Wednesday, May 26, 2010

g46 | eighth inning magic

Mariners 5 | Tigers 4


Wow - a sweep of the Tiggers!
OK, 't was only a two game series - but considering it's the first series win since the end of April when they took 2-3 from the Royals, I think they'll take it.

Jason wasn't terribly sharp but was able to get through five only allowing 2 runs.  RRS and Brandon didn't do so quite so well and weren't helped at all by the defense (something that is increasingly disturbing).  But, thanks to some eighth inning offensive magic (what? is this the M's?) from a Guti single, a Mike homer, a Lopey single, a Rob double and a Josh single that equated to 4 runs and then throw in a 1-2-3 ninth by the DA ... it didn't matter in the end.

Certainly hoping this offensive spark and the good feeling of two wins vs a good team will carry over to the weekend in the land of Disney....
where there will be both a Happy Felix Day and a Happy Cliff Day :-)

I'll have to miss all the games, as I'm headed to Austin, Texas in the morning for the long weekend to visit my daughter who just moved there.

Go Mariners!!!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

g45 | all is not lost ...

Mariners 5 | Tigers 3
I eagerly await the day when victory brings true joy instead of mere relief.
Tonight was a step, or five, in that direction.


DEAN RUTZ/SEATTLE TIMES/MCT

on the mound
They call him Mister Fister, but the should call him Mr. Stellar.
Seven of Doug's nine starts have been quality and, with just a smidge more offense he'd be 8-1 instead of 3-2 (two of his last three ND's and his last loss were all by 1-run).  He got into some trouble (although certainly not only of his own accord - his defense wasn't his friend tonight) in the second inning, but great to see him work through it and go 7+  but his ERA did balloon to just over 2.00 with the two runs given up ;-)  Keep up the good work, Dougie!

Nice work Shawn and David!!

at the plate
Wow - over half the hits were for extra bases!
~ Milton and Guti with homers - Chone and Josh with doubles
~ Milton had the single that scored Figgy for the go-ahead run in the 8th
~ And Lopey knocked in Guti with a sac-fly for a little insurance
"The way I was feeling, I needed to share it with my teammates," Bradley said. "It was a good feeling. I came through."
leather-works
Unfortunately, not a lot to crow about here ... save for a nice DP in the 3rd
I was only able to watch the last couple of innings, but on the radio it sure sounded like some of those hits in the 2nd inning should have been outs.  Here's hoping they can get that fundamental focus back.
.
.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

g44 | from 15 in one to 2 in two....

Mariners 1 | Padres 8

Even I, cannot put a rosy spin this.

Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Maybe a day off at home will be the ticket....  
Play golf, go fishing, watch old movies.  
Do anything but think about baseball for a day.
Come back renewed and rejuvenated and ready to HIT.

A girl can hope, can't she?

(oh, and btw, just because I used a photo of Junior, this is NOT all on him, it just seemed an apropos depiction of nearly the entire lineup - sad, isn't it?)


Saturday, May 22, 2010

g43 | from feast to famine

Mariners 1 | Padres 2

It's a game of inches as they say - and the inches involved tonight weren't falling the M's way.  Whether it be Padre pitches inches off the plate called strikes or Padres hits falling just inches fair.  But, the M's didn't do much to help their own plight, despite being in position to all game long....
“It’s little things that cost you ballgames,” manager Don Wakamatsu said.
AP
strengthening signs
~ Ian was swell, especially considering this was his first start since the end of April.
~ Mike still swinging a hot bat - here's hoping his back holds out
~ Figgy with 2 more hits - baby steps
~ Milton stops short of shattering his bat after striking out in the 9th
~ Some super "D"

hindering hints
~ No walks, no DP's
~ Getting picked off at first
~ Botched bunt
~ Plenty of opportunity created, no advantage taken

frustrating facts
~ M's are now 5-12 in one-run games
~ Last year through 43 games they were 11-9 in such affairs

Friday, May 21, 2010

g42 | fUn wiTh cRooKeD nUmBerS

Mariners 15 | Padres 8

No, that's not a typo.
It wasn't the Chargers vs. the Seahawks (although the weather certainly seemed more like November than May)

In his previous FOUR starts, Cliff gave up a total of SEVEN earned runs, yet had only ONE win.
Tonight, he notched his SECOND win, despite giving up SEVEN earned runs.

That's baseball.

On their last home stand, the Mariners scored a total of TWENTY runs in NINE games.
Tonight, they recorded FIFTEEN hits (including 3 doubles & 3 home runs ) scoring FIFTEEN runs.

That's baseball.

Coming into this game, both the Padres and Mariners had had shown GREAT pitching and ABYSMAL hitting.  One would have expected a two hour, 2-1 affair.
Tonight - the M's didn't pitch well, the Padres pitched horribly, the M's absolutely crushed the ball and the Pads scored plenty enough to win about 99% of the time.

That's baseball.

In their last TEN games, the Mariners have played SEVEN one-run games.
Tonight, they won by SEVEN runs.

That's baseball.

Glad I was there.
I like baseball.

Rosy's view from Section 331


Thursday, May 20, 2010

g41 | happy, happy, joy, joy

Mariners 4 | Blue Jays 3

TED S. WARREN / The Associated Press   AP

12:30pm on a weekday is a crummy time for a baseball game to start.
But, Junior finally reminded us of how great one can end.

At last ... on the right side of a walk-off win!

Congratulations to Don Wakamatsu who notches his 100th win as Mariner Manager
(and gets tossed for the first time as a major league skipper in the process!)

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

g40 | at least the jays didn't leave the yard

Mariners 2 | Jays 3
Yes, it was another loss (5 in-a-row) but...
there really was a lot to be encouraged about in this game.

MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES

#1 - how 'BOUT that Mister Fister?!?!
Doug faced a very difficult test tonight going up against the number one homer team in the league and he passed with flying colors.  Really showing his mettle in the 2nd inning - two runs scored on a double, single, single, walk, HBP - but he managed to limit the damage and went on to pitch a full eight - not allowing a single base-runner the rest of the way.  Look up STUD in Webster's and no doubt Mister Fister's picture will be starin' back at ya ;-)


#2 - Figgy comin' 'round!
Another hit, an RBI and a stolen base.  Kinda fun to see him discussing hitting on the bench with Ichi ... you just get the feeling watching their interaction that things are really starting to turn and he's not letting it get him down


#3 - Offense in general
Second straight night of double-digit hits.  Now, getting more runs than the other team is still an issue.  But, come on, baby steps....


#4 - Solid fundamentals
I wasn't able to see the entire game, but from what I saw and heard, I don't believe there were any major mental lapses of the sort that were all to prevalent on the road trip - in fact, there was some very good defense and very good base running - keep it up boys (control those "controll-ables" as Shannon would say)


#5 Milton returns and goes 2 for 4


Early start tomorrow....
hopefully they can pick up the good things right where they left off tonight and get the split to start off the home stand.



Tuesday, May 18, 2010

g39 | lotsa good stuff, b u t . . .

Mariners 5 | Athletics 6

no "W" to show for it.
  • Figgy with two hits! (including a double and a run and an rbi)
  • Casey with two hits! (and two rbi)
  • Robby with a homer! (apparently, he likes hitting vs. Sheets)
  • Robby also throwing 2 runners out (we won't talk about his out on the basepaths ;-(
  • Junior with a hit!
  • Mike with a pinch-hit rbi (that tied the game at 5 in the 8th)
  • Michael turns an AWESOME DP - shoes string catch and throws the runner out at 2B
10 total hits and 5 walks ... THAT's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

Now, the bad part...
  • Felix wasn't Felix but, although he had to work darned hard for it, he did leave with the lead
  • The pen, unfortunately, was "the pen" (as of late, they just can't hold it late)
  • Guti hesitated on throwing to 2B on a long fly ball out that could have resulted in a DP
  • Rob thrown out at 3B (OK, so I mentioned it)

Monday, May 17, 2010

g38 | too little, too late (in so many ways)

Mariners 4 | Athletics 8


OK, so if RRS was going to cough up another one, BIG time, why couldn't they have scratched out those runs in two of the other games this road trip? Coulda won both of the previous series.  Guess it doesn't work that way....

What to do with RRS?

What to do with the bats, or lack thereof.

There's bound to be a breakout at some point ...
tomorrow is as good a day as any ~ Felix Day!
(here's to a game that lives up to it's namesake)

p.s.  I shouldn't ignore Tui's first homer (even though it was "aided" a bit by Davis's glove) and Lopey's 3RBI - baby steps...

Sunday, May 16, 2010

g37 | poor Clifford...

Mariners 1 | Rays 2

Another absolutely STELLAR pitching performance by Mr. Lee
8IP - 5H - 2ER - 1BB - 10K
(vs. the best team in baseball!)

And yet, he loses argh!!

One crummy home stand (1-8) followed by a disheartening road trip (2-4)
The run differential on the road trip so far? 19-20 - I want the one-run winners back!

It just doesn't seem possible that the struggling bats can continue to struggle at the same pace for much longer.  What worries me is (and this is SO totally UN-rosy of me) when the bats do finally break out, and give the bullpen some breathing room, will the starting pitching then come back down to earth?

Saturday, May 15, 2010

g36 | it's a sad, sad situation . . .

Mariners 2 | Rays 3
. . . and it's getting more absurd.
Not exactly what Elton John and Bernie Taupin had in mind when the wrote the song, but it seems to fit, none the less.

Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images
So sad that another stellar starting pitching performance goes to waste...
So sad that the bullpen takes the heat for not being perfect....
So sad that the offense can't score more than 2 runs per game with any consistency (despite Sweeney's third home run in as many games and Figgy's second double)...
So sad that Adam got hurt just when he was starting to break out offensively...


But, gotta give credit where credit is due ~ Shields was really good (8IP and 10K)


Still got a chance to take the series ... would help make this road trip a little less sad...

Friday, May 14, 2010

g35 | whadaday in tampa bay!

Mariners 4 | Rays 3

Well, they seem to have mastered game "ones" on this road trip so far.  Here's hoping the can at least get game two as well the rest of the way.

Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images
on the mound
Mister Fister was not on top of his game today ~ 94 pitches in only 5 innings, a balk that scored a run, 3 walks (he had walked a total of 3 in his last 5 starts) ~ but hey, he got the win!
~ Tex was great, striking out the side in the 6th
~ Shawn got 3 quick outs in the 8th, but then the dreaded base on balls and a homer to Longoria
~ Enter the DA for a fairly rare 1-2-3 save

at the plate
Yowsa ~ who are these guys and what have you done with our Mariners?!?!
SIX home runs in the past 2 games?!?  Today = Guti, Adam and Sweeney
And Sweeney with a steal too - first one since August of 2006.  On the post game show, Shannon mentioned that the dugout security guy said the dugout went crazy when Mike got that SB - really seemed to ignite them.  Oh yeah, 3 doubles to go with the 3 homers.

leather-works
Already mentioned the not-so-good balk and MS had an error, but there was a DP.

Which leads me to the results of my little research project
I'm as far from a sabermetrician as possible, but I have had the feeling as the season has gone along that as Mariners DP's are turned, a W is more likely.  Since they have started hitting with some power (9 homers in the past 5 games, compared to 10 in their first 16) I thought it would be interesting to compare DP to homers . . .
~ In their 14 wins, the M's turned 20 DPs (1.4/game) and hit 6 home runs
~ In their 21 losses, the M's have only turned 15 DP's (.7/game) and hit 10 home runs

Does it mean anything?  Probably not, except to underscore how much I like defense.  But, I will admit, this recent power surge has been kinda fun ;-)


And now, for no other reason than this is just a GREAT photo....

Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images


Thursday, May 13, 2010

g34 | heartbreak at camden...

Mariners 5 | Orioles 6

How could a day where so many things went so RIGHT...
  • 3 homeruns??  Ichiro, Mike and Michael
  • When was the last time the M's hit three  in one week, let alone one game?!?
  • Hits, Runs, RBI from the top, middle and bottom of the order
  • Felix was Felix again ~ 7IP - 5H - 1Er - 2BB - 7K
  • a nice 4-run lead heading to the bottom of the 8th...

 end so WRONG?
  • solo shot - ok, no biggie, but 5 batters later...
  • the dagger - no breaking out of rye bread and mustard out for this one though
  • but wait - can they come back in the 9th?!? 
  • ground out, HBP, walk, strike out, single .... and ..... OUT at the plate to end the game

    Wednesday, May 12, 2010

    g33 | oh to the O's

    Mariners 2 | Orioles 5

    Another rough (and short) outing for RRS . . . gotta get him fixed, fast.

    Interesting lineup . . .
    Guti out with a sore back, Ryan in CF, Tui is back in place of DL'd Jack (and thrown immediately to the hot corner) and Jose at DH
    . . . with uninteresting results

    Morning game tomorrow - time to take the series.
    Long past time for Felix to shine and the bats to wake up.

    Tuesday, May 11, 2010

    g32 | nap-gate, schmap-gate - they got a win!

    Mariners 5 | Orioles 1
    Seems the topic of the day was much ado about nothing.
    Now, on to baseball - and another win!
    AP
    The east coast timing sucks, as the game's just getting over as I get home from work (plus, we had a family dinner tonight, so didn't get to hear the post game show) so all I've got to go by is the box score but ... it looks pretty darned good!
    • Double digit hits (including two doubles and a homer!)  
    • Figgy had an error - but he also had a hit (and an RBI walk) and was involved in two DP's!
    • Cliff was Cliff and finally got his first win!
    • Brandon was great in relief
    The "new guys" seem to be providing a much needed spark.  
    In the past two games, Ryan, Josh and Michael have combined for . . .
    3homers, 1triple, 1double, 9hits, 7rbi, 8runs and 3walks



    Monday, May 10, 2010

    g31 | exhaaaaaaaaale!

    Mariners 8 | Angels 1
    And, a Happy Mother's Day it was!

    AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey
    Especially for Michael Saunders mom . . .
    "Getting one today was really special, with my mom in the stands," Saunders said. "She's been through a lot for the last 11-12 years, battling cancer and everything. So not only was it special for me to hit a home run, it was more special that she was here to see it."  Jane Saunders has been battling various forms of cancer since Michael was 11. She's had four different stints with the disease, which recently returned again.
    on the mound
    Jason was great again - through seven, he  gave up only four hits, walked on and struck out four.  The lone earned run he allowed came after he walked the lead-off batter in the eighth and Brandon came in and struck out the next batter, suffered an error behind him and then threw a wild pitch.  Shawn pitched a scoreless ninth.

    at the plate
    wow - 12 HITS!  2 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs! (not to mention 4 stolen bases - 2 of which scored).  And, the most important thing .... more runs than the other team
    Whodathunk that when the M's finally hit back-to-back home runs, it would be Josh Wilson and Michael Saunders?!?  The M's needed a spark in the worst way and they finally got it.  Now, here's hoping they can keep that spark stoked on the off-day travel to Baltimore.

    If there was a negative about the game, it was that the M's could have easily had 3 more runs - two runners were thrown out at the plate and one was picked off 3B (with one out).

    leather-works
    Despite the Josh's error and Adam's passed ball, the "D" overall has looked MUCH better the past couple of games.  They even managed a double-play yesterday.

    Meanwhile, Alan Cockrell is the scapegoat for M's quiet bats.

    In other news, Congrats to Dallas Braden!
    Perfect game vs. the Rays - wow.  Guess he can answer A-Rod's question about "what has he done..." now with - "something only 19 players in HISTORY have done".

    Saturday, May 08, 2010

    g30 | progress?

    Mariners 3 | Angels 4 (in 10)
    OK, I may be reaching about the "progress".
         ~ Yes it was frustrating to see a dozen runners stranded
         ~ Yes it seems impossible that only ONE of NINE walkers scored
         ~ Yes the result was another "L"

    ELAINE THOMPSON / AP

    BUT.... hey, at least the bases had some company tonight!

    Even that long elusive 4th base ~ AKA home plate!
    Which is more than can be said for the past few games.

    I'll just chose to take the rosy view, thank you very much.  It remains to be seen whether this little teeny, tiny bit of offense is enough to spark something bigger.

    on the mound
    Despite the end result, Doug's performance was a good one.  Obviously, his 7IP-8H-3ER-1BB performance goes down as a quality start but, more importantly, he passed the mettle test.  That rough 5th inning, in which he gave up the only walk and 2 of the runs, was really the first adversity he had faced so far this season.  It was nice to see he was able to rebound and get through seven.

    Bummer that David gave up what would prove to be the winning run but, asking him to pitch 2 innings after not pitching for 6 days was a pretty tall order.

    at the plate
    good = patience is a virtue (NINE walks)
    not so good = only one of them scored
    bad luck = a couple HARD hit balls (Robs liner to 3rd and Josh's LONG fly to center come to mind)

    leather-works
    No spectacular plays and no double-plays (though lots of opportunity for them!)
    Just good, solid "make the play" defense.

    g29 | what's with the crazy 8's??

    Mariners 0 | Angels 8
    0-8 two days in-a-row?

    The Canadian Press
    And one with Felix on the mound?

    The walks were killer (and not necessarily all Felix's fault, seems there was NO help at all from the guy in "the other blue").  He settled down a bit after the brutal 4 run (34 pitch) first inning, but then gave up THREE home runs in the fourth... argh!

    There was some speculation that Felix was still having back issues, but according to Shannon, it's nothing physical.  She went so far to say that "he's lost his mojo".  Basically, she said that, even prior to this losing streak, Felix has not had his normal swagger in the clubhouse this season and the lack of same, seems to be carrying over to the field.

    Who knows.... maybe he just has to have the requisite requisite sucky game vs. the Halos in May before he really kicks it into gear.

    Then there was the offense or, lack thereof. Jared Weaver had a no-hitter two outs into the 7th. Luckily, Junior singled to break it up.  Unluckily, they had only one other hit (double by Michael Saunders) and no runs.

    The only positive was the bullpen - but, considering Mark Lowe is on the DL, that's a pretty important positive.  Jesus, Brandon and Tex combined for 5.2 hitless, scoreless innings.

    Oh, there was one other positive from the game tonight.  I met a very nice lady (fellow Mariner fan, of course).  If you find your way here, Debbie - just wanted to say it was nice chatting with you!

    Thursday, May 06, 2010

    g28 | oh boy

    Mariners 0 | Rays 8
    Well, lessssee....
    Shawn Kelley did okay.
    That's all I got.

    Starting tomorrow, something's gotta give... 't will be the battle of the inept.

    Halos come to town having lost 7-straight and given up 54 runs during the stretch.
    The M's have lost 6 in-a-row and have scored a grand total of NINE runs in those games.

    So....
    Will the M's bats finally heat up vs. Angel pitching?
    Or, will the Halo hurlers get healthy on the M's bats?

    We'll see - in fact I'll see all three in person - living at The Safe this weekend.

    Milton asks for, and gets, help...


    TED S. WARREN / AP


    After an "incident" during Tuesday's game (supposedly he dressed and left the field before the game was over) that no one is willing to confirm, Milton Bradley returned to the field the next day and asked to speak with Don and Jack.  He asked for help with some personal and emotional issues.  And the team is obliging.  Yesterday, after the press conference, no one was really sure of the ramifications ... except for the fact that they were only carrying 24 players.  Today, we heard that Milton has been placed on the "restricted list".  He can't be with the team for a minimum of 5 days (not workouts, no batting practice, not team meetings, no traveling with the team).  He also started his counseling today.  Michael Saunders has been called up to take his place on the roster ... timeline indefinite.

    While we don't know the specifics (and maybe never will) of Milton's problems, I appreciate the team's willingness to help and support him. I hope that their compassion as people and their resources as an organization are able to make a difference in Milton's life. Of course the best outcome is for Milton to get better "for his own self" which, in turn, will help the team.

    But, even as rosy as I am, in the back of my mind and bottom of my heart, I realize that there may come a time where the team has given all they have to give and it isn't enough. IF that happens, I hope MB will understand and continue to seek the help he needs and, that the organization will be better for having tried and the team will move forward - focusing on improving every aspect of their game, focusing on fun, focusing on winning.

    Some other thoughts and reports...

    Shannon's blog

    He will have the help of his organization from Jack Z on down. Mike Sweeney who was with Bradley when he addressed the students at Lakeridge Elementary School earlier today as the Mariners conducted their annual Dream Team Assemblies expressed concern for Bradley after batting practice.
    "The highlight was to hear Milton's heart. He opened up and showed all of the pain he has been going through. If you don't have compassion and love for Milton Bradley when you see who he truly is I don't think you have a heart."
    I have been a little concerned that I have not seen the same togetherness in the clubhouse that I saw last year. Perhaps dealing with Milton's situation will help bring this clubhouse closer together.
    "We're a family.", Sweeney said. "He's no different. He's probably had more emotional ups and downs than anyone else in the clubhouse but our job as a unit is to wrap our arms around him and support him and hope and pray this is going to be a turning point for his career. I've seen a similar circumstance with Zack Greinke in KC and hopefully Milton can get the same kind of help Zack has received in the past and similar results first and foremost as a man would be great. If it works out on the field even better."
    Sweeney says that Don Wakamatsu is up for the task.
    "He's taken on a brotherly role, a fatherly role. Counselor, sports psychologist, hitting coach, he does it all. Milton said to me I have never had a manager like Don. To hear the pain he is going though yet in the same breath to hear him praise his manager for the compassion and love he has shown is a neat thing."
    Jerry Brewer | Seattle Times

    It appears he's willing, finally. With Bradley, you never know. But let's go back to his speech to the kids because it revealed so much.
    "I've played for eight teams, but this is finally the best stop I've had," he said of Seattle.
    A few minutes later, he stopped himself from crying and said, "I kind of get a little emotional right now." It wasn't a ploy. This was genuine — and poignant. Every adult in the attendance — teachers, school administrators, media, Ichiro, Wakamatsu, Mike Sweeney, Ken Griffey Jr. and other Mariners employees — knew Bradley was lost in the moment.
    "You've got the whole world waiting for you," he told the kids. "I see so much potential in all of you. Someone in here might change the world.
    "Motivation, that's what it's all about. Find something internally or externally to keep yourself going."
    Bradley should take his own advice.
    He sounded like a man who wanted the kids to be better than him. They can be, but his life is far from over. He can set a higher bar.
    Get help, Milton.
    Real help.

    Wednesday, May 05, 2010

    g27 | sure it's not the dog days of August?

    Mariners 3 | Rays 8
    It's certainly FAR from a "merry month of May" :-(

    The news is bad on every front ....
    ~ Milton's situation (to be addressed in a separate post)
    ~ Mark's injury (15-day DL, herniated disc)
    ~ Jack's injury (although supposedly not serious)
    ~ another anemic offensive performance (but signs of breakout - 2 2B, 1 HR)

    Kudos to Cliff, while he wasn't nearly as dominating as he was against the Rangers (to be expected when going up against one of the most productive offenses in baseball) he pitched well enough for the M's to win.  They just, once again, didn't get it done.

    Tuesday, May 04, 2010

    g26 | home, apparently, not where the heart is

    Mariners 1 | Rays 5

    Certainly not where the runs are....

    Or the gloves...
    4 errors?!? 3 by JDub?

    Jason becomes the latest in the long line of hard luck losers from the Mariners rotation....
    6.2IP - 4H - 3ER - 3BB - 8K (career high)  - not too shabby vs. the best team in baseball.

    ~sigh~   

    Tip o' the cap to Mr. Shields.
    Doesn't get any easier - Mr. Garza tomorrow.

    Monday, May 03, 2010

    Rosy's Ramblings

    So, there's panic in the streets due to the lack of "battage" now from your Seattle Mariners....
    • Yes, no home runs in more than a week, even from a light-hitting team is concerning
    • Yes, scoring four runs in a three game series is nothing short of pathetic 
    • Yes, having that bases loaded multiple times and coming away with squat is frustrating


    But here's the thing....
    In my mind (and it may very well be only in my mind - what do I know?) if my team is to struggle, I would rather see them struggle offensively.  It just seems to me that it is easier to "fix" a team that loses 1-3 than one that loses 2-10.  Take the two division rivals the M's didn't play over the weekend - the Halos were swept in Detroit, outscored 9-18 and the A's lost two of three in Toronto, outscored 9-22.


    The Mariners have something VERY special with this pitching staff...
    and chances are, it's just going to improve.  While it seems impossible for Doug to keep up the pace, RRS is likely to improve, Jason has shown some promise, Cliff is just getting started and Felix hasn't even hit his stride yet (and Erik is just around the corner).  The bullpen seems to still be working out a few kinks, but overall has been adequate.

    As for the defense...
    They have had a few mis-cues lately, but nothing that is worrisome.  As I mentioned in a previous post, the main concern going into the season was "the switch" - no doubt that Jose and Figgy have put all worries to rest.

    Back to the bats...
    Yes, it would be great to have a big-bopper in the middle of the teal order (and I would expect that Jack Z is doing anything and everything in his power to improve this team) but it seems to me that this team has enough talent, athleticism and speed to manufacture runs and win games consistently - they just, for whatever reason, haven't been performing.  As our old friend Mark McLemore would say, they just need to "do what they do."  Again, without any proof, I contend that it is easier to figure out how to get an offense to score enough to win more games than they lose than it is to figure out how to improve pitching and defense.  Suffice it to say, I think the foundation that Jack Z is building is a darn solid one.

    Should be fun to see what moves are made, what attitudes changed, what fires are lit...

    Well, I said it was "rambling" ...
    ain't baseball great??

    Sunday, May 02, 2010

    g25 | poor Mister Fister...

    Mariners 1 | Rangers 3



    MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES
    on the mound
    Another stunning and stellar performance from Mister Fister ... wasted.
    Doug pitched EIGHT innings and did not allow the first hit until there was one out in the 6th (a fly ball that would have gone out, if it weren't for "Area 51").  He would end up allowing only three hits, NO runs and NO walks (I heard some crazy stat Rick quoted, I believe it was that Doug went to a 3 ball count on 7 batters, and retired all 7 - amazing).


    The DA wasn't able to hold the slim 1-0 lead, but this isn't on him (even though those lead-off base on balls are extremely frustrating).  Closers, even great ones, are going to give up a run here and there.  Brandon did okay in the 10th, but it seems Mark and Rob were not on the same page at all - singles, a bunt, a wild pitch and passed ballS added up to another 2 runs for the Rangers.   It's just a shame that the lack of offense has to manifest itself as pressure on the pitchers and the defense - razor thin margins for error are not very conducive to instilling "confidence in your competence".

    at the plate
    Meanwhile, not a lot has changed with the bats - a grand total of 4 Mariner runs scored in this SERIES.  Today, only five hits in eleven innings ... one for extra bases (Jose double).  The few good swings that were had were "at 'em" balls or long, loud outs.  But hey, Figgy got a hit, walked twice and had two stolen bases and scored the M's only run (now, if we could just have more of that from him and from Ichiro - this whole manufacturing thing could work).

    leather-works
    Already addressed some of the mis-cues ... there also were no DP's turned
    Apparently, earlier this evening there was a bit of a shake up...

    They released outfielder Eric Byrnes, whose averaged dropped to .094 (3 for 32) with an 0-for-4 performance Sunday, and optioned Matt Tuiasosopo to Class AAA Tacoma so he could play every day.
    To take their roster spots, outfielder Ryan Langerhans and infielder Josh Wilson were selected from Tacoma. Both will be in uniform Tuesday when the Mariners open a three-game series with Tampa Bay.
    "Tui didn't do anything wrong," general manager Jack Zduriencik said when reached by phone Sunday evening. "But he's a young player, and playing time is essential for his development. He'll go down and play every day at multiple positions."

    Saturday, May 01, 2010

    g24 | Rangers take series at The Safe

    AP
    Mariners 3 | Rangers 6
    I won't dwell on this one for long...
  • Scored some runs, but certainly could have scored more, could have scored enough to win
  • Felix was off today (Wak just said in the post game that he was having some back stiffness - actually had to have is adjusted during the game)
  • The D was, yet again, a bit sloppy

  • Improvements needed, and fast.

    g23 | all hat, no cattle

    (couldn't resist using the phrase as my daughter just moved to Texas ;-)


    Mariners 0 | Ranger 2
    Wow - no wonder there was a bit of hype when the M's acquired Cliff Lee.  Sure, M's fans have seen him pitch before, but to watch him toss seven, nearly effortless innings, giving up only three hits, no runs and no walks with eight strikeouts along the way was pretty special.  And Felix, for one, let him know...

    Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
    Unfortunately, there was almost as much consternation (if not more) regarding the M's offense as there was hype around a rotation that would include Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee - and the reasons were never more evident than last night.  Of course, credit and cap tips must be given to Colby Lewis.  As stellar as Cliff was, Colby was even better - at one point retiring TWENTY-ONE Mariners in-a-row.

    I LOVE a pitching duel . . . 
    and was having a great time and loving the view from my "princess seats" in Section 219...



    That is until the frustration set in . . . 
    Bases loaded with one out in two straight innings without scoring one measly run ~ Sweeney GDIP in the 10th and Byrnes botched squeeze play (that resulted in Ichiro out at the plate) and subsequently struck out to end the 11th.... arghh!

    There were no runs in the game . .  
    until the top of the 12th when some flukiness ~ a couple of singles, an error, a wild pitch, an intentional walk and a ground out ~ accounted for the the Rangers 2 runs.  The M's went fairly meekly in the bottom of the inning and that was the ballgame.

    Wake-up call . . . 
    Really a shame for Cliff's fabulous debut to go to waste, here's hoping something is sparked.  While it's true that these guys aren't about to power their way to wins, they are perfectly capable of manufacturing some runs, enough runs, to win more than they lose.  

    Let's see it!