‘This is our time’: Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs says Seattle’s dominance over Astros is here to stay

The Seattle Mariners have turned the Houston Astros into their personal punching bag, and longtime team broadcaster Rick Rizzs says the shift in power in the American League West is unmistakable.

“This is our time,” Rizzs said Friday during his weekly appearance on “Seattle’s Morning News.” “They’ve had a really nice run of winning division titles and going to the World Series and winning a couple. They cheated on one, but this is our time.”

By the numbers: Seattle has flipped the AL West script

The Mariners have compiled a 7-1 record against Houston this season and are 10-1 against the Astros dating back to last year, when Seattle swept a three-game series. Over the past three seasons, the Mariners have held a commanding 32-14 record against their divisional rivals.

For years, Houston stood as the class of the American League, boasting rosters loaded with stars and pitching talent that made them a perennial World Series contender. Rizzs said the sustained success against that caliber of opponent carries extra meaning for Seattle’s veteran players, including shortstop J.P. Crawford and catcher Cal Raleigh, who faced a dominant Astros squad in the 2022 postseason.

“They haven’t said as much, because they were the class of baseball for such a long time,” Rizzs said. “You want to beat the best. You want to beat the Yankees, you want to beat the Dodgers.”

Rizzs recalled the depth of talent Houston deployed under former manager Dusty Baker, rattling off a lineup that once featured Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, Jose Altuve, and Yordan Alvarez, supported by a pitching staff that included Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke, and Gerrit Cole.

“It’s special when you can beat the best team in baseball and put up those kinds of numbers, because if you want to win the World Series, you’ve got to go through the best,” Rizzs said. “For a while, they were the top team in the American League, but now that has changed, and yeah, they love beating Houston.”

Mariners lean on pitching depth after losing All-Star catcher

However, the Mariners face a significant challenge after placing Raleigh on the injured list. The All-Star catcher has established himself as one of the game’s premier offensive threats from behind the plate, and his absence creates a void in the middle of Seattle’s lineup.

“That’s a big loss when you lose Cal, because 60 home runs, 125 RBIs is what he does behind the plate,” Rizzs said. “He was the best player in baseball last year.”

Despite the setback, Rizzs pointed to the strength of Seattle’s pitching staff as a reason for optimism. The Mariners are running a six-man rotation, and Rizzs said the depth on the mound has been remarkable, particularly the emergence of right-hander Emerson Hancock.

“All six guys can pitch, which is amazing,” Rizzs said. “Emerson Hancock has done such a super job. He’s been one of the best pitchers in the American League, and that’s why the Mariners are in a six-man rotation.”

Hancock is scheduled to start Friday night’s game at T-Mobile Park as Seattle looks to maintain its momentum.

“We’ll just have to wait and see, but it’s a wonderful problem to have,” Rizzs said.

Manda Factor is the co-host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. Follow Manda on X and email her here. 

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