Mariners vs. Astros: 3 takeaways from first home series of 2022

Other Mariners’ notes & statistics:

• Following Friday’s night 11-1 victory, the Mariners have won their last six home openers; overall in franchise history they are now 30-16 in home openers.
• During Friday’s home opener, Gonzales reached 500 strikeouts for the Mariners during the third inning; he is the 15th pitcher in franchise history to hit this milestone.
• Another noteworthy moment from Friday’s game is that all nine Mariners safely reached base; the last time this happened was Sep. 8 last year, ironically also against the Astros.
• Jarred Kelenic had his best offensive series yet this season, with two hits, one RBI, a walk and two runs; interestingly, Julio Rodriguez had exactly the same productivity, with the RBI being notable as the first of his Major League career.
• The Mariners are now 1-3 to start the season in night games; last season they were 57-49 in 106 night games.
• Sunday was the first rubber game of the season for the Mainers ; last season, they went 11-9 in this scenario.
• The Mariners are tied for first in the AL with 41 walks and five behind the Major League lead; on an individual level Jesse Winker leads the AL with 10 walks, two behind Juan Soto’s Major League-leading 12.
• Seattle continues to see a gradual offensive improvement this year after ranking last in batting average, 28th in OBP and 26th in slugging percentage in 2021; through 10 games this season, they rank 22nd, 18th and 21st in the same respective categories.
• J.P. Crawford has safely reached based in all 10 games played so far this season; however, he may not agree with the word ‘safely’, given that the streak was kept alive on Saturday courtesy of being hit by a pitch.
• So far this season, the Mariners’ bullpen has continued their excellent play from last year, ranking first in batting average, fifth in ERA and second in WHIP; in 2021 they were ranked 11th, eighth and fifth respectively.

All statistics correct following completion of games on April 17, 2022

Quote of the series:

“I was pitching with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. These guys have smacked me around for a long time, so it felt good to stick it to them a little bit.”

Gonzales talking about his performance in the home opener, compared to previous outings against the Astros.

What was your main takeaway from the series versus the Astros? Is Brash the real deal, or do you still need to see more from him? Let us know in the comments section below.