Midgame adjustments could be key to Seattle's success

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It’s still only the Cactus League and there are still two weeks until Opening Day, but the Mariners’ 8-1 win over the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday afternoon still carried a little more weight.

After all, everything is more magnified when the Dodgers are involved, especially given that they played all their starters and will depart for the Seoul Series on Thursday morning.

Some takeaways from the game:

Chasing Yamamoto
It wasn’t just the collective opponent, but also the starting pitcher, as the Dodgers rolled out prized free-agent acquisition Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who looked every bit the part of a $325 million pitcher when he struck out J.P. Crawford, Julio Rodríguez and Jorge Polanco in the first inning.

However, the Mariners adjusted the second time through, when Polanco, Mitch Garver, Mitch Haniger and Ty France each singled in succession, leading to two runs. The third time through had similar results, when Crawford and Rodríguez each ripped opposite-field singles to set up Garver, who hunted a first-pitch curveball for a two-run, pull-side double. Yamamoto left one batter later, having surrendered eight hits -- all after the first time through.

Midgame adjustments have been at the forefront of the offensive messaging in camp, particularly after Seattle’s well-chronicled struggles to do so last season. Wednesday offered their most telling example of those efforts paying off.

“Constant banter in the dugout about what they’re seeing,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “It’s the first time we’ve seen him -- a high-profile guy coming over from Japan. He has really good stuff, there’s no question about it. But you have to make adjustments as the game goes along, and our guys did a really good job of that today.”

Muñoz in midseason form
The velocity radar at Camelback Ranch only has two digits, so when it was consistently reading “00” for Andrés Muñoz, they weren’t zeros but 100's. The flamethrowing reliever regularly reached back for triple digits, including a swinging strikeout to his first batter, Chris Taylor, while also dipping into his slider, which sat in the low-90's.

The lone run he surrendered was via a two-out double to Austin Barnes, which left fielder Taylor Trammell appeared to lose in the sun.

Muñoz, who at this time last year was recovering from right foot/heel surgery, is slated for an even more prominent role than his already lofty leverage label now that both Gregory Santos and Matt Brash are expected to begin the season on the IL.

“I feel a lot of confidence with this bullpen right now,” Muñoz said. “And even with some injuries, we're still a great bullpen. I talk like and feel like the veteran here, even if I am 25 years old. I just try to do my best, and the experience that I've had, with injuries, with everything during pitching, I just try to help the others.”

Pipeline power
Power-hitting prospect Lazaro Montes (No. 4 in the Mariners’ system) left a strong impression when ripping a triple into the right-field corner in the seventh, which scored Colt Emerson (No. 3) and Tai Peete (No. 7). Montes connected left-on-left on a breaking ball way below his knees.

In one highlight, the Mariners’ top international signee from 2022 drove in two of their three top Draft picks in ‘23, showcasing flashes of the future. Later on, red-hot Jonny Farmleo (No. 6) ripped a single to bring his Cactus line to 4-for-9.

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All four will be front and center for Friday’s Spring Breakout game against the Padres.

A few glovely plays
Haniger was also at the center of the game’s best defensive highlight, when battling windy and sunny conditions to make a jumping catch over his head at the right-field wall in the first inning.

Who he robbed of a hit certainly led to more attention, given that Shohei Ohtani’s expression indicated that even he thought it was gone.

Later on, backup catcher Seby Zavala threw out his fourth basestealer this spring when cutting down Mookie Betts in the fifth. Zavala’s primary focus this spring has been getting acclimated with a diverse pitching staff, filling a role previously held by Tom Murphy, who specialized in those studious relationships.

Woo pushed back
Bryan Woo was slated for this start before being pushed back one day in what could be the first of many workload management decisions on the second-year righty. Doing so also moved Emerson Hancock back one day.

“We kind of worked that into the schedule, allowing us to do that a little bit,” Servais said. “And we knew with both Woo and Hancock, maybe an extra day would be good for them at this time.”