Dusty Baker on Jose Urquidy & Yordan Alvarez: "They missed a lot of time. It's going to take probably almost equal time that they've missed to get back". Urquidy & Alvarez haven't been in camp at all. It started July 3. Dusty Baker said they did no baseball activities while away. When asked of Osuna was available, Baker said he wouldn't say. He didn't want to tip his hand to the Mariners. Lance McCullers Jr. on his start tomorrow: "I'm going to sit back and watch JV shove and watch us play good baseball. Then it’s my turn tomorrow." It will be his first start since Aug. 4, 2018.
McTidbits The Mariners went 1-18 against the Astros last year and 0-10 at Minute Maid Park. Their last win in Houston came on Sept, 19, 2018. They were 7-2 at MMP that season. The Astros haven’t lost an Opening Day game since moving to the AL in 2013, going 7-0 in that span to start the season. Springer has homered on Opening Day in three consecutive seasons, joining Khris Davis as the only players to do that in the last three years. Mariners are 12-3 over their last 15 Opening Day games, including 9-2 on the road during that span. Mariners are fielding the youngest Opening Day roster in the Majors with an average age of 27 years, 259 days Verlander is 4-1 with a 3.74 ERA on Opening Day. Only seven pitchers have more than 12 season-opening starts all-time. Astros won all five of Verlander’s starts against the Mariners in 2019. The AL Cy Young Award winner was 3-0, 2.97 ERA in those starts Alex Bregman slashed .361/.420/.639 with 12 extra-base hits and 14 runs scored in 18 games vs. the M's last season. The Mariners have lost each of Gonzales' six career starts vs. Houston. (0-4, 7.62 ERA)
