James Paxton vs. Robbie Erlin, 12:10pm
That snuck up on me. There’s an actual Mariners baseball game today, as the M’s and Padres play their annual charity game in Peoria. James Paxton gets the start for the M’s, trying to show he’s fully healed after last year’s injury-plagued campaign and trying to hold off Nate Karns for the last rotation spot. We last saw the Canuck pitching in the Arizona Fall League, where he maintained 93-94mph velocity but gave up 37 hits in just 29 1/3 IP. What accounts for that? Well, for one, Paxton was told not to throw his curve, his best breaking ball.