The future is back.
Twenty years ago [url=http://www.bearsfootballauthentics.com]Chicago Bears Jerseys Womens[/url] , Ken Griffey Jr. and the Seattle Mariners‘ marketing department put on one of the most memorable promotions in franchise history — which is saying a lot, since Funny Nose Glasses Night in 1982 drew more fans than Gaylord Perry’s 300th win two nights earlier — with Turn Ahead the Clock Day.
Instead of wearing retro uniforms like most teams do for Turn Back the Clock Day, the Mariners imagined what things might look like in 2027, when they will celebrate their 50th anniversary.
The Kingdome was turned into the “Biodome.” A DeLorean drove actor James Doohan, who played Scotty on “Star Trek,” to the mound to deliver the ceremonial first pitch.
The Mariners’ Moose mascot was replaced by Marty the Mariners Martian. Griffey was referred to as “Digit 24” instead of his last name by the public-address announcer.
Player positions were called quadrants. And the Mariners and their opponent that night, the Kansas City Royals, wore futuristic, untucked uniforms that Griffey, the Hall of Fame center fielder, helped design.
According to Kevin Martinez, the marketing director for the Mariners in 1998, it was Griffey’s idea to change the Mariners’ colors from navy, teal and white to crimson, black and silver. Junior wore his hat backward and spray-painted his glove and spikes silver.
“There were always some surprises,” Griffey recently told The Athletic. “You never knew what was going to happen that night. It was like, ‘Stay tuned.'”
Twenty years later, the Mariners and Royals will reprise Turn Ahead the Clock Night when they meet Saturday night at Safeco Field.
Royals outfielder Jorge Bonifacio is certainly looking to the future after making his season debut in Friday night’s 4-1 loss to the Mariners.
Bonifacio missed the first 80 games of the season while serving a Major League Baseball suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug in spring training.
“I’m so excited to be back with the team,” said Bonifacio, who batted .255 and hit 17 home runs as a rookie last season.
Bonifacio batted .392 in 13 games for Triple-A Omaha before being activated. He batted fifth Friday, going 0-for-3.
“We’re glad to have him back,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He was swinging very well (at Omaha).
“I mean, the kid hit 17 homers last year. … Yeah, he was going to hit in the middle of the order, until all this surfaced.”
Bonifacio played left field Friday to give Alex Gordon a day off, but likely will be in right field Saturday.
“We are going to move him around. He’s going to play,” Yost said. “He’s going to play some right, play some left. What difference does it make?”
On the mound, right-handers Jason Hammel of the Royals (2-9 [url=http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/...-jalyn-holmes-jersey]http://www.vikingsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jalyn-holmes-jersey[/url] , 5.34 ERA) and Felix Hernandez of the Mariners (7-6, 5.10) will be looking for vintage performances.
Hammel, who won 15 games for the World Series champion Chicago Cubs in 2016, has lost four straight starts — in which the Royals have scored a total of five runs. The graduate of South Kitsap High School in nearby Port Orchard, Wash., is 3-3 with a 3.53 ERA in eight career appearances against Seattle, including seven starts.
Hernandez, the American League’s 2010 Cy Young Award winner, is 6-6 with a 3.15 ERA in 15 career starts against the Royals. That includes an 8-3 victory on April 10 in Kansas City in which he pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits.
What Rick Porcello did six days ago carried over into an outstanding performance.Porcello allowed one hit in seven innings, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi homered, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 9-2 Thursday to avoid a series sweep.
Xander Bogaerts had two RBIs for the Red Sox, who had a season-high 16 hits, and finished 6-4 on a road trip through Baltimore, Seattle and Minnesota.
”We definitely needed a win today, especially to end this long road trip after dropping the first two games to these guys,” Porcello said.
He was dominant in a game that was 2-0 through six innings.
After a first-inning single by Logan Morrison, ending a 0-for-30 stretch against Boston, Porcello (9-3) retired 19 of 20 Twins hitters, including the last 16. Throwing 97 pitches, he struck out five and walked one.
Porcello finished seven innings for the first time in 10 starts since April 29. His best previous start of the season was April 12 against the Yankees, when he allowed two hits and struck out six in seven innings.
Last Friday in Seattle, Porcello allowed four earned runs and seven hits in six innings. But his mood was much different in the final inning.
”I was just pitching a lot more relaxed, the delivery was smooth and I executed, so I tried to carry that with the tempo and everything into today,” he said.
”He was under control,” said manager Alex Cora.
Kyle Gibson (2-5) allowed seven hits and two earned runs in six innings for Minnesota, striking out five for his ninth quality start this season. He had only 10 in 2017 and eight in 2016.
Betts hit the first pitch of the fifth inning into the front row of seats in right-center for a 2-0 lead. He finished with three hits and has reached base eight times in his last three games.
”He likes to take a lot of first pitches and then once in a while ambushes, and he got him that time [url=http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/...c-nate-solder-jersey]http://www.giantsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-nate-solder-jersey[/url] ,” said Twins manager Paul Molitor.
The Red Sox were 5 for 14 with runners in scoring position, finishing the three-game series 7 for 36.
”It was a just couple tough days,” Betts said. ”We came out ready to swing it and we just showed what we can do.”
Bogaerts’ two-run double keyed a three-run seventh against Ryan Pressly. Benintendi hit a two-run shot in the eighth.
PREPARATION PAID OFF
With left-handed hitting Joe Mauer up, Betts, playing right field, shifted to right-center and barely had to move to catch a fly ball. Betts then waved a card telling him where to play toward the dugout.
”It was an extreme one from the analytical department,” Cora said. ”. I’m glad that it happened. They believe in what we’re doing, but sometimes they see something extremely out of the ordinary. I was the happiest guy, like `Thank God they hit it right there.”’
PORCELLO PURPOSE?
Porcello moved into a tie for the American League with his 10th hit batsman in the first, when he knocked Eduardo Escobar down with a fastball that plunked the major league leader in doubles just above his right elbow. Escobar stayed in the game for two more innings, but was removed after striking out in the third, and was diagnosed with a bruise.
In the top of the inning, J.D. Martinez had to hit the dirt to dodge a high-and-inside pitch from Gibson.
”It didn’t look particularly good to me,” said Molitor, pausing to choose his words carefully.
Said Escobar, through an interpreter: ”I respect Porcello a lot. He’s one of the best pitchers in the league. If he did it on purpose, I don’t really know what the purpose is behind it. I’ve never done anything against him. I was trying to protect myself, and we’ll just move on.”
Gibson hit Sandy Leon with a pitch in the sixth. In the game Tuesday, Red Sox starter Chris Sale hit Mauer before Jose Berrios plunked Betts and Mauer was hit again by reliever Robby Scott.
TRAINERS ROOM
Red Sox: LHP Drew Pomeranz, out since June 5 with left biceps tendinitis, is expected to get on a mound this weekend and throw a bullpen session, according to Cora.
Twins: OF Eddie Rosario missed the game with a sore throwing shoulder. He is considered day to day. Since May 1, Rosario is hitting .364 with a league-best 68 hits in that span, including 16 doubles and 13 home runs.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Open a six-game homestand Friday with RHP Steven Wright (2-1, 1.23) scheduled to start against Seattle LHP Wade LeBlanc (3-0, 2.63).
Twins: Welcome Texas on Friday for a three-game weekend series with RHP Fernando Romero (3-2, 4.17) to face the Rangers’ LHP Mike Minor (4-4. 5.35).
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