Sunday, May 22, 2005
GAME 42: MARINERS 5, PADRES 3
Mariners 5, Padres 3
In 25 words or less: Score early and hang on -- past teams of Mariners used to live entire seasons this way. Also, Meche avoided his trademark inning.
This one featured sinkerballer Brian Lawrence and Gil Meche. The Padres came into the game having won eight straight.
TOP 1ST
Grade: C+
Meche had a tension-filled yet scoreless first. Dave Roberts grounded out to Wilson Valdez at short to lead off. Meche walked Mark Sweeney on a full count. Ryan Klesko flew out to centerfield, but there was still some meat of the order left. Brian Giles had the hitters' counts and later walked on a full-count pitch. Phil Nevin hit one hard to the right of Richie Sexson near first base, who dove to stop it with his glove, then underhanded to the covering Meche to end the inning. Meche threw 25 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: B+
The bats wasted no time getting into it. Ichiro had a 2-0 count before chopping the 2-1 pitch just fair down the rightfield line for a leadoff double. Randy Winn hit a grounder to the right side that went off a diving second baseman Geoff Blum's glove and into rightfield for a single. Ichiro scored.
»» MARINERS 1, PADRES 0
Winn stole second base on the first pitch to Adrian Beltre, who worked the count full before smearing the ball past Sean Burroughs at third. Winn went to third on the play, but couldn't score since the ball was hit too hard. Richie Sexson double to the wall in the rightfield corner to easily score Winn. Also, Beltre came around all the way from first base as I cringed and hoped his hamstring would hold up.
»» MARINERS 3, PADRES 0
Disappointingly, the Mariners opened the game with four straight hits, but then followed it with three straight outs. Raul Ibañez hit the 2-0 pitch to centerfield, and Dave Roberts made a leaping catch as the ball was hit right at him. Bret Boone hit a roller to short to send Sexson to third. Sexson would stay at third. Jeremy Reed had the count 3-1 before flying out to Burroughs in foul territory near the third-base coaches' box. Lawrence threw 33 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Grade: C
Sure enough, Meche couldn't protect all of the lead. Ramon Hernandez grounded the 2-0 pitch to short. Sean Burroughs singled to centerfield on the second pitch. Khalil Greene had a 3-1 count and fouled off four pitches with a full count until he was caught looking on a slider low and away for a hard-earned 10-pitch strikeout for Meche. Geoff Blum, the #9 hitter, got ahead 3-0 and 3-1. He bounced a full-count pitch off the warning track fair in the rightfield corner, and it bounced up and hit the foul pole. After some mild confusion, the hit was correctly ruled a ground-rule double. Thus, Burroughs was sent back to third. That was soon rendered moot when Roberts fisted a high 1-2 fastball back up the middle and into centerfield, nearly taking out the second-base umpire in the process. Burroughs and Blum scored without a throw.
»» MARINERS 3, PADRES 2
Sweeney fouled off three pitches with two strikes before lining out to Reed. Meche threw a mere 34 pitches.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: C-
Lawrence was about to settle into a groove. Miguel Olivo was caught looking on a breaking ball over the outside corner. Wilson Valdez popped an 0-2 pitch along the rightfield line, where Nevin made an over-the-shoulder basket catch. Kinda. Ichiro hit a low liner into Klesko's glove in leftfield. Lawrence threw eight pitches.
TOP 3RD
Grade: B+
Meche was about to settle into a groove. Klesko hit a high fly to rightfield which looked like it was gone off the bat. However, it was hit high enough for Ichiro to pick it up, time a leap, and catch it just before it went beyond the rightfield fence. With a one-run lead, that's a huge out. Giles had a 2-0 count and later tried to go to the well again, though he could only send Ichiro to the track in rightcenter. Nevin chopped one high to the mound to end the inning. Meche threw 13 pitches and had 72 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: C-
'Twas another 1-2-3 inning. Winn chopped one to second. Beltre had the hitters' counts before hitting the ball hard, but Roberts caught it. Roberts nearly overran the ball and had to put on the brakes to make the catch. Sexson got behind 0-2 and eventually grounded out to Lawrence. Lawrence threw 11 pitches.
TOP 4TH
Grade: A
Meche had his easiest inning of the night. Hernandez popped the first pitch into shallow leftfield, but Valdez drifted back all the way from the infield to make the catch without being called off. Burroughs flew out to shallow left on the 0-2 pitch. Greene grounded out to Beltre at third. Meche threw only nine pitches and had 81 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: C
At least there was a baserunner this time. Ibañez scorched a worm-burner up the middle for a single, ending Lawrence's streak of nine straight Mariner hitters retired. Boone grounded an 0-2 pitch down the third-base line, where Burroughs went to a knee to backhand it and made a spinning off-balance throw in time to second to force out Ibañez. The relay to first was nearly in time to get Boone as well, since he's slow. Reed flew out to leftfield, and Olivo hit a one-hopper to third, and Boone was forced out at second on the play. Lawrence threw 11 pitches.
TOP 5TH
Grade: B+
Meche would bear down a bit. Blum flew out foul to Beltre in foul territory on the left side. Roberts took a full-count fastball outside for a walk, ending Meche's streak of eight straight Padre outs. Meche got Sweeney hacking at a 1-2 curve, and Klesko did the same, with his curve being in the dirt. Meche threw 17 pitches and had 98 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: C-
The bats weren't up to much. Valdez grounded out to second. Ichiro hit a high chopper to third. Winn was called out on a 1-2 pitch that looked kind of up and inside. Lawrence threw only eight pitches.
TOP 6TH
Grade: B-
This was Meche's final inning. I could have swore I heard Rick Rizzs reading off the announcements and saying "ticket or click-it." Giles worked a 1-2 count full before taking a fastball over the outside corner for strike three. Nevin worked a 1-2 count for a walk. Ramon Hernandez singled to rightfield on the first pitch. Mike Hargrove came out to the mound, and I thought it would be with the hook since Meche's pitch count was quite high, but Hargrove left Meche in the game. He immediately fell behind 2-0 on Burroughs, but got him to roll the 2-1 pitch to Boone, who started the 4-6-3 HUUUUUGE double play.
Meche's line: 6 innings, 2 runs, 4 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts, 117 pitches (66 strikes)
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: A-
Man, I'd been waiting a loooong time for this. Beltre smashed his 1-1 pitch to the facade of the leftfield bleachers, well to the right of Jackie Robinson's retired number and above the out-of-town scoreboard.
»» MARINERS 4, PADRES 2
On the next pitch, Sexson clobbered the ball and may have hit one of the concession stands on a bounce past the mass of inebriation beyond the centerfield fence. These back-to-back homers are two of the farthest-hit balls I've ever seen at the Safe.
»» MARINERS 5, PADRES 2
Ibañez grounded out to second, though for a weird 4-1 putout. Boone grounded out to second the conventional way. Reed hit the 0-2 pitch and took Roberts two steps from the track in centerfield before he caught it. Lawrence threw 12 pitches and had 83 through six.
TOP 7TH
Grade: C+
Julio Mateo came in for Meche. Greene whiffed on an 0-2 pitch. Blum lined out to Boone. Roberts doubled down the rightfield line and into the corner. Ichiro was playing the ball as if it would bank off the angled part of the stands, but it went into the corner instead. Thus, Roberts scooted into third with a triple. Sweeney hit a ball toward first, and it went off the heel of Sexson's glove or his left wrist. Sexson tried hastily to throw to first, but that throw was wild and went past, though luckily it was moot.
»»MARINERS 5, PADRES 3
Ron Villone came in for Mateo. Klesko walked on a low 3-1 pitch. Giles, however, was called out on a 2-2 fastball that looked off the plate outside. I'll take it.
Mateo's line: 2/3 inning, 1 run (unearned), 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 12 pitches (9 strikes)
Villone's line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 10 pitches (4 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: C
The Mariners would chase Lawrence. Olivo flew out down the leftfield line to lead off. Valdez reached down and tagged a 1-1 pitch, hitting it into the gap in leftcenter and legging it out for a triple. Unfortunately, he'd stay at third, and not just because there was a pitching change.
Scott Linebrink came in for Lawrence. Ichiro whiffed on some 0-2 game high and outside. Winn grounded out to second on the first pitch.
Lawrence's line: 6 1/3 innings, 5 runs, 8 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 89 pitches (62 strikes)
Linebrink's line: 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 4 pitches (4 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: A
Jeff Nelson came in for Villone. Nevin whiffed on a 1-2 slider outside. Hernandez flew out to shallow center. The Wave was permeating through the Safe, as the fans were somehow bored -- this was a pretty good game. Burroughs whiffed on a low full-count slider.
Nelson's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 11 pitches (7 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C-
Rudy Seanez came in for Linebrink. Beltre whiffed on a low and away breaking ball out of the zone. Sexson fouled off two pitches before swinging through a breaking ball that nearly hit the dirt. Ibañez foul-tipped the 2-2 offering into the catcher's glove. Seanez struck out the side.
Seanez' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 13 pitches (9 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: A
Eddie Guardado came in to close it out. Greene foul-tipped an 0-2 pitch into Olivo's glove for strike three. Blum took the first pitch to the track in leftfield where Winn came down with it. Roberts flew out to Winn as well. Ballgame.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 6 pitches (6 strikes)
---
Gameball: Adrian Beltre.
There's at least two good choices for the gameball, but luckily I can pick a guy who had a multi-hit game. He walloped the homer, the hit in the first was smacked as well, and he did hit the ball hard when he lined out to centerfield as well. The strikeout against Seanez in the 8th really was the only blemish. It's good to see Beltre get his hitting shoes on though. He's now hitting .238 with 5 homers and 24 RBIs.
Goat: Jeremy Reed.
It's got to be somebody. He stranded two runners and flew out every time he got to the plate. Bret Boone had the exact same line in the boxscore, but he's been showing some signs of life at plate lately. Reed, though...he's now hitting .236. I really hope he warms it up again soon. I guess the good thing is that I'm not remembering any demoralizing defensive gaffes from Reed in centerfield, so at least that half of his game is still holding up.
The Mariners have felled the mighty Padres! Joy was had throughout the land!
Again, it seems that the Mariner offense really doesn't like to scatter their runs. They'll wake up for one or two innings and then flounder in the other six or seven innings. Of course, it's always good when those runs are enough or when the Mariners score five and six runs in those innings. For once, though, I'd like to see them get the lead early and then sprinkle some runs here and there afterward.
Those back-to-back homers by Beltre and Sexson were truly a sight to behold. Those balls were crushed. These weren't the piddly little shots into the bullpen or over the manual scoreboard or two rows into the rightfield seats we've grown accustomed to over the last six years. These were cannon blasts that still had serious elevation when they left the field of play.
Richie Sexson had a great day other than the error. He was 2-for-4 with the aforementioned homer and the double down the rightfield line that made it 3-0 in the first. While Beltre has the line of .238, 5 homers, and 24 RBIs, Sexson's kept a slow but steady pace and now has a line of .234 with 12 homers and 34 RBIs. Sure, we'll probably only get a raise to maybe .250 on his batting average by the time the year's over, but could you imagine if this guy hit .280 and didn't necessarily have to sacrifice the power to do it? Yes, it's a pipe dream, but it's fun.
As for Gil Meche, he never had the off-the-cliff inning that has seemed to be his trademark. The closest he came was the second inning, but he got out of that one. The one thing that's disconcerting about his line is the four walks. With the Mariners' starters averaging 2.8 walks a game, perhaps it's not a surprise to point out that they've only walked 2 or less in one of the last eight games. Situationally, I was quite surprised that Hargrove left him in after Hernandez hit the single in the 6th. I figured since Meche's pitch count was a mere 113 at that point, and that Hernandez had singled on the first pitch, it'd be a good time to take him out. Hargrove decided to squeeze another hitter out of Meche, and it was Burroughs, the 7th hitter in the lineup. The move made Hargrove look like a genius, as Meche got the double-play ball to end the inning. One thing that won't make Hargrove look like a genius is if Meche's shoulder explodes at any point in the season -- though it's only over four May starts, Meche is leading the staff in pitches per start with 109. Just for some piece of mind, I'd like to see that number drop a couple of pitches, that's all.
On the positive side for the rotation as a whole, they've thrown at least five innings in each of their last six starts (possibly due to Hargrove pushing the pitch counts regardless of how many runs the starter has given up). Joel Piñeiro was the last pitcher with a full-on butchering, which came on the 13th (3 2/3, 6 runs, 8 hits, 4 walks). The two games before Piñeiro had that start, Aaron Sele and Jamie Moyer failed to get out of the third inning. After this start against the Padres, Meche has the best May ERA in the rotation with a mark of 4.73. Meche also took a whole 0.27 off the rotation's May ERA, lowering it to 7.03. The average line for a Mariner starting pitcher this month (18 games): 5 1/3 innings, 4.28 runs (4.17 earned), 6.7 hits, 2.8 walks, 3 strikeouts, 94.8 pitches (56.9 strikes).
Surely there's no way the Mariners could win a series against the Padres, right? Surely there's no way they could come away with a winning homestand, right? I might figure to simply write off the Mariners' chances since they're sending Aaron Sele to the mound, but he does have one of the better interleague records in baseball, for what that's worth.
Oh crap. I didn't even mention that Jeff Nelson probably threw his best inning all year. Oh well. If he does it the next two times out, he'll get a gameball.
Stauffer. Sele. Today.
In 25 words or less: Score early and hang on -- past teams of Mariners used to live entire seasons this way. Also, Meche avoided his trademark inning.
This one featured sinkerballer Brian Lawrence and Gil Meche. The Padres came into the game having won eight straight.
TOP 1ST
Grade: C+
Meche had a tension-filled yet scoreless first. Dave Roberts grounded out to Wilson Valdez at short to lead off. Meche walked Mark Sweeney on a full count. Ryan Klesko flew out to centerfield, but there was still some meat of the order left. Brian Giles had the hitters' counts and later walked on a full-count pitch. Phil Nevin hit one hard to the right of Richie Sexson near first base, who dove to stop it with his glove, then underhanded to the covering Meche to end the inning. Meche threw 25 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: B+
The bats wasted no time getting into it. Ichiro had a 2-0 count before chopping the 2-1 pitch just fair down the rightfield line for a leadoff double. Randy Winn hit a grounder to the right side that went off a diving second baseman Geoff Blum's glove and into rightfield for a single. Ichiro scored.
»» MARINERS 1, PADRES 0
Winn stole second base on the first pitch to Adrian Beltre, who worked the count full before smearing the ball past Sean Burroughs at third. Winn went to third on the play, but couldn't score since the ball was hit too hard. Richie Sexson double to the wall in the rightfield corner to easily score Winn. Also, Beltre came around all the way from first base as I cringed and hoped his hamstring would hold up.
»» MARINERS 3, PADRES 0
Disappointingly, the Mariners opened the game with four straight hits, but then followed it with three straight outs. Raul Ibañez hit the 2-0 pitch to centerfield, and Dave Roberts made a leaping catch as the ball was hit right at him. Bret Boone hit a roller to short to send Sexson to third. Sexson would stay at third. Jeremy Reed had the count 3-1 before flying out to Burroughs in foul territory near the third-base coaches' box. Lawrence threw 33 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Grade: C
Sure enough, Meche couldn't protect all of the lead. Ramon Hernandez grounded the 2-0 pitch to short. Sean Burroughs singled to centerfield on the second pitch. Khalil Greene had a 3-1 count and fouled off four pitches with a full count until he was caught looking on a slider low and away for a hard-earned 10-pitch strikeout for Meche. Geoff Blum, the #9 hitter, got ahead 3-0 and 3-1. He bounced a full-count pitch off the warning track fair in the rightfield corner, and it bounced up and hit the foul pole. After some mild confusion, the hit was correctly ruled a ground-rule double. Thus, Burroughs was sent back to third. That was soon rendered moot when Roberts fisted a high 1-2 fastball back up the middle and into centerfield, nearly taking out the second-base umpire in the process. Burroughs and Blum scored without a throw.
»» MARINERS 3, PADRES 2
Sweeney fouled off three pitches with two strikes before lining out to Reed. Meche threw a mere 34 pitches.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: C-
Lawrence was about to settle into a groove. Miguel Olivo was caught looking on a breaking ball over the outside corner. Wilson Valdez popped an 0-2 pitch along the rightfield line, where Nevin made an over-the-shoulder basket catch. Kinda. Ichiro hit a low liner into Klesko's glove in leftfield. Lawrence threw eight pitches.
TOP 3RD
Grade: B+
Meche was about to settle into a groove. Klesko hit a high fly to rightfield which looked like it was gone off the bat. However, it was hit high enough for Ichiro to pick it up, time a leap, and catch it just before it went beyond the rightfield fence. With a one-run lead, that's a huge out. Giles had a 2-0 count and later tried to go to the well again, though he could only send Ichiro to the track in rightcenter. Nevin chopped one high to the mound to end the inning. Meche threw 13 pitches and had 72 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: C-
'Twas another 1-2-3 inning. Winn chopped one to second. Beltre had the hitters' counts before hitting the ball hard, but Roberts caught it. Roberts nearly overran the ball and had to put on the brakes to make the catch. Sexson got behind 0-2 and eventually grounded out to Lawrence. Lawrence threw 11 pitches.
TOP 4TH
Grade: A
Meche had his easiest inning of the night. Hernandez popped the first pitch into shallow leftfield, but Valdez drifted back all the way from the infield to make the catch without being called off. Burroughs flew out to shallow left on the 0-2 pitch. Greene grounded out to Beltre at third. Meche threw only nine pitches and had 81 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: C
At least there was a baserunner this time. Ibañez scorched a worm-burner up the middle for a single, ending Lawrence's streak of nine straight Mariner hitters retired. Boone grounded an 0-2 pitch down the third-base line, where Burroughs went to a knee to backhand it and made a spinning off-balance throw in time to second to force out Ibañez. The relay to first was nearly in time to get Boone as well, since he's slow. Reed flew out to leftfield, and Olivo hit a one-hopper to third, and Boone was forced out at second on the play. Lawrence threw 11 pitches.
TOP 5TH
Grade: B+
Meche would bear down a bit. Blum flew out foul to Beltre in foul territory on the left side. Roberts took a full-count fastball outside for a walk, ending Meche's streak of eight straight Padre outs. Meche got Sweeney hacking at a 1-2 curve, and Klesko did the same, with his curve being in the dirt. Meche threw 17 pitches and had 98 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: C-
The bats weren't up to much. Valdez grounded out to second. Ichiro hit a high chopper to third. Winn was called out on a 1-2 pitch that looked kind of up and inside. Lawrence threw only eight pitches.
TOP 6TH
Grade: B-
This was Meche's final inning. I could have swore I heard Rick Rizzs reading off the announcements and saying "ticket or click-it." Giles worked a 1-2 count full before taking a fastball over the outside corner for strike three. Nevin worked a 1-2 count for a walk. Ramon Hernandez singled to rightfield on the first pitch. Mike Hargrove came out to the mound, and I thought it would be with the hook since Meche's pitch count was quite high, but Hargrove left Meche in the game. He immediately fell behind 2-0 on Burroughs, but got him to roll the 2-1 pitch to Boone, who started the 4-6-3 HUUUUUGE double play.
Meche's line: 6 innings, 2 runs, 4 hits, 4 walks, 4 strikeouts, 117 pitches (66 strikes)
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: A-
Man, I'd been waiting a loooong time for this. Beltre smashed his 1-1 pitch to the facade of the leftfield bleachers, well to the right of Jackie Robinson's retired number and above the out-of-town scoreboard.
»» MARINERS 4, PADRES 2
On the next pitch, Sexson clobbered the ball and may have hit one of the concession stands on a bounce past the mass of inebriation beyond the centerfield fence. These back-to-back homers are two of the farthest-hit balls I've ever seen at the Safe.
»» MARINERS 5, PADRES 2
Ibañez grounded out to second, though for a weird 4-1 putout. Boone grounded out to second the conventional way. Reed hit the 0-2 pitch and took Roberts two steps from the track in centerfield before he caught it. Lawrence threw 12 pitches and had 83 through six.
TOP 7TH
Grade: C+
Julio Mateo came in for Meche. Greene whiffed on an 0-2 pitch. Blum lined out to Boone. Roberts doubled down the rightfield line and into the corner. Ichiro was playing the ball as if it would bank off the angled part of the stands, but it went into the corner instead. Thus, Roberts scooted into third with a triple. Sweeney hit a ball toward first, and it went off the heel of Sexson's glove or his left wrist. Sexson tried hastily to throw to first, but that throw was wild and went past, though luckily it was moot.
»»MARINERS 5, PADRES 3
Ron Villone came in for Mateo. Klesko walked on a low 3-1 pitch. Giles, however, was called out on a 2-2 fastball that looked off the plate outside. I'll take it.
Mateo's line: 2/3 inning, 1 run (unearned), 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 12 pitches (9 strikes)
Villone's line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 10 pitches (4 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: C
The Mariners would chase Lawrence. Olivo flew out down the leftfield line to lead off. Valdez reached down and tagged a 1-1 pitch, hitting it into the gap in leftcenter and legging it out for a triple. Unfortunately, he'd stay at third, and not just because there was a pitching change.
Scott Linebrink came in for Lawrence. Ichiro whiffed on some 0-2 game high and outside. Winn grounded out to second on the first pitch.
Lawrence's line: 6 1/3 innings, 5 runs, 8 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 89 pitches (62 strikes)
Linebrink's line: 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 4 pitches (4 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: A
Jeff Nelson came in for Villone. Nevin whiffed on a 1-2 slider outside. Hernandez flew out to shallow center. The Wave was permeating through the Safe, as the fans were somehow bored -- this was a pretty good game. Burroughs whiffed on a low full-count slider.
Nelson's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 11 pitches (7 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C-
Rudy Seanez came in for Linebrink. Beltre whiffed on a low and away breaking ball out of the zone. Sexson fouled off two pitches before swinging through a breaking ball that nearly hit the dirt. Ibañez foul-tipped the 2-2 offering into the catcher's glove. Seanez struck out the side.
Seanez' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 13 pitches (9 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: A
Eddie Guardado came in to close it out. Greene foul-tipped an 0-2 pitch into Olivo's glove for strike three. Blum took the first pitch to the track in leftfield where Winn came down with it. Roberts flew out to Winn as well. Ballgame.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 6 pitches (6 strikes)
---
Gameball: Adrian Beltre.
There's at least two good choices for the gameball, but luckily I can pick a guy who had a multi-hit game. He walloped the homer, the hit in the first was smacked as well, and he did hit the ball hard when he lined out to centerfield as well. The strikeout against Seanez in the 8th really was the only blemish. It's good to see Beltre get his hitting shoes on though. He's now hitting .238 with 5 homers and 24 RBIs.
Goat: Jeremy Reed.
It's got to be somebody. He stranded two runners and flew out every time he got to the plate. Bret Boone had the exact same line in the boxscore, but he's been showing some signs of life at plate lately. Reed, though...he's now hitting .236. I really hope he warms it up again soon. I guess the good thing is that I'm not remembering any demoralizing defensive gaffes from Reed in centerfield, so at least that half of his game is still holding up.
The Mariners have felled the mighty Padres! Joy was had throughout the land!
Again, it seems that the Mariner offense really doesn't like to scatter their runs. They'll wake up for one or two innings and then flounder in the other six or seven innings. Of course, it's always good when those runs are enough or when the Mariners score five and six runs in those innings. For once, though, I'd like to see them get the lead early and then sprinkle some runs here and there afterward.
Those back-to-back homers by Beltre and Sexson were truly a sight to behold. Those balls were crushed. These weren't the piddly little shots into the bullpen or over the manual scoreboard or two rows into the rightfield seats we've grown accustomed to over the last six years. These were cannon blasts that still had serious elevation when they left the field of play.
Richie Sexson had a great day other than the error. He was 2-for-4 with the aforementioned homer and the double down the rightfield line that made it 3-0 in the first. While Beltre has the line of .238, 5 homers, and 24 RBIs, Sexson's kept a slow but steady pace and now has a line of .234 with 12 homers and 34 RBIs. Sure, we'll probably only get a raise to maybe .250 on his batting average by the time the year's over, but could you imagine if this guy hit .280 and didn't necessarily have to sacrifice the power to do it? Yes, it's a pipe dream, but it's fun.
As for Gil Meche, he never had the off-the-cliff inning that has seemed to be his trademark. The closest he came was the second inning, but he got out of that one. The one thing that's disconcerting about his line is the four walks. With the Mariners' starters averaging 2.8 walks a game, perhaps it's not a surprise to point out that they've only walked 2 or less in one of the last eight games. Situationally, I was quite surprised that Hargrove left him in after Hernandez hit the single in the 6th. I figured since Meche's pitch count was a mere 113 at that point, and that Hernandez had singled on the first pitch, it'd be a good time to take him out. Hargrove decided to squeeze another hitter out of Meche, and it was Burroughs, the 7th hitter in the lineup. The move made Hargrove look like a genius, as Meche got the double-play ball to end the inning. One thing that won't make Hargrove look like a genius is if Meche's shoulder explodes at any point in the season -- though it's only over four May starts, Meche is leading the staff in pitches per start with 109. Just for some piece of mind, I'd like to see that number drop a couple of pitches, that's all.
On the positive side for the rotation as a whole, they've thrown at least five innings in each of their last six starts (possibly due to Hargrove pushing the pitch counts regardless of how many runs the starter has given up). Joel Piñeiro was the last pitcher with a full-on butchering, which came on the 13th (3 2/3, 6 runs, 8 hits, 4 walks). The two games before Piñeiro had that start, Aaron Sele and Jamie Moyer failed to get out of the third inning. After this start against the Padres, Meche has the best May ERA in the rotation with a mark of 4.73. Meche also took a whole 0.27 off the rotation's May ERA, lowering it to 7.03. The average line for a Mariner starting pitcher this month (18 games): 5 1/3 innings, 4.28 runs (4.17 earned), 6.7 hits, 2.8 walks, 3 strikeouts, 94.8 pitches (56.9 strikes).
Surely there's no way the Mariners could win a series against the Padres, right? Surely there's no way they could come away with a winning homestand, right? I might figure to simply write off the Mariners' chances since they're sending Aaron Sele to the mound, but he does have one of the better interleague records in baseball, for what that's worth.
Oh crap. I didn't even mention that Jeff Nelson probably threw his best inning all year. Oh well. If he does it the next two times out, he'll get a gameball.
Stauffer. Sele. Today.
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