4/5/22: Mariners Spring Training Open Game Thread

it’s the last game of a short spring

This is it! The last spring training game before an off-day tomorrow and Opening Day on Thursday (weather permitting, of course, because Minnesotans don’t believe in roofs).

Here’s the lineup, and gosh darn if that doesn’t look pretty Opening-Day-ish:

With apologies to Chris Flexen, of course, who will have to wait a few days after getting this final spring tune-up. But hot dog! That’s a fun lineup. Unfortunately you won’t be able to watch them in action as this game is radio-only, although at least it’s being broadcast live on 710 ESPN in Seattle vs. on delay. You can also stream the game on At Bat, MLB TV, or on the Mariners site.

Usually in Spring Training this would be a game full of minor leaguers, and it’s likely the starters will make a quick exit today in order to get packed and ready to go—and not just themselves, of course, but family members, significant others, pets...plus the logistics of finding a place to live, shipping cars, stuff, etc.—it’s surprising any players get off to a quick start each season, honestly, and this year the timeline is even more compacted due to the lockout. It’s an exciting time, but also an undeniably busy and stressful one. Lucky for us, the casual observers, we get to relax with a little radio baseball, enjoy an off-day, and then meet up again for Opening Day.

Some news: the Mariners made final roster cuts today, sending Billy Hamilton and Steven Souza to minor-league camp, essentially signaling they won’t make the team. I previewed the presumptive Opening Day roster here.