The Seattle Mariners head to Los Angeles for a Thursday night showdown against the Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 10:10 PM ET. Bryan Woo gets the ball for Seattle, squaring off against former NPB standout Roki Sasaki in a pitching matchup that demands your attention. This is a marquee road test for a Mariners club looking to prove itself against one of the National League's marquee franchises — and a loss here would sting heading into August.
Probable Pitchers: Bryan Woo vs. Roki Sasaki
Bryan Woo has been one of the more quietly intriguing arms in the Seattle rotation. The right-hander generates premium stuff and has shown the ability to navigate a lineup multiple times through. Against a Dodgers offense built on depth and patience, Woo will need to work efficiently and trust his secondary pitches. If he can get through five or six innings without a crooked number, Seattle's bullpen should be capable of holding a lead.
On the other side, Roki Sasaki makes for a fascinating opponent. The former Chiba Lotte Marines ace brought a mid-to-upper-90s fastball and a devastating splitter to the States, and pitching at home in Dodger Stadium — a facility that plays to pitcher-friendly outcomes — only adds to the challenge. Seattle hitters will need to stay disciplined and look to work counts against him. Chasing Sasaki's splitter in the dirt has been a reliable way for opposing lineups to derail themselves.
Keys to Watch for the Mariners
- Plate discipline against Sasaki: His splitter is a chase pitch. Seattle's lineup needs to recognize it early in counts and avoid expanding the zone.
- Woo's command in the first inning: The Dodgers jump on pitchers who fall behind early. Woo establishing his fastball and getting ahead will set the tone for the entire start.
- Bullpen management: A 10:10 PM ET road start on the West Coast is a grind. Manager Dan Wilson will need to be sharp about when to pull Woo if the pitch count climbs or the Dodgers start squaring balls up.
- Scoring first: Dodger Stadium can quiet an offense in a hurry when the home crowd gets rolling. Getting on the board early gives Seattle a different game to play.
How to Watch Seattle at Los Angeles
Thursday's game is available on SportsNet LA and Mariners.TV for television viewers, and on MLB Network for a national audience. Radio coverage is on Seattle Sports 710 AM for Mariners fans and Dodgers Radio AM570 on the Los Angeles side. Spanish-language radio is available on KTNQ 1020.
Prediction
This is a genuinely difficult matchup to project. Sasaki is a difficult assignment for any lineup, and the Dodgers at home are a formidable environment. That said, Woo is capable of keeping Seattle in this game deep into the night. If the Mariners can scratch across two or three runs and Woo gives them quality innings, this is winnable. Expect a tight, low-scoring contest. Call it a 3-2 Dodgers win in a game Seattle is very much in until the final out.
