What can you say?  Ariel Miranda had a clunker.  4 innings, 10 hits, 6 runs, 1 walk, and only 2 strikeouts.  Giving up 5 runs in the first really hurt him, loading the bases with nobody out in the second almost got him yanked even earlier, but, you know, credit where it’s due.  Aside from a solo homer in the third, he settled in just a little bit to at least give the Mariners half a game’s worth of pitching.  Considering it had been 7 starts since his last clunker, I’m willing to let this one slide.  Miranda has been a very valuable pitcher for the Mariners this year, so I’d think he’s earned it.

Didn’t help that the offense never really got on track.  Gamel had a solid game, with a couple hits, an RBI, and a run scored; Cano also had an RBI single; Seager had a couple hits including a double; and Motter had a single, but that was about it.  Considering the M’s were going up against the Twins’ ace in Jose Berrios, we were going to need better pitching than what we got.

However, don’t you dare lump Chase De Jong in with that group!  He was outstanding yesterday, going the remaining 4 innings, giving up just 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 walks, and 2 strikeouts.  I said yesterday that I didn’t think the Mariners had any intention of using him unless it was an emergency situation, so go ahead and put the blame on me for jinxing Miranda in this one.

With that fine outing under his belt, expect De Jong to get the Mariners Special:  a one-way ticket back to Tacoma, to be replaced by some other long-reliever type.  Round and round she goes, where she stops nobody knows!

Three game series in Texas this weekend; Paxton, Gallardo, and Bergman on the hill.  Will THIS be the series the Mariners finally get over .500?