After a long seven-game road trip to start the season the road-weary Mariners returned to their adoring fans who welcomed them home for the first time in 2022. The Mariner’s home opener also fell Jackie Robison. A day that was made official by MLB in 2004 to honor Robinson’s momentous achievement of being the first black player to play in the Majors.
Robinson had a storied career in the Majors before his death in October of 1974. The Mariners did not disappoint and put on a performance in honor of Robinson and their hometown fans.
ICHIRO THROWS OUT THE FIRST PITCH
Former Mariners All-Star and soon-to-be MLB Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki threw out the ceremonial opening pitch to the delight of the 45, 023 fans in attendance.
GAME ITSELF
The game lived up to the anticipated hype with Marco Gonzales pitching a stellar game in which the Mariner ace pitched seven competitive innings, allowing just one run on four hits with six strikeouts. Gonzales became the 15tht pitcher in Mariner’s history to record 500 strikes which he reached in the third inning when he struck out Martin Maldonado. For Marco the bounce back, performance erased a horrendous start at Minnesota in which he pitched just two innings and gave up six runs on six hits.
BIG OFFENSIVE NIGHT
In addition to stellar pitching, the Mariner hitters sprayed the ball all over the ballpark. The Mariners recorded a season-high 13 hits. The eleven runs scored were a season-high. All nine Mariner hitters reached base safely for the first time since Sept 8th, 2021, at Houston.
Newcomers Jesse Winker and Adam Frazier show why General Manager Jerry Dipoto secured their services in the offseason.
HOT FROM THE START
Frazier had four hits including a two-run triple in the 4th inning. The four hits by Frazier were the first by a Mariner hitter since Mitch Hanigers four hits by a Mariner since October 2nd, 2021. Winker drove in the first run of the game in the first inning when his single brought Frazier home. Winker reached base four times, recording two hits and two walks. Third baseman Eugenio Suárez clubbed the first home run inside T-Mobile Park of the 2022 season.
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