g107 | nearly no-no

Mariners 1 | Rays 8

Not much to say here...
-Figgy broke up the no-no in the sixth (go figure)
-way too many M's didn't have a hit (including Dustin - but he had two walks)
-Mike had another hit and scored the lone run
-Casper Wells, one of the new guys, had a hit and the only RBI - Welcome to Seattle, Casper! 

Jason's had way too many bad outings lately ...
He didn't even make it through six innings, threw 113 pitches and gave up six runs (two unearned - ugh!) on nine hits and one walk.  Not sure what is going on with him, as I've mentioned previously he is truly "Jekyll" or "Hyde"

Speaking of which...
-the D was great, with an outfield assist DP and Brendan with his requisite awesome play at SS
-the D was dreadful, with THREE errors that led to TWO runs

Hopefully the other new guy - Charlie Furbush....
Just had some "new guy" jitters.  He gave up a lead-off home run in the 8th and a walk but got a flyout and a couple of ground outs to get through the inning,

Next up: A's for three and then they go to Anaheim and Arlington ... hopefully to play a little spoiler.

bye-bye Erik and Josh (we hardly knew you) Fields

Just prior to the game today, word was trickling in about a deal including Erik Bedard.  It wasn't until about the 2nd inning that the details of the latest, and last, deadline deal became known...

Seattle sent Bedard and right-handed Minor League reliever Josh Fields to Boston. In return, the Mariners received Triple-A outfielder Trayvon Robinson from the Dodgers and Double-A outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang from the Red Sox.The Red Sox, who initially acquired Robinson to make the deal happen, sent Minor League catcher Tim Federowicz, righty Juan Rodriguez and right-hander Stephen Fife to the Dodgers.

Looks like some interesting hitters added to the M's org...
~Robinson .293 BA w/ 26 HR, 6 3B, 9 2B, 45 BB and 71 RBI in 100 games in AAA Albuquerque
~Chiang .338 BA w/ 18 HR, 4 3B, 36 2B, 25 BB and 76 RBI in 87 games in AA Portland

You go, Jack Z!

g106 | combined one-hitter = WIN!

Mariners 3 | Rays 2

Now THIS is how the Mariners were winning early on!
The lack of offense is so much less frustrating when the pitching is of the shut-down variety, as opposed to the melt-down kind.

Michael had a no-hitter going through 5.2 innings...
when a single scored a runner who had reached base via a hit-by-pitch.  He struck out the first batter in the 6th and was lifted by Wedge after allowing back-to-back walks.  He had 10 strikeouts (a career high) and you can watch them here.

Good to see Jeff Gray come in...
and retire all five batters he faced (including two swinging strikeouts)

A rare Brandon League siting....
And, in an actual save opportunity!  (his last save was July 4th)  And he made good on it - retired the side in order for his 24th save of the season.

Now, to the offense ~ 't was the Ackley and Carp show!
-Dustin with a 2-run homer in the 1st, scoring Ichiro
-Mike with an RBI single in the 6th, scoring Dustin, who had doubled in front of him

There was actually some stat that I heard in one ear on the radio about the first time in a bazillion years (technical sabre metric term) that a rookie pitcher has struck out 10 in a win where his only run support was provided by fellow rookies.  Anyhoo - I'm thinking it bodes well for the future to see some of the young ones excelling.

bye-bye David and Doug

It was announced earlier this morning that the Mariners have acquired LHP Charlie Furbush, OF Casper Wells, INF Francisco Martinez and a PTBNL from Detroit for RHP's Doug Fister and David Pauley

Jack Z was on with John Clayton on 710 ESPN and had the following to say about the players acquired...

FURBUSH
Most recently has pitched out of the Tiger bullpen but, has been a starter throughout college (LSU) and in pro-ball (moved very quickly in the minors from A to AAA).  His fastball is up to 93, good breaking ball and nice change up.  The M's are going to give him a chance to start (will be on the 25-man and in uniform by Sunday) and the worst case is he's a lefty out of the 'pen.

WELLS
Have been seeking a right-handed hitter since .... forever.  He has hit well vs. left-handers, has a nice ratio of extra base hits, can run and throw and needs a chance to play.  Tough guy.

MARTINEZ
20 year old, 5-tool player currently playing in AA.  Very athletic with good size and the kind of frame to add weight.  Real upside, Tigers 4th best prospect at the start of the season - Tigers didn't want to give him up - been talking for 2 weeks.

PTBNL

"a pretty significant part of the deal" - they like all the possibilites - to be named on or before Aug 20th
(some speculation I've read, is that the PTBNL may be one of the following who were signed by the Tigers last August 17th and can't be traded for a year ... 3B Nick Castellanos, RHP Chance Ruffin, LHP Drew Smyly) 

Also, Jack said David and Doug he personally wished them well in going to a contending team and told them they'd have a great time with Jim Leyland.  He felt it was a "good, old-fashioned" trade that was a win-win.

g105 | Super Sonics clap, clap, clap-clap-clap!

Mariners 0 | Rays 8

And the M's?  Somewhat less than super.

At first blush, it would appear that Erik's value took a big dive tonight, since he didn't even make it through two innings.  He walked four (going to three counts on nearly every batter) and gave up five runs (including a couple that were inherited by Aaron).  His "stuff" was there but, obviously, the command was not.  The guys in the booth commented that Erik seemed to be having trouble pushing off with the knee brace on and others (not in the booth) were complaining that he was getting squeezed.  Some were of the opinion that, considering he hadn't pitched in a month and had no rehab start, maybe he's still a chip.  I guess we will know by Sunday at 1pm.

Laffey had a real rough go but, the rest of the pen faired much better...
Jamie, Chris and Josh combined for five innings, 3 hits, one walk and six strikeouts (with Aaron having gone 1.2 - here's hoping Michael can go deep tomorrow).

As for the offense, move along, nothing to see here...
three singles (Dustin, Adam, Figgy) and three walks (Dustin, Mike and Figgy) and no one touched the Rays bullpen.

Obviously it was for naught but, got to give kudos to Figgy, he played one of his best defensive games as a Mariner.

Hey, at least it was fun to see all the old Sonics and nice to see a tribute to Rich the Peanut Man..

Keeping Felix...

Here’s my "rosy-teal" two cents on why it doesn’t make sense for the M’s to trade Felix…

Any trade involving a pitcher of his caliber would demand major league proven talent in return – and a LOT of it (not necessarily in terms of quantity but definitely quality). The M’s are rebuilding, that is a fact known from the start of ST (that they were able to compete a bit in May and June was a tribute to their pitching staff). A rebuilding team isn’t necessarily in a position to acquire top notch veteran talent (at least not in the middle of a season where it is apparent they are going nowhere fast). Their top priority is to evaluate the talent throughout their system - bring up the kids who are excelling in the minors and see what they've got - in order to determine what they need going forward and how best to get it – who adds value to the team, who can be a valuable chip in trade.

I've heard some fans mention that teams don’t usually build around pitching. Well, that may or may not be true, I don’t really know (though it seemed to work pretty well for the San Francisco Giants). What I do know is that Safeco Field is a pitcher’s park and that has to be considered as the rebuilding progresses. The strength of this team (despite their blip this road trip) is pitching. IMO – you find ways to strengthen your weaknesses without weakening your strengths. You find a way to keep Felix and Michael (25 and 22 respectively) at the top of your rotation while getting creative in improving the offense. You don’t flush top notch pitching for unproven minor league talent or veterans that won't be enough to make a difference.

Here's to Felix holding court in Safeco Field for YEARS to come...
may he one day wear the ring, with his one and only team, that a king is deserving of.

g104 | it's OVah!

Mariners 9 | Yankees 2

Where do I begin?  How 'bout

FINE.A.LEE!!

There was all kinds of awesome

ready for it?

OFFENSE in this game...

• Dustin & Mike combined for SEVEN hits (including a triple each), SEVEN RBI & THREE runs
• Doubles by Ichiro (4 hits total!), Adam and Guti
• Jack C, Josh & Brendan each checked in with singles (Brendan's extended his hitting streak to 10)

NICK LAHAM / GETTY IMAGES

KATHY KMONICEK / AP

ONE DP, TWO stolen bases (both by Ichiro) and an INCREDIBLE diving, twisting play - where the runner was questionably called safe - by Brendan.  That man can play shortstop.

And then of course there was Felix who is ALWAYS on his game vs. the Yanks...
He threw a lot of pitches (112) for SEVEN innings but allowed only ONE run on FIVE hits and struck out FIVE.

KATHY KMONICEK / AP

Chris gave up a "garbage run" in the 8th and Brandon retired the side in order in the 9th

Bet the plane ride home was a lot more relaxed and enjoyable than if ... 

Now, the guys get to enjoy a day off, at HOME and then take on the Rays for the weekend (which is looking pretty good weather-wise).

g103 | seventeen and .... I don't want to count anymore

Mariners 1 | Yankees 4

For a change, I guess I am glad the opposing team's home field didn't have a roof.
Had there been no rain delay, there likely would have been a perfecto.  Or, at the very least, a no-no thrown by one CC Sabathia.  I didn't see any of the game on TV, heard bits and pieces on the radio.  The game started on time but, I think there were at least two rain delays during the course of the nine innings.  Both starters, CC and Fister, kept coming out and coming out.  CC kept throwing strikes and throwing strikes (14 total - and DRob and Mo would add 4 more).

Brendan Ryan, of course, was the one to break up the perfect game, when he singled in the 7th to extend his hitting streak to ten.  He moved over to 2B on a passed ball, but was left stranded when Miggy K'd.

M's had another shot when CC walked the bases loaded and DRob relieved CC.  Adam struck out (after what was apparently ball four was called a strike) and Figgy grounded in to a FC, scoring Justin.  But, the threat would end when Ichiro struck out.

Doug was Doug tonight, getting into a little trouble here, a little trouble there, but keeping them right in it. It's really unfair what he has had to endure this season.  But, he keeps on keepin' on...

g102 | not so sweet sixteen

Mariners 3 | Yankees 10

rosiness...
-Dustin's double
-Justin's double and an RBI single
-Brendan's RBI double (that extends his hitting streak to 9 games)
-Ichiro's sac-fly
-Nice 1-6-3 DP

maybe not rosy, how 'bout an honorable daisy...
-Chris and David out of the pen, each gave up a run (hey, it's the Yanks) but combined for four innings

rottenness...

-Jason super rough night (for the 3rd start in-a-row)

-couple of errors that resulted in runs
-couple of bad calls at first - safe M's that were called out, out Yank called safe (he actually stepped on Jason's foot)

According to Shannon, there was much curiosity in the clubhouse prior to the game from the NY media re: "the streak"...

To that end the players and the manager answered questions patiently. Eric Wedge in his media session said that the reality of the situation is that ultimately this team probably was not as good as it was a month ago, but also not as bad as it has been recently. He was asked that if while it was good he entertained thoughts that they would contend.
"You have to," he answered. "I always have thoughts in the back of my head. I am a realist but I am also an optimist. You want to make sure that when you are doing things like that you want to make sure you are going to give it every opportunity to have legs and that's what we did."
"The reality is we were finding a way to win those ball games," Wedge continued, "and we have that in our back pocket. These guys know how to find a way to win ball games when you are in there late. The flip side is we have been playing better ball clubs and we have been in them for the most part, but we have been on the south side of that. They have been finding ways to clip us. That's what we have got to work to get back to."

g101 | 4 and 15 make 8 and 13 moot...

Mariners 8 | Red Sox 12

M's punched out THIRTEEN hits (4 doubles and 2 homers)  for EIGHT runs!
But, they lost - AGAIN.

M's have now been swept FOUR straight series and lost a franchise record FIFTEEN games in-a-row.

It doesn't get any worse than this ... or does it?

At least the bats have been coming alive somewhat, I mean, EIGHT runs?  When was the last time that happened?  I'll tell you ... back in early June, they had a great 4-game series vs. Tampa Bay, scoring 7, 8, 9 runs in their three wins.  So far, through 6 games on this 9 game trip, the M's have averaged nearly 5 runs per game - definitely an improvement.  Problem is, their pitching has allowed 7.6 runs - obviously a severe regression.

What we have here is, failure to click on all cylinders....
The M's are 37-16 when they have given up 3 or fewer runs
The M's are 27-11 when they have scored 4 or more runs

Compare that to the Red Sox, for instance...
39-8 when they have given up 3 or fewer runs
53-15 when they have scored 4 or more runs

Seems that actually contending (or even competing) has gone by the way-side this season.  Not that most expected them to win in this rebuilding season but, May and June were fun while they lasted.  Anyway, the fact that they have started hitting a bit is a good thing - you have to start somewhere.  Now, hopefully the pitching struggles are just a blip, normal ebbs and flows, and not a product of too many stress innings early on when giving up even one or two runs was a death knell.

Kudos to...
-Brendan on his second homer of the season and the second grand slam of his career
-Miggy who now leads the team in homers and RBI

Boy, I've said it before and will no doubt say it again...
Brendan Ryan can play shortstop.  Even the Red Sox fans on SoSH were in awe.

Off to the Bronx they go ...

g100 | fourteen is not the number they were aspiring to...

Mariners 1 | Red Sox 3

rosiness...
*Blake's outing was pretty impressive, considering the lineup he was facing (6.2IP - 9H - 3ER - 0BB - 4K)

*Mike with his second homer in as many nights

*Dustin with three more hits
*Guti with an awesome outfield assist, catching a fly ball for an out and then throwing a strike to Josh to nail Ortiz at the plate for the double-play

rottenness...
~Youk made a great play to rob Brendan of a base hit and an RBI that would have extended, instead of ending, the 7th inning
~bases loaded with NO OUTS in the 7th and ZERO runs to show for it
~last, and certainly least, the franchise record for losses in-a-row was tied this evening

g99 | baker's dozen (and I ain''t talkin' maple bars)

Mariners 4 | Red Sox 7

rosiness...
*ELEVEN hits, including two doubles and one homer (Carp's 1st this season - a 3-run shot in the 8th)
*Josh Lueke, in his first outing since being recalled from AAA, went 1-2-3 in the 8th with a K

*Ichiro led off with a hit, stole 2B, stole 3B and scored (just like they write it up)

*Dustin had an RBI (he has only failed to reach base FOUR times in his 28 starts)

*FOUR double plays

rottenness...
~one of Felix's worst outings this season ended in first ever loss at Fenway
~Felix walked FOUR
~M's batters walked ONCE
~losing streak extended to THIRTEEN games, one shy of the club record (set in '92)

Here's hoping we never see the record tied, let alone broken.

g98 | spitting bristles from Anaheim to Seattle to Toronto...

Mariners 5 | Blue Jays 7

Wow!
Who are these guys?!?  The M's stole THREE bases, took FOUR free passes, banged out NINE hits, including their first GRAND SLAM of the season (way to go, Miggy!)
Sounds like a winning forumla, right?

Wrong!
argh!!  Why is it when they FINALLY start hitting a bit, the pitching falls apart?!?

In the 3-game Toronto series...
the M's recorded 34 hits (including 6 doubles and 5 homers) and scored 16 runs.
SIXTEEN RUNS!  That is only ONE less run than they scored in their previous ELEVEN games.  Yesiree - the M's scored almost as many runs in this series as they had in their previous three series.  And yet, they were swept ... again!

In fact, of their past 19 losses, 10 of them would have been wins with the five runs they scored today.

*sigh*

g97 | some bats explode, most arms implode

Mariners 6 | Blue Jays 11

Sorry if I miss any nuances...
only reading from the box score as I took a break from the diamond (that hasn't been shining too brightly) to take in the Sounders FC vs. ManU friendly at the xBox pitch tonight.  Great first 45 minutes (0-1 ManU at halftime) but the rest of the full 90 -and the Sounders subs- not so much.  Suffice it to say that ManU's bench is >>>>>>> than the Sounders bench.

Anyway, back to baseball...

Josh, Brendan, Dustin and Adam combined for...
8 hits - 5 runs - 6 RBI - 2 homers - 3 doubles - 3 walks

Unfortunately, Jason didn't make it to the 4th...
and Jamie and Aaron after him combined to give up six runs to Jason's five

and that's it, that's all, that's ELEVEN losses in-a-row.

g96 | wasted opportunity

Mariners 5 | Blue Jays 6 (14)

Due to the combination of the early start and company for dinner, I only caught an inning here and there on the radio.

If I told you the M's scored 5 runs in the first two innings (including homers by Brendan and Greg) and that before it was over, the M's would tally 4 walks and 14 hits (including 3-hits each for Brendan and Mike Carp and 2-hits for Dustin) and that Michael Pineda gave up two runs in the 1st but go on to pitch 5 scoreless innings after that, you would likely assume that the Mariners won.  And, your assumption would be incorrect.

Not only did they lose, they lost after 14 innings.  But first, Michael fell apart in the 7th, giving up a single a walk and a double.  His immediate relief was no help, Aaron and Chris gave up a run apiece before the third out was recorded.  Where the bats shone for once, the defense and base running left a LOT to be desired - Figgy and Olivo both committed errors and Figgy was picked off 1B and Mike Carp was caught stealing 3B.  In the bottom of the 14th, Mariner killer, Rajai Davis (inserted in the 9th as a pinch-runner) got a base knock, stole 2B, stole 3B and scored the winning run on a fly ball.

At least some of the bullpen guys got some work (nice to see David go 3-scoreless) and the bats just may be finally coming around a bit, but this one was hard - because they had it in had and beat themselves.

g95 | Sweep complete

Mariners 1 | Rangers 3

Not much good to say about this game or this series...
except that it's over.

The offensive woes are obvious and bordering on historic...
no need to belabor those facts.

That Dustin committed his first big league error isn't good...
but, that it came in his 24th game seems to speak to the fact that he's handling himself pretty well at 2B.

Blake had a solid outing...
He threw a lot of pitches (104) for 6.2 innings but, held the Rangers to 3 runs - something not done too often.  In fact, the Rangers have been held to 3 runs or less in only 35 of their 96 games (and 4 of those were by the Mariners).  Blake also showed the ability to get out of trouble - bases loaded and two outs in the 1st inning and he got Cruz to strikeout.

The relief core did well today also...
Jeff, Aaron and Chris combined to hold the Rangers scoreless in 2.1 innings

Here's to a day off for reflection and hoping that a change of scenery and some temperate surrounds will spark a little something in the icy bats.

g94 | Sweet and Sour

Mariners 1 | Rangers 3

The Celebration of 116 was indeed sweet.

JOEL HAWKSLEY / THE SEATTLE TIMES

2001 Mariners - Where are they now?

Unfortunately, the rest of the evening was mostly sour.


So, I won't dwell on the the facts that..
-Felix pitched well  - until the 8th inning and lost another game
-the offense took their string of consecutive scoreless innings to 30 before Ichiro's RBI single in the 5th
-another scoreless streak was started - four and counting

But instead highlight the few bright spots...

• Dustin's double tonight gave him 4 total in his early big league career.  He has reached base safely in 23 of his 25 games and has failed to collect a hit in only two.  He also has recorded 2 triples, 3 home runs, 8 walks and 2 stolen bases, showing that he is not only a bright spot for 2011 but, a beacon of hope for the future.
• Guti stole a base and made an amazing running catch look ever-so effortless - a "Guti-glide"
• two very nice double-plays (Dustin-Brendan-Justin, Felix-Brendan-Justin)

Also worth noting, for me, were my seat-mates this evening..
A delightful couple from Colorado (Steve and Becky)  He, originally from Boston and, of course, a Red Sox fan.  We chatted about all sports as the evening progressed.  I passed along little tid-bits, not necessarily nationally covered, such as: Kyle and Dustin's college days together, Justin's loss of his father, Guti's illness, and the amazing quantity of rookies that have started and made their debut as a Mariner this season.

I also pointed to the stadium across the street (where I had been in attendance this afternoon for the Sounders thrilling victory against the reigning MLS Champion Colorado Rapids) and told them of the wonderful phenomenon that is Sounders FC soccer.  When "Sonics Night" was flashed across the LCD boards between one of the innings, I reminded them that our basketball team is now in Oklahoma City.  He shared that he's a Matt Hasselbeck fan, obviously due to the Boston roots they share.

They are off tomorrow on a on a biking/camping trip on Bainbridge Island...
fingers crossed for sunshine or at least no rain.

Here's to the M's eeking out a victory in this last game of four with the Rangers, as it ain't getting any easier... next up: east coast road trip to TOR, BOS and NYY

Remembering 116...

A little ditty I wrote during the magical Mariners run in 2001...
(to the tune of Gilligan's Island)

Just sit right back and enjoy the games

the games of a special year.

They started from this field of dreams,

under blue skies clear.

The team was assembled wisely,

some new, some familiar names.

Spring training prepared them for

one-hundred sixty-two games...one-hundred sixty-two games.

The season started out so hot,

the team on a torrid pace.

Because of the talent on Piniella's crew

they could taste pennant race...taste pennant race.

Fleet of foot on the outfield grass,

the pitching well in hand.

With Ichiro, Mike Cameron, McLemore and Ed-gar,

Stan Javier, the Chief, Aaron and Jamie too,

here in Mariners Land!

So this is the tale of our magical team,

they're here for a long, long time.

They make the best of everything,

to be a fan's sublime.

Bell, Guillen, Boone and Oly too

will do their very best

to turn amazing double plays.

Will Ichiro ever rest?

No slump, no quit, no egos here,

not a single losing streak.

Lake late nineteen ninety-five,

Mariners at their peak.

So join us here each night our fans,

your're sure to give a hand

for twenty-five Louie-ball guys,

here in Mariners Land!

It will be fun to see some of the guys from that team gathered together again tonight at Safeco Field.
There will always be a sense of disappointment at how the post season ended short of a World Series appearance but, it in my mind, it doesn't take away from the greatest regular season in American League history.  The common measure of a major league success is a World Series title but, it isn't always the best team that wins it, it is very often the hottest.  Unfortunately, the 2001 M's were hot as could be for 6 months and just couldn't keep the fire burning into that 'extra season'.

g93 | No longer Mister, just call him St. Fister

Mariners 0 | Rangers 4

The Rangers have a multi-faceted offense.
The Mariners have a no-faceted offense.

Not so fun facts:
Mariners offense has gone scoreless for 26 consecutive innings...
4 more scoreless innings will break their franchise record for such

Rangers don't need to hit homers to score...
their first three RBI tonight came on sac-flies, their fourth via a single

Doug Fister is on pace for a record he would rather not have...
to be sixth ALL TIME of among AL pitcher with the lowest run support

One can just not say enough positive things about Doug Fister.
In his 19 starts, his run dispersement is as follows...
-five runs twice
-four runs four times (including tonight)
-three runs three times
-two runs three times
-one run six times
-zero runs once

In his 19 starts, he had never gone less than 5.2 innings pitched...
-5.2 innings three times
-between 6 and 6.2 innings five times
-between 7 and 7.2 innings five times
-exactly 8.0 innings five times
-exactly 9.0 innings once

He has fielded his position with grace and ease.

He has had stellar play behind him (only 2 of 49 runs scored on his watch were unearned)

He has never once made a mumble about the pathetic offense behind him.

I'm thinking instead of Mr. Fister....
he should be dubbed St. Fister.

Hang in there, Doug.

AP PHOTO

g92 | shutout on the wrong side of the ledger

Mariners 0 | Rangers 5

Hey, at least the shutout differential is still positive (9-7)

Since today and tomorrow are vacation days for me (prior to starting a new job on Monday!) and by Saturday night (Sounders game in the afternoon, Mariners game in the evening) I'll be all "sports-out" I decided to trade my Sunday ticket for tonight's game.  Lucky me ;-(

Derek Hollad was absolutely on his game.  Turns out this was his second straight shutout (he shutout the A's 6-0 prior to the break).  He had a perfect game through five innings before giving up a walk to Guti and the first hit to, of all people, Figgy.  Seems like he got to 3-2 on a ton of batters but, only walked one and struck out eight.

As for Jason, just a wee bit off.  When he gave up the two-out solo shot to Hamilton in the 1st and then got Beltre to ground out, it seemed OK - solo shot, no biggie.  But then, he gave up a one-out solo shot to Cruz in the 2nd and then a couple of hits, including an RBI single in the 3rd.  Though he didn't give up any runs in either of the 4th or 5th, he had multiple runners in scoring position as the hits and his pitch count were beginning to mount to seemingly insurmountable levels.  The third solo shot, this of the lead-off variety by Napoli, came in the sixth, followed by a couple of singles and a steal.  The and the Rangers were up 5-0 and Jason was hitting the showers.

It seemed like any ball that was well struck by the M's was basically right at someone in the outfield and I had the odd thought that they should just hit it a little softer.  I don't know why, usually you would want them to hit it harder.  Maybe it's because it seemed that the Ranger hits (that weren't home runs) were bloops just past an infielder, just in front of an outfielder and it just looked to darned easy.  Anyhoo, funny that Figgy was the one to break up the no-no, good to see Miggy with two hits and Justin break an 0 fer 'too many'.

The game was not without it bright spots...

• Defensively, an awesome play by Brendan where he back-handed a hard hit grounder at the cut of the grass and made a twisting-turning throw to Adam who handled it for the out.  And, a nice 4-6-3 in the top of the 9th.  
• Nice to see "Gray and Ray" get some work in - and more than decent work it was, as Jeff and Chris combined for three hitless, scoreless innings with three strikeouts. 

Still got three games, with Doug and Felix and Blake taking the hill - let's take 'em all to head out east on a high note.

2011 Mariner All Stars and the 2nd half starts with a bang

American League 1 | National League 5

Felix didn't pitch because of his Sunday start but, unlike some others, he was there soaking it all in with both his fellow Mariner and American League teammates.  I missed the introductions (usually my favorite part) and heard they messed up a bit and called Felix's name when it was Miguel Cabrera's turn.  Sounds like they both took it in stride though.

Super proud (if I'm allowed) of Michael.  He pitched the 3rd inning and retired the side in order with 10 pitches -8 for strikes- getting Tulowitzki to fly out to center and striking out both Rolen and Weeks - swinging.

Brandon's mind may have been elsewhere, as his pregnant wife was in attendance at the All Star Game and due to have labor induced for their third child today in Seattle.  He pitched the 7th inning and gave up a single to Pence, struck out Castro, gave up an RBI ground rule double to Sandoval (that drove in the fifth run for the NL) and got Phillips and Sanchez to fly out an pop up respectively.

The second half starts out slightly more than a cake-walk...
oh, just a 4-game homestand with the division-leading Texas Rangers and then off to the east coast for 3-game series with each of Toronto, Boston and New York.  If the M's can manage to keep their head above water (say play .500) it won't necessarily mean they are still in the race, but it will say a lot about their grittiness vs. good teams.  If, however, they stumble mightily, they may be out of the race totally but, did any of us expect that they would be there in the first place?  So, even if that happens, this season if far from a waste as they continue to determine what they have in young talent and what they will need going forward as they continue to lay the foundation and move on to the framework of building a championship team.

Go Mariners!

g91 | swept away before the break

Mariners 2 | Angels 4

The M's got off to a great start vs. Haren, scoring two in the 1st (believe it or not, for the first time since August 20, 2011 when they scored 3 in the 1st in the Bronx).  Brendan singled, Dustin walked, they both advanced on a long fly ball by Justin and both came home on Adam's base hit.

Felix wasn't to sharp early but, after giving up the homer to Trumbo in the 4th, he retired 12-in-a-row which got him through the 7th with 110 pitches.  Some would wonder, with the heart of the Halo order coming up and Felix cruising - why go to the pen?

David came in for the 8th and promptly gave up a single to Hunter and then got two outs before an intentional walk to Kendrick ended up back-firing when Cayaspo doubled to score two and put the Halos up for good 4-2

GOOD, great (but BAD for the M's) and UGLY

• Congrats to Kyle on his first MLB hit - a solid single up the middle and he gets to 3B on an error by fellow rookie, Trout.  
• Amazing diving play by Hunter in the top of the 3rd to rob Dustin of at least a double
• And, once again, the opposing team receives the benefit of a three ball walk #IneptUmps

Yay, Michael!

It has just been announced that Michael Pineda will replace Justin Verlander in the 2011 All Star Game!

Mariners Seattle Mariners Congratulations to #Mariners pitcher Michael Pineda for being added to the American League All-Star team. He will replace Justin Verlander.

Congratulations to the rookie on the well-deserved honor!


Soak it all in, Michael.  Soak it all in.

MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES

g90 | another series loss in the house of horrors...

Mariners 3 | Angels 9

This one could not have started any better for Michael Pineda...
He struck out the first FIVE batters he faced and got the sixth to pop-up.

Unfortunately, it couldn't have ended much worse...
The 3rd inning unraveled very quickly and included a Wedge ejection.  Eric was just teeny tiny bit perturbed with the home plate umpire.  Trumbo led off with a single, the Halos first hit of the game.  Then Conger tried to check his swing on a 3-2 pitch with the runner going.  Miggy threw a strike to Brendan and everyone is thinking strike 'em out, throw 'em out double-play!  BUT - the check swing was called a ball and BOTH runners were safe.  Wedge got his money worth (as he was apparently tossed before he even entered the field of play to get in the umps face).  Not to go all "whiny Seahawk fan" on you but, he had a valid argument and it CLEARLY made a difference in the game going forward.

Sure, Michael has to learn how to control his emotions (just as Felix has had to do) BUT - the difference between NO ON, TWO OUT and TWO ON, NO OUT is obviously night and day and the blown call changed the game DRAMATICALLY.  MP would commit an error on the next play and go on to allow SEVEN runs in the next THREE innings (oh those Halo Homers - two by Torii this time - a 3-run job in the fateful 3rd inning and a 2-run shot in the fifth - Michael's last).

AP Photo 

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The offense tried to battle back...
Both teams had TWELVE hits (and one error) and each had one double.  There were only two M's without a hit (Justin and Kyle) and five with two hits (Ichiro, Dustin, Miggy, Greg and Carlos).

Gray and Ray got some much needed work...
and each gave up a run and a walk.

Here's hoping for a super Happy Felix Day tomorrow - gotta salvage this last game of the series and go into the break on a somewhat positive note.

g89 | Rally dishes out heartbreak in Anaheim

Mariners 3 | Angels 4

I didn't see or hear an AB or a single pitch last night, as I was otherwise engaged in reliving some childhood memories with my BFF ~ at a Monkees concert!

 't was great fun!

Genetta M. Adams Newsday

Unfortunately, that other monkey, known as Rally, had WAY too much fun.

Blake had a decent outing (especially for only his second big league start) and the offense at least showed a small spark, but the bullpen had some issues.

The Angels only out hit the M's by a couple (7 vs. 9) but, four of the Halo hits were homers - and, most unfortunately, one came in the bottom of the 9th.  Guti and Dustin both had a hit and scored a run and Greg had two hits and scored a run (it would be nice if we could see him more often!).  All three RBI's came without the benefit of a hit - Ichiro ground out, Justin and Brendon sac-flys.

Well, with Michael and Felix in the next two, one would think the M's would have a decent chance for a split. But, on the other side will be Pineiro and Haren respectively.

No more rally monkeys - more Davy, Mickey and Peter!

g88 | Kyle's First Night and nothing changes for Dougie

Mariners 1 | Angels 5

Suffice it to say, Jered Weaver is a tough first draw...
First AB = strikeout swinging
First play = slow broken bat roller, nice throw to Justin for the out
Second play = high chop that he should have kept in his pocket but, AK picks it to keep runner 1B
(nice to see Brendan chatting behind the glove after the play - #learningonthejob)
Second AB = strikeout looking
Third play = FC, runner out at 2B
Fourth play = attempted tag, runner safe (but by the replay, maybe not)
Fifth play = snared line out 
Third AB = fouled out to 3B
Sixth play = routine ground out
Fourth AB = pop up to SS

Doug only went SIX tonight and gave up THREE, but still, on a night where he didn't have much, he still gave them a chance to win.  And, the bats had a great chance to get more than the one they managed off Weaver in the 3rd (who otherwise was stellar) with Ichiro at 3B with only one out - alas, it was not to be.

Small bright spot...
Guti w/two hits and a SB ~ hopefully the start of something as he has struggled mightily.

So, Doug takes yet another loss and his ERA inches up a smidge to 3.09
In Doug's TEN losses, the M's have scored a total of NINE runs.

Just sad.

MLB, meet the newest big league "M" .... Mr. Kyle Seager

Yes, Kyle Seager will be making his major league debut in Anaheim tonight – playing 3B for the Mariners. When your parent club is as impotent offensively as the M’s have been so far this season, you simply cannot ignore stats like .455/.500/.673/1.173 …even if only comprised from 12 games at AAA.

Here’s hoping Kyle takes to the bigs as fast and as well as his former roomy at UNC, Dustin Ackley, who has reached base safely in all but one of the 16 major league games he’s played so far (and only gone hitless 3 times) posting .302/.367/.566/.933 (doing well vs. starters such as: Hamels, Sanchez, Cahill; and relievers like: Venters and Choate)

I’m loving that the kids are getting a chance to prove themselves - it is what I had hoped this season would be about - finding out who has what and who is going to stick. Kyle will be the 11th rookie to play for the M’s the season and the 8th to make his major league debut. No one thought the M’s would go anywhere this season and, in the end, they may not.  But, I’d much rather watch youth struggle as they develop, knowing the future is bright, than watch aging vets in decline (as we have done much too often in the past, and even in the present, e.g., Bradley, Cust, Figgins)

So...go, Kyle!!  
Take a deep breath, "do what you do" and you'll be just fine :-)

Geoff Baker's blog

g87 | Jason good. O and D, not so much...

Mariners 0 | Athletics 2

Well, I took one look at the box score and saw THREE ERRORS and wanted to look no further (and, was secretly glad I hadn't been able to watch or listen).  Ugh.

At least none led to runs...
Jason only gave up 5 hits and 2 earned runs (solo shot and an RBI single) in 8 innings pitched (yes, ANOTHER complete game)

The offense mustered all of TWO hits, both singles...
Dustin in the 2nd and Adam in the 7th

And then there was that DEE (or lack thereof)...
Brendan, Figgy and Justin

So, the best and most exciting news of the day came after the game...
Kyle Seager is on his way to Anaheim and will be activated for the 4-game series with the Halos!

Welcome to the Show, Kyle!

g86 | Series win and back to .500!

Mariners 4 | Athletics 2 (in 10)

I didn't see much of the game...
Just missed Dustin's lead-off home run in the 7th that gave the M's the 2-1 lead and, apparently, Dustin was responsible for the first run as well - he singled, stole 2B, took 3B on an error and scored on Carlos's sac-fly in the 2nd.

AP PHOTO

Seems there was some base-running excitement (from both sides!)

-stolen bases by Dustin and both Suzukis

-attempted thievery thwarted (K Suzuki, Weeks, Crisp)

And, despite the usual severe lack of O (although Cahill is no chump) all was seemingly going well, with Felix looking like his All-Star, Cy Young self...
8.0IP - 4H - 1ER - 0BB - 10K
shame, shame, shame that he did not get the win.

Talk about the perfect 1000 words... (and this was even before the 9th)

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Brandon had a bit of a set-back...
he had not allowed a run and had gond 14 for 14 in save opportunities in his last 20 appearances.  Well, even Mariano blows one now and then.  If only the offense could have provided just a bit more cushion, the A's run in the 9th would have been moot.

But what a recovery in the top of the 10th!
Guti, who had been 0 for 3 to that point, led off with a single (which Wedge would later categorize as his "best AB so far this season") and stole second.  Halman struck out and Ichiro was intentionally walked.  Brendan hit a ground ball to 2b, but Ichiro went in sliding and broke up the DP - Brendon was safe at 1B and Guti scored the go-ahead run.  And then Adam, who was also 0 for 3 so far, doubled in Brendan to give the M's a 4-2 cushion.

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And then Jamey locked down the bottom of the 10th... 
The first pitch was a bunt attempt that Adam made a nice charging play on.  Then, FINALLY, Kurt Suzuki was retired (on a GB to SS) and then Sweeney struck out.

And so...
-Felix gets the ND
-Brandon gets the BS (and the W, which I'll never understand)
-Jamey gets the first S of his big league careen (hard to believe after 16 years!)

And, the Mariners are back to .500 and still 2.5 back of both the Rangers and the Halos!


By the way, though it's not a LARGE contingent, the King's Court apparently travels...

via Shannon Drayer's twitpic

g85 | 20th CFB victory!

Mariners 2 | Athletics 1

My first thought was - what happened to the A's supposedly sucky defense?
-nice outfield snag in the 3rd (in that sun!) robs Greg of at least a base hit
-great DP started by Weeks after Ichiro notched the first hit for the M's in the 4th
-awesome catch by Jackson to take a double (maybe a homer) away from Cust and double-up Smoak

AP PHOTO

Offense was scarce, so pretty easy to document...
-the first hit wasn't until the 4th when Ichiro singled, but then was promptly erased on the first DP
-the second base-runner was Justin, via a walk in the 5th, but then the second DP wasted that

-the most frustrating time came in the 9th - runners at the corners w/NO outs are left stranded 

-the first run was Bard's solo shot that tied it up in the 6th (whodathunk?)
-the other run was via an RBI double from Justin (Brendan scored after singling)

Getty Images

Michael put up another solid start to collect his 8th win...
Bit of a rough go in the 2nd when he gave up the one run (and threw 29 pitches) but, he recovered well, hung in for six innings (at one point retiring 11-in-a-row) and left with the lead after doing his part in turning a 3-6-1 DP.  Michael held a recently hot-hitting A's team (10 or more hits in their last 4 games) to only TWO hits and ONE run.

And, once again, let's give it up for the bullpen...
Aaron, David and League combined for 3IP - 1H - 1BB - 3K, 2 holds and Brandon's 23rd save
Though that last out was a bit scary - strikeout in the dirt and it seemed Josh lost it for MINUTES but he finally found it and fired to Justin just-in time!

g84 | Welcome to the Bigs, BB!

Mariners 3 | Padres 1

At the start of play today...
Blake was the 10th rookie on the M's 25-man roster this season and the 7th to make his major league debut and the M's were the last team in the majors to require a sixth starter.

At the end of the game...
Blake was the first Mariner to debut with an outing of 7 innings and only one run and he collected his first major league victory!

90 pitches | 7 innings | 3 hits | 1 earned run | 2 walks | 4 strikeouts

AP PHOTO

Way to go, Blake ~ Welcome to Seattle!

Not a lot of offense, as per usual, but just enough (Doug's got to be a bit envious)...
-Ichiro singled and stole second in the first
-Adam came through with his usual clutch RBI to drive Ichiro in
-Justin and Dustin with back-to-back sac-flys in the 3rd (Justin's oh-so-close to a grand slam!)

Getty Images

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The bullpen was effective...
-David was a little shaky, loading the bases in the 8th, but got out of it unscathed.
-Brandon came in (fresh off his first all-star selection!) to rack up his major league-leading 22nd save!

Nice DEE all around!


This season's early returns on Cliff Lee...

MAJORS
Justin Smoak
.240/.343/.443/.786
12 HR - 19 2B - 42 BB - 41 RBI

Aaron Laffey (swapped for Matt Lawson in ST)
1-1 w/ 1.93ERA in 32.2IP and 17K

Blake Beavan
1-0 w/ 1.29ERA in 7IP and 4K (major league debut)

MINORS
Josh Lueke
2-3 w/ 2.86 ERA in 32.2IP and 29K

Last, but not least...
Congratulations to Felix and Brandon - the M's representatives at the 2011 All Star Game!

AP PHOTO

g83 | Really? Seriously? for the love...

Mariners 0 | Padres 1

I was otherwise engaged this evening (lovely BBQ with some dear friends) so didn't see or hear a single inning.  Once I had a chance to check the results, I have to admit, I was glad I missed it.  Not sure I could have taken seeing Mr. Fister go NINE innings, give up ONE run and get tagged with the loss due to his offense scoring ZERO.

JIM BATES / THE SEATTLE TIMES

The M's had all of two hits - a single and a double by Greg Halman.

And, it gets even worse...
The lone run of the game was scored in the 5th inning because of the lone walk of the game that wasn't really a walk.  The scoreboard apparently added an extra ball to the count in Maybin's at bat and it wasn't caught by the ump, the pitcher, the catcher, the manager or any of the players in the dugout so off to 1B he went on three balls.  After two groundouts, a single brought him home and that would be that.

g82 | Just call him Mr. Shutout

Mariners 6 | Padres 0

Tonight was Jason's third complete game shutout in six starts (the others vs. the Rays and the Phillies). He was the master of efficiency (which I guess follows along in general for CG's).  He had only thrown 71 pitches through seven innings, ended up with 20+ in the 8th but got through nine with 106 total.  Not too shabby.

If Doug Fister is Houdini (seeming to thrive on getting out of jams) then Jason Vargas is definitely Jekyll and Hyde (ON or OFF, not much in-between).  Here's a little stat comparison of Jason's season so far...

in his FIVE losses (24.1 innigs)
28 ER
11 BB
15 K

in his SIX wins and SIX no decisions (83.2 innings)
17 ER
19 BB
60 K


It was REALLY great to see the offense score early and play add-on for a change. They scored in four different innings and four of their nine hits were doubles.  Some of the usual suspects came through (Carlos and Adam combined for 3H - 1BB - 4 RBI - 1R) and some of the recent strugglers contributed greatly (Justin, Jack C, Brendan combined for 4H - 4BB - 2RBI - 4R).

Heck, even Figgy had a decent game (and, as the evening progressed, there was a noticeable decrease in the 'boo decibal').  He made one great snare of a hot shot liner and started a nifty double play as well.  And, he even got a hit - a solid single up the middle.

Speaking of defense, it was pretty awesome all around tonight.  Brendan made a super leaping catch and Guti, though neither he or Adam could get to the fly ball, was able to catch the runner trying to stretch it to two for the second out of the 5th.  And, don't know what it is with all these NL outfielders, but it sure seems like at least once per game one of them robs one of our guys of an XBH.

Oh yeah, it was fun seeing the old uni's...

Getty Images

And, here's hoping Padre Orlando Hudson is OK after a wicked foul ball he took on the shin.