Friday, May 28, 2004
TRIBAL COUNCIL
What to think of Gil Meche now? I'd have to dig to get Jeremy's over/under on the inevitable Gil Meche 60-day DL stint, but after while you just wonder whether Gil just doesn't have it or if something else is wrong.
It took Gil Meche twenty-nine pitches to get through the first inning. The Indians sent ten hitters to the plate, and three of the hitters drove in runs. Ichiro even overran a ball in rightfield for good measure, though from what it looks like on the log (I'll admit, I didn't see a lick of this game), no error there would have probably just postponed the inevitable. Matt Lawton bookended the inning with outs, of course meaning that seven of the other eight hitters reached base. Anyway, this first inning from hell usually reserved for Joel Pineiro did in Gil Meche, though he gave some false hope with a 1-2-3 2nd inning.
As somewhat of a result, the offense was playing a step behind all night. In the early stages of the Mariner run-scoring, the Indians had an answer to almost every offensive tally by the Mariners. After scoring in their halves of innings, the Mariners were down 4-1, 6-3, 8-4, and 8-5.
About the offense...
In the 3rd, it took three singles to generate a run. In the 4th, it was another three singles (3rd was an RBI knock), followed by a groundout, a walk, and an RBI groundout. In the 5th: single, groundout, groundout, walk, single (run scored). Luckily the Mariners' 5th run was a homer by Edgar. The offense, in a word -- BORRRRRRRIIIIING!!!!
Gil Meche was pulled in the 4th with one out after having thrown 69 pitches. Julio Mateo came in and predictably scored Meche's runner (this Mariner Bullpen Inherited Runner Scored brought to you by the Suquamish Clearwater Casino. Get Away and Play). In a way that was quite fitting, Mateo set down his next eight batters after allowing Jody Gerut (Meche's runner) to score. What a brutal line out of Meche: 3 1/3 innings, 8 runs, 10 hits, 3 walks. And to think Bob Melvin is more enamored with showing off Ron Villone's "versatility" as a starter rather than bringing up any number of minor-league arms...ugh.
Gameball: Edgar. 3-for-5, driving in two, and hitting the homer. It makes the one looking strikeout a little easier to take.
Goat: Raul Ibanez. Watch as the sudden offensive spike of Raul Ibanez crashes back to earth with an 0-for-4 showing, stranding two runners and tossing in an error for good measure. Apparently that's Raul's 4th error of the year, and I think I had him tagged at about 13 or 15 before the season. That said, it's his 4th error of the year, and those are only the ones that have "counted," per se. All those balls he didn't get to, or all those balls he completely missed but didn't touch (i.e., balls that are errors, but aren't "errors") don't count toward those four. Once again, it's time to look at his stats, and look at the numbers of 3 years, $13.25M and see which numbers don't fit.
Yeah, Raul's an easy target. I guess I could have gone with Meche. The last three weeks, I've been giving starting pitchers who have come out and stunk it up a break because the Mariners have had the last four Mondays off (the arms can have a little bit more leeway toward work with the weekly rest day). They don't get Monday off this time, and now Melvin has to hope that no Julio Mateo-ready roles come up for at least tomorrow and maybe Saturday. Basically, Meche has thrown a monkeywrench into an already feeble front half (or is it everyone but Guardado?) of the bullpen.
Pineiro. Pedro. Tomorrow.
[Edit ~1:13a -- That last paragraph of Meche-blame was added.]
It took Gil Meche twenty-nine pitches to get through the first inning. The Indians sent ten hitters to the plate, and three of the hitters drove in runs. Ichiro even overran a ball in rightfield for good measure, though from what it looks like on the log (I'll admit, I didn't see a lick of this game), no error there would have probably just postponed the inevitable. Matt Lawton bookended the inning with outs, of course meaning that seven of the other eight hitters reached base. Anyway, this first inning from hell usually reserved for Joel Pineiro did in Gil Meche, though he gave some false hope with a 1-2-3 2nd inning.
As somewhat of a result, the offense was playing a step behind all night. In the early stages of the Mariner run-scoring, the Indians had an answer to almost every offensive tally by the Mariners. After scoring in their halves of innings, the Mariners were down 4-1, 6-3, 8-4, and 8-5.
About the offense...
In the 3rd, it took three singles to generate a run. In the 4th, it was another three singles (3rd was an RBI knock), followed by a groundout, a walk, and an RBI groundout. In the 5th: single, groundout, groundout, walk, single (run scored). Luckily the Mariners' 5th run was a homer by Edgar. The offense, in a word -- BORRRRRRRIIIIING!!!!
Gil Meche was pulled in the 4th with one out after having thrown 69 pitches. Julio Mateo came in and predictably scored Meche's runner (this Mariner Bullpen Inherited Runner Scored brought to you by the Suquamish Clearwater Casino. Get Away and Play). In a way that was quite fitting, Mateo set down his next eight batters after allowing Jody Gerut (Meche's runner) to score. What a brutal line out of Meche: 3 1/3 innings, 8 runs, 10 hits, 3 walks. And to think Bob Melvin is more enamored with showing off Ron Villone's "versatility" as a starter rather than bringing up any number of minor-league arms...ugh.
Gameball: Edgar. 3-for-5, driving in two, and hitting the homer. It makes the one looking strikeout a little easier to take.
Goat: Raul Ibanez. Watch as the sudden offensive spike of Raul Ibanez crashes back to earth with an 0-for-4 showing, stranding two runners and tossing in an error for good measure. Apparently that's Raul's 4th error of the year, and I think I had him tagged at about 13 or 15 before the season. That said, it's his 4th error of the year, and those are only the ones that have "counted," per se. All those balls he didn't get to, or all those balls he completely missed but didn't touch (i.e., balls that are errors, but aren't "errors") don't count toward those four. Once again, it's time to look at his stats, and look at the numbers of 3 years, $13.25M and see which numbers don't fit.
Yeah, Raul's an easy target. I guess I could have gone with Meche. The last three weeks, I've been giving starting pitchers who have come out and stunk it up a break because the Mariners have had the last four Mondays off (the arms can have a little bit more leeway toward work with the weekly rest day). They don't get Monday off this time, and now Melvin has to hope that no Julio Mateo-ready roles come up for at least tomorrow and maybe Saturday. Basically, Meche has thrown a monkeywrench into an already feeble front half (or is it everyone but Guardado?) of the bullpen.
Pineiro. Pedro. Tomorrow.
[Edit ~1:13a -- That last paragraph of Meche-blame was added.]
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