WASHINGTON — When the post-Angels brawl suspensions were first announced, and with the knowledge that appeals would probably shave off one game for each player and the Mariners could stagger them with only one player serving them at a time, there were still legitimates causes for concern.
With first baseman Ty France sidelined at the time with an elbow strain, how could a team that struggled to score runs with him in the lineup also weather the absences of either J.P. Crawford or Jesse Winker or Julio Rodriguez for 11 straight games?
Well, thanks to quality starting pitching, timely hitting and unexpected contributions from the rest of the lineup, the Mariners didn’t just survive the 11 games, they flourished losing just once.
