OAKLAND ATHLETICS NOTES:
No team release available.
SEATTLE MARINERS NOTES:
TODAY’S TILT…the Mariners wrap up a 6-game homestand (4-1) today with the last of 3 games against the Oakland Athletics (1-1)…Seattle opened the homestand with a 3-game series sweep of the Kansas City Royals…following an off day tomorrow, the Mariners will embark on a 10-game road trip at the New York Mets (3 G, Sept. 1-3), Cincinnati Reds (3 G, Sept. 4-6) and Tampa Bay Rays (4 G, Sept. 7-10)… today’s game vs. the A’s will be televised live on ROOT SPORTS with Aaron Goldsmith and Mike Blowers on the call…the game will also be broadcast live on Seattle Sports (710 AM) and Mariners.com with Rick Rizzs and Gary Hill Jr. on the call.
ODDS AND ENDS…the Mariners dropped last night’s game to the Athletics by a 3-1 score…despite the loss, the Mariners are 12-2 over their last 14 games, 20-5 over their last 25, 22-6 over their last 28, 25-7 over their last 32, 28-9 over their last 37 and 37-15 over their last 52 games…the Mariners are 58-20 when scoring at least 4 runs and 17-37 when scoring 3-or-fewer…the Mariners are 38-29 at T-Mobile Park and 37-28 on the road this season…they are 25-21 in day games and 50-36 at night.
- Why So Serie-ous! – The Mariners look to secure their 5th consecutive series win today…Seattle has won 10 of its last 11 series and hold a 13-2-1 series record over their last 16 series.
- Rubber Soul – Seattle is 7-9 in rubber games (4-1 over its last 5 rubber games) this season.
- So Defensive – Eugenio Suárez ranks 2nd among AL third basemen in fielding percentage (.981)… center fielder Julio Rodríguez ranks 2nd among AL outfielders in Outs Above Average (11).
ON HIS ‘A’ GAME…today’s starter Bryce Miller is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA (1 ER, 12.0 IP) with 1 walk and 16 strikeouts in 2 starts against the A’s…the right-hander made his Major League debut on May 2 at Oakland, recording no walks and 10 strikeouts, which set a Mariners record for most strikeouts in an MLB debut… the 25-year-old has held Oakland to a .100 average (4×40) with just 1 extra-base hit (2B) in those 2 starts.
DOMINATING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL…the Mariners are 37-15 (.725) over their last 52 games (7/1-c), best record in the American League during that span…since July 1, the Mariners offense leads the American League with an .818 OPS, trailing only the Braves (.861) and Dodgers (.837) for the Major League lead…Seattle pitchers have allowed the fewest runs (182) and posted the lowest ERA (3.17) in the Majors during that span.
JULIO RODRÍGUEZ: AL PLAYER OF THE MONTH?…since Aug. 1, Julio Rodríguez is batting .429 (45×105) with 19 runs, 10 doubles, 7 home runs, 30 RBI and 11 stolen bases, getting on base at a .474 clip and slugging .724 (1.198 OPS)…Julio leads qualified AL players in August in hits, doubles, RBI, stolen bases, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and total bases (76)…he has recorded 13 multi-hit games during the month and 6 games with 3+ hits.
- Streaking – Julio has an active career-high 13-game hitting streak (8/13-c)…during the streak, Julio is batting .516 (32×62) with 13 runs scored, 6 doubles, 5 home runs, 21 RBI, 4 walks and 8 stolen bases, while reaching base at a .552 clip and slugging .855 with a 1.407 OPS…he has also homered in a career-high 3 consecutive games (8/26-c).
- Hits-toric Territory – Julio leads the AL with 153 hits and 47 multi-hit games this season…the 22-yearold has 28 hits over his last 10 games (8/16-c) with five 4+ hit games over that span…J-Rod surpassed Ichiro Suzuki (27 H, 5 different spans) for most hits over a 10-game stretch in Mariners history…the MLB record for most over an 11-game span is 31 hits, held by 3 players (Milt Stock, Heinie Manush & Rod Carew)…the Mariners record belongs to Ichiro (30 H, July 26-Aug. 5, 2004).
THE CATALYST…J.P. Crawford reached base 3 times last night, going 1-for-3 with a double and 2 walks…in 500 plate appearances this season, Crawford is batting .268 (111×414) with 76 runs, 28 doubles, a career-high 12 home runs, 42 RBI and a career-high 78 walks…J.P. has a .386 on-base percentage and .809 OPS, which would also be career-highs…Crawford ranks 2nd in the American League in walks behind Shohei Ohtani-LAA (84) and 3rd in OBP behind Ohtani (.410) and Yandy Díaz-TB (.403).
SCORCHING HOT BATS…the Mariners are batting .288 (266×925) with 54 doubles, 2 triples, 45 home runs, 148 RBI, 29 stolen bases and 104 walks during the month of August, registering a .373 on-base percentage, .496 slugging percentage and .870 OPS…Seattle most recently hit at least .280 in a calendar month in June 2017 when they hit .288…Seattle most recently had an OPS of at least .850 in a calendar month in May 2003 when they registered an .857 OPS…Seattle most recently had an OPS of at least .870 in a month in May 1999 when they registered a franchise-record .935 OPS.
AS YOU MAY KNOW…the Mariners are 20-6 (.769) during the month of August with their final game of the month today, but…DID YOU KNOW?…that a win against Oakland today would secure the winningest calendar month in Mariners franchise history?…the 21 victories in August would surpass 6 different 20-win months for the Mariners…Seattle won exactly 20 games during the following regular season months: Sept/Oct 1995, June 1997, March/April 2001, May 2001, Aug. 2001 and Sept/Oct. 2001…coming into this year, Seattle has made the Postseason in each of its seasons (1995, ’97, 2001) that yielded a 20-win month.
MARINERS STARTER – RHP BRYCE MILLER
2023/Career MLB Breakdown:
W-L ERA G/GS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Overall 8-4 3.90 19/19 101.2 85 45 44 21 95 13
Home 5-2 3.53 11/11 58.2 47 24 23 14 53 7
Road 3-2 4.40 8/8 43.0 38 21 21 7 42 6
vs. OAK 1-0 0.75 2/2 12.0 4 1 1 1 16 0
ABOUT BRYCE MILLER…
- The 24-year-old right-handed pitcher is scheduled to make his 20th career start, and his 3rd against the Oakland Athletics. Selected by Seattle in the 4th round (113th overall) of the 2021 MLB First-Year Player Draft; signed by Mariners scout Derek Miller. Spent 3 seasons at Texas A&M from 2019-21…also spent 2 seasons playing for Brazos Valley Bombers of the Texas Collegiate League in 2018 and 2020, and 1 season with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League in 2019. Was born in Mount Pleasant, Texas and attended New Braunfels High School in New Braunfels, Texas.
LAST TIME OUT…ND on 8/25 vs. KCR after tossing 4.0 innings and allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 1 walk with 6 strikeouts.
KEEPING THE BASES CLEAN…recorded his 5th start of the season where he has pitched 6.0+ innings and allowed 2-or-fewer hits in his start against Houston on 8/18…he is tied for the 4th most such starts in the Majors this season (also: Kodai Senga-NYM and Shohei Ohtani-LAA).
WINNING NUMBERS…his 8 wins are tied for the 5th most in the Majors among rookie starting pitchers this season…in games where Miller gets the win opponents are batting .158 (27×171) against him.
MAKING MORE HISTORY…became the 1st pitcher since at least 1901 to go 6.0+ innings pitched and allow 2-or-fewer hits in at least 4 of his first 10 career appearances.
ROOKIE DOMINATION…allowed 112 runners to reach base safely through his first 19 career starts which is the fewest in a pitcher’s first 19 starts in franchise history (min. 80.0 IP)…he ranks ahead of teammate Logan Gilbert (119).
WATCH ME WHIP…his 1.043 WHIP ranks 8th in the Major Leagues among pitchers with at least 19 starts…he currently ranks behind Gerrit Cole-NYY (1.042).
KEEPING THE BATS QUIET…has allowed 85 hits through his first 19 career starts which ranks 2nd among all rookie starters (min. 90.0 IP).
ON THE LEADERBOARD…his 95 strikeouts through his first 19 career starts ranks 7th in franchise history…his 21 walks allowed rank 4th fewest in franchise history
in a pitcher’s first 19 career starts.
FIRST 5 STARTS…became the 4th pitcher in franchise history to not allow a home run over his first 5 career starts, joining Michael Pineda, Jim Converse and Brian
Snyder…his 4 earned runs allowed are tied for the fewest in a pitcher’s first 5 career starts in franchise history, joining James Paxton (4 ER, 31.1 IP) and Justin Dunn (4 ER, 9.2 IP).
