A big series opened in Seattle on Monday night -- pitting the contending Mariners against the first-place Indians -- and there was some rather impressive pitching on display. From the Mariners end, starter James Paxton was lighting up the radar gun, hitting triple digits several times. He would end up striking out 10 while allowing only one earned run in six innings. It was a very encouraging outing given his bad outing last time out (3 2/3 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 3 ER), his first MLB start of the season.
With the increase in velocity, Paxton could well stick in the rotation and make good on the promise he flashed in 2014.
Once Paxton was removed, 22-year-old rookie Edwin Diaz made his major-league debut and was pumping up some of his own heat. Here's his first career strikeout:
Yes, 100 miles per hour. With both Paxton and Diaz needing three digits on the radar gun to accommodate them, check out this stat from MLB research guru Daren Willman:
The @Mariners have thrown more pitches 99 MPH+ (25) through 7 innings tonight than they did in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 seasons combined (14)
— Daren Willman (@darenw) June 7, 2016
Diaz actually made the jump from Double-A, where he had 54 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings with a 2.21 ERA. A few more spotless outings like he had on Monday and he could end up sticking in the bullpen for the rest of the season.
Of course, the Mariners lost the game, 3-1, as Indians starter Trevor Bauer put together perhaps the best start of his major-league career. Like Paxton, Bauer also struck out 10 against only one walk. Bauer was able to last 7 2/3 innings while allowing only five hits and one run.
This was only the 10th outing in Bauer's career in which he recorded at least one out in the eighth inning. It was only the second time he struck out 10 batters in one of those outings and just the fifth that he allowed one run or less while working into the eighth. The former number three overall draft pick was on top of his game.
This was the first game of a four-game series and the two teams are right now going in different directions. The Mariners have lost four straight and eight of their last 11. The Indians have now won six in a row and -- thanks in part to a Royals loss on Monday -- have a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL Central.