The Seattle Mariners sure had their ups and downs on their season-opening road trip, splitting a four-game series at Minnesota followed by losing two of three to the Chicago White Sox, who have been to the playoffs in back to back years.

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Despite a scuffling offense, Mariners manager Scott Servais remains steady in his belief that Seattle’s lineup will be formidable as the season goes on, especially after a better showing Thursday in a 5-1 victory in Chicago.

“I really like our lineup,” Servais said Friday morning on Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk Show. “We certainly have an interesting team. If it all comes together, I think we’re gonna be really hard to beat.”

During the interview, which was about nine hours ahead of the Mariners’ 6:40 p.m. Friday home opener against the Houston Astros on Seattle Sports Station, Servais pointed to multiple positive signs he saw offensively on the road trip. Perhaps the biggest is what shortstop J.P. Crawford has done in his first seven games coming on a long-term contract extension with the M’s that was announced on opening day.

Crawford, who was Seattle’s primary leadoff hitter in 2021, started the year in the bottom third of the lineup due to the addition of All-Star second baseman Adam Frazier, but he was in the heart of the order hitting fifth Thursday. Entering this weekend’s series against Houston, Crawford is leading the team in batting average (.417), on-base percentage (.500), slugging (.542), OPS (1.042), hits (10) and doubles (three), while also being tied for most runs scored (three). Additionally, he has a stolen base and four walks.

“I don’t think he should forget about J.P. Crawford. I think J.P. got off to a great start and he’s typically a slow starter, so excited to see that,” Servais said.

Servais had much more to say in the interview, which you can listen to in full in the player below. Mariners chairman John Stanton also joined The Mike Salk Show on Friday morning – and hinted at a special guest who will catch Ichiro’s ceremonial first pitch Friday at T-Mobile Park. You can hear both conversations in the podcast at this link.

Young arms, cold bats: The good, bad and ugly of M’s opening road trip

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