at long last, I have a new address . . .

You can now find me at http://compassrosy.com/

Hope to "see" you there!

bad, bad blogger I have been....

None of the reasons are legitimate excuses on their own but, maybe all together they are...

It's been a very long, "post-less" winter due to physically transferring the blog to a new platform, changing my real job (same company, just different positions), a super, exciting Seahawks season (and post season!) and just a busy life in general...

Soon (like within the next day or two) I will finally publish "my new home" - and, start posting again...
stay tuned!

g162 | shutout and series win on the final day

Mariners 12 | Angels ZIPPO

whoa! Nice way for Mr. Beavan to finish out his season...
EIGHT shutout innings - SEVEN hits - ONE walk. The ZERO strikeouts was rather odd but, Pryor helped make up for it a bit, striking out TWO in his ONE inning of work.

as for the O...
ELEVEN hits and TWELVE runs - I'll take it!

and the D...
TWO double plays, including my favorite kind, an outfield assist to nail a runner at home (and, in this case it was Casper to Jesus to nail Trout ... sweet!)

Mr. Montero gunned down Mr. Trout trying to steal (keeping him from #50 on the year)
Trout had been caught only FIVE times this season - TWICE by Olivo, ONCE by Montero

other funny contrasts between M's and Halos...
Felix was 0-3 vs. the Halos
Iwakum was 4-0 vs. the Halos
Weaver was 0-3 vs. the Mariners

bye-bye summer home...

Edgar's street....

more than a backward glance....

lights in the twilight...

my section of choice this season....

Until April, Safeco Field, I will miss you so!

g161 | Kuma owns the Halos

Mariners 6 | Angels 1

Well, seems the Halos have Felix's number but, Kuma has theirs :-)
Six shutout innings with only six hits and one walk and SEVEN strikeouts

M's middle of the order faired pretty well vs. Haren...
3-7 (Seager, Jaso, Smoak, Montero, Saunders) went 9/19 with SIX runs and FOUR rbi

Halo's top of the order, on the other hand...
struck out EIGHT times

A little sloppy on both sides...
FIVE total errors (Halos 3, M's 2)

The big news prior to the game as it was announced that the Mariners are "moving in the fences" for the 2013 season...

I used to think that it seemed silly to bring in the fences because what might give the Mariners hitters a slight advantage would also give opposing hitters that same advantage and thereby give Mariner pitchers a disadvantage - so, what would be the point? But, I've come around because of the way Jack Z and others have explained that it will still be a "pitcher's park" just a bit more fair. And, if even Felix likes the idea, who am I to question it ;-)

"I have no problem. It's going to help a lot. It's going to be better. Be happy for the hitters." Felix on fences. #Mariners
— Shannon Drayer (@shannondrayer) October 2, 2012

Some other thoughts and facts...

Shannon Drayer | My Northwest.com
Larry Stone | Seattle Times
Greg Johns | MLB.com

Tomorrow, one of the most melancholy days of the year for me ;-(

g160 | Halos eliminated

Mariners 4 | Angels 8

So, despite yet another victory over the M's, the Angels post season hopes were dashed tonight when the A's beat the Rangers, clinching at least the Wild Card spot. I must admit to a bit of schadenfreude, especially with the 3 Halos fans sitting directly behind me. It's one thing to have fans of the opposing team around when it's a packed house with both teams fighting for something - that's good fun. It's quite another in a nearly empty stadium with nothing but pride on the line ... that's just kind of depressing and very annoying.

Anyhoo...
Good on the A's! I was rooting for them - always nice to have some new blood.

As for our game..
What is it about the Angels? They are Felix's nemesis....
In his last 6 starts, he had 4 losses (2 to the Angels) and 2 no decisions (one to the Angels)
Ironically, one of the few Mariners who was flying high for most of the season, finished with more than a bit of a thud.

Larry Stone tweeted "After shutting out MIN on aug 27 --his 9th straight win -- Felix finished 0-4, 6.62 in last six starts. Had been Cy Young favorite"

Shannon Drayer tweeted "Felix's ERA without the Angels starts this year 2.56. They did some damage."

Greg John's game recap

Hernandez said the one good thing coming out of his finale was that he finished the season healthy, having thrown 232 innings, his fifth straight season of 200-plus innings.Asked to assess his season, he said: "It was fine. It was OK. I need to get better. That's it."
What exactly would The King like to improve on?
"I need to pitch better against the Angels," he said.

Elaine Thompson | AP

the good?
* NINE hits - including THREE doubles and ONE home run
* FIVE walks
* Wells apparently becoming CJ's daddy (TWO homers and ONE double in SIX career AB's)
* Wells also w/an OF assist (doesn't rhyme like "don't go on Ichiro", but the "new" RF'er can throw and this time it was to get the speedy Mike Trout trying to stretch a single into a double
* Smoak on base THREE times tonight
* nice DP - Ackley-to-Ryan-to-Smoak

the bad?
besides Felix's outing ... TWO errors

the ugly?
3-12 w/RISP

g159 | swept outta OakTown

Mariners 2 | Athletics 5

Homer streak broken...
at just one shy of the club record of eighteen straight games with at least one

Most importantly, Erasmo Ramirez's performance... 
6.1IP - 3H - 2R - 4BB - 6K
He gave up TWO runs in the 1st and the walk total wasn't great (he had only given up 4 in his last 40 starting innings) but, he showed a lot of composure and maturity by holding the A's scoreless for 5+ after that - allowing only TWO more hits: one in the 3rd and one in the 7th.
The future rotation is sparkling bright!

Ben Margot | AP

Some great DEE on both sides...
including a "Super Seager Spear" in the 3rd to prevent an XBH and after that, I lost track of the at 'em balls - on both sides.

But, a foreshadowing of things to come, came in the 7th...
Cook allowed a double to Brendan Ryan and a single to Trayvon Robinson and then proceeded to strike out the side :-(

Ben Margot | AP

And then, the A's did what they have been doing since the All Star Break...
homered. A solo shot off Shawn Kelley and a TWO-run shot off Lucas Luetge
The lead the majors in homers in the second half (now with 110 - O's are 2nd with 105)
On the flip side, Mariners pitchers have yielded the third fewest home runs in the AL

Ben Margot | AP

Guti left the game in the 3rd due to a groin strain :-(

Back home vs. the Halos (who were less than happy with the M's today ;-)
Felix Day tomorrow and I'll be there!

g158 | out in extries once again

Mariners 4 | Athletics 7

EIGHTEEN games in-a-row with at least ONE home run...
Seager and Saunders each hit their NINETEENTH home run in the 4th inning

Really a shame for Vargas...
He pitched SO well in this, his final start for 2012, going 7IP - 5H - 1ER - 0BB - 7K
~ Jason racked up 217 innings for the season, giving the M's their first TWO 215+ starters since Garcia and Moyer in 2002 ~
The first ground ball Vargas surrendered didn't come until the 4th inning (everything to that point had been a fly ball out or a strikeout) and it got through for a hit and an RBI with Cespedes scoring from 1B. Vargas left the game with a 4-1 lead and a good chance at his 15th victory.

The A's, however, had other (post season) plans...
In the 8th, Wilhelmsen relieved Capps with TWO on, ONE out and got the first batter to pop out on the first pitch. Then, CoCo Crisp stole 3B and Tom gave up a double to Moss, scoring Crisp but Wells and Ackley made an awesome relay home to Olivo who nailed Stephen Drew at the plate.

Unfortunately, the adrenaline of that great end to 8th didn't carry over to the 9th...
The Bartender blew a rare save - allowing a walk to Reddick and then a homer to Donaldson to send the game into extras (and hand poor Jason an ND)

Things didn't get any better from there...
the M's failed to score in the top of the 10th
Perez gave up a single and got an out
Pryor walked a batter and, despite Lucas being ready, was left in to face Moss who deposited the first pitch he saw from Stephen into the seats - and that was all she wrote.

this gave me a bit of a chuckle...

Guys I think Bob Melvin might be a witch
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) September 29, 2012

g157 | pitching and dee let down...

Mariners 2 | Athletics 8

SEVENTEEN straight games with at least one home run

Today it was Smoak and Saunders.
Unfortunately they were both solo shots and accounted for the only M's runs

't is a fairly rare day when pitching AND defense contributes so significantly to a loss...

as we are more used to things like this...

Ben Margot | AP

instead of things like this...

Ben Margot | AP

Ben Margot | AP

g156 | finally, a win over the hated halos

Mariners 9 | Angels 4

Didn't get to see/hear this one due to the early first pitch but, it appears most things were clicking on all cylinders!

Kuma with another solid start...
a quality start, in fact: 6IP - 7H - 2ER - 0BB - 3K

Capps was a little rocky (here's hoping he is gaining valuable experience) giving up TWO runs

Ackley with an error and Montero with a passed ball but, overall good DEE but...
they combined for 2H, 2R, 2RBI and 1BB

Other nice offensive contributors...
Jaso with double and a homer and THREE RBI
the outfield combined for: 4H, 6R and 2RBI

Scary moment (again!) for Guti when he makes an awesome grab and crashes into the wall...
he had to come out of the game but, postgame reports were positive - doesn't appear serious

AP photo

SIXTEEN consecutive games with at least one home run...

g155 | Felix's nemesis wears red...

Mariners 3 | Angels 4

Now at FIFTEEN games in -a-row with at least ONE home run

Felix, as per usual, had his struggles vs the Halos...
in the 2nd inning he threw THIRTY-TWO pitches. Kinda of a miracle that he only gave up TWO runs. And, speaks to his heart and strength that he was able to hang in for a full SIX (and, retire 13 of the last 15 batters he faced).

the bullpen was a little more porous than we've come to expect....
the game was tied going into the 9th Kinney gave up the 7th and Pryor gave up the winning run in the 9th (to good old Mariner-killer, Torii Hunter).

the bats only had FIVE total hits...
including a solo shot by Smoak (who continues his hot September) and a double by Ryan