Seattle Mariners Season Review: Top 5 Moments of May
The Mariners were hot in May. It was their second winningest month of the season, and for good reason. They piled up runs and held their opponents from scoring. Their defense was solid and they had a lot of fight in them. But, it wasn’t all good, the M’s exposed their flaws as well. All of this is highlighted in the top five moments in May.
The summer hadn’t even started yet and the Mariners were scorching. They would win seventeen of twenty-seven games in May. That record put them in first place for the majority of the month -a place the Mariners were not too familiar with.
It was a month filled with more milestones, record breaking performances and meltdowns than April. Furthermore, it set the tone for what we would be in store for the entire summer. So, without giving away any more hints, here are the top five moments in the month of May.
May 27, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano (22) reacts after hitting a pop-fly for an out against the Minnesota Twins during the sixth inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
5. Mariners Get Swept By Twins- May 29th
It was a devastating series for the Mariners, and it would come back to haunt them. When they faced the Minnesota twins, their opponents were the worst team in baseball. Therefore, it seemed probable that Mariners would continue to hold on to first place in the AL west by series end.
Before the start of the three game match-up, the M’s had spent all but three days of May in first place. Something the Mariners and there fans have not been used to for quite some time.
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In the first game, Felix Hernandez was roughed up pretty good for six runs over six innings. The M’s would lose the series opener 7-2 because of King Felix’s inconsistent day. In the second game, the Twins would attack Wade Miley and Nick Vincent for six runs as they edged out the Mariners 6-5.
The two wins would capture a series victory, and drop the M’s out of first place for the first time in nearly two weeks. However, the matter of being swept was still up in the air.
Taijuan Walker would take the mound the next day. He would be smashed around for three home runs, three other hits (including a double) and two walks in only 4.1 innings pitched. The Mariners would try and stage a late comeback in the ninth, but would fall one run short. The M’s would be swept by baseball’s basement dwellers in a shocking turn of events.
It was only the third time the Mariners had been swept all year. The sweep was a major turning point in the standings. It would be the beginning of the M’s starting to level out while the Texas Rangers would streak right past them and retain first place from that point of the season on.
Jun 4, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Seattle Mariners designated hitter Nelson Cruz (23) is greeted at the plate by first baseman Dae-Ho Lee (10) after hitting a solo Home run in the third inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports
4. Cano and Cruz Hit Home Run 250- May 8th and 20th
Before the season altering sweep, the M’s did have some good fortune. It came from the two most likely men to hit home runs on the team. And, on their respective days in May, they would reach the same milestone of hitting two hundred and fifty home runs.
To hit that many balls out of the park is a great accomplishment in a career. Only two hundred and eighteen men since 1901 have ever reached that mark. The last two that have done it, happened to be Mariners.
Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
First it was Robinson Cano. He had already been off to a fast start, hitting eleven home runs in thirty games. His twelfth would be number two hundred and fifty. In the fourth inning, down 3-0 against the Houston Astros, Cano would get it.
He and everyone else in the park knew it was gone the second it left his bat. Cano quickly dropped his lumber and admired his shot as he trotted around the bases. The ball was smashed. It would hit the base of the of the second tier seating in right field before dropping down to the fans.
Cruz would make a big splash into the two hundred fifty club as well. In the ninth inning, with the Mariners already up 6-3, Nelly gave his team an insurance run. He would take the jumbo-sized, Jumbo Diaz four hundred and twenty-three feet deep for number two hundred fifty. Unlike Cano’s dinger, Cruz managed to reach the second deck seating with his blast.
There is no doubt that Cruz and Cano made big statements when joining the fairly exclusive two hundred and fifty home run club.
May 13, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Steve Cishek (31) reacts after giving up two runs in the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. The Angels won 7-6. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
3. Bullpen Blows Back-to-Back Saves- May 13th and 14th
The Mariners bullpen woes would be a problem throughout the year. Sure, they would have good streaks, but, far too often they would collapse. In May, there biggest collapse came one day after another slip up, causing two blown saves in two days.
On the thirteenth, the Mariners would hold a 5-1 lead going into the seventh inning. Before that, starter, Nathan Karns would be taken out it would be 5-3. By the start of the eighth the score was 6-3, but that wouldn’t last long.
First, Joel Peralta came to the mound and gave up two runs on three hits. Then in the ninth, now up just 6-5, Steve Cishek would give up the same line and surrender the lead 7-6. The M’s would not recover after giving up the lead and would lose by that score. Unfortunately, the next night it would be more of the same.
Hisashi Iwakuma was on the mound the following day, and after 6.1 innings he left the game down 4-2. Joel Peralta had a chance to redeem himself, but would fair even worse. Without recording even one out, he allowed two more runs on three more hits. As anyone will tell you, “It’s never good to have an ERA of infinity.”
By the time Peralta left the game the score was 6-2 Angels. But, the Mariners would stage a enormous comeback to regain the lead 7-6 in the eighth.
Now it was time for Cishek to come in again, except this time he would hope to shut the door on the Angels. Alas, he too picked up where he left off the night before. He would give up three runs on two hits and a walk, handing the lead back over to the Angels.
The ball game would finish 9-7 and the Mariners would fall victim to an unsteady bullpen on back-to-back nights. It was those types of unreliable outings from the bullpen that gave away so many wins that could have put the Mariners in the post season.
May 4, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners first baseman Dae-Ho Lee (10) is congratulated by third baseman Kyle Seager (15) and second baseman Robinson Cano (22) and teammates after hitting a two-run home run against the Oakland Athletics in the seventh inning at the Oakland Coliseum. The Seattle Mariners won 9-8. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports
2. Mariners Storm Back To Complete Sweep Of A’s- May 4th
Before there were any blown saves in May, the Mariners preserved a win by erasing a late four run defect to steal a win against their division rivals.
The Mariners put themselves in themselves in a couple of holes that night. Early on, they went down 2-0, but would surge ahead to take the lead 4-2. That lead didn’t hold for very long. In the next half inning the M’s would implode. They allowed the Athletics to score six runs on six singles and two errors. The score was now 8-4 A’s.
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Wanting to make a statement, the Mariners did all they could to fight their way back into the game. Lead by Dae-ho Lee, they would not only catch up, but pass the A’s.
In the sixth, the first of Lee’s two home runs that day would cut the lead to 8-5. Later that frame, the M’s would score another run via a sacrifice fly.
In the seventh, the Mariners continued their comeback. A Kyle Seager RBI single cut the lead once more, this time to 8-7. And, two batters later the deficit would become a lead. Dae-ho Lee would smack his second home run on the night.
It would be a high-flying deep ball down the left field line. The Mariners would go up 9-8 on the two run dinger.
Hugs and high fives were given to Lee by every player and coach in the dugout. Rightfully so, the M’s had just achieved the biggest comeback of the season so far in very dramatic fashion.
The win would give the Mariners their first sweep of the season and would also jump start their incredibly hot May.
May 9, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Mariners fans cheer for a strike out by starting pitcher Felix Hernandez (not pictured) during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
1. The King Stands Alone For Most Mariners Wins- May 9th
Felix Hernandez had already reached one of his goals by surpassing Randy Johnson for the franchise strikeout lead. But, there was still the matter of taking sole possession of the franchise win mark. He came into the early May game tied with Jamie Moyer with one hundred and forty-five wins.
It was clear he had no intention of finishing the game still deadlocked with the former Mariner great.
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Felix did have runners reach base against him in five of the seven innings he pitched in, but was able to escape jams most of the time. He did give up a solo home run in the fourth and the fifth for the only earned runs he would give up all day. That’s impressive considering Hernandez also walked two, hit a batter and left runners in scoring position in the first, third, fourth and sixth.
Hernandez would ride the hot bat of Ketel Marte to victory number one hundred forty six. Marte would smash two doubles and hit his only homer of the season in the 4-2 win. Nelson Cruz would supply the other Mariners run on a sac fly in the third inning.
After twelve years and over two thousand three hundred innings pitched, Hernandez had the most wins in franchise history. There’s a reason why he’s called the King.
Now, to go along with his Cy Young and perfect game, this season he topped the list for most strikeouts in Mariners history, and in May, he took the title for most wins as well. That’s on heck of a career.
With so many moments that brought us down and lifted us up all month, this is the unofficial list of the top five moments of May.