G103 | Lost in the storm

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AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez


M's 4 | Rangers 5

Well, at the risk of sounding to settle for moral victories, at least this one was competitive.

Yeah, Jason gave up 5 runs, but at least he lasted 5 innings...
His first bit of trouble was in the 2nd but then cruised through the 3rd and 4th. Then in the 5th after giving up solo homer he made a great play on a sac-bunt to tag the runner out, but then the wheels came off. But, hey, what doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger. I just get the feeling that Jason is more the type to take something from a game like that (learning through adversity) more so than Garrett. Though I think Garrett has proved his worth in the pen (so hopefully, that's where he'll stay).

The bullpen looked more like we are used to seeing...
only one hit, one walk and zero runs in three innings - not bad, considering the opponent.

Nice to see Lopey continuing to do well...
he drove in 3 of the 4 M's runs and continues to lead the team in RBI and doubles.


Fans were treated to fireworks during the 2 hour 18 minute rain delay...


AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

So long Wash....

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At about 8:30am this morning, it was announced that Jarrod Washburn was traded to the Detroit Tigers for LHP Luke French and minor league LHP Mauricio Robles.

Sorry to see Wash go, but understand why it had to happen.

As the dust settles, seems most are thinking that Robles may be Jack Z's diamond in the rough. And, he seems to be collecting some other gems as he travels down "replenishment road" unlike Bill B who preferred "plunder parkway" ;-)

The Mariners need pitching depth, and the gem of this deal is Robles, who has emerged this season to become one of the Tigers' top-five minor-league prospects. And he is the second top-of-the-line pitching prospect Zduriencik has acquired this month. Earlier in July he traded Yuniesky Betancourt to Kansas City for Dan Cortes.

It is possible both Cortes and Robles could be in the Mariners' rotation sometime in the middle of 2011 or the start of 2012. They represent two giant steps up for an organization that was thin on quality arms.

The Mariners' scouts love Robles, a hard-throwing left-hander who has 111 strikeouts in 91-1/3 innings in Class A this season. Talent evaluation is Zduriencik's strength. If he says Robles is a diamond, believe it. Venezuelan baseball officials thought enough of Robles to put him on their World Baseball Classic roster, heady stuff for a 20-year-old.

And after struggling in his first two starts with the Mariners' Class AA team at West Tennessee, Cortes threw six shutout innings Tuesday.

As he promised when he got here, Jack Zduriencik is rebuilding the Mariners' fallow farm system. Sure, Friday's trade will hurt in the short run, but this is the kind of pain teams have to endure as they slowly get better.

Some thoughts on Robles from a Detroit perspective....

Mauricio Robles has a chance at being for Seattle what Jair Jurrjens has been for the Atlanta Braves.

Robles, a left-hander, is that good.

Fans don't pay much attention to the minor leagues, particularly to the lower rungs, but they should -- and for this reason.

Robles is 20 years old. He was promoted earlier this year from Single A West Michigan to Single A Lakeland. That's a big step for a kid who can't yet buy a drink.

And yet he has flourished. He has 40 strikeouts in 35 innings and only 14 walks. He had a 4-2 record and a 3.60 earned-run average.

And here's a collection of info on Luke French as compiled by Larry Stone...

Good luck, Jarrod.

You go, Jackie Z !

G102 | the house of horrors that is Rangers Ballpark in Arlington

M's 1 | Rangers 7


First the M's are out-homered at home 11-0 during a sweep by the Tribe.
Then (after winning a series vs. the Blue Jays) they give up FIVE homers in one game in Arlington.

I've mentioned before that Garrett seems to be more suited to the pen, but I guess they wanted to give him one more shot at starting (tough draw with Rangers at the plate).


Tip o' the cap to Mr. Holland.





AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

And the dealing begins....

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Apparently, I missed lots of excitement this morning...

Jack Z has been hard at work and the first of two deals was announced early this afternoon when it was released that the M's had acquired SS Jack Wilson and RHP Ian Snell from the Pittsburgh Pirates and then a bit later we heard that Wladimir Balentien had been traded to the Reds for RHP Robert Manuel.

Some thoughts after "catching up" a bit...

On Jack Z
~ His talent assessment acumen is definitely so far, so good (e.g., Gutierrez, Branyan, Aardsma)
~ He is consistent in his pursuit of solid "D" (obviously, that gets extra bonus points from me ;-)
~ He seems to be desirous of purging "all things Bavasi"

On what they got...

JACK
Seems Jack Z had been 'courting' Jack W since May. From all accounts he is a great defensive shortstop, who just may 'fill-the-bill' until such time that Truinfel is ready to come up (2012?). He sounded excited to be in Seattle with the chance to play for a team that has a chance to contend and (in the word's of a local sports talk host) "glad to be out of the purgetory that is the Pittsburgh Pirates." At the same time, he wanted to ensure he took the time to say goodbye and thank you to his teammates on the team he'd been a part of and leader for over the past nine seasons. Pretty classy.

IAN
Sometimes a change of scenary can make all the difference. We have certainly seen first hand this season how a change in attitude and atmosphere can make a huge difference. Hopefully, that will be the case for Ian. Will be interesting to see how Rick Adair et al will work with him - they have certainly worked some wonders with others so far...

On what they gave up...

JEFF
It became apparent fairly early on that catching wasn't his strong suit. Eventually, it also seemed that despite tearing up AAA, he was not able to hit major league pitching with any consitentsy. Those facts, couple with no room at 1B/DH at the big club, not to mention two bad knees made it obvious that there was really no place for him on this team. Hopefully, the change of scenary will do him good...

RONNY
What can you say about losing a .167 hitter. He had a very decent glove at shortstop and did seem to have some improbable homers and clutch hits, but everyone knew that he was just a stopgap between Yuni and whoever was next.

SINGLE-A ARMS
Nathan Adcock, Brett Lorin & Aaron Pribanic - admittedly, I don't know much about them. But, it would seem that Jack knows how to re-stock the farm cupboard since he was able to get 2 double-A arms for Yuni and a triple-A arm for Wlad.


Now, the team is off to Arlington and Jarrod is still an M...

G101 | Doc vs. Hyphen ... no contest you say?

M's 3 | Blue Jays 2
Imagine my surprise when I sneaked a peek at the box score during a busy day at work in the bottom of the sixth....

First things first - M's were ahead 1-0. Wow, I thought, against Halladay?!?
Then I checked to see who had touched him up - Lopey a home run! The next thing I noticed was that the M's had 7 hits (again - vs. Halladay?!?!) Then, it jumped out at me, the ZEROS that comprised RRS's line - no doubt my gasp was audible from my cubicle. Unfortunately, not long after my happy, but nerve-wracking discovery, came the top of the 7th and the first Blue Jays hit as well as two runs.

Later, when I was able to peek again, and imagine my delight when the I saw the final score...
And, it just got better as I saw that it was Junior who came up with a bases loaded double in the bottom of the 7th (with new teammated Jack Wilson having just taken a seat in the dugout ;-)

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

The 11 hits that Doc H gave up were the most he had surrendered in 15 months.

So, the M's take 2 of 3 from the Tiggers (at the time the leaders in the Central) then get STOMPED by the Tribe for 3 games at home and suffer a rare Felix melt-down in the first game against Toronto - but then go on to win the series, including the game against one of the best pitchers in the league.

Ain't baseball great?

p.s. M's now 25-13 in one-run games

G100 | Wash. Ichi and the "D"

M's 4 | Blue Jays 3

The Energizer Bunny (aka: Jarrod Washburn) just keeps on going....

HoHum, just another 7IP - 1R performance....
Unfortunately, Jarrod doesn't get a W for his efforts, thanks to Mark, who is aggravatingly inconsistent. But, the team got the win and that's what really counts.

"D" a sparklin' and shinin' bright...
Which, of course, makes Rosy one happy camper!
~ Lovin' Michael Saunders in LF
(even though Ryan Langerhans was no chopped liver)
~ Jack H makin' some super plays at the hot corner
(the 3 hits tonight and 1 RBI were a bonus!)
~ Chris Shelton with a beautiful snow cone catch in foul over the tarp

And then there was Ichiro...
3 hits, 2 runs and had the game-winning hit (a bases-loaded "dunker")
Believe it or not - it was Ichiro's first ever GWH!

AP Photo/Elaine Thompson

G99 | Not so Happy Felix Day

M's 4 | Blue Jays 11

It was "Felix Day" but it wasn't Felix's day....

It happens to the best of them.
He battled through, as he has done in the past when he didn't 'have it'...
but the wheels finally came off in the 6th





Tomorrow's Happy Wash Day :-)







AP Photo/John Froschauer

G98 | forget swept - more like power-vac'ed!

M's 3 | Indians 12


So much for "Home Sweet Home" :-(


M's took 3 of 4 from the Tribe in Cleveland - out scoring them 15-10 and out homering them 4-1

Tribe came "sweeping" through Seattle hitting 11 home runs on their way to out scoring the M's 31-6

ay-yi-yi...

The lone bright spot was Michael Saunders (just called up and made his major league debut yesterday) got his first big league hit AND his first big league RBI today.

Next few days should be interesting ... tick, tick, tick

G97 | a lost series ... hopefully not a lost cause

M's 3 | Indians 10


I out of town for the day and wasn't able to see/hear the game (and boy, that was just as well)

Another rocky outing (one of his worst as a Mariner) for Erik - only 3 innings. Now some speculation that he may still be hurt - which would explain a lot. But, is it good that he's been battling through it or bad that he didn't fess up earlier? If true, not good timing with the trade deadline looming...

A bit of roster movement, as Michael Saunders was called up from Tacoma and Wlad was DFA.

Hopefully, they can put this one out of their minds quickly and get back to their winning ways (especially since it appears that the Halos will never lose again)

G96 | painful

M's 0 | Indians 9

Definitely not among the most enjoyable M's games I've attended ;-(

The bright spot was definitely RR-S...
And the fact that he got through 7 innings giving up 5 hits, 4 runs and 1 walk in his first major league start since April is encouraging. He really pitched pretty decently, until a couple of mistakes in the 7th.

A couple of great catches in "Area 51" and at 3B by Jack.

But then there was the offense...
or lack thereof ~ 4 singles, blech!!!

And the bullpen...
Going into the game, Miggy had a sub-2 ERA at home - he gave up 5 runs in the 9th. Granted, the M's were already down by a significant margin, but we'll never if they might have been able to muster up enough to overcome a 4-run deficit - as opposed to how deflated their confidence must have been with a 9-run hole staring them in the face...


And, of course the fact that the Angels and the Rangers won just rubbed a little salt.

G95 | Wash the Revived

M's 2 | Tigers 1

whadaya say?
Jarrod just keeps on keepin' on...
another 7 strong innings allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks and ZERO runs. Mark showed he was human (allowing one run) but Sean and the D.A. came in to seal the series (2-1) vs. the Tigers of Detroit.

Even though they only scored "just enough" (2 runs) it was nice to see the 8 hits scattered throughout the lineup (3 of the 2B variety).

There was a rather news-worthy item...
Moments after Washburn helped the Seattle Mariners finish off a 2-1 win over the Detroit Tigers, he and his teammates gathered around clubhouse televisions to cheer the end of Mark Buehrle's perfect game against Tampa Bay.

"It would have been pretty hard for me to top that," Washburn said. "I've always liked him, though -- he's another crafty lefty and he wears my No. 56."

G94 | Who needs a "King" when you've got an "Ace"

M's 2 | Tigers 1

~ Give 'em seven, even without your best stuff - CHECK
~ Team 8-0 in your last seven starts - CHECK
~ 10-2 after a loss - CHECK
~ 12 games since your last losing decision - CHECK
~ 8.1 innings pitched average over last ten starts - CHECK
~ 8.3 K's average per game over last ten starts - CHECK
~ Shut down a division leader - CHECK (LAD), CHECK (BOS), CHECK (DET)

Need I go on?

Yes indeed, you are something special, Felix...
You are becoming the pitcher we always knew you could be ... an ACE in the making.

Oh yeah, that Russell the Muscle sure can hit a baseball high and far :-)



AP Photo/Duane Burleson

Ironic that the M's get a win on a night in which they get only two hits and two runs and suffer a loss when they record 13 hits and 7 runs. Baseball is funny that way....

Here's to the REALLY important thing...
get the series W tomorrow!!!

p.s. an interesting little tid-bit...
Felix's win was the 50th in his major league career and it came in the same ballpark where he made his debut.

G93 | owie!!

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AP Photo/Gary Malerba

M's 7 | Tigers 9

Haven't brought myself to watch the replay of Franklin's collision with the centerfield scoreboard...
The written and verbal descriptions were bad enough. Luckily, it sounds like it looked worse than it was. X-rays on his elbow were negative and he is day-to-day with contusions to his elbow and knee - whew!

Normally, a game where the M's rack up 13 hits (including 4 homers and 2 doubles) and score 7 runs winds up in the W column...
Unfortunately, Garrett wasn't up to snuff today (giving up 7 runs in less than 2 innings). Although, for the most part, the pen was decent enough. Chris did OK, Shawn K struggled a bit but Roy and Sean W did what they needed to do. The bats just couldn't come through in the 8th and 9th, after scoring in every inning but the 2nd

But, it was nice to see the "never say die" effort...
and Ryan and Jack with their first Mariner homers (Jack with two - who knew?!?)

G92 | timely hits + great D + awesome pen = W

M's 5 | Indians 3

Jose muffed a sure third out in the 5th that allowed a Tribe run to score (had he made the play, Erik MIGHT have be able to go another inning). But, in the end you could say the "D" won it, as Ichiro caught a long, loud out at the wall to end the game (it's not conclusive that the ball would have gone out, but close enough that the "whews" could be heard here in Seattle all the way from Ohio :-)

Once again, Erik wasn't able to finish the 5th....
let alone get into the 6th (granted, Lopey was no help)
Will he EVER be able to pitch 7 or 8 innings?

And once again the much maligned offense shows their versatility...
~ In the 1st Russell homers with Ichiro on and then Chris doubles and Guti knocks him in
~ Tie is broken in the 8th when Guti singles, steals second, Ryan sacrifices him to 3rd and Jack gets him home with a sac-fly
~ In the 9th they tack on another run via a single, a wild pitch, a HBP and a fielder's choice.



AP Photo/Mark Duncan

HUGE 'grats to the bullpen on their AWESOME job...
Miggy made it a bit interesting (walk, double, walk after striking out two) but in the end the collective pen (Miggy, Mark, Sean and David) only allowed 2 hits, 3 walks, 0 runs and struck out 6 in 4.1 innings - yowsa!!

So, 3 from the Tribe after dropping the first, that makes 6 out of the last 8 - nice!

G91 | Jarrod and the "Death to Flying Things" show

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M's 3 | Indians 1

Lovin' the "little bit o' everything" the M's showed tonight!

Varied, but just enough "O"...
~ power = Guti with ANOTHER homer after a Junior walk
~ manufacturing = Ronnie double, Ichi sac-bunt, Russell sac-fly

And then there's that "D"...
~ Guti with more awesome catches to rob doubles (granted, Seattle area local boy Grady did some robbing of his own)
~ Wladdy with a very nice throw to get Martinez trying to stretch a single into a double and also tied a club record for put outs in a game (8)

And, of course, the "re-invented Wash...
He's the energizer bunny, he just keeps goin' and goin' and goin' - run support or no. The only Tribe run came on a great throw from Guti to home plate that Rob caught and tagged the runner with, but Martinez was ruled safe.


AP Photo/Tony Dejak























AP Photo/Tony Dejak

G90 | Felix and the bats!

M's 6 | Indians 2

On Felix days, it's fairly usual for the bullpen to kickback, as all but the D.A. were able to do yesterday.

It was nice to see the bats wake out of their ASB slumber...
11 hits including 3 doubles and ANOTHER Guit homer (now has 11). Russell and Jack were the only players without a hit, but Jack walked twice and scored both times.

Much has been made about Wash's run support (or lack thereof) so I decided to check out the stats for Felix's starts. No problem there - run differential in Felix's starts... +35
If only that were the case overall...




AP Photo/Tony Dejak

Of course "Felix praise" is aplenty these days, here's some from Wak and "the new guy"...

"That's an ace. That's an All-Star," said Mariners' manager Don Wakamatsu. "We talked last night how much our starting pitching sets the tone of a ballgame. For him to go deep, into the eighth inning, and turn it over to [David] Aardsma, it gives us a confidence level that really helps this team."

Hernandez has now gone seven or more innings in his past eight starts, the longest active streak in the majors. Over his past 10 starts, he is 6-0 with a 1.30 earned-run average.

"It's exciting any time you play behind a guy with that type of stuff," said new third baseman Jack Hannahan, who is enjoying watching Hernandez from his new vantage point, rather than facing him at the plate.

"It was not very fun," he said of the latter experience. "It was the big talk in the clubhouse: 'We're facing King Felix', so it kind of riles everyone up. I'm very happy I don't have to face him anymore."

Hernandez says he relishes the challenge of revitalizing the team after a defeat, especially one as sloppy as Thursday's.

"It was important for us after the loss that I go out there [and] do my job — give the opportunity for the team to win the game," he said, as his victory music, the bouncy "El Mariachi Loco," played loudly in the background.

G89 | one outta nine ain't good

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AP Photo/Tony Dejak

M's 1 | Indians 4

Seems this one was a good one to miss...
Garrett was definitely not in a groove tonight and the "D" certainly did nothing to help him out as they were all over the map - 4 errors and 3 DPs

The offense was a bit hap-hazard as well...
a hit in EVERY inning, but only ONE run (Ronnie's opposite field homer)

One bright spot...
Kenji ~ 3 for 4 and 2 base runners thrown out

Felix Day tomorrow!
(and I'll get to watch the whole thing, as I have the day off!!)

Sellers for tomorrow or buyers for today?

All I know is I'm glad Jack Z is at the helm of the Good Ship Mariner instead of those who steer the blog-o-sphere. It will be extremely interesting to watch what unfolds in the next few weeks. Here's my totally non-sabermetric take....

Don't deal your strength - build upon it.

Seems to me that is one way to achieve BOTH improving the team for the HERE and NOW as well as building toward the FUTURE. Even this pollyanna knows it is highly unlikely the M's pitching will continue to be as strong as it was in the first half. There's BOUND to be some drop off (as we started to see it down the ASB stretch). At the same time (as Lou would say) the hitting can't possibly get much worse (and, in fact, down the ASB stretch, it started to get better).

So, instead of dealing pitchers like Jarrod and Erik (who many speculate won't be signed back in FA) why not keep them and continue to add to the stockpile of arms and gloves (is my pitching and defense obsession showing through yet?) Balance is nice ~ I prefer DOMINANCE. You go, arms, legs and leather! Then again, maybe I'll just say - you go Jack Z! He hasn't steered us wrong so far so it's fair to say, "In Jack we trust."

Some other thoughts on the topic

Will surprising Mariners buy or sell at the deadline? | Greg Bell - Seattle PI

Back to work for the Mariners: Is the best yet to come? | Larry LaRue - News Tribune

Cut to the front office, and general manager Jack Zduriencik – the man who brought you David Aardsma, Russell Branyan and Franklin Gutierrez. What’s the one question he has heard more often than all others as the team heads into baseball’s second half?

“Are we buyers or sellers?” he said. “That’s fun for fans to talk about, but for a GM? I’ve said it from Day One here: If I see a way to improve the talent on this club, I’ll do it.

“Some of our improvement in the second half may come from within. We’ve got a healthy Erik Bedard back. Ryan Rowland-Smith is on a roll and might help us. Adrian Beltre is coming back next month.”

:::

“I think we have accomplished more than anyone thought we could and built a lot of confidence in ourselves,” Washburn said. “When you come to the park every day and feel you have a chance to win that game, that’s huge.

“I have been on teams when you show up that guys just feel you are going to get beat that day.”

Like, say, the Mariners of a year ago?

“The difference between this year and last is more than night and day,” Washburn said.

To stay close in the West, the Mariners can’t just wait for Zduriencik to make a move. Branyan has to continue his remarkable breakout season at age 33. Gutierrez must continue to emerge as a Gold Glove-caliber center fielder capable of hitting .295.

With so many pieces of the team being counted upon, virtually everyone carries the responsibility to win – both a burden and an opportunity.

“That’s what has made this team special, so many guys, me included, getting a chance to do something they haven’t done in the past and running with it,” Aardsma said. “Every guy in the lineup has won a game for us at some point or another, so many pitchers have worked in different roles and done well.

“A lot of that is the coaching staff that believes in us, as a team and individually. I don’t know how many times this year I’ve sat down and talked with (bullpen coach) John Wetteland about closing, about baseball.

Disappointment and Progress | Home Highlights

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1-3 vs. the Orioles
3-1 vs. the Rangers



Bright Sights...

~ Jarrod! a one-hitter at the O's and a nice start vs. the Rangers
~ One of the greatest moments so far this season was Franklin's 8th inning 3-run homer that ended up winning the 1st game against Texas (Felix's reaction in the dugout was absolutely priceless)
~ Speaking of Felix - super, super performance - becoming and ACE before our eyes
~ Erik seems to be getting better - didn't quite get through 6, but progress made
~ Jason actually did well vs. the O's (a point forgotten in the despair of the loss) he was in trouble every inning but battled and battled (and battled himself right down to AAA)
~ Definitely some clutch hits and great defense enjoyed on the home stand



Bleak peeks...

The bullpen virtually imploded in the 2nd and 3rd games against the O's - here's hoping it was just one of those "blips" that pens go through (as they did end up rebounding nicely vs. the Rangers) and that with a little rest over the ASB they will come back with a vengeance

And, maybe add to their helmet collection helmet collection...

And the brigade of Spartan helmets above the bullpen bench did their job to perfection.

Spartan helmets?

The Mariners’ often-goofy band of relief pitchers has acquired an assortment of props for the pomp and ceremony that takes place nightly in the bullpen. Among them are three Spartan helmets.

When Johnson’s long fly carried over the fence to break a 1-1 tie, the ball bounced off the roof of the bullpen bench, which in turn caused one of the helmets to fall.

Crisis? Hardly.

“Nothing hurt,” reliever Chris Jakubauskas said. “That’s what it’s there for.”

Come again?

Basically, the helmets are placed in a spot on the roof over the bullpen bench so they overlook the field. In a symbolic way, they attract all that’s good for the Mariners and repel evil.

Fun Group :-)

G88 | M's overcome Rangers late rally with one of their own

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AP Photo/John Froschauer

M's 5 | Rangers 3

And apparently, some pretty spiffy D....
Had the game on in one ear in the back seat of the car on my way home from Portland :-)

M's had the lead early and Erik was doing pretty well - allowed no runs through 5 innings, but then he couldn't make it through the 6th (gave up a two-run homer to Blalock and then Batista came in and gave up a solo shot to Cruz that tied the game. Luckily, the M's had their rally shoes on and were able to go ahead via a couple of singles in the 7th and hold on (with the usual suspects: Mark and David) for the victory and the series win.

Nice way to head to the break, taking 3 of 4 from the division rivals ahead of you...

G87 | another awesome Wash start

M's 4 | Rangers 1

The run support wasn't much but it was enough...

thanks to Russell and Rob (each hit homers) and even the new guy, Jack got into the action with a double and a run scored.

W = Wash
H = Mark
S = the D.A.

Was at 50 Plates as a continuation of the birthday weekend (HIGHLY recommend it, btw) so could only keep one eye on the game in the bar from across the room.




AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

G86 | M's can't hold early lead

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AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

M's 4 | Rangers 6

I was able to keep an eye on the game during dinner (part of the birthday celebration) from our table at Deschutes Brewery. The good food, drink and fun friends help take the sting out of the loss. But, the bigger news of the night was that the M's traded Yuni to the Royals for right-hander Danny Cortes and left-hander Derrick Saito

Most are saying adddition by subtracction. Some are saying that Cortes could go a long way toward replacing the loss of Tillman (who was part of the Bedard deal)...

Rosy OOO | in Portland for the weekend

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Glad I at least got to watch most of the game on TV last night, since I likely will miss all of the rest of the games this series....

Tomorrow afternoon I'm headed to Portland for the weekend where I'm attending a friend's 50th birthday celebration that includes a winery tour via limo. No doubt there will be lots of good food, drink and fun ... (but no baseball ;-(

G85 | Guti, Guti, Good!

M's 3 | Rangers 1


And that Felix kid, he ain't bad either :-)

What a game and what a difference a day makes inside that dugout.

At one point in the bottom of the 8th, Felix couldn't look (actually put a towel over his head!) Then Franklin hit it out for a 3-spot (with 2 strikes, 2 on and 2 out - no less!) and Felix was over the moon! Hugging him and practically tossing him back onto the field for a curtain call - it was absolute joy!

Gotta give the Rangers SP (Hunter) credit - M's managed 3 walks, but only 4 hits and no runs off of him. And O'Day was pretty filthy.

Oh, and REALLY great to see the D.A. take the mound immediately after the melt-down and be nails.

Well, one down, three to go :-)


AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey



AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey

G84 | luck runs out

M's 3 | O's 5
I wasn't able to follow the game today (dang 1:40pm weekday starts) but, according to various accounts, all the breaks were falling the M's way for most of the game and several Mariner pitchers were doing their bet Houdini impressions. Unfortunately, David Aardsma wasn't one of them.

Starter Jason Vargas managed to get through five innings without giving up a run despite allowing at least one runner to reach base in every inning (3H - 5BB - 6K). Miggy threw a 1-2-3 sixth, but loaded the bases without recording an out in the seventh. Garret then came in, struck out the first batter he faced and then induced a double-play (whew!). All was looking rosy for the top of the ninth with the D.A. coming in with a 3-0 lead....

Then, the appendix burst...
David gave up five runs - two were unearned as Jose went from hero (having hit the two-run home run in the first inning that held up until the ninth) to goat (two errors in the ninth)



AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

It happens to the best of them...
For instance, so far this season it's happened to Papelbon and Nathan twice, Mariano once.
This was David's second blown save and I think he's allowed the two mulligans before the break - one from over work (in May vs. the Angels after pitching four days in-a-row) and one from under work (today he hadn't pitched in four days).

As I type this, Texas gets the victory down in Anaheim (8-1) which means the Rangers ride into town with a 4.5 game lead over the M's.

Time for the Mariners to take care of their own destiny and finish strong before the break.

Go Felix ~ Go M's!

G83 | when it rains, it pours

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

M's 4 | O's 12

Jarrod Washburn gave the bullpen an extra night off last night and, apparently, they were still in vacation mode :-(

Erik, fresh off the DL, did okay ...
He only went 4 innings on his 75 pitch limit and gave up 2 runs in the 1st, but struck out 8.

Franklin's 3-run homer in the bottom of the 1st inning gave the M's the lead...
and that would be all the scoring until the 6th. Things were looking okay, as Jaku got through the 5th unscathed/

But then came the nightmarish 6th and 7th innings ...
Jaku, Kelley and Roy gave up total of 10 runs. Franklin had a rare mis-cue in center to allow 2 runs to score.

Junior legs out a lead-off double in the 8th (as we held our collective breath)...
But to no avail. The M's would pick up one more run in the 9th on a single, a double and a sac-fly. But that would be all she wrote. Luke Scott's 7 RBI were just too much for the come-back kids to overcom. Sometimes, it's just not your night.

Day game tomorrow ~ they can still take the series.

G82 | one shy of perfect

Scoreboard
Final	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore (36-47)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Seattle (43-39) «	1	0	0	0	1	2	1	0	x	5	9	0

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren


M's 5 | O's 0

Well, despite not making a ton of progress on the wallpaper stripping project, I decided to treat myself and go to the game anyway...
boy, am I glad I did!

AWESOME performance by Jarrod and the "D" tonight!!
Nick Markakis's single in the 4th was Baltimore's ONLY BASE RUNNER and Jarrod went the distance the first one-hitter of his career (also the first one-hitter at Safeco Field)

I don't know when I've ever felt so confident in a pitcher as a fan during a game...
It was just 1-2-3, 1-2-3 (first 11 in-a-row, then the hit, then 16 in-a- row). He commented after the game how he made an adjustment in ST that just seems to be working, allowing him to get more ground balls and indeed he did (11gb - 13fb). Even though it seemed he threw a lot of first pitch balls ~ he only went to a 3-ball count on two batters.

As is usually the case with this type of outing, the "D" was great behind him (really nice to see especially the 'replacements' stepping up to take over for Adrian, Yuni and Endy). There was a bit of luck though (either that or Wak really knows how to read a crystal ball when it comes to defensive positioning) - there was a stretch for awhile there with nothing by "at-'em balls.


AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Rather ironic that Jarrod finally gets a little run support and doesn't need it...
~Russell with a 1st inning homer to center
~Ichiro with an RBI single
~Chris with a 2-run double
~Ryan with a sac-fly


AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

It was a rather eerie sight at The Safe tonight, especially after it got dark...
None of the electronic scoreboards were working. The video board was functioning (and they ended up putting the pitch counts there w/each players picture) but all around the park the boards were dark. I always bring my radio, so the only thing I really missed was the pitch counts/speed. Of course the hand-operated scoreboard was working fine....


AP Photo/Ted S. Warren


Oh, another What was really cool, is that his parents were in attendance - in town from Wisconsin.

Oh, a Junior tid-bit...
I was sitting in the first row of the third deck over the M's dugout and at one point when Ichiro was at bat, I looked down and there was Junior at the rail (I think he was next to Rob) mimicking Ichiro as he was batting! I had heard that he did stuff like this, just never caught him in the act - it was hysterical!

Well, be interesting to see how Eirk follows up on this performance tomorrow....

Hanging with the best | Road Reflections

.


2-1 vs. Dodgers
1-2 vs. Yankees
2-1 vs. Red Sox


ROAD RHYTHM

~ Felix being Felix (not quite as strong in BOS as he was in LA) but definitely coming into his "ace-hood"
~ Super kudos to the bottom of the order who started to take off with the salvage game in Yankee Stadium and continued rolling on into Fenway (in 5 games the 5-9 hitters were 35 of 52 in hits, 16 of 27 in RBI and 17 of 27 in runs scored)
~ the D.A. added two more saves to his total
~ JR hit his 620th career homer in LA and his 621st in the new Yankee Stadium
~ Russell hit a MOON shot in new YS
~ Red Sox fan catches a foul ball in his cap (preventing Youks from catching it) and the inning extends and the M's get three on a double and a homer
~ Comin' from behind is always fun, but doing it in Fenway is sweet! (and on the 4th of July, no less!)



ROAD RUBBISH

~ Jason continued his road woes in LA
~ Sean struggles mightily for the first time all season (in NY and BOS)
~ Some critical errors spoil comeback in NY and BOS
~ Bullpen implosion in Fenway prevents M's from sweeping the Sox
~ Adrian decides he can no longer play through the pain - the Dodger series is his last prior to surgery

G81 | No sweeping in Beantown today...

M's 4 | Red Sox 8
At the start of play today, the M's had never swept the Red Sox in Fenway - at the end of play today, the stat still stands.

Doesn't it just figure....
Brandon is finally able to put together a quality performance - allowing only 3 runs (all solo shots) and 2 walks (which for him, is great) in 6 full innings - with his last pitch clocked at 98mph (a strikeout of Varitek). And then, the thus far stellar pen implodes. Hopefully, it was just a bad day and not a sign that they are starting to wear down. A bit worried about Sean though - he's struggled mightily in his last 3 outings.

The bottom of the order...
Continues to produce. Only one extra-base hit today, from none than Ronnie - a bases loaded, bases clearing triple to take the lead.

Nice defense today...
one DP and some really nice catches in the outfield. Franklin continues to impress and Ryan seems to be handling LF well. Will be interesting to see how he does in his Safeco Field debut.

AP Photo/Winslow Townson

5-4 on what many thought would be the "road trip from hell" ~ 9 games against the 3 best teams in baseball ~ I'll take it!!!

Home to take on the O's for three and the Rangers for four before the break.
I don't attend many weekday games, but I might try to go tomorrow (providing I make some serious progress on stripping wallpaper in my den ;-)

G80 | The Come-back Kids strike again at Fenway!

AP Photo/Winslow Townson

M's 3 | Red Sox 2

M's are now tied with the New York Yankees in come-from-behind wins (23) and lead the league in one-run victories (21-13). What a difference a year makes (well, and a new manager, and a new GM, new first baseman, new center fielder - I could go on - might have something to do with it)

Most recently, they are having success ~ against good teams...
~ without their gold glove third baseman
~ without their regular short stop
~ with a revolving door in LF
~ not to mention the pitching injuries

Back to today specifically...
HUGE kudos to Mr. Olson ~ way to step up, Garret! Going 6+ innings and holding the Sox to only 4 hits and 2 runs despite walking 4 is pretty impressive ~ especially at Fenway.

And, how 'bout a little love for Corky?!?
I will admit I was VERY nervous to see him come in, but understood the situation with the spent pen. Awesome to see him get 2 ground ball outs to retire the Sox in the 7th and then come back out and throw a 1-2-3 8th. By the way, he gave kudos to Wak for his very approachable, helpful managerial style (somehow I get the feeling he's not the only one that feels that way).

And then there's a little (ok, a LOT) of love for the "D"...
Franklin with a great catch at that fence on the warning track (thought for SURE it was going to be a double) and Lopey with a leaping, angled stretch to snare a line drive. Ronnie had his first error at short, but these things happen - he's been solid (and the two homers one yesterday and one vs. the Yanks have been a bonus).

No matter what happens tomorrow...
(and believe me, with Brandon "still in ST mode" Morrow on the mound, my expectations are low) the M's are guaranteed a winning road trip. Not too shabby ever, but considering it was vs. the 3 best teams in baseball, color me a proud fan in teal.

G79 | Felix fine at Fenway...

M's 7 | Red Sox 6

Not as dominating as his previous two appearances in Boston...
but gotta love the way Felix battled through the next six innings, after giving up two runs in the first. After that, he had runners on base in every inning but two but was able to get out of it every time with the exception the home run to Drew in the seventh.

And how 'bout that bottom of the order?!?!?
5-9 batters had 8 of the 13 hits (including 5 doubles and a home run), 5 of the 7 runs scored and 5 of the 7RBI (including Rob's 2-run double that proved to be the winning hit)

M's now 4-3 on the road trip...
I remember thinking if they could go 4-5 that would be good enough. So, anything now is just gravy :-)

And OK, I'll admit it, there's always a little more hop in my step when the M's beat either the Red Sox or the Yanks (not to get too far ahead of myself, but now if they could only beat the Rangers - currently 0-5 against them)


AP Photo/Mary Schwalm

Oh and thanks to the Red Sox fan that prevented Youks from catching Ryan's foul ball in the stands by catching it himself - in his hat. Next pitch went for a double, next batter lined out (would have been the 3rd out sans the fan) then Robby hit an RBI double to tie the game and Ronnie homered for the go ahead runs.

:-)

Felix honored on "Felix Day"

"Felix Day" (for those not in the know) is any day that Felix Hernandez pitches.

Today, he will take the mound in Fenway Park for only the third time in his career.
Here's a look at his stats the first two times 'round...
2-0 W/L
0.00 ERA
15.0 IP
7 H
5 BB
11 K
.140 BAA

Here's hoping that today he can continue the trend he started!

And, congratulations are in order...
Felix named AL Pitcher of the Month for June

Congrats (and keep it up!) Felix!

G78 | Sweep-less in the Bronx!

M's 8 | Yankees 4
Nice to avoid the sweep with a bit of dominance! Whodathunk the M's only win in the Bronx would come vs. C.C.?? (especially when our starter, Jason, had the flu!)
very good....
~ the bullpen - that's the one we know and love! Awesome job by Miggy, Mark and David. Although David continues to remind me of Kazu - WAY too many pitches, but gettin' it done WAY more often than not (17 of 18 to be exact)
~ bottom of the order - 9 of the 12 hits were from the 5-8 hitters
~ Ichiro's 2-run double w/2 out in the 4th
good...
~ Joh's throw to catch Jeter stealing 2B
~ M's on base in every inning
~ Franklin's homer
~ Russell's homer
~ Langerhans Mariner debut (2 for 4 w/a double)
~ Jason hanging in through four, keeping 'em in it despite being sick as a dog
not so good...
~ Ichiro's error
~ baserunning (Ryan, Chris and Kenji all thrown out at 2B)

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

quote of the night...
"Our guys are learning how to win," reliever Miguel Batista said.

G77 | Jr's shot captivating...but far from enough

M's 2 | Yankees 4

I was reading a Yankee fan blog prior to the series start and was surprised to see some actually wanting to see Junior hit a homer at Yankee Stadium (as long as it was a solo shot). Well, today they got their wish - Junior's solo shot tied the game. Unfortunately, Alex also hit a shot (of the 2 run variety) that would end up being the game winner - so there goes the series ;-( I wasn't able to watch/listen to the game (or even the post game show) so don't know anything beyond the box score - did like to see that they had turned 3 dp's! This was the game I thought they had a shot at - Wash has been pitching well, and Andy just so-so.

Tomorrow could be scary, considering Jason's numbers on a road mound...
HOME: 2-0, 1.67 ERA, .223 BAA
ROAD: 1-3, 5.86 ERA, .333BAA
other bad news: he's given up a homer in all but one start (and one he gave up two)
semi good news: all but one of those nine home runs were solo shots

I'm thinking that Russell is WAY overdue for one of his MOON shots. :-)