Friday, June 12

BALTIMORE -- Andrés Muñoz isn’t going anywhere within the construction of the Mariners’ bullpen. 

And manager Dan Wilson put any debate to that discussion to bed when firing the closer back out to lock down Monday’s win over the Orioles, one day after he took his fifth blown save of the season against the Tigers.

“I appreciate a lot the trust that they have in me,” Muñoz said. “Obviously, I let them down a few times, and they keep trusting me. It's an awesome feeling for me. What can I say? I'm working hard, I am doing everything that I have to do. I've never stopped working. Obviously, it's tough for me. But what's great is that they still have the confidence in me, and I'm just going to do what I do.”

For all the chatter coming out of that disastrous loss in Detroit, clamoring for Muñoz to be moved out of the ninth-inning role, the Mariners simply aren’t going to go down that route. They’re still bullish on his under-the-hood stuff, are adjusting his between-outings routine -- and more than anything, recognize that changing his role could compromise his confidence.

Because he wears the losses hard -- maybe too hard at times. 

“We'll get to the other side, and we'll feel good about it again,” Wilson said before Monday’s game. “I think he's just in one of those spots right now, and it's tough. But you're right, I think he's doing the work to get through it, and we'll be good.”

Muñoz carries a 5.18 ERA (77 ERA+, where league average is 100), and he’s surrendered at least one earned run in eight of his 26 outings, matching his entire 2025 total over 64 outings.

The biggest culprit seems pretty clear: He’s falling behind early in counts, which then sets up hitters to ambush him when he steers back into the strike zone. 

This year, Muñoz has been behind on 27.5% of his total pitches, which is above the 26.0% league average for relievers in the ninth inning and his 25.5% clip last year.

It might seem marginal but this quietly makes a substantial difference. Opposing hitters are batting .227 when ahead of Muñoz compared to .105 when behind. Sunday’s game-winning hit from Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle came in a 1-0 count, which followed two walks.

That said, Muñoz believes he has an answer, a simple one.

“My pitches are the best when I throw the hardest that I can,” Muñoz said. “So I just have to continue doing that.”

Muñoz isn’t sitting at 100.2 mph like he was in 2022, but he’s touched triple digits a dozen times. His 98.4 mph average fastball velocity ranks in Statcast’s 98th percentile, and he’s in the 99th percentile in whiff rate (42%), 98th in K rate (34.3%) and 97th in chase rate (37.5%).

“It's weird, because most other pitchers, when they throw the hardest that they can, they lose command,” Muñoz said. “With me, it's the opposite. When I try to place it, or when I try to just like baby one slider, it doesn't work for me. So, what I have to do is just throw the hardest that I can.”

Monday’s move to stick with Muñoz for the ninth-inning role came well before setup man Matt Brash landed on the 15-day injured list with a right lat strain. It was also before Jose A. Ferrer grinded through a season-high 42 pitches and surrendered two game-tying runs in an eventual win Tuesday. 

Basically, the Mariners’ bullpen is collectively going through it. 

“The important thing is how you turn the page and go back the next day stronger. ... I think [it] humbles you a little bit,” Muñoz said. “And I don't know. I'm just going to keep working and keep trying to do my job the best that I can.”

One of the fastest throws in Tuesday’s win in Baltimore was not off the mound, but from center field. 

It was also the most critical heave of the night.

Julio Rodríguez unleashed a 96.2 mph seed from just in front of the warning track that ignited a double play in tandem with Ryan Bliss. Then in passing the following day, Rodríguez was informed of the velocity and jokingly asked if he could pitch in relief for the Mariners’ beleaguered bullpen. 

“Oh, I could definitely throw an inning,” Rodríguez said, mimicking a pitching delivery. “I could play third base, too.”

The Mariners are banged up at the hot corner as well, with Colt Emerson missing the past three games due to a back spasm, though the rookie had shifted to shortstop when J.P. Crawford hit the IL. 

Basically, Julio was good-naturedly suggesting that he’ll leverage his elite skillset wherever the Mariners need. But right now, they want him to just keep doing exactly what he’s been doing -- because he’s off to the best start of his five-year career.

As for the throw itself, it’s not outlandish for an outfielder to reach that velocity, but we rarely see it with such accuracy. It was the fourth-hardest outfield assist for a Mariner in the Statcast era (since 2015). 

Nick Davila has lived in the Seattle area for only a month or so while at Triple-A Tacoma, but the way he spoke of Din Tai Fung’s soup dumplings this week suggested that he’s practically a local.

That said, he had to take his most recent order on Monday night to-go.

Davila was in the middle of a two-year anniversary dinner at the Southcenter location with his girlfriend, Morgan, when he got a call from Rainiers manager John Russell.

The reliever was informed that he needed to quickly get to SeaTac for a 10:20 p.m. redeye to Baltimore, to join the big league club's taxi squad.

The dumplings, however, had just arrived at their table, at 7:45 p.m., meaning that Davila had to pack up the dish, which is not exactly transport-friendly. 

And roughly 24 hours later, he was on the mound at Camden Yards -- recording his first career save in one of the Mariners’ wildest games of the year, while hurling the biggest pitches of his life. 

“I just couldn’t believe I was in the game,” said Davila, who was added to the roster when Cooper Criswell was placed on the IL. “I had goosebumps going out there. I was like, ‘This is not real.'”

For all the edge-of-your-seat moments that night, Davila was easily the feel-good development. 

At age 27, this is his sixth season in pro ball, and the Mariners liked what they saw from him enough last month to bring him up from Double-A Arkansas -- primarily for his stuff and 69.6% ground-ball rate at the time.

He’s been in the organization since signing a Minors contract before Opening Day in 2023. But before his first callup, on May 2, he hadn’t spent much time in Seattle.

And given that his big dinner abruptly ended -- albeit for good cause -- he’s probably going back for proper soup dumplings soon. 

Mariners Fireworks Nights

The Mariners are lighting up the sky all summer long with Fireworks Nights presented by T-Mobile. The next postgame show is coming up on June 19 vs. the Red Sox. Check out this year’s themes and the complete lineup at Mariners.com/Fireworks. 

50 Seasons Celebration Night

Don’t miss the biggest event of the summer: 50 Seasons Celebration Night presented by Daktronics. Witness the most iconic gathering of franchise greats as the top 50 Mariners Players are unveiled and honored at T-Mobile Park on Aug. 8. Get your tickets at Mariners.com/50.

Mariners Suites

Are you planning an event this summer? Check out a Mariners Suite. The perfect venue for all kinds of events, from birthday parties and family celebrations to client meetings and company outings. Enjoy customizable set-ups, first-class catering and private entry & parking. Book now at Mariners.com/Suites.

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