The matchup was going to make Thursday’s otherwise nondescript regular season baseball game between middling teams somewhat interesting if not special. Both the Mariners and Angels are going nowhere slowly this season. They’ll battle to see who won’t finish last in the American League West.
But the chance to see Yusei Kikuchi pitch to Shohei Ohtani multiple times at T-Mobile Park would’ve made it fun. Yes, you remember baseball is supposed to be fun. And with the Mariners at 24-34 and the Angels at 26-29 this season with an infinitesimal chance of making the postseason, some level of fun would be a nice change.