Thursday, September 30, 2010

g159 | the road to 100 losses?

Mariners 1 | Athletics 8


Not Doug's best effort...
SIX runs on THIRTEEN hits in FIVE.TWO innings

While Gio was quite effective..
despite the FIVE walks, the M's bats failed to capitalize, as per usual

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

g158 | oh, for the love!

Mariners 5 | Rangers 6


Not many had seen a game end in the manner this one did...
because it's only happened SIX times in major league history (at least I'm pretty sure that was the stat given on the post game afterward).  In any case, rest assured that a strikeout on a wild pitch with a runner on first in the bottom of the 9th in a tie game does not typically result in the the winning run crossing the plate.  ugh!

Although, ugly as it was...
if the bullpen had been able to hold Jason's nice 5-1 lead, it wouldn't have been an issue.  Unfortunately, for Jason, that double-digit win remained ever elusive.  But, I think in spite of it all, he chalked up a pretty decent season ... really his first ever full, healthy season in the bigs.  No doubt he learned a lot that he can take forward.

Nice to see a few more runs scored...
Justin with his third homer in as many games and Guit with a 2-run double

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

g157 | the superlatives are becoming inadequate

Mariners 3 | Rangers 1

Felix's season just keeps getting better and better...
~ another eight innings pitched (249.2 total - leads the league)
~ another quality start (30 - leads the league)
~ another five strikeouts (232 - leads the league)
~ only one earned run (2.27ERA - leads the league

oh yeah - he even got a WIN tonight (13 - doesn't lead the league)

EDITED TO ADD:
Larry Stone explains how Felix can win the CY,  even without a majority of first place votes...

Monday, September 27, 2010

g156 | wait, what ... RUNS, what are they?

Mariners 7 | Rangers 5 


SEVEN runs?  after SIX yesterday?
who are these guys and what have you done with my Mariners?

offense, it's a beautiful thing...
albeit too little, too late for this season but, good to see the young ones starting to come through (FIVE of the 10 hits and THREE of the 7 runs were from "the future" (Justin, Adam, Greg)

David did a very nice job...
scattered EIGHT hits through SIX innings but, only gave up a couple runs and a couple walks.  Vavaro had a rough outing but the rest of the pen (Garrett, Jamie and Brandon) came through like charms, yielding only ONE hit and TWO K's over 2.2 IP.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

seaHAWKS | 2-0 @ Home

Seahawks 27 | Chargers 20

Yowsa - what a game!
If I'd been there, I probably would have had a heart attack, more than once!
I was at my son's soccer game, even though he was on the DL from a concussion sustained in last week's game - gotta support the team!
Anyway, back to the Hawks...

le-ON!  LE-on! 
not one but, TWO (count 'em TWO!) kickoff returns for touchdowns!!  Not only that but, the longest (101) and second longest (99) in Seahawks history!  What a great story for a guy coming back from such a devastating injury.

and kudos to the rookie!
Earl Thomas had TWO interceptions - one converted to a field goal

turnovers were the defining difference...
- the Chargers gained TWICE as many yards
- the Chargers possessed the ball for THIRTEEN more minutes
- the Chargers recorded THIRTEEN more first downs
- the Charges committed FIVE turnovers

The Seahawks WON!


JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Golden Tate gets airborne during a 1st down
JOHN LOK / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Leon Washington runs 99 yards in his 2nd KO return for a TD

g155 | salvaged in St Pete

Mariners 6 | Rays 2


luke scattered a few hits through four...
then, once he had the lead, he gave it up but, ultimately held on for the win

with a little help from his pen...
Jamie, Daniel and Brandon combined for only ONE hit, NO walks and FIVE strikeouts through the last FOUR innings.  Daniel got a special fist bump from Felix after his inning, as he struck out the side, in order, all swinging!

look ma, runs!
double digit hits - Chone with a double and Josh with his second homer!

Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Scarves were up in Chi-Town!!!

Sounders 1 | Fire nil
What an exciting victory ... 
Blaise Nkufo scores in the 88th minute to break the nil-nil tie!  (his FOURTH goal in TWO games!)

And the defense holds ...
“There were some chances they had early and certainly Keller made an absolutely huge save,” Schmid said.  “Maybe I am so used to seeing it from him over all the years you being to expect it, but that’s what great goalkeepers do - they come up with a key save that keeps you in the game.  He certainly did that for us tonight.”
And so the Sounders rack up THREE points on the ROAD...
inching ever closer to their second playoff in as many seasons.

g154 | pulp at Tropicana

Mariners 1 | Rays 9

Well, so much for the pitching...
Rays hit 'em and hit 'em hard - each Mariner pitcher gave up runs (Doug 4, Garrett 2, Seddon 3) the Rays hit four doubles, one triple and two home runs - yowsa!

M's managed nine hits again...
but, as per usual, could get enough of them in

On the bright side...
this was a bad day for the Yanks (losing to the Red Sox 7-3) as the Rays expand their division lead to 1.5.

Friday, September 24, 2010

g153 | Tampa trouble

Mariners 3 | Rays 5

So they couldn't have scored at least one of these yesterday? :-(

Jason is definitely showing the effects of pitching twice as many innings as ever before...
this was his seventh loss in a row.

Nice to see the "new guys"...
Varvaro and Cortes each made their major league debut with a scoreless inning.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

g152 | where for art thou runs? and, another 200-hit season

Mariners 0 | Blue Jays 1

Once again, Felix pitches his ever-lovin' heart out and has nothing to show for it except more innings pitched and a lower ERA (which actually serve to elevate his CY contention).  He allowed ONE run (a solo shot to the major league leader in home runs) and TWO hits over EIGHT innings.  What more can he do?!?

I'm thinking the powers that be should just stop recording wins and losses for pitchers....  
I mean, it's always been a bit of a crazy stat anyway - to earn a "decision" must pitch at least five innings in order to get the win or 'be on the hook' for the loss ... blah, blah, blah

Obviously, wins are THE stat for a TEAM... 
winning is really all that matters to a team.  But why is it that a pitcher needs to have a win/loss record as well, when so much of what goes into a win is beyond his control?

But what a pitcher CAN control, if he is worth his salt at all is...
(like a certain Venezuelan we all know, who is not only worth his salt, but he's worth the entire salt mine)
~ how many earned runs he gives up
~ how many strikeouts he racks up
~ how many quality starts he records
Felix is A # 1 in all those categories
(and yeah, and he fields his position pretty darn well too) 

Some have made the argument that because he's on a losing team, he doesn't pitch under pressure...
I would contend, that for a competitor like Felix, it is actually HARDER to pitch with nothing on the line. What motivation does he have (aside from pride in his personal performance) to pitch lights out as he does nearly EVERY time he goes out there? ... when deep down he knows it's highly unlikely his team will score enough runs for the victory. BTW ~ in his 12 losses, the M's have scored a total of 14 runs

Others have suggested that because he pitches against inferior competition, his stats aren't worth as much...
Yet he has pitched in more games against teams with .500 or better records than CC has.  And, his ERA is more than a full point lower in those games.
Larry Stone goes through all the stats here and mentions some national attention that Felix is getting for the CY race, despite his lack of wins...


And then there's Ichiro....
First player in MLB HISTORY to record TEN straight seasons with 200+ hits ~ simply amazing.


AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn


Man, do Felix and Ichiro deserve SO much better...

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

g151 | HO-LY, HO-ZAY!!!

Mariners 6 | Blue Jays 3

one player, three homers, in one game?!?
Hasn't happened for the M's since 2002, when Cammy hit four (and dang close to five) in Chicago
Way to go, Lopey!!!  Two solo shots and a 2-runner (off three different pitchers!)



and kudos to Michael...
who added two RBI of his own with a 2-run homer in the 2nd to get the scoring started

and can't forget David P...
nice outing ~ 6IP-6H - 2R - 2BB - 2K ~ vs. a strong hitting team

After the game, David really praised his battery mate, saying that it has been great having his veteran presence around and that he appreciates the way he handles the pitching staff, whether he's behind the plate or on the bench.

Brandon made is a little interesting, allowing a couple of hits and a run, but luckily had that "Jose cushion"



oh, and Ichiro two more hits...
only two away from 200 for the 10th straight season



Photos courtesy Matthew Manor/Getty Images




Tuesday, September 21, 2010

g150 | French flies...

Mariners 3 | Blue Jays 5

OK, not fair ... 
the Jays are the most prolific home run hitting team this season and they added three to their total tonight (232) vs. Luke

mini rally in the 9th fell short...
Tui was gifted a double and Ichiro and Chone singled (Ichi's 197th hit) scoring one but Lopey struck out to end it (after collecting 2 of the 3 RBI)

Sunday, September 19, 2010

g149 | Mister Fister helps M's take series from Texas

Mariners 2 | Rangers 1

Doug was liberal with the hits...
but stingy with the runs to help the M's take the rubber game from the Rangers.  Quite a feat, considering they only scored five runs the entire series.

Nice to see Ryan L contributing...
a triple, a run scored and an outfield assist

David made the 9th interesting...
walked two but, was able to lock down his 31st save

g148 | no delusions vs. Mr Lee

Mariners 1 | Rangers 6


Cliff (the mentor) vs. Jason (the mentored)....
I thought Jason would fair a bit better but, wasn't surprised at the outcome of the M's bats vs. Cliff

The defense was the lone bright spot...
All the routine plays were made (as they should be but, have necessarily been all season) and there were several players who made great plays (and not JUST the stalwarts like Ichi and Guit) all around the field.
~ Tui looked confident at 3rd and made some nice stops and throws to first.  ,
~ Josh made a head-turning catch on a shallow CF fly
~ Figgy made a super sliding catch to get an out at first
~ Jason knocked down a come-backer and was able to get an out at home with a great tag by Josh
~ Michael made a neat sliding catch in LF
~ Justin held his own at first (on his first day back to the bigs after a night of celebration with the Rainiers the night before and a long flight earlier in the day), including a nice stop of a liner with a toss to Jason at the 1B bag for an out.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Congratulations to the Tacoma Rainiers ~ Champions of the Pacific Coast League!!!

News Tribune | Tacoma Rainiers sweep to first outright PCL title since 1969
The Rainiers, as they did the entire series, did most of their damage via the long ball. They belted four more home runs against the Redbirds to finish the three-game series with 11.
But in the final inning, the Rainiers found a more conventional way to manufacture runs – using singles that just managed find holes.
Following a walk by Dustin Ackley to start the inning, it was a blooper by Greg Halman, flares by Matt Mangini and Mike Carp and a single to right by Justin Smoak that accounted for all four runs.
“We’re known for hitting the ball out of the park,” Halman said. “But in baseball, a hit is a hit. We put something together, and everybody caught on, and we won the game

Mike off Mic | Pacific Coast League Champions
It was fun. Sorry, no time for a full write-up – we’ve got a bus to catch, to Oklahoma City for the Triple-A National Championship Game on Tuesday, at 5:05, against the International League champion Columbus Clippers. 
After the game, two Tacoma players were told to go to the majors instead of Oklahoma City. I’ll wait and let the Mariners announce who they are – but I can tell you that one of them celebrated by running shirtless around the concourse at an empty AutoZone Park after hearing the news. 

Friday, September 17, 2010

g147 | Felix Friday = Fantastic Fun!


The lead-off walk did not forebode the innings to come....
Felix set down 21 batters in-a-row, including EIGHT via strikeout (one on a 93mph change up!)

't was a REALLY fun game to be at, especially as Felix's zeros were mounting....  
Felix is just such a joy to watch and has developed into the epitome of a major league pitcher.  Not only does he have absolutely nasty stuff, he seems to have learned to control and use his emotion to his advantage.  He gets super pumped after a big out, but doesn't get rattled anymore when he gives up a hit (even if it happens to break up a no hitter in the 8th ;-)  And, he's had GOT to be one of the best fielding pitchers in the game.

Huge props to Adam Moore....  
It can't be easy catching Felix when he's spot on and dominating with everything he's got.

A 'W' added to the total that should be SO much more...
Felix took the lead back in strikeouts (now stands at 222) and lowered his leading ERA (to 2.35)
Of course, many focus on the wins, or lack thereof, as the reason he won't win the CY - even though he dominates most of the other stats that REALLY matter when determining the best PITCHER.

Some of the cases for Felix...

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Congratulations to the World Champion Seattle Storm!!!


"It came way too close," Seattle point guard Sue Bird, ever the perfectionist, said of the clinching game being as close as it was. "It's been a long time since 2004. To get back to win, to go undefeated in the playoffs … I couldn't be happier."

Seattle Times | Storm wins WNBA title

"Honestly, I didn't know if I was going to be able to come back like this," said Jackson, who scored 11 of her 15 points in the second half and was unanimously voted the Finals MVP. The regular-season MVP averaged 21 points against Atlanta.

Fittingly, the Storm clinched ecstasy after ample strain. They finished a three-game sweep of the pesky Atlanta Dream with an 87-84 victory at Philips Arena that remained in doubt until two potential tying shots flew off the mark. For the Storm, the W's in the box score always looked easier than the sweat it took to get them.
"You not only took Seattle by storm, but you've taken this country by storm," WNBA president Donna Orender said while presenting the championship trophy.
:::
"It's been years of letdowns and people putting question marks by your name," Cash said earlier this season of the team's motivation. "As a competitor, there are two ways you can respond to it: Let them be true or compete to prove them wrong. We're so competitive that, even if you aren't a competitive person, you have to get on board."

Dale Zanine/US Presswire

Storm-related tweets...

TheRealMariners 
Congratulations to the Seattle Storm on winning their second WNBA championship! My Oh My!


Seahawks 
Thanks to the @seattlestorm for brining another WNBA Championship to Seattle! An inspiring season all of Seattle is proud of.


Hasselbeck 
Congrats to LJ, Sue Bird & company ** World Champs **


PeteCarroll 
Big time congrats to the @seattlestorm for winning the wnba title tonight & bringing a championship to seattle!


RainiersLand 
Congratulations to the Seattle Storm!







Wednesday, September 15, 2010

g146 | Sox complete the sweep

Mariners 1 | Red Sox 5

Back to the same-old, same-old...
Russell's solo shot in the first was one of only six hits and would prove to be the M's only run.
David P performed admirably, allowing only two runs (only one earned) through six innings.
Ryan, on the other hand, had a bit of a struggle - two walks and three earned runs in two innings...

Only two home series left...
I'll be at Friday and Saturday night's games, starting my long goodbye to my "summer home"...

:-(

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

g145 | bp blowup...

Mariners 6 | Red Sox 9

Larry Stone via tweets...
M's had gone 16 straight games at home without scoring more than 3 runs, longest MLB single-season streak since 1920.
During that 16-game streak of fewer than 4 runs at home, M's went 7-9 -- a tribute to their pitching staff (2.62 ERA)
Finally, some runs!
Along with double-digit hits, four walks and four stolen bases

But, all for naught...
The runs and Luke's near-quality start went wasted as Brandon blew things up in the 8th and 9th allowing five earned runs.



Monday, September 13, 2010

g144 | 'ster vs. 'ster

Mariners 1 | Red Sox 5

Les' beats Fis'...
3 hits and 12 K's are overkill for John Lester to earn the win (even though he struck out 13 in his last loss vs. the M's) as all of the 4 total hits were singles (2 each by Figgy and Jose) and the lone RBI was a ground out to the pitcher ... oy.

Doug recovered quite nicely...
from the 3-run second, allowing only one hit in the 6th, but then seemed to tire a bit, giving up a homer after a lead-off walk in the 7th

Nice try, Ichiro....

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images




Sunday, September 12, 2010

gms 140-143 | A's and Halos

So much going on these days ...
son back to school and soccer, SeaHAWKS, Mariners minor league affiliate post season play, etc.

Meanwhile, M's continue to improve their draft position for next June...

Mariners 3 | Athletics 4

Mariners 3  | Angels 4 (14)

Mariners 4 | Angels 7

Mariners 0 | Angels 3


Truly counting the days to off-season and the interest and intrigue it will bring.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

g139 | wait, what .... runs????

Mariners 7 | Athletics 5

~ M's scored as many runs in the second inning tonight as they did in the ENTIRE Twins series.
~ THIRTEEN hits - Guti and Michael the only batters without at least one hit (but they each walked and scored a run) and Adam hit his fourth homer
~ Speaking of Guti, he left the game in the third innings with shortness of breath or some such (kinda scary, as he's been suffering from the flu) hopefully nothing serious...
~ Got a bit dicey in the bottom of the 9th, after two quick outs with a 5-run lead, the wheels fell off for Brandon and he gave up three runs.  Luckily, the DA came to the rescue - he threw 2 pitches to get the final out and earn his 29th save and preserve the win for Doug.

AP


Monday, September 06, 2010

g138 | Another struggle for Vargas...

Mariners 2 | Athletics 6

Jason may have hit the wall and ~ surprise, surprise ~
the bats could get nothing going vs. Anderson or the A's pen.
Vargas, who had pitched well enough in his first 27 starts to win another five or six of them, didn’t pitch well enough to win his 10th this time. And that 10th victory has proven elusive.
Since winning his ninth on Aug. 14, Vargas has started four times – and lost each game. Much of the damage against him has come early, and when Oakland scored twice in the first inning it continued a trend the left-hander can’t seem to stop.
In each of those last four starts, Vargas has allowed at least one run in the first inning. With a Mariners offense that simply cannot score with the rest of major league baseball, an early deficit often means a quick loss.
This one certainly did.
“I’ve had streaks where that’s happened, streaks where it hasn’t,” Vargas said. “ ... The last seven, eight starts I’ve thrown more fastballs to get ahead. I wish I’d thrown more of them down today.”

Sunday, September 05, 2010

gms 128-137 | Catchin' up...

Series loss to the Twins...
Vargas definitely wasn't on his game but Fister, French and the bullpen shone brightly and the "O"was dead as a doornail
Mariners 3 | Twins 6
Mariners 0 | Twins 1
Mariners 2 | Twins 1

Series loss to the Angels...
only a smidge more offense, Vargas and Pauley struggled but, Felix was nothing shy of stellar in the only win that resulted in a no decision for him
Mariners 3 | Angels 5
Mariners 3 | Angels 1
Mariners 2 | Angels 4

Series split with the Tribe...
still searching for offense, Fister and Pauley not sharp but French and Felix were awesome and Aardsma with a save in both wins
Mariners 3 | Indians 6
Mariners 1 | Indians 0
Mariners 2 | Indians 4
Mariners 3 | Indians 0


photo of the week - how great is that smile?!?

TED S. WARREN / AP