Friday, May 27, 2005
GAME 46: ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 2
Orioles 5, Mariners 2
In 25 words or less: Like the previous day's game. Mariner pitcher gets roughed up in the first and does okay the rest of the game, but the offense stinks.
This one featured Ryan Franklin going up against Daniel Cabrera, who is tall and throws fast. Cabrera also had a chaw of monumental proportions beneath his lower lip during the game. Seriously, the thing was huge.
I've probably said something about this before. It has to do with the current Qwest ad campaign. The ads end with a random Qwest worker, and their first name and position is identified on the screen. The last thing they say is "that is our spirit of service in action." Lately, I've noticed that they overemphasize the final two words in that line, so they VERY clearly say "IN ACTION." The problem? Before, they said all the words with a fluid cadence, so it probably sounded more like "inaction," and there's probably some people out there that agreed with the whole "inaction" thing. I'm guessing someone clued them in to that.
TOP 1ST
Grade: C-
Since I already warned of tonight's performance by the bats, get used to the pattern. Ichiro rolled one very slowly to a charging Brian Roberts, who barely got Ichiro at first. Randy Winn grounded an 0-2 pitch to first for a 3-1 putout. Adrian Beltre got down 0-2 and fouled off a couple of pitches before whiffing on a slider outside. Cabrera threw 10 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: C-
Here's how Ruff Ryan rolls. Brian Roberts shot one down the leftfield line past Beltre for a single. David Newhan hit the first pitch to Boone, who went to second for the 4-6 fielder's choice. Melvin Mora got down 0-2 and fouled off a couple pitches en route to working the count full. Then Franklin grooved one and Mora tagged it into the seats in leftfield.
»» ORIOLES 2, MARINERS 0
Miguel Tejada got under the second pitch he saw, flying out high to centerfield. Sammy Sosa grounded out to second to end the inning. Franklin threw 16 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Grade: C
Sigh. Richie Sexson flew out high to shallow rightfield. Raul Ibañez worked an 0-2 count for a walk. Bret Boone fouled off a 2-0 pitch before falling victim to a running and diving catch by Sosa in rightcenter. Jeremy Reed took a 1-2 fastball that tailed back over the inside corner for strike three. Mariner hitters from both sides of the plate had trouble with that pitch all night. Cabrera threw 17 pitches.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: C+
The inning started off with something interesting, at least. Rafael Palmeiro whiffed on the first pitch and the bat flew into the crowd. He fouled off an 0-2 pitch before Franklin twice tried nibbling at the corners to no avail (squeezed?). Palmeiro flew out to leftfield. Jay Gibbons whiffed at a 1-2 pitch outside. Sal Fasano knocked the first pitch over Wilson Valdez at short for a single. Larry Bigbie grounded an 0-2 pitch up the middle that went under Boone's glove for a single on what should easily have been a 4-6 fielder's choice to end the inning, and Fasano scooted to third on the play. Franklin compounded the mess by walking Roberts on four pitches to load the bases and bring Bryan Price to the mound. Newhan fouled off a high pitch on 0-2 but whiffed on a curve in the dirt to end the inning. Franklin threw 21 pitches.
TOP 3RD
Grade: C-
The beat continued. Miguel Olivo flew out to Sosa in shallow rightfield. Wilson Valdez grounded one up the middle, which was fielded by the shortstop. Ichiro grounded out to third to end the inning. Cabrera threw 12 pitches.
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: B-
Franklin had to get through the meat of the order. Mora fell behind 0-2 and flew out to Sexson behind the bag at first. Tejada laced the first pitch into centerfield for a single. Sosa flew out to rightfield on the first pitch. Palmeiro hit one where Boone usually would have been, except the shift was on, and the ball snuck through for a single. Gibbons flew out to Ichiro on the first pitch to end the inning. Franklin threw 12 pitches.
TOP 4TH
Grade: C-
Ho-hum. Winn grounded into the hole on the right side, but Roberts made the play. Beltre was jammed and grounded out to third. Sexson got down 0-2 and eventually foul-tipped a slider over the middle into the catcher's glove. Cabrera threw 13 pitches.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: A
Franklin would begin to settle down. Fasano popped the first pitch to Sexson by the coaches' box in foul territory. Bigbie grounded out to second. Roberts took an 0-2 pitch in the dirt, but grounded to Sexson on the next pitch, who stepped on the bag. Franklin threw only seven pitches.
TOP 5TH
Grade: C
It didn't get better for the Mariners, unfortunately. Ibañez took the tailing fastball over the inside corner for strike three. Boone took the same pitch barely outside on 1-2, but whiffed on the obligatory slider low and away (it's clockwork). Reed bounced a 3-1 pitch off the track in leftcenter for a double. Cabrera hung a 1-2 pitch to Olivo, but he's Olivo, so it ended up as a fly ball to shallow centerfield that was caught by Roberts. Cabrera threw 19 pitches.
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: B+
Franklin would get some help. Newhan popped out to Valdez in shallow leftfield. Mora hit a shot up the middle that nearly hit Franklin's legs, and it went for a single. Tejada fouled off a 2-0 pitch, but grounded the next pitch to Beltre for an around-the-horn (5-4-3) double play to end the inning. Franklin threw 10 pitches.
TOP 6TH
Grade: B-
Offense?! Valdez went from 2-0 to the whiff. Ichiro hit his second pitch into the gap in rightcenter, and it rolled to the wall as Ichiro chugged into third with a triple. Winn fouled off an 0-2 pitch before flying out down the leftfield line. Luckily, it was deep enough to score Ichiro and cut the lead in half.
»» ORIOLES 2, MARINERS 1
Then Beltre took the 1-2 tailing gastball over the outside corner. Cabrera threw 15 pitches.
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: B-
Give it right back! Sosa rolled the first pitch to short. Palmeiro mashed the 3-1 pitch over just over the wall in centerfield, and apparently Reed reached over the fence to get a glove on it, but couldn't pull it back into the field of play. Story of my freakin' life, ladies and gentlemen.
»» ORIOLES 3, MARINERS 1
Franklin hung an 0-2 pitch to Gibbons, who flew out to Ichiro in the gap. Fasano flew out high to Reed in leftcenter. Franklin threw 11 pitches.
TOP 7TH
Grade: C+
Cabrera was doing an imitation of me as a starting pitcher back in Babe Ruth ball for this inning. Sexson whiffed on a pitch low and away, and was erased on the 2-3 putout. Ibañez saw the first pitch go way over his back and to the backstop. John Marzano in the booth said it might have been intentional based on Cabrera's reaction, which I didnt see. Of course, I think Marzano's assertion is part homerism, part Marzano, and part just wanting to see anything remotely entertaining in this God-awful series. Ibañez responded by ripping a double down the rightfield line. Boone hit a hard grounder to short, and Ibañez held at second. Reed had the hitters' counts and took the 3-1 pitch behind him and to the backstop for ball four. Olivo fouled off a low 0-2 pitch before hitting a slow bouncer to Tejada at short.
Cabrera's line: 7 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, 106 pitches (68 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: A
Franklin finished nicely. Bigbie bounced one to second. Roberts flew out to Ichiro in shallow rightfield. Newhan was caught looking on a 1-2 pitch.
Franklin's line: 7 innings, 3 runs, 8 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 91 pitches (64 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: C
Jorge Julio came in for Cabrera. Dave Hansen came on to pinch hit for Valdez. He flew out to centerfield. Ichiro flew out to Bigbie in leftcenter. Winn popped the first pitch just over a leaping and drifting Roberts for a single. Beltre hit an 0-1 pitch off of Julio and up the middle for a single. Of course, there were two out. Winn stole third without a throw on the first pitch to Sexson. Sexson whiffed on a 2-2 pitch that we usually see Beltre whiff at; it's the pitch where the catcher sets up over the outside corner, but the ball goes closer to the batter's head, but Beltre/Sexson swings at it anyway.
Julio's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 21 pitches (16 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C
Shigetoshi Hasegawa came in for Franklin. Mora ripped the second pitch down the leftfield line for a double. Tejada had a 2-0 count, but crushed the 2-1 pitch about 17 rows or so into the seats in rightfield. This officially put the outcome of the game out of doubt.
»» ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 1
Sosa had an 0-2 count and later flew out to Ichiro. Palmeiro split his bat on the first pitch, and the ball rolled to Sexson, who stepped on the bag. The business end of the bat had gone into the Oriole dugout and shiv'd end (ex-handle) nearly speared one of the Orioles in the back. Palmeiro thought the ball had gone foul and got a new bat and went back to the plate. Wrong. Oh well. I've walked to first on ball three before, and Mike Cameron actually did that last week. Gibbons grounded out to Sexson as well, who stepped on the bag for the third out.
Hasegawa's line: 1 inning, 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 17 pitches (11 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: B-
Submarine Steve Reed came in for Julio. Ibañez grounded the first pitch to short. Boone grounded the 0-2 pitch to second. Reed decided it'd be a good time for his first Major League homer, and why not? It was a 1-1 pitch that was sent just over the scoreboard in rightfield.
»» ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 2
Greg Dobbs came in to pinch hit for Olivo. He flew out to leftfield. Ballgame.
Reed's line: 1 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 9 pitches (8 strikes)
---
Gameball: Jeremy Reed.
The only Mariner with a multi-hit game. He hit the double in the 5th, and in the 9th came his first big-league homer. Yes, Jeremy Reed homered off of Steve Reed. He's warmed up a bit lately, and hopefully this homer helps out the ol' psyche. Ryan Franklin was the only other obvious gameball, but I'll cover that below.
Goat: Richie Sexson.
He didn't make any errors, which would have made this decision exponentially easier. However, he did hang up an 0-for-4 with a hat trick. He also stranded two runners. He also went hitless in the final two games of the series. There are going to be days like this for Richie, though I think I said that for the last game post as well.
I guess I'll deal with the pitching first. The run support argument does hold up in this one for Ryan Franklin, so as much as I like to rip on the argument when it doesn't apply, it's justified this time, so we have to hear it all the damn time now. He only walked one batter, which is a lot better than five and three walks in his two previous starts. Seeing him give up the Rafael Palmeiro homer in the half-inning right after the Mariners had cut the deficit in half was a little disturbing, but not unexpected considering these Mariners. For the second straight night, though, the Orioles scored first, and scored in the first inning, and were in the driver's seat the rest of the way. The Orioles scored in the first inning in every game of the series. In Tuesday's game, they scored a run to erase the Mariners' 1-0 lead after one half-inning. Then, of course, the Mariners held a 2-1 lead for four innings before blowing it. Basically the Mariners looked out of it early in the last two games of the series, and that's not fun to watch. It's really not a good investment of time. Not at all.
To the rotation itself, they've gone from a 7.31 May ERA after the game on the 18th to a much better 5.89. Unfortunately, that pitching improvement has correlated with the Mariners offense going into the tank in Camden Yards, which is so depressing it's unfathomable. Both conventional and unconventional wisdom say that the park in Baltimore is a hitters' park. Damned if the Mariners didn't know that. Franklin's fifth start of the month lowered his May ERA to 4.85, just a shade under Meche's 4.73 mark. The average line for a Mariner starter this month: 5.70 innings (5 2/3), 3.82 runs (3.73 earned), 6.5 hits, 2.6 walks, 2.9 strikeouts, 96 pitches (58 strikes)
Now let's be sadistic and talk about the hitting. Jeremy Reed's two hits accounted for one-third of the Mariners' output in that category. Ichiro, Randy Winn, Adrian Beltre, and Raul Ibañez got the other four. That means the hitless parties (Sexson, Bret Boone, Miguel Olivo, Wilson Valdez) combined to go 0-for-12 and strike out five times. I guess that number is a little less damning than I thought it'd be, but oh well. The two runs the Mariners scored came on a homer (Reed) or with a runner on third (Ichiro). Reed's two-out double in the 5th was the Mariners' first hit of the game, and Reed was the second Mariner baserunner of the game. I pointed it out earlier, but the Mariners were having trouble all night with that tailing pitch that Cabrera was throwing, the one that tailed over the inside corner to lefties (outside corner to righties). It was doubly bad on Sexson/Beltre/Boone, who could either hack and miss at that pitch or the slider low and away.
I don't like to bring it up, but I'll do it until this crap stops. The 2005 Mariners, sitting here at 18-28, are one whole game over the pace of the 2004 Mariners, who were 17-29 after 46 games. The current Mariners better watch out, because the 2004 Mariners won games 48 and 50, and they won 10 of 14 from games 54 to 67. As you might expect, that 29-38 mark was the high-water mark for the 2004 Mariners, who went on to lose 16 of the next 19 games to put the death knell into the season, including blowing the entirety of the nine-game road trip going into the All-Star break. It was so bad I decided I'd rather attend a six-week geology field course in the sticks of central Oregon. "Decided" here is closely related to the phrase "required to graduate."
I guess the point is that we at least watched baseball that was competitive for the first month of the season even though the team was mediocre (.500), which I expected them to be. Lately, though, it just reeks way too much like last year. The other team scores early, the offense acts like they're out of it, and it's hard to pay attention to the game when you're bored out of your mind and know your team won't win. Yes, the Mariners have gone from ALCS losses in 2000 and 2001 to this in 2004 and 2005. Simply unbelievable.
I just want a return to watchable, competitive baseball. Is that too much to ask? It probably will be too much against Mark Hendrickson, who has handled this team before. It might be too much to ask against Lou Piniella too, who would freakin' love to sweep the Mariners.
Meche. Hendrickson. Tonight.
In 25 words or less: Like the previous day's game. Mariner pitcher gets roughed up in the first and does okay the rest of the game, but the offense stinks.
This one featured Ryan Franklin going up against Daniel Cabrera, who is tall and throws fast. Cabrera also had a chaw of monumental proportions beneath his lower lip during the game. Seriously, the thing was huge.
I've probably said something about this before. It has to do with the current Qwest ad campaign. The ads end with a random Qwest worker, and their first name and position is identified on the screen. The last thing they say is "that is our spirit of service in action." Lately, I've noticed that they overemphasize the final two words in that line, so they VERY clearly say "IN ACTION." The problem? Before, they said all the words with a fluid cadence, so it probably sounded more like "inaction," and there's probably some people out there that agreed with the whole "inaction" thing. I'm guessing someone clued them in to that.
TOP 1ST
Grade: C-
Since I already warned of tonight's performance by the bats, get used to the pattern. Ichiro rolled one very slowly to a charging Brian Roberts, who barely got Ichiro at first. Randy Winn grounded an 0-2 pitch to first for a 3-1 putout. Adrian Beltre got down 0-2 and fouled off a couple of pitches before whiffing on a slider outside. Cabrera threw 10 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: C-
Here's how Ruff Ryan rolls. Brian Roberts shot one down the leftfield line past Beltre for a single. David Newhan hit the first pitch to Boone, who went to second for the 4-6 fielder's choice. Melvin Mora got down 0-2 and fouled off a couple pitches en route to working the count full. Then Franklin grooved one and Mora tagged it into the seats in leftfield.
»» ORIOLES 2, MARINERS 0
Miguel Tejada got under the second pitch he saw, flying out high to centerfield. Sammy Sosa grounded out to second to end the inning. Franklin threw 16 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Grade: C
Sigh. Richie Sexson flew out high to shallow rightfield. Raul Ibañez worked an 0-2 count for a walk. Bret Boone fouled off a 2-0 pitch before falling victim to a running and diving catch by Sosa in rightcenter. Jeremy Reed took a 1-2 fastball that tailed back over the inside corner for strike three. Mariner hitters from both sides of the plate had trouble with that pitch all night. Cabrera threw 17 pitches.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: C+
The inning started off with something interesting, at least. Rafael Palmeiro whiffed on the first pitch and the bat flew into the crowd. He fouled off an 0-2 pitch before Franklin twice tried nibbling at the corners to no avail (squeezed?). Palmeiro flew out to leftfield. Jay Gibbons whiffed at a 1-2 pitch outside. Sal Fasano knocked the first pitch over Wilson Valdez at short for a single. Larry Bigbie grounded an 0-2 pitch up the middle that went under Boone's glove for a single on what should easily have been a 4-6 fielder's choice to end the inning, and Fasano scooted to third on the play. Franklin compounded the mess by walking Roberts on four pitches to load the bases and bring Bryan Price to the mound. Newhan fouled off a high pitch on 0-2 but whiffed on a curve in the dirt to end the inning. Franklin threw 21 pitches.
TOP 3RD
Grade: C-
The beat continued. Miguel Olivo flew out to Sosa in shallow rightfield. Wilson Valdez grounded one up the middle, which was fielded by the shortstop. Ichiro grounded out to third to end the inning. Cabrera threw 12 pitches.
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: B-
Franklin had to get through the meat of the order. Mora fell behind 0-2 and flew out to Sexson behind the bag at first. Tejada laced the first pitch into centerfield for a single. Sosa flew out to rightfield on the first pitch. Palmeiro hit one where Boone usually would have been, except the shift was on, and the ball snuck through for a single. Gibbons flew out to Ichiro on the first pitch to end the inning. Franklin threw 12 pitches.
TOP 4TH
Grade: C-
Ho-hum. Winn grounded into the hole on the right side, but Roberts made the play. Beltre was jammed and grounded out to third. Sexson got down 0-2 and eventually foul-tipped a slider over the middle into the catcher's glove. Cabrera threw 13 pitches.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: A
Franklin would begin to settle down. Fasano popped the first pitch to Sexson by the coaches' box in foul territory. Bigbie grounded out to second. Roberts took an 0-2 pitch in the dirt, but grounded to Sexson on the next pitch, who stepped on the bag. Franklin threw only seven pitches.
TOP 5TH
Grade: C
It didn't get better for the Mariners, unfortunately. Ibañez took the tailing fastball over the inside corner for strike three. Boone took the same pitch barely outside on 1-2, but whiffed on the obligatory slider low and away (it's clockwork). Reed bounced a 3-1 pitch off the track in leftcenter for a double. Cabrera hung a 1-2 pitch to Olivo, but he's Olivo, so it ended up as a fly ball to shallow centerfield that was caught by Roberts. Cabrera threw 19 pitches.
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: B+
Franklin would get some help. Newhan popped out to Valdez in shallow leftfield. Mora hit a shot up the middle that nearly hit Franklin's legs, and it went for a single. Tejada fouled off a 2-0 pitch, but grounded the next pitch to Beltre for an around-the-horn (5-4-3) double play to end the inning. Franklin threw 10 pitches.
TOP 6TH
Grade: B-
Offense?! Valdez went from 2-0 to the whiff. Ichiro hit his second pitch into the gap in rightcenter, and it rolled to the wall as Ichiro chugged into third with a triple. Winn fouled off an 0-2 pitch before flying out down the leftfield line. Luckily, it was deep enough to score Ichiro and cut the lead in half.
»» ORIOLES 2, MARINERS 1
Then Beltre took the 1-2 tailing gastball over the outside corner. Cabrera threw 15 pitches.
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: B-
Give it right back! Sosa rolled the first pitch to short. Palmeiro mashed the 3-1 pitch over just over the wall in centerfield, and apparently Reed reached over the fence to get a glove on it, but couldn't pull it back into the field of play. Story of my freakin' life, ladies and gentlemen.
»» ORIOLES 3, MARINERS 1
Franklin hung an 0-2 pitch to Gibbons, who flew out to Ichiro in the gap. Fasano flew out high to Reed in leftcenter. Franklin threw 11 pitches.
TOP 7TH
Grade: C+
Cabrera was doing an imitation of me as a starting pitcher back in Babe Ruth ball for this inning. Sexson whiffed on a pitch low and away, and was erased on the 2-3 putout. Ibañez saw the first pitch go way over his back and to the backstop. John Marzano in the booth said it might have been intentional based on Cabrera's reaction, which I didnt see. Of course, I think Marzano's assertion is part homerism, part Marzano, and part just wanting to see anything remotely entertaining in this God-awful series. Ibañez responded by ripping a double down the rightfield line. Boone hit a hard grounder to short, and Ibañez held at second. Reed had the hitters' counts and took the 3-1 pitch behind him and to the backstop for ball four. Olivo fouled off a low 0-2 pitch before hitting a slow bouncer to Tejada at short.
Cabrera's line: 7 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts, 106 pitches (68 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: A
Franklin finished nicely. Bigbie bounced one to second. Roberts flew out to Ichiro in shallow rightfield. Newhan was caught looking on a 1-2 pitch.
Franklin's line: 7 innings, 3 runs, 8 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 91 pitches (64 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: C
Jorge Julio came in for Cabrera. Dave Hansen came on to pinch hit for Valdez. He flew out to centerfield. Ichiro flew out to Bigbie in leftcenter. Winn popped the first pitch just over a leaping and drifting Roberts for a single. Beltre hit an 0-1 pitch off of Julio and up the middle for a single. Of course, there were two out. Winn stole third without a throw on the first pitch to Sexson. Sexson whiffed on a 2-2 pitch that we usually see Beltre whiff at; it's the pitch where the catcher sets up over the outside corner, but the ball goes closer to the batter's head, but Beltre/Sexson swings at it anyway.
Julio's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 21 pitches (16 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C
Shigetoshi Hasegawa came in for Franklin. Mora ripped the second pitch down the leftfield line for a double. Tejada had a 2-0 count, but crushed the 2-1 pitch about 17 rows or so into the seats in rightfield. This officially put the outcome of the game out of doubt.
»» ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 1
Sosa had an 0-2 count and later flew out to Ichiro. Palmeiro split his bat on the first pitch, and the ball rolled to Sexson, who stepped on the bag. The business end of the bat had gone into the Oriole dugout and shiv'd end (ex-handle) nearly speared one of the Orioles in the back. Palmeiro thought the ball had gone foul and got a new bat and went back to the plate. Wrong. Oh well. I've walked to first on ball three before, and Mike Cameron actually did that last week. Gibbons grounded out to Sexson as well, who stepped on the bag for the third out.
Hasegawa's line: 1 inning, 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 17 pitches (11 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: B-
Submarine Steve Reed came in for Julio. Ibañez grounded the first pitch to short. Boone grounded the 0-2 pitch to second. Reed decided it'd be a good time for his first Major League homer, and why not? It was a 1-1 pitch that was sent just over the scoreboard in rightfield.
»» ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 2
Greg Dobbs came in to pinch hit for Olivo. He flew out to leftfield. Ballgame.
Reed's line: 1 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 9 pitches (8 strikes)
---
Gameball: Jeremy Reed.
The only Mariner with a multi-hit game. He hit the double in the 5th, and in the 9th came his first big-league homer. Yes, Jeremy Reed homered off of Steve Reed. He's warmed up a bit lately, and hopefully this homer helps out the ol' psyche. Ryan Franklin was the only other obvious gameball, but I'll cover that below.
Goat: Richie Sexson.
He didn't make any errors, which would have made this decision exponentially easier. However, he did hang up an 0-for-4 with a hat trick. He also stranded two runners. He also went hitless in the final two games of the series. There are going to be days like this for Richie, though I think I said that for the last game post as well.
I guess I'll deal with the pitching first. The run support argument does hold up in this one for Ryan Franklin, so as much as I like to rip on the argument when it doesn't apply, it's justified this time, so we have to hear it all the damn time now. He only walked one batter, which is a lot better than five and three walks in his two previous starts. Seeing him give up the Rafael Palmeiro homer in the half-inning right after the Mariners had cut the deficit in half was a little disturbing, but not unexpected considering these Mariners. For the second straight night, though, the Orioles scored first, and scored in the first inning, and were in the driver's seat the rest of the way. The Orioles scored in the first inning in every game of the series. In Tuesday's game, they scored a run to erase the Mariners' 1-0 lead after one half-inning. Then, of course, the Mariners held a 2-1 lead for four innings before blowing it. Basically the Mariners looked out of it early in the last two games of the series, and that's not fun to watch. It's really not a good investment of time. Not at all.
To the rotation itself, they've gone from a 7.31 May ERA after the game on the 18th to a much better 5.89. Unfortunately, that pitching improvement has correlated with the Mariners offense going into the tank in Camden Yards, which is so depressing it's unfathomable. Both conventional and unconventional wisdom say that the park in Baltimore is a hitters' park. Damned if the Mariners didn't know that. Franklin's fifth start of the month lowered his May ERA to 4.85, just a shade under Meche's 4.73 mark. The average line for a Mariner starter this month: 5.70 innings (5 2/3), 3.82 runs (3.73 earned), 6.5 hits, 2.6 walks, 2.9 strikeouts, 96 pitches (58 strikes)
Now let's be sadistic and talk about the hitting. Jeremy Reed's two hits accounted for one-third of the Mariners' output in that category. Ichiro, Randy Winn, Adrian Beltre, and Raul Ibañez got the other four. That means the hitless parties (Sexson, Bret Boone, Miguel Olivo, Wilson Valdez) combined to go 0-for-12 and strike out five times. I guess that number is a little less damning than I thought it'd be, but oh well. The two runs the Mariners scored came on a homer (Reed) or with a runner on third (Ichiro). Reed's two-out double in the 5th was the Mariners' first hit of the game, and Reed was the second Mariner baserunner of the game. I pointed it out earlier, but the Mariners were having trouble all night with that tailing pitch that Cabrera was throwing, the one that tailed over the inside corner to lefties (outside corner to righties). It was doubly bad on Sexson/Beltre/Boone, who could either hack and miss at that pitch or the slider low and away.
I don't like to bring it up, but I'll do it until this crap stops. The 2005 Mariners, sitting here at 18-28, are one whole game over the pace of the 2004 Mariners, who were 17-29 after 46 games. The current Mariners better watch out, because the 2004 Mariners won games 48 and 50, and they won 10 of 14 from games 54 to 67. As you might expect, that 29-38 mark was the high-water mark for the 2004 Mariners, who went on to lose 16 of the next 19 games to put the death knell into the season, including blowing the entirety of the nine-game road trip going into the All-Star break. It was so bad I decided I'd rather attend a six-week geology field course in the sticks of central Oregon. "Decided" here is closely related to the phrase "required to graduate."
I guess the point is that we at least watched baseball that was competitive for the first month of the season even though the team was mediocre (.500), which I expected them to be. Lately, though, it just reeks way too much like last year. The other team scores early, the offense acts like they're out of it, and it's hard to pay attention to the game when you're bored out of your mind and know your team won't win. Yes, the Mariners have gone from ALCS losses in 2000 and 2001 to this in 2004 and 2005. Simply unbelievable.
I just want a return to watchable, competitive baseball. Is that too much to ask? It probably will be too much against Mark Hendrickson, who has handled this team before. It might be too much to ask against Lou Piniella too, who would freakin' love to sweep the Mariners.
Meche. Hendrickson. Tonight.
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