday night and then blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning Sunday afternoon, but rebounded with three runs in the 10th and held on for a 6-5 extra-inning victory. Through 20 series this season, Seattle still has not been swept.

The Mariners remain atop the AL West at 37-30, sitting five games ahead of the Texas Rangers and 6.5 games in front of the Houston Astros. As the M’s return to T-Mobile Park for a seven-game homestand against the MLB-worst Chicago White Sox and the AL West rival Rangers, here are three things that stand out.

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More Kauffman craziness

The Mariners seemed well on their way to a comfortable win in Friday’s series opener after scoring seven runs in the first inning and stretching their lead to 8-0 in the fourth. But as they’ve found in recent years, nothing comes easy at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals stormed all the way back and won on a ninth-inning walkoff to hand Seattle a stunning 10-9 loss.

It was a bit of déjà vu from a late-September game in 2022, when the Mariners held an 11-2 lead over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium before surrendering 11 runs in the sixth inning and falling 13-12. More chaos ensued in Seattle’s trip to Kansas City last year, when both teams blew big leads in the first two games of the series. The Royals blew a 5-0 lead in the series opener before winning 7-6 on a walkoff bunt single, and then the Mariners blew a 7-0 lead the following night before winning 10-8 in extra innings.

In fact, of the last nine games between these two teams at Kauffman Stadium, six have been decided by one run and two more have been decided by two runs. Seven of those nine games had a go-ahead run scored in the eighth inning or later, including five games with a go-ahead run in the ninth or later. With both teams firmly in the AL playoff picture right now, just imagine if these two teams were to meet in a postseason series at Kauffman Stadium.

Rough series on the hill

Even the best pitching staffs go through rough patches over the course of a 162-game season. For the Mariners, this weekend was certainly one of those times. Seattle gave up 23 runs in the three-game set, which was the most it had allowed in any three-game series this season.

The Royals average 4.98 runs per game, which ranks third in the American League behind the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians. And according to Statcast, Kauffman Stadium has the third-highest park factor in the majors, meaning its one of the game’s most hitter-friendly parks. So, if the Mariners were going to have a rough series on the mound at some point, it makes sense that it happened in this particular series.

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Bryce Miller was scoreless through the first three innings of Friday’s opener, but gave up a three-run homer in the fourth and yielded a season-high seven runs in five-plus innings. After opening the season with a sparkling 2.04 ERA through his first six starts, Miller has a 5.36 ERA over his past seven outings. On Saturday, Luis Castillo surrendered a season-high five runs in five innings, ending an impressive streak of 10 consecutive starts of allowing two earned runs or fewer. George Kirby then stabilized things for Seattle’s rotation on Sunday, tossing seven strong innings of one-run ball.

The bullpen had a nightmarish series. Seattle’s relievers blew a pair of saves and allowed a combined nine earned runs, 11 hits and seven walks in 9 2/3 innings. The Mariners’ bullpen has been decimated by injuries, with Matt Brash out for the season, Gregory Santos out until at least July, Gabe Speier on the 15-day injured list and Andrés Muñoz recently missing a few days after aggravating a lower-back issue in a collision at home plate. On top of that, Seattle is entering the final week of a grueling stretch of 43 games in 45 days. The Mariners’ bullpen has held up admirably for most of the year, but it’s possible the injuries and lack of off days could finally be taking their toll.

The good news, however, is that Muñoz returned to pitch a one-two-three eighth inning on Sunday. With their bullpen’s depth already being significantly tested, the Mariners can ill-afford an IL stint from their standout closer. His return was undoubtedly the best sign of the weekend.

France heads to IL just as he was finding a groove

Heading into the season, there was optimism that Ty France could rebound from a rough 2023 campaign and recapture his All-Star-level production from the first half of 2022. France spent this past offseason honing his swing at the renowned Driveline training facility in Kent, the same place that helped Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford break out last year for the best season of his career. And after a strong spring training, it appeared the work was paying dividends.

France got off to a rough start once the regular season came around, batting just .235/.292/.326 with two homers, six doubles and a .618 OPS through his first 37 games. But around mid-May, he turned a corner. Over his past 24 games, France is hitting .279/.387/.532 with five homers, five doubles and an .919 OPS. However, in the first inning of Friday’s game, France got hit by a pitch on his right heel. He stayed in the game and went 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI, but was scratched from the lineup Saturday and then placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday after it was revealed that he’d suffered a hairline fracture. It’s a tough break for a hitter who seemed to have finally rediscovered his groove.

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For the Mariners, the good news is that their most MLB-ready hitting prospect happened to be a first baseman. So, with France headed to the IL, they promoted highly regarded 23-year-old slugger Tyler Locklear and started him at first base for Sunday’s series finale. Locklear, who had a strong start to the season in Double-A Arkansas and Triple-A Tacoma, made an immediate impact, delivering a go-ahead RBI double in the seventh inning of Seattle’s extra-inning win.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Watch: Mariners’ J.P. Crawford hits leadoff HR in 2nd straight game
• Seattle Mariners place Ty France on IL amid flurry of roster moves
• Why Seattle Mariners ‘have to nail’ trade deadline deals
• Alonso, Robert or Guerrero? Keith Law on each as M’s trade targets
• Video: Ryan Bliss’ first HR caps Seattle Mariners’ seven-run inning

 

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MLB Mock Trade: Seattle Mariners Deal Luis Castillo to Atlanta Braves

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MLB Mock Trade: Seattle Mariners Deal Luis Castillo to Atlanta Braves


The Seattle Mariners have had a busy offseason as they try to improve their roster and break through to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Seattle has been active in free agency and on the trade market. One of their final roster questions is who will serve as the backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. The Mariners could make one more move before the start of the season to address this need, potentially through a trade with the Atlanta Braves.

The Atlanta Braves are dealing with some serious injuries to their starting rotation this offseason. After an impressive 2025 campaign, Spencer Schwellenbach has been shut down because of bone spurs. Breakout candidate Hurston Waldrep was also shut down during Spring Training with elbow inflammation. Both pitchers underwent surgery in February, leaving two open spots in Atlanta’s rotation. Let’s break down a mock trade centered on Luis Castillo that could help fill those holes for the Braves.

Atlanta Braves – Seattle Mariners Mock Trade

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Atlanta Braves receive SP Luis Castillo 

Seattle Mariners receive C Sean Murphy, SP Owen Murphy 

In this mock trade, the Braves acquire All-Star starter Luis Castillo. In exchange, the Mariners receive former All-Star catcher Sean Murphy and a young pitching prospect in Owen Murphy.

Fantasy Baseball Outlook

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Luis Castillo would slot into the Atlanta Braves’ starting rotation behind Chris Sale and Spencer Strider. He has been very effective for the Mariners since they acquired him from the Reds at the trade deadline four seasons ago. In 2025, Castillo went 11–8 in 32 games with a 3.54 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 162 strikeouts. His fantasy value would likely dip if he left Seattle’s pitcher-friendly ballpark. Still, he has proven himself as a reliable, effective starter through consistent performance, and he would play a key role for Atlanta.

With the Mariners, Sean Murphy would serve as the backup catcher behind Cal Raleigh. He would likely see a drop in playing time in Seattle, but this move could also give the Mariners more opportunities to use Raleigh at DH. With the fifth spot open in the Seattle rotation, Emerson Hancock and Cooper Criswell would be viable, experienced options. Alternatively, Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan are elite prospects who have had strong Spring Trainings and could break camp on Opening Day. The young pitching prospect Owen Murphy would also join a talented farm system and provide a future option for the rotation.

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VIDEO: Scream Club Seattle keeps growing, midway through first year

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VIDEO: Scream Club Seattle keeps growing, midway through first year


(Story originally posted 8:22 pm, updated 12:32 am)

By Torin Record-Sand
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

From a distance, they looked like a regular crowd of people enjoying a nice evening walk on the shores of Lincoln Park. But they were gathered here for a singular purpose: to scream. Since September 2025, the Scream Club Seattle has met at Lincoln Park on every third Sunday to scream, led by head organizer Amber Walcker. No explanation, justification, or invitation to scream is needed – come as you are. “There are some harder emotions people come here to deal with, sure, but some people also just come to scream.” head organizer Amber explained.

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Tonight’s crowd showed the club is rapidly growing. From around a dozen or so participants in the first gathering in September, tonight seemed to attract around 40 people gathering to let it all out.

As the sun started to set, and everyone was finally gathered together, the Scream Club was ready to begin.

There are only three screams, organizer Amber explained. The first, she said, is a scream to get used to doing it in public. The second scream is there to ground you. And the final – and longest scream – is there to let you have an emotional catharsis.

She also wanted to make sure people were taking care of their vocal health beforehand. As she told everyone to walk a little bit from the meeting place and start to gather near the shore, she instructed the crowd to hum for a few minutes on the way, to warm up the vocal cords.

With that, the crowd walked towards the shore.

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“On the count of one – two – three – scream!” said organizer Amber.

You can see our video of the proceedings here. After the screaming, we talked to a few participants about why they came out.

“There’s not one thing that’s really making me want to scream. There’s a lot of stuff going on for me, a lot of emotional ups and downs. Screaming into the ocean together gives you a sense of community.” said Jessie.

“This is my third or fourth time coming to scream. With the political climate, with everything that’s happening, getting together with local community to scream feels more productive than screaming into the internet on social media.” said Ursula.

“This is my first time coming out.” said Liz. “I screamed after the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, and I really felt something. I realized I’ve been feeling a lot of frustration recently, and it felt like coming here was a healthy way to get it out rather than screaming at your neighbors.”

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Organizer Amber recognizes much of what they were saying. “Meeting like this can be an important element to have in your mental health toolbox. It’s rare to have scream therapy.” She shared an anecdote about the therapeutic origins of the group, which originally started with a chapter in Chicago. “The founder was a life coach. Their girlfriend was having a bad day, and they encouraged them to go to the Chicago Pier and just let it out. He walked her through the process, and that was that. Eventually they invited more people to come do it.” She hopes to bring that same therapeutic energy to the practice here. “It’s a moment of emotional release more than anything else. Depending on what’s going on in people’s minds, everyone will come here with a different mindset and purpose. We’re providing a safe space to do that.”

Scream Club Seattle meets at Lincoln Park on the first Sunday of every month, and they are also starting to meet on the third Sunday of every month at Golden Gardens in Ballard. Tentatively, the next events will be in Lincoln Park on April 5th around 6 PM, and Golden Gardens on March 15th around 5 PM. If you’d like to know more, you can find them on Instagram here or look at their future events on their Eventbrite page here.





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Detectives Investigating Robbery, Shooting Over $20 Necklace – SPD Blotter

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Detectives Investigating Robbery, Shooting Over  Necklace – SPD Blotter


Seattle police detectives are investigating a robbery and shooting of a 23-year-old man over a $20 necklace in Pioneer Square this morning.

At about 12:40 a.m., patrol officers responded to a shooting in the 500 block of 2nd Avenue. There, they found a victim, bleeding, with a gunshot wound to his right thigh. Police and the Seattle Fire Department treated his injury. Medics took him to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in stable condition.

Police determined that the victim just left a bar, getting into the passenger seat of his friend’s car, when the suspect, wearing a ski mask and armed with a firearm, approached him and demanded his necklace. They struggled over the item, and the suspect shot the victim in the leg. The shooter fled in a vehicle with the necklace before police arrived. The value of the “chain” is about $20.

Detectives in the Robbery Unit responded to the scene and HMC. Anyone with information is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes Tip line at 206-233-5000. Anonymous tips are accepted.

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Incident Number: 2026-57536



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