Red-hot Mariners return from East Coast swing winners of five straight series

The Mariners closed out their nine-game roadtrip with a bang Thursday, holding on to a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox to secure their first series win at Fenway Park in nearly 11 years.

Andrés Muñoz, who has been used in a more traditional, closer role by manager Dan Wilson, locked down the final three outs to secure his ninth save of the season and yet another scoreless outing to open up the year.

The series win is the Mariners’ fifth consecutive, bringing them back into a tie for the American League West lead after briefly falling five games back earlier in the month.

In the first two series wins of the roadtrip, the Mariners took two of three from both the Reds and Blue Jays, dropping the first game and bouncing back to take the latter two games both times.

The Mariners’ hot stretch has been led by catcher Cal Raleigh, whose nine home runs—seven of which were over the course of a seven-day span—ties him for the Major League lead with the D-backs’ Corbin Carroll and the Athletics’ Tyler Soderstrom.

The offense: they get the job done

Going into the 2025 season, the M’s have been touted for their young, exciting starting rotation, though it’s been an explosive offense that has been picking up the slack for the pitching’s less-than-stellar start.

A bit of a surprise after a lackluster offseason that has been criticized for a lack of substantial additions to the lineup, the Mariners’ offense is leading their division in run scored (113) and third in baseball in team wRC+ (118) through 25 games.

Even more surprising, this offensive eruption comes in the wake of significant losses to the lineup, with outfielder Victor Robles (shoulder fracture) and second baseman Ryan Bliss (torn left biceps) both expected to miss extensive time with injuries in the early going.

Dylan Moore’s playing time has surged in the absence of Bliss, and he has filled in that infield spot quite nicely. Leading off the Mariners’ order on many days, Moore won AL Player of the Week accolades for April 14-20, slashing .385/.407/.769 with a 249 wRC+ in that timeframe.

Contributions have come from all over during the Mariners hot streak. Rowdy Tellez had homers in every game north of the border against Toronto, while Mitch Garver made came through in a couple of important plate appearances in Boston. Both players have otherwise had their fair share of struggles to begin the year.

This is not even mentioning the timely hitting of Jorge Polanco, Randy Arozarena and many others who have made big impacts, especially in some pivotal moments. Polanco’s win probability added (WPA) of 1.46 is third in baseball, trailing only the likes of Kyle Tucker and Pete Alonso. Arozarena has put up a cool 0.97 WPA as well, good for 16th in MLB.

Even if the Mariners’ offense comes back down to Earth—and it likely will, at least to a degree—the contributions from the top of the lineup to the bottom have been instrumental in weathering an early storm with the pitching still finding their bearings in 2025.

Reinforcements incoming?

On the topic of pitching, the Mariners hope to see a couple of key arms return soon to help their staff recoup some of its signature consistency.

Reliever Matt Brash has cruised through a rehab stint with AAA Tacoma, making four appearances in 3.2 innings. His only two runs given up on his assignment so far were in one outing against Sugar Land on April 20.

Barring any setbacks, Brash will likely return to the big league club in the coming days, with his first appearance marking the first time he has pitched in a major league game since the 2023. He underwent Tommy John surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow in May 2024.

Brash’s reinstatement to the Mariners bullpen could provide much-needed back-end support. His high-octane four-seam fastball and wipeout slider combined to instantly make him one of the better high-leverage relievers since his debut in 2022.

In addition, starting pitcher George Kirby is slated to throw live batting practice this week, according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer. This marks another step in his recovery from right shoulder inflammation, though he is still likely weeks—including a rehab assignment—away from returning to the big league club.

What’s on tap?

The Mariners return home tonight to kick off a quick, five-game homestand with a three-game set against the Miami Marlins. After an off-day Monday, the Los Angeles Angels come to town for two games on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon.

All five games will be televised on Root Sports and broadcast over the radio on 710 AM Seattle Sports.

This is Rolling Roof Rundown’s weekly Mariners newsletter. You can follow James @johnstonsports.com on Bluesky and, if you haven’t already, subscribe to the newsletter for more news and commentary.