Mariners Right Road-Trip Wrongs, Start Homestand With Gritty 3-1 vs. Orioles
Back in tandem for the first time in nearly a month, Logan Gilbert dazzled and Cal Raleigh stole the show as the Seattle Mariners sidestepped a recent myriad of injuries to start off their latest homestand on the right foot, earning a late 3-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday night.
The Mariners returned home for a six-game set still on the wrong side of the injury report. Three lineup mainstays were unavailable, even with Raleigh and J.P. Crawford returning, putting more pressure on Dan Wilson’s stars to show up. And boy did they ever.
Happily firing darts to Raleigh in his first game off the injured list, Gilbert tossed seven innings of one-run ball while striking out a season-high 10 batters. Making an immediate impact with his bat after a long rehab stint in Everett and Tacoma, Raleigh came through in the clutch, scorching a go-ahead RBI single that plated the winning two runs in the seventh inning.
What stood out in Tuesday’s series-opening win?
Five O-Line Recruits, One Huge Weekend Upcoming for Huskies
Rolling out the red carpet as they continue to build an intriguing 2027 recruiting class, the Washington Huskies will try to reel in the foundation of their next great offensive line with coach Jedd Fisch hoping to end the official visit season with a clean sweep locking up top-tier prospects in the trenches.
Offensive line coach Michael Switzer has a chance to put his stamp on this latest recruiting class for the Huskies, with as many as four future Big Ten-caliber starters flying into town. After last year’s crop that brought in five-star left tackle Kodi Greene, UW hopes to be building the next front worthy of the Joe Moore Award, which they last won when they advanced to the National Championship Game in 2023.
Who will be on Montlake this upcoming weekend?
Mariners’ Tuesday Bombshells: Rotating Piggyback, Pereda Sent Down, Arozarena to IL
Tuesday ended in a solid 3-1 win for the Mariners at home against the Orioles, but a flurry of roster moves and decisions may have been even more hectic for the team than that night’s action. The team called Cal Raleigh back up to the MLB roster, announced a first-of-its-kind rotating piggyback, and had to call up a guy who had taken four total plate appearances above High-A ball in his entire career thanks to a seemingly bizarre lack of preparation on Randy Arozarena’s injury status.
Mariners general manager Justin Hollander, speaking with media Tuesday afternoon, noted the inordinate severity of the injury situation as compared to other bugs he had dealt with in his tenure with the team; he noted that Luke Raley and Josh Naylor were both dealing with issues and that Matt Brash, Carlos Vargas, and Cooper Criswell would be out until around the trade deadline. Brendan Donovan is set to start running work in the week, but these persistent injuries are not a good sign. This is especially true of Raley’s lower back tightness, given that similar injuries ended up shattering his 2025 season well after he was officially healed.
The mechanistic plan to have each of Seattle’s six starting pitchers rotate the piggyback amongst themselves is many things, but to use a judgmentally neutral term, it is unprecedented. It is also seemingly contradictory that the same organization that came up with a plan as intricate as a rotating piggyback also waited until a gameday to MRI Arozarena despite having a rest day to do so; had they done the simple thing of scheduling an earlier MRI, they would have been able to call Connor Joe back up as is clearly their long-term plan.
But what’s done is done, as bizarre as the events were. What should be made of these decisions, and what do they mean for the near future of the Mariners’ season?
Analysis: Latest on Devon Witherspoon, Potential Seahawks Extension Candidates
Wrapping up their offseason program last week, the Seattle Seahawks won’t be back in action until players and coaches report for the start of training camp on July 25, but that doesn’t mean the next five weeks will be quiet ones at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center.
While players and coaches take advantage of rare time off on the NFL calendar, general manager John Schneider and a suddenly patchwork front office following the departures of Nolan Teasley and Trent Kirchner to Minnesota will be digging in deep on potential contract extensions for several star players. Most notably, Seattle has yet to ink cornerback Devon Witherspoon to a new contract after the team made an offer to the player three months ago without an agreement being reached.
A little over a month away from the start of the 2026 season, will Schneider and the Seahawks be able to cross the finish line re-signing Witherspoon? And after extending pass rusher Derick Hall during OTAs, which other players entering the final year of their current contract could also be in line for a new deal this summer?
Here’s the latest intel on three veterans who may or may not have a new contract in tow when camp begins:
Rest of AL West Doing Mariners Favor So Far, But Will It Last?
The 2026 Seattle Mariners have experienced a series of stops and starts thus far. They have been as many as five games under .500. They recently rode an eight-game winning streak to put them back on track towards leading the AL West division.
However, since that streak was snapped, the Mariners are back to an uneven stretch, going 4-7 since, with two series losses sandwiching a series split in Baltimore.
That’s not the type of success expected of a contender. Sitting at 37-36, that typically is not the record that would lead a division. For example, in the National League, they would be currently eight games back at least of any of the three divisions with that record and would even be outside of the Wild Card picture.
However, given that they are in the weaker American League, their record is good enough to be atop the AL West by just a half of a game over the Athletics despite ranking 13th in winning percentage overall in MLB.
“There’s a Feeling of Emptiness”: Late Legion Push Drops Seawolves in Semifinal
TUKWILA, Wash. - A week prior, it had been the California Legion who regularly tried one offload too many, who had suffered a few too many penalties, and who had generally gotten in their own way.
The shoe was on the other foot on Sunday night, however, and the Seawolves’ season ended with a loss to the California Legion in the playoff semifinal. The MLR Shield, though it will be ultimately decided in Chicago on June 21, will not be coming to Seattle at the end of the year.
“It’s exit interviews and mop-ups from here on in,” Seawolves head coach Allen Clarke told Emerald City Spectrum. “There’s a feeling of emptiness because we weren’t quite ready for the season to end yet.”
Seattle fought valiantly to the end, taking a brief lead in the second half and getting plenty of chances to pull the score closer or return to that lead as the match continued, but in the end, the Legion triumphed by the palindromic score of 43-34.
“I think the fight was there up until 79 minutes, 40 seconds in, you know,” said blindside flanker Marno Redelinghuys. “Doesn’t matter what the time says on the clock, we always wanted to fight and just get a last try in. It doesn’t matter if the scoreboard says we’re not going to be able to win.”
Gonzaga Finalizes Commitment From French Guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa
Exit one young French guard, enter another.
Saturday at 2 PM PT was the deadline for international players to withdraw from the NBA Draft, and to no surprise, Jack Kayil remained in the process and looks to hear his name called early next week in Brooklyn. But the Gonzaga Bulldogs have already been operating on the conclusion that he was never re-routing back to Spokane.
Pivoting to a countryman of Kayil, the Zags have reportedly landed a commitment from 6-5 combo guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa, adding the talented 18-year-old into a backcourt that already includes Mario Saint-Supéry and Isiah Harwell. The move marks GU’s seventh added player of the offseason, and its third incoming freshman.
Stock Watch: Which Seahawks Have Edge in Roster Battles After Offseason Program?
Bringing another offseason program to a close, the Seattle Seahawks wrapped up mandatory minicamp with a spirited final practice session highlighted by strong defense, sending the team into summer break before returning to kick off training camp on July 25.
“I feel like it's been great,” veteran defensive tackle Leonard Williams said. “Great attendance from the leaders, from the older guys. Young guys working hard, trying to be sponges of the game, learn as much as possible. To me, I really just see our culture elevate to another level.”
Coming off an All-Pro season, Williams won’t have to worry about his starting job or roster spot being in jeopardy when Seattle returns to the practice field next month. However, several positional groups on offense and defense already have intense competitions well underway that will continue in earnest in training camp, whether for starting roles or one of the final spots on the 53.
Heading into a six-week moratorium, which competitions have emerged as ones to watch once training camp arrives? And where do things stand on the depth chart at those positions coming out of the offseason program?
Recapping Seasons of Seven Former Gonzaga Bulldogs That Made NBA Playoffs
With the NBA season now officially at its end after the New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games and the NBA Draft being just over a week away, it’s time to check in on Gonzaga alums who got a taste of the 2025-26 NBA postseason.
From All-NBA honorees to two-way players, the Zags were once again one of the association’s more well-represented collegiate programs. 13 former Bulldogs logged NBA minutes this past season, and nearly all of them took noteworthy steps in their careers – for better or for worse. Seven of them played on teams that made the playoffs, each featuring in varying roles for their respective squads.
Kraken Fortify Front Office, Coaching Staff with Pair of Hirings
Much has been made about the Seattle Kraken hiring Sportsology Group to do an audit of the organization this offseason. Clearly, there is an effort to find and fix gaps in development and talent, from the brass at the top all the way down to the bench on the ice.
While general manager Jason Botterill and head coach Lane Lambert remain in place, there has been some shakeup around both men in the Kraken organization. First, Ron Francis stepped down as team president immediately after the regular season concluded. Jessica Campbell left the bench to seek other opportunities after her contract to coach with the Kraken had expired as well.
Over the last week, the Kraken made two hires to seemingly fortify their front office and coaching staff. Patrik Allvin was recently named as a fourth vice president and assistant general manager. Additionally, Pascal Vincent joined Lambert’s coaching staff.
Mariners Forget Fundamentals, Drop Saturday Game 8-3 to Nationals
It seems the Mariners are yet to escape their consistent inconsistency. After having beaten the Washington Nationals 10-2 the previous day, with every starting Mariner position player getting a knock, the team lost 8-2 as the pitching slipped up and the offense took a big step back outside of the ever-impressive Colt Emerson.
But the biggest issue for the team was the defense, which was docked for three errors and looked quite shaky even outside of those official events on the scoresheet. The game served as an example of bad fundamental play across the board and a reason why the team has a losing record in one-run games and just one win after trailing in the seventh. They still have the luxury of playing in the division that they do, but they aren’t forming good habits for the playoffs and the lack of precision has turned what should be a lock in the weakest division in baseball into a 1 ½ game lead over a mediocre Athletics team.
Defensive miscues piled up early, and a would-be clean first became a three-spot for the Nats.
Josh Naylor didn’t have himself a very good game on Saturday, with big misses with the glove and stick. The former came first, with a bad throw in the bottom of the first allowing the Nationals to put together a two-out rally and tack three runs on Luis Castillo.
Two Serbian Players Could Help Fill Holes on Gonzaga’s Roster
With four spots still open on its roster for the 2026-27 season, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are continuing to fire darts down a familiar path.
Serbian teenagers Nikola Kusturica and Savo Drezgić are names to watch as new Zags additions, potentially filling roles as a versatile wing and a secondary ball-handler, respectively. They each have played professionally overseas, with the latter having already logged time in the NCAA.
No stranger to the international scene, GU will run out Mario Saint-Supéry and Massamba Diop in its starting lineup this fall, with Izan Almansa possibly coming off the bench. And for about six months, they had a commitment from German guard Jack Kayil. As is the case for Almansa and many other foreign prospects going forward, there will be eligibility questions with both Kustrurica and Drezgić, not even factoring in the obstacle of outbidding other high-profile programs, but landing these two players would bolster the Bulldogs’ depth and ceiling next season.
Kraken the Ice: Seattle Shores Up Front Office, Hires Patrik Allvin
The Seattle Kraken shook up their front office by hiring former Vancouver Canucks GM Patrick Alvin, sparking questions about the club’s long-term direction and leadership strategy. Is this a shrewd move born from exhaustive audits or just GM Jason Botterill bringing in a trusted ally with three Stanley Cups to his credit?
Emerald City Spectrum writer Nick Lee spotlights Matty Beniers’ evolution, challenging whether the franchise’s first-ever draft pick can reach top-center status after another solid yet unspectacular season. The episode also dissects Eeli Tolvanen's future as a pending free agent—can his versatility and competitive edge earn him a new deal, or will the Kraken opt for an even younger lineup? Analysis covers roster-building priorities, the impact of upcoming NHL Draft decisions, and how these roster choices set the tone for the Kraken’s next era.
WATCH: Defense Dominates Red Zone-Heavy Day 3 of Seahawks Minicamp
Bringing the offseason program to an end and ushering in summer break before training camp, Emerald City Spectrum reporter Corbin Smith breaks down what he saw and heard at the Seahawks' third and final mandatory minicamp practice, including an opportunistic defense racking up interceptions and pick sixes in a high energy session at the VMAC.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Narrowly Lose 7th Straight vs. Sparks
The Seattle Storm played one of their most well-balanced games of the season, but it still wasn’t enough in an 88-83 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, June 10, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (3-11) had all five of their starters score at least 11 points, and it shot 47% from the field to the Sparks’ 39%. However, as has been the case recently, the Storm had fewer field-goal and free-throw attempts — resulting in their seventh straight loss.
Los Angeles (6-6) got back to .500 and won its second-straight game. Nneka Ogwumike made good on her return to Seattle with a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds.
Natisha Hiedeman had 16 points to lead the Storm, followed by Dominique Malonga with 15. Flau’jae Johnson (14 points), Awa Fam (12) and Jordan Horston (11) rounded out the top scorers for the Storm.
Previewing the 6 World Cup Matches in Seattle
It's finally here.
Soccer, soon to be football, fans across the Pacific Northwest have been waiting with bated breath for Seattle to play host to the largest sporting event in the world: The FIFA World Cup.
The tournament is bigger than ever in this fixture. Set to span Canada, the U.S. and Mexico from mid-June through mid-July, with Mexico and South Africa opening festivities on Thursday. As such, the field has expanded for the first time since 1998 with 48 teams instead of 32, meaning 104 matches rather than 64.
Seattle will play host to six of those matches, with four group matches through June culminating in a Round of 32 match on July 1 and a Round of 16 match on July 6. With the expanded field, the number of teams qualifying for those knockout games will increase from the top two finishers in each group after three group matches to the top two finishers plus the top eight of 12 third-place finishers, making a 32-team field.
This added opportunity to qualify for knockout games should only benefit the viewers in Seattle, as many of the seven unique squads set to play in the Emerald City are slated to finish second and third in their groups. While any World Cup game is special, the chances of fans showing up to a game lacking real tournament implications are quite low.
While the knockout-match teams in Seattle are obviously TBD, Belgium will take on Egypt on June 15 to kick off Seattle's run while the United States and Seattle Sounders star Cristian Roldan will play Australia on June 19. From there, Qatar will take on Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 24 before Egypt and Iran finish the group stage off on June 26.
What can fans expect to see in those matches?
‘Just When You Think You’ve Seen it All’: Blissful Mariners Take 6-5 Thriller in Baltimore
“This game’s put years on my life,” said Mariners catcher Mitch Garver after the team’s 6-5, 10-inning victory.
The 35-year-old catcher seemingly left it ambiguous as to whether “this game” referred to the night’s win (one more claustrophobic than a closed-up cave) or whether he meant baseball itself, but in any case, Tuesday’s might be the unlikeliest win the M’s have scratched across yet.
Where Víctor Robles and Jose A. Ferrer failed the Mariners on Tuesday night, Ryan Bliss and Nick Davila saved them. Where Mitch Garver’s lack of a challenge in the bottom of the first led to an Orioles run, his A-plus showing over the remaining nine innings allowed his team to take the win.
The victory required incredible plays from Patrick Wisdom and from a somewhat out-of-position Cole Young. It required the weakest arms in the Mariners bullpen to log two clean combined innings and give some rest for their weary companions. Perhaps most of all, it required grinding, gutsy, going-all-out play from a guy who had played in two MLB games in the previous 365 days.
And it required a man on barely four hours of sleep to make the biggest, most stressful pitches of his life. Isolating the only hero from the course of Tuesday’s game would be a task harder than those that befell both Davila and Bliss. But these tasks were not only reserved for the final innings.
Logan Gilbert put together an unlikely quality start despite being at 58 pitches through two.
Despite a 3.79 ERA going into Tuesday’s game, M’s starter Logan Gilbert has had his share of five-and-dive outings with batters fouling off good pitches and laying off tough filth. Much of it had been due to predictable sequencing, though that issue has been less apparent in May than it was in March and parts of April. The O’s stretched him thin over the first two innings, and with all of four available relievers in the bullpen, there wasn’t much room for inefficiency.
Huskies Land Blue-Chip Edge Recruit From Garden State
Dominant edge defenders don’t grow on the cherry trees in the University of Washington quad.
Jedd Fisch and the Huskies coaching staff reached far away from campus to find a potential pass rusher in Montvale, New Jersey, with the hopes that Chaz Gray, a Class of 2027 recruit out of St. Joseph Regional High School, will blossom when he arrives on Montlake next year. A three- or four-star recruit, depending upon which recruiting ratings one looks at, Gray chose Washington over Tennessee and Clemson on Tuesday.
Beating out Volunteers and Tigers for an East Coast prospect who also held offers from Ohio State and Penn State and at least 19 other programs shows that his 247Sports high three-star (0.89) rating may be one star lighter than the way Gray is regarded by college coaches.
Seahawks Minicamp Takeaways: Nick Emmanwori Adding New Wrinkle, Zach Charbonnet Progresses
Launching the final phase of their offseason program, the Seattle Seahawks kicked off mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with the vast majority of players on the field, including the return of veterans Demarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams.
What stood out of from Day 1 of Seattle’s annual three-day minicamp? Here are five takeaways from Tuesday’s session at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center:
1. Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba steering towards midseason form in the final week of the offseason program.
Crazily enough, Darnold and Smith-Njigba turned in a historic 2025 season combining to link up for over 1,700 yards and 10 touchdowns with limited practice time, as the two had never played together prior to hitting the field for the first time last April. But they developed outstanding chemistry seemingly overnight with the quarterback and receiver lighting it up throughout the offseason program and training camp before leading the charge for a top-five scoring offense on the way to a Super Bowl victory.
On the heels of that immense success, Smith-Njigba had some bad news for opponents on Tuesday, sending a message on the field and at the podium that the two stars expect to be even more in sync in their second season in tandem. After a somewhat quiet trio of OTA practices, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year jumped back into dominant form, starting with a nifty 20-yard catch on a quick out route where he managed to beat the quarter-quarter side of a Cover 6 look outside to make the catch before the outside cornerback could even blink, setting up a Jason Myers field goal in a two-minute drill situation.
One Clear Need Emerges for Mariners Ahead of Trade Deadline
Among the American League teams, it’s safe to say the Seattle Mariners are among the more complete squads. They have the star power in the lineup. They have a fearsome starting rotation. They have options off the bench to platoon. And they have a few elite arms coming out of the bullpen. They currently reside atop the AL West, two games ahead of the Texas Rangers.
However, over the last few weeks, it has become clear that they will need to make at least one addition at the trade deadline (certainly, more would be welcome).
Over the last week, the Mariners’ bullpen has hit a rocky patch. In their last 20 innings of work as a unit, they own a concerning 4.43 ERA, which ranks 20th in MLB in that timeframe. The biggest culprits in that span are Cooper Criswell (6.23 ERA in four appearances), Alex Hoppe (three earned runs in three innings), and a rough outing from closer Andres Muñoz.
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