Here’s the easiest possible way to understand the Mariners’ eight-run third inning on Sunday.
Mallex Smith walks. J.P. Crawford singles. Domingo Santana singles. Smith scores. Daniel Vogelbach walks. Omar Narvaez flies out. Crawford scores. Kyle Seager walks. Pitching change. Doesn’t matter. Austin Nola singles. Santana scores. Mac Williamson gets hit by pitch. Vogelbach scores. Dee Gordon singles. Seager scores. Smith singles. Nola scores. Crawford singles (again). Williamson scores. Gordon scores. Santana strikes out. Vogelbach flies out. Curtains.
See? Simple. But you didn’t come here for simple. You came for context. You came for color. You came for details that stretch beyond the box score of a 13-3 Mariners win over Baltimore.