Monday, May 30, 2005
GAME 49: MARINERS 10, DEVIL RAYS 9
Mariners 10, Devil Rays 9
In 25 words or less: Smile! Jeremy Reed's a Mariner! It's almost enough to make you forget that Joel Piñeiro got taken to the wood shed.
(posted ~12:09p, but oh well)
This one featured Joel Piñeiro against the infamous Doug Waechter, one of the no-name nails in the coffin to the Mariners' 2003 season. That's something I wish I could forget.
TOP 1ST
Grade: C-
It started out the same ol' way against Waechter. Ichiro popped out lazily to second. Randy Winn and Adrian Beltre both grounded out to short. Waechter threw nine pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: A
Piñeiro matched the Waechter inning quite nicely. Carl Crawford hit a low-lining flyout to leftfield. Nick Green fouled off a couple 1-2 pitches, but eventually whiffed. Aubrey Huff grounded the first pitch to Bret Boone at second. Piñeiro threw 11 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Grade: B+
This was a surprise. Richie Sexson flew out to centerfield. Raul Ibañez fouled off pitches on 2-0 and 2-2 before taking a change over the plate for strike three. Bret Boone's heckler sounded off as Boone came to the plate. Said Ron Fairly, "there's the ol' leatherlung." Boone mashed the 0-1 pitch over the fence in leftcenter. Said Dave Niehaus about the heckler as the ball traveled out, "that'll shut him up."
»» MARINERS 1, DEVIL RAYS 0
Jeremy Reed got the hitters' counts and put a decent poke on the 3-1 pitch. As a matter of fact, it went about a third of the way up the rightfield foul pole. Back-to-back homers? I'll take it, especially with two out.
»» MARINERS 2, DEVIL RAYS 0
Willie Bloomquist got ahead 2-0, and eventually was caught looking on a full-count slider that looked kinda high. Waechter threw 22 pitches.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: B+
Piñeiro continued to hold the fort. Travis Lee hit the 2-0 pitch for a high flyout to Winn in leftcenter. Josh Phelps grounded out to second. Jorge Cantu laced the first pitch over Bloomquist at short for a single. Damon Hollins whiffed to end the inning. Piñeiro threw 14 pitches.
TOP 3RD
Grade: B-
More? Pat Borders fell behind 0-2 on a checkswing that was called a swing, which I thought was bull. He whiffed on the next pitch (0-2). Ichiro grounded one under Lee's glove and down the rightfield line, and he got a triple out of it (I feel like saying this isn't such a big deal anymore). Winn singled past the second baseman on the first pitch, easily scoring Ichiro and giving Winn a five-game hit streak.
»» MARINERS 3, DEVIL RAYS 0
Then Winn was nailed on the first pitch to Beltre. His foot was tagged just before it got to the bag. Beltre whiffed on a pitch high and outside. Waechter threw 13 pitches.
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: C+
Things got a bit dicey for Piñeiro. Charles Johnson had a 3-1 count and took the full-count pitch low and outside for a walk. Alex Gonzalez grounded a ball to Beltre, who started the 5-4-3 double play. Crawford lined a single into leftfield. He went to second on a first-pitch dirtball to Green, who fisted the next pitch over a drifting-back Bloomquist. Crawford scored. That's a way to squeeze something out of that inning.
»» MARINERS 3, DEVIL RAYS 1
Huff grounded a ball to Bloomquist's backhand side, and he threw to Boone for the 6-4 fielder's choice...although it looked a whole lot like Green had beaten the throw there. No meaningful replay was shown, though it depended on whther Green's right foot got to the bag before the left knee. If it did, he was definitely safe. Still, we'll take the call, won't we? Piñeiro threw 17 pitches.
TOP 4TH
Grade: B
They got it right back. Sexson clocked the first pitch over Hollins' head in centerfield, bouncing it off the track and off the wall for a leadoff double. Ibañez took an 0-2 dirtball before smacking a single into centerfield. Unfortunately, it was hit so hard that Sexson had to hold up at third. Boone hit a slow bouncer to Cantu at third, who threw to second for the forceout. It turns out for once that Boone not hitting the ball hard was a good thing, since the run scored.
»» MARINERS 4, DEVIL RAYS 1
Reed got behind 0-2 and eventually grounded to second for a 4-6 fielder's choice. Bloomquist popped the first pitch near the rightfield line, where the second baseman Green ran over and made a nifty over-the-shoulder catch. Waechter threw 17 pitches.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: D
Nothing short of a debacle for Piñeiro. Lee got ahead 2-0 and fished for the 2-1 pitch, knocking it into centerfield to a single. Lee stole second on the first pitch to Phelps. Phelps took a 3-1 curve low and away, but whiffed on a full-count curve down and in. Lee was nearly picked off of second by Piñeiro with the count 1-0 to Cantu, but Lee pulled what Ichiro pulled not too long ago, pulling back one hand on the slide to avoid the tag from the glove. Thus, Lee was safe by yanking the right hand out of the way. Cantu got ahead 3-0 and crushed the 3-1 pitch into leftfield near the corner for a double. Lee scored easily.
»» MARINERS 4, DEVIL RAYS 2
Hollins ripped the second pitch off the wall in leftcenter to score Cantu and bring Bryan Price out to the mound to see what the f#@% was going on with Piñeiro, who was elevating his pitches.
»» MARINERS 4, DEVIL RAYS 3
Johnson grounded the first pitch to Beltre, so that was a good result after the Price visit. Gonzalez poked a single into leftfield, and it went on one hop to Winn. Said Fairly: "I thought Winn had a chance because Hollin's hadn't gotten to third yet when he got the ball." Alas, the arm of Randy Winn. That's a tie game.
»» DEVIL RAYS 4, MARINERS 4
Crawford ripped an 0-1 pitch into rightfield for a single. Ichiro's throw home was cut off in front of the plate by Borders, who threw to second in time to nail Crawford trying to stretch his hit after he hesitated after rounding first. Piñeiro threw 23 pitches.
»» DEVIL RAYS 5, MARINERS 4
TOP 5TH
Grade: C-
The response from the bats was swift as molasses. Borders whiffed on an 0-2 pitch that seemed headed toward somewhere close to his head. Ichiro flew out to second on a 2-0 pitch. Winn whiffed at a dirtball to end the inning. Waechter threw 10 pitches.
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: C-
It got much worse before it could get better. Green hit a slow grounder up the middle that went past Piñeiro and found its way into centerfield for a single. Huff hit a low liner to Winn. Lee flew out to rightfield. One runner on first, two outs. Shouldn't be a problem, right? Green stole second (just barely) on the first pitch to Phelps. Phelps hit the next pitch through the hole on the left side, and Winn made a futile throw home, which ended up in front of the plate somewhere.
»» DEVIL RAYS 6, MARINERS 4
Shigetoshi Hasegawa came in for Piñeiro. He left a 1-2 pitch a little too high and a little too over the plate, and Cantu made no mistake, covering the pitch and sending it well over the wall in leftfield. Mariner fans everywhere sulked.
»» DEVIL RAYS 8, MARINERS 4
Hollins fouled off a 3-1 pitch and eventually flew out to Ichiro.
Piñeiro's line: 4 2/3 innings, 7 runs, 10 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 75 pitches (45 strikes)
TOP 6TH
Grade: C
The offense didn't respond. Beltre flew out to the track in rightfield. Sexson just about knocked the cover off the ball, but he needed more elevation since it was just a lineout to Crawford in left. Ibañez singled past the backhand side of the second baseman on an 0-2 pitch. Boone hit a checkswing roller to second to end the inning. Waechter threw 14 pitches.
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: B
Hasegawa didn't crumble. He got ahead 0-2 on Johnson and got him to whiff (debatable checkswing call) on the 1-2 pitch. Gonzalez got ahead 3-0 and took a five-pitch walk. On the first pitch, Crawford flew out just short of the track in centerfield, and it was deep enough for Gonzalez to tag and move to second. Green grounded out to third to end the inning.
Hasegawa's line: 1 1/3 innings, 1 run, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 25 pitches (14 strikes)
TOP 7TH
Grade: B
All hail the bottom third of the Mariner lineup. Reed flew out to leftfield. Bloomquist hit the first pitch, and it was a fly toward the rightfield line. Huff had a long way to go to run to the ball, and he dove for it. The ball was in his glove, but popped out and got by him. Bloomquist ended up with a double. Bordeers fouled off a 1-2 pitch before dinking a single near the leftfield line to score Bloomquist.
»» MARINERS 8, DEVIL RAYS 5
Lance Carter was put in, and Waechter was pulled. Ichiro lined out to the shortstop and Winn flew out to left. So much for that rally.
Waechter's line: 6 1/3 innings, 5 runs, 9 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts, 95 pitches (65 strikes)
Carter's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 6 pitches (4 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: B
Matt Thornton came in for Hasegawa. He promptly walked Huff on four pitches. Lee grounded a slow roller to Boone, who charged for the ball, tagged Huff on his way to second, then threw to first for the 4-3 double play. Phelps was caught looking to end the inning.
Thornton's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 11 pitches (6 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: A
Travis Harper came in for Carter. Beltre ripped the second pitch past the mound for a single. Sexson poked the second pitch through the hole on the right side past a diving attempt by Green, good for a single. The tying run came to the batter's box in the form of Ibañez. He fouled off a 1-2 pitch before singing over Green and into rightfield to score Beltre.
»» DEVIL RAYS 8, MARINERS 6
Boone laid off a couple of pitches that he's usually swung at this year, walking on a 3-1 pitch outside. The bases were now loaded with nobody out.
Trever Miller came in for Harper. Reed hit a slow bouncer to the right side that nearly hit Boone running from first, but the ball had eyes. It got through the hole and into rightfield, and Sexson and Ibañez scored. My goodness, this game was tied!
»» DEVIL RAYS 8, MARINERS 8
Danys Baez came in for Miller. Greg Dobbs came in to pinch hit for Bloomquist. He worked a 1-2 count for a walk in an eight-pitch at-bat. Dave Hansen came in to pinch-hit for Borders. He flew out to centerfield, but it was deep enough for Boone to score, and it was definitely deep enough when Hollins threw to third base instead of home. The Mariners led!
»» MARINERS 9, MARINERS 8
Ichiro flew out in foul territory down the leftfield line. Winn flew out to Crawford in leftcenter.
Harper's line: 0 innings, 4 runs, 3 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (7 strikes)
Miller's line: 0 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 3 pitches (3 strikes)
Baez' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C-
Get ready for some Bullpen Adventures. Jeff Nelson came in for Thornton, but the results were about equal. Cantu flew out to leftfield. Hollins had the hitters' counts and walked on a full count. Johnson had the hitters' counts and popped one foul way behind first on which Sexson couldn't quite make an over-the-shoulder running catch. Johnson walked on a frisbee up and in.
Ron Villone came in for Nelson. Julio Lugo came on to pinch hit for Alex Sanchez, who never came to the plate to pinch hit for Gonzalez. The second pitch to Lugo was way outside and went off Miguel Olivo's glove and to the backstop. Lugo lined the 1-2 pitch right at Winn, but Winn has no arm, and Hollins of course scored. The Devil Rays had scored the tying run without a hit.
»»DEVIL RAYS 9, MARINERS 9
Crawford was nailed in the right shoulder on the first pitch. Green had a 3-0 count and took the five-pitch walk (I thought the 3-1 pitch was a strike, but oh well). Huff hit a soft liner on the first pitch toward short, and replacement shortstop Wilson Valdez ran back and made the catch.
Nelson's line: 1/3 inning, 1 run, 0 hits, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 15 pitches (6 strikes)
Villone's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 11 pitches (5 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: B
Could the Mariners get the run back? Beltre swung at a pitch low and away and rolled it to second. Sexson fouled off a 2-0 pitch (he just missed cranking it) and took the 3-1 pitch outside for a walk. Sexson took second on a 1-0 dirtball to Ibañez. With the count 2-0, the Devil Rays opted to give Ibañez the open base at first, giving him the intentional walk. Boone grounded an 0-2 pitch to second for a 4-6 fielder's choice. The non-double play was helped by Ibañez, who slid nicely to the bag at second. It's not his fault that the shortstop was in the basepath, but he did thwart the possibility of any good throw to first (and in turn, the end of the inning). Reed one-hopped the rightfield wall on the first pitch, good for a double, and good for the lead as Sexson scored.
»» MARINERS 10, DEVIL RAYS 9
With Boone on third, Valdez popped to Lugo behind the bag at second.
McClung's line: 1 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 18 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Grade: A
Eddie Guardado came in to slam the door shut. Eduardo Perez came in to pinch-hit for Lee, the #4 hitter. He popped up high to Sexson beside the mound. Phelps lined a ball to Winn in leftfield, who fought the lights or something and ended up with nearly a snowcone grab. Cantu flew out to Reed. Ballgame.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 6 pitches (5 strikes)
---
Gameball: Raul Ibañez.
The obvious gameball of course is Jeremy Reed, but Raul had quite a day for himself. Though he was caught looking in the second, he singled in the 4th, 6th, and 8th, and was walked intentionally in the 9th. Is it fair to say Raul's bat might be heating up? His batting average is suddenly at .281, second-highest in the lineup to Ichiro's .317. Randy Winn is now sitting at .271.
Goat: Joel Piñeiro.
Remember about three years ago when all of us were really high on this guy? He came up and dazzled us, then treaded water a bit (not the most detailed chronology, I know). Ever since the injury last year, he hasn't been the same. I guess I'll have to make sure that I never ever strain a flexor bundle in my future travails, or else I'll pretty much be screwed, if Joel Piñeiro's fate is any indication. The best thing he showed in his first outing up from "Tacoma" was an ability to dial his fastball up to 93 on occasion. In this game against Tampa Bay...his first couple innings were okay, and the last three were brutal, and the Devil Rays played pinball with him. According to the boxscore I'm looking at, Piñeiro's season ERA is indeed the Number of the Beast. I remember one time I was at the now-defunct (sadly) Drum Garage on 15th NE in north Seattle, and I bought some drum stuff, and the total came out to $6.66. The cashier asked me if I was sure I didn't want to buy anything else, but I didn't, as I didn't have a lot of money left.
That was just exhausting. It was exhausting watching it, it was exhausting taking notes, it was exhausting typing this out. What a topsy-turvy game this was. The Mariners blew a 4-1 lead in the fourth, then the Devil Rays gradually blew their 8-4 lead, followed by the Mariners blowing the 9-8 lead in the 8th before breaking the 9-9 tie in the 9th. I'm sure glad they won it. Losses in games like this leave the bitter taste in one's mouth.
It seems kinda weird that the Mariners scored 10 runs despite hitting only two homers, and they were the back-to-back solo shots by Bret Boone (who drove in a couple of runs and didn't strike out once) and Jeremy Reed. However, they did get three doubles and Ichiro's triple, so the extra-base hits are nice to see. Six of the Mariners' 14 hits went for extra bases.
No Mariners in the starting lineup went hitless. Three Mariners had multi-hit games. Jeremy Reed was undeniably the hitting star, going 3-for-5 with a double and a homer, and driving in four runs. Raul Ibanez had three hits as well (gameball entry). Richie Sexson isn't to go unnoticed, going 2-for-4 with a double, and crossing the plate as three of the Mariners' runs.
The other nice thing, for me, about the offense was the ability to tack on runs here and there. That's how they built that 4-1 lead. Earlier in the season, it seemed that the Mariners wouldn't tack on runs. They'd have one huge inning and have nonexistent bats for the rest of the game. Here, they tacked on some runs here and some runs there. Until the four-run 8th inning, that is. Adrian Beltre started the rally with his only hit of the game, and there weren't any outs until Dave Hansen's sacrifice fly drove in the fourth run of the inning, and the Mariners had the lead. The only disconcerting thing about the inning was that the Mariners sent six batters to the plate and nobody made an out, but the final three hitters all did. Oh well.
The concern, needless to say, lies with Joel Piñeiro. After a decent first two innings, Joel stumbled a bit in the third and just lost it in the fourth and fifth. The most damning thing is what Darnell Coles mentioned on the broadcast -- Piñeiro yielded hits to seven of the final eleven batters he faced. That's Exhibit A of How to Turn a 4-1 Lead Into a 6-4 Deficit. That of course turned into an 8-4 deficit after Shigetoshi Hasegawa hung one to Jorge Cantu. I was hoping Piñeiro would improve on his last start coming up from "Tacoma," but he just plum got tattooed in this one. It's too bad, since he started out with a decent first two innings before everything hit the fan. The speed at which the Mariners lost that lead was some combination of "breakneck," "blinding," and "light."
Now for the obligatory May starting pitching note. Don't worry, everyone, May's almost over. Piñeiro's ERA in five May starts is a paltry 7.22. The entire rotation's ERA in the month of May is now 5.94, a raise of 0.26 from the night before. The average line for a starting pitcher this month: 5.64 innings (5 2/3), 3.84 runs (3.72 earned), 6.4 hits, 2.5 walks, 2.8 strikeouts, 94.9 pitches (57.3 strikes).
As for the 2005 Mariners vs. 2004 Mariners battle, the 2005 Mariners did nicely in taking the final two games of the series against Tampa Bay. Their 20-29 record is now two games better than the pace set by last year's Mariners. Hoorah!
Jeremy Reed's hitting .270! That's good for fourth-highest in the starting lineup, which is both good and bad.
The Mariners return home for three against the Blue Jays and three against the same Devil Rays. If there's one good thing to take heading into this homestand, it's that Roy Halladay threw on Sunday, so the Mariners will miss him. Of course, that leaves the door open for a Josh Towers shutout or the (God forbid) Ted Lilly three-hitter, I'm sure.
Lilly. Moyer. Tonight.
In 25 words or less: Smile! Jeremy Reed's a Mariner! It's almost enough to make you forget that Joel Piñeiro got taken to the wood shed.
(posted ~12:09p, but oh well)
This one featured Joel Piñeiro against the infamous Doug Waechter, one of the no-name nails in the coffin to the Mariners' 2003 season. That's something I wish I could forget.
TOP 1ST
Grade: C-
It started out the same ol' way against Waechter. Ichiro popped out lazily to second. Randy Winn and Adrian Beltre both grounded out to short. Waechter threw nine pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: A
Piñeiro matched the Waechter inning quite nicely. Carl Crawford hit a low-lining flyout to leftfield. Nick Green fouled off a couple 1-2 pitches, but eventually whiffed. Aubrey Huff grounded the first pitch to Bret Boone at second. Piñeiro threw 11 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Grade: B+
This was a surprise. Richie Sexson flew out to centerfield. Raul Ibañez fouled off pitches on 2-0 and 2-2 before taking a change over the plate for strike three. Bret Boone's heckler sounded off as Boone came to the plate. Said Ron Fairly, "there's the ol' leatherlung." Boone mashed the 0-1 pitch over the fence in leftcenter. Said Dave Niehaus about the heckler as the ball traveled out, "that'll shut him up."
»» MARINERS 1, DEVIL RAYS 0
Jeremy Reed got the hitters' counts and put a decent poke on the 3-1 pitch. As a matter of fact, it went about a third of the way up the rightfield foul pole. Back-to-back homers? I'll take it, especially with two out.
»» MARINERS 2, DEVIL RAYS 0
Willie Bloomquist got ahead 2-0, and eventually was caught looking on a full-count slider that looked kinda high. Waechter threw 22 pitches.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: B+
Piñeiro continued to hold the fort. Travis Lee hit the 2-0 pitch for a high flyout to Winn in leftcenter. Josh Phelps grounded out to second. Jorge Cantu laced the first pitch over Bloomquist at short for a single. Damon Hollins whiffed to end the inning. Piñeiro threw 14 pitches.
TOP 3RD
Grade: B-
More? Pat Borders fell behind 0-2 on a checkswing that was called a swing, which I thought was bull. He whiffed on the next pitch (0-2). Ichiro grounded one under Lee's glove and down the rightfield line, and he got a triple out of it (I feel like saying this isn't such a big deal anymore). Winn singled past the second baseman on the first pitch, easily scoring Ichiro and giving Winn a five-game hit streak.
»» MARINERS 3, DEVIL RAYS 0
Then Winn was nailed on the first pitch to Beltre. His foot was tagged just before it got to the bag. Beltre whiffed on a pitch high and outside. Waechter threw 13 pitches.
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: C+
Things got a bit dicey for Piñeiro. Charles Johnson had a 3-1 count and took the full-count pitch low and outside for a walk. Alex Gonzalez grounded a ball to Beltre, who started the 5-4-3 double play. Crawford lined a single into leftfield. He went to second on a first-pitch dirtball to Green, who fisted the next pitch over a drifting-back Bloomquist. Crawford scored. That's a way to squeeze something out of that inning.
»» MARINERS 3, DEVIL RAYS 1
Huff grounded a ball to Bloomquist's backhand side, and he threw to Boone for the 6-4 fielder's choice...although it looked a whole lot like Green had beaten the throw there. No meaningful replay was shown, though it depended on whther Green's right foot got to the bag before the left knee. If it did, he was definitely safe. Still, we'll take the call, won't we? Piñeiro threw 17 pitches.
TOP 4TH
Grade: B
They got it right back. Sexson clocked the first pitch over Hollins' head in centerfield, bouncing it off the track and off the wall for a leadoff double. Ibañez took an 0-2 dirtball before smacking a single into centerfield. Unfortunately, it was hit so hard that Sexson had to hold up at third. Boone hit a slow bouncer to Cantu at third, who threw to second for the forceout. It turns out for once that Boone not hitting the ball hard was a good thing, since the run scored.
»» MARINERS 4, DEVIL RAYS 1
Reed got behind 0-2 and eventually grounded to second for a 4-6 fielder's choice. Bloomquist popped the first pitch near the rightfield line, where the second baseman Green ran over and made a nifty over-the-shoulder catch. Waechter threw 17 pitches.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: D
Nothing short of a debacle for Piñeiro. Lee got ahead 2-0 and fished for the 2-1 pitch, knocking it into centerfield to a single. Lee stole second on the first pitch to Phelps. Phelps took a 3-1 curve low and away, but whiffed on a full-count curve down and in. Lee was nearly picked off of second by Piñeiro with the count 1-0 to Cantu, but Lee pulled what Ichiro pulled not too long ago, pulling back one hand on the slide to avoid the tag from the glove. Thus, Lee was safe by yanking the right hand out of the way. Cantu got ahead 3-0 and crushed the 3-1 pitch into leftfield near the corner for a double. Lee scored easily.
»» MARINERS 4, DEVIL RAYS 2
Hollins ripped the second pitch off the wall in leftcenter to score Cantu and bring Bryan Price out to the mound to see what the f#@% was going on with Piñeiro, who was elevating his pitches.
»» MARINERS 4, DEVIL RAYS 3
Johnson grounded the first pitch to Beltre, so that was a good result after the Price visit. Gonzalez poked a single into leftfield, and it went on one hop to Winn. Said Fairly: "I thought Winn had a chance because Hollin's hadn't gotten to third yet when he got the ball." Alas, the arm of Randy Winn. That's a tie game.
»» DEVIL RAYS 4, MARINERS 4
Crawford ripped an 0-1 pitch into rightfield for a single. Ichiro's throw home was cut off in front of the plate by Borders, who threw to second in time to nail Crawford trying to stretch his hit after he hesitated after rounding first. Piñeiro threw 23 pitches.
»» DEVIL RAYS 5, MARINERS 4
TOP 5TH
Grade: C-
The response from the bats was swift as molasses. Borders whiffed on an 0-2 pitch that seemed headed toward somewhere close to his head. Ichiro flew out to second on a 2-0 pitch. Winn whiffed at a dirtball to end the inning. Waechter threw 10 pitches.
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: C-
It got much worse before it could get better. Green hit a slow grounder up the middle that went past Piñeiro and found its way into centerfield for a single. Huff hit a low liner to Winn. Lee flew out to rightfield. One runner on first, two outs. Shouldn't be a problem, right? Green stole second (just barely) on the first pitch to Phelps. Phelps hit the next pitch through the hole on the left side, and Winn made a futile throw home, which ended up in front of the plate somewhere.
»» DEVIL RAYS 6, MARINERS 4
Shigetoshi Hasegawa came in for Piñeiro. He left a 1-2 pitch a little too high and a little too over the plate, and Cantu made no mistake, covering the pitch and sending it well over the wall in leftfield. Mariner fans everywhere sulked.
»» DEVIL RAYS 8, MARINERS 4
Hollins fouled off a 3-1 pitch and eventually flew out to Ichiro.
Piñeiro's line: 4 2/3 innings, 7 runs, 10 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 75 pitches (45 strikes)
TOP 6TH
Grade: C
The offense didn't respond. Beltre flew out to the track in rightfield. Sexson just about knocked the cover off the ball, but he needed more elevation since it was just a lineout to Crawford in left. Ibañez singled past the backhand side of the second baseman on an 0-2 pitch. Boone hit a checkswing roller to second to end the inning. Waechter threw 14 pitches.
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: B
Hasegawa didn't crumble. He got ahead 0-2 on Johnson and got him to whiff (debatable checkswing call) on the 1-2 pitch. Gonzalez got ahead 3-0 and took a five-pitch walk. On the first pitch, Crawford flew out just short of the track in centerfield, and it was deep enough for Gonzalez to tag and move to second. Green grounded out to third to end the inning.
Hasegawa's line: 1 1/3 innings, 1 run, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 25 pitches (14 strikes)
TOP 7TH
Grade: B
All hail the bottom third of the Mariner lineup. Reed flew out to leftfield. Bloomquist hit the first pitch, and it was a fly toward the rightfield line. Huff had a long way to go to run to the ball, and he dove for it. The ball was in his glove, but popped out and got by him. Bloomquist ended up with a double. Bordeers fouled off a 1-2 pitch before dinking a single near the leftfield line to score Bloomquist.
»» MARINERS 8, DEVIL RAYS 5
Lance Carter was put in, and Waechter was pulled. Ichiro lined out to the shortstop and Winn flew out to left. So much for that rally.
Waechter's line: 6 1/3 innings, 5 runs, 9 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts, 95 pitches (65 strikes)
Carter's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 6 pitches (4 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: B
Matt Thornton came in for Hasegawa. He promptly walked Huff on four pitches. Lee grounded a slow roller to Boone, who charged for the ball, tagged Huff on his way to second, then threw to first for the 4-3 double play. Phelps was caught looking to end the inning.
Thornton's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 11 pitches (6 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: A
Travis Harper came in for Carter. Beltre ripped the second pitch past the mound for a single. Sexson poked the second pitch through the hole on the right side past a diving attempt by Green, good for a single. The tying run came to the batter's box in the form of Ibañez. He fouled off a 1-2 pitch before singing over Green and into rightfield to score Beltre.
»» DEVIL RAYS 8, MARINERS 6
Boone laid off a couple of pitches that he's usually swung at this year, walking on a 3-1 pitch outside. The bases were now loaded with nobody out.
Trever Miller came in for Harper. Reed hit a slow bouncer to the right side that nearly hit Boone running from first, but the ball had eyes. It got through the hole and into rightfield, and Sexson and Ibañez scored. My goodness, this game was tied!
»» DEVIL RAYS 8, MARINERS 8
Danys Baez came in for Miller. Greg Dobbs came in to pinch hit for Bloomquist. He worked a 1-2 count for a walk in an eight-pitch at-bat. Dave Hansen came in to pinch-hit for Borders. He flew out to centerfield, but it was deep enough for Boone to score, and it was definitely deep enough when Hollins threw to third base instead of home. The Mariners led!
»» MARINERS 9, MARINERS 8
Ichiro flew out in foul territory down the leftfield line. Winn flew out to Crawford in leftcenter.
Harper's line: 0 innings, 4 runs, 3 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (7 strikes)
Miller's line: 0 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 3 pitches (3 strikes)
Baez' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C-
Get ready for some Bullpen Adventures. Jeff Nelson came in for Thornton, but the results were about equal. Cantu flew out to leftfield. Hollins had the hitters' counts and walked on a full count. Johnson had the hitters' counts and popped one foul way behind first on which Sexson couldn't quite make an over-the-shoulder running catch. Johnson walked on a frisbee up and in.
Ron Villone came in for Nelson. Julio Lugo came on to pinch hit for Alex Sanchez, who never came to the plate to pinch hit for Gonzalez. The second pitch to Lugo was way outside and went off Miguel Olivo's glove and to the backstop. Lugo lined the 1-2 pitch right at Winn, but Winn has no arm, and Hollins of course scored. The Devil Rays had scored the tying run without a hit.
»»DEVIL RAYS 9, MARINERS 9
Crawford was nailed in the right shoulder on the first pitch. Green had a 3-0 count and took the five-pitch walk (I thought the 3-1 pitch was a strike, but oh well). Huff hit a soft liner on the first pitch toward short, and replacement shortstop Wilson Valdez ran back and made the catch.
Nelson's line: 1/3 inning, 1 run, 0 hits, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 15 pitches (6 strikes)
Villone's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 11 pitches (5 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: B
Could the Mariners get the run back? Beltre swung at a pitch low and away and rolled it to second. Sexson fouled off a 2-0 pitch (he just missed cranking it) and took the 3-1 pitch outside for a walk. Sexson took second on a 1-0 dirtball to Ibañez. With the count 2-0, the Devil Rays opted to give Ibañez the open base at first, giving him the intentional walk. Boone grounded an 0-2 pitch to second for a 4-6 fielder's choice. The non-double play was helped by Ibañez, who slid nicely to the bag at second. It's not his fault that the shortstop was in the basepath, but he did thwart the possibility of any good throw to first (and in turn, the end of the inning). Reed one-hopped the rightfield wall on the first pitch, good for a double, and good for the lead as Sexson scored.
»» MARINERS 10, DEVIL RAYS 9
With Boone on third, Valdez popped to Lugo behind the bag at second.
McClung's line: 1 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 18 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Grade: A
Eddie Guardado came in to slam the door shut. Eduardo Perez came in to pinch-hit for Lee, the #4 hitter. He popped up high to Sexson beside the mound. Phelps lined a ball to Winn in leftfield, who fought the lights or something and ended up with nearly a snowcone grab. Cantu flew out to Reed. Ballgame.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 6 pitches (5 strikes)
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Gameball: Raul Ibañez.
The obvious gameball of course is Jeremy Reed, but Raul had quite a day for himself. Though he was caught looking in the second, he singled in the 4th, 6th, and 8th, and was walked intentionally in the 9th. Is it fair to say Raul's bat might be heating up? His batting average is suddenly at .281, second-highest in the lineup to Ichiro's .317. Randy Winn is now sitting at .271.
Goat: Joel Piñeiro.
Remember about three years ago when all of us were really high on this guy? He came up and dazzled us, then treaded water a bit (not the most detailed chronology, I know). Ever since the injury last year, he hasn't been the same. I guess I'll have to make sure that I never ever strain a flexor bundle in my future travails, or else I'll pretty much be screwed, if Joel Piñeiro's fate is any indication. The best thing he showed in his first outing up from "Tacoma" was an ability to dial his fastball up to 93 on occasion. In this game against Tampa Bay...his first couple innings were okay, and the last three were brutal, and the Devil Rays played pinball with him. According to the boxscore I'm looking at, Piñeiro's season ERA is indeed the Number of the Beast. I remember one time I was at the now-defunct (sadly) Drum Garage on 15th NE in north Seattle, and I bought some drum stuff, and the total came out to $6.66. The cashier asked me if I was sure I didn't want to buy anything else, but I didn't, as I didn't have a lot of money left.
That was just exhausting. It was exhausting watching it, it was exhausting taking notes, it was exhausting typing this out. What a topsy-turvy game this was. The Mariners blew a 4-1 lead in the fourth, then the Devil Rays gradually blew their 8-4 lead, followed by the Mariners blowing the 9-8 lead in the 8th before breaking the 9-9 tie in the 9th. I'm sure glad they won it. Losses in games like this leave the bitter taste in one's mouth.
It seems kinda weird that the Mariners scored 10 runs despite hitting only two homers, and they were the back-to-back solo shots by Bret Boone (who drove in a couple of runs and didn't strike out once) and Jeremy Reed. However, they did get three doubles and Ichiro's triple, so the extra-base hits are nice to see. Six of the Mariners' 14 hits went for extra bases.
No Mariners in the starting lineup went hitless. Three Mariners had multi-hit games. Jeremy Reed was undeniably the hitting star, going 3-for-5 with a double and a homer, and driving in four runs. Raul Ibanez had three hits as well (gameball entry). Richie Sexson isn't to go unnoticed, going 2-for-4 with a double, and crossing the plate as three of the Mariners' runs.
The other nice thing, for me, about the offense was the ability to tack on runs here and there. That's how they built that 4-1 lead. Earlier in the season, it seemed that the Mariners wouldn't tack on runs. They'd have one huge inning and have nonexistent bats for the rest of the game. Here, they tacked on some runs here and some runs there. Until the four-run 8th inning, that is. Adrian Beltre started the rally with his only hit of the game, and there weren't any outs until Dave Hansen's sacrifice fly drove in the fourth run of the inning, and the Mariners had the lead. The only disconcerting thing about the inning was that the Mariners sent six batters to the plate and nobody made an out, but the final three hitters all did. Oh well.
The concern, needless to say, lies with Joel Piñeiro. After a decent first two innings, Joel stumbled a bit in the third and just lost it in the fourth and fifth. The most damning thing is what Darnell Coles mentioned on the broadcast -- Piñeiro yielded hits to seven of the final eleven batters he faced. That's Exhibit A of How to Turn a 4-1 Lead Into a 6-4 Deficit. That of course turned into an 8-4 deficit after Shigetoshi Hasegawa hung one to Jorge Cantu. I was hoping Piñeiro would improve on his last start coming up from "Tacoma," but he just plum got tattooed in this one. It's too bad, since he started out with a decent first two innings before everything hit the fan. The speed at which the Mariners lost that lead was some combination of "breakneck," "blinding," and "light."
Now for the obligatory May starting pitching note. Don't worry, everyone, May's almost over. Piñeiro's ERA in five May starts is a paltry 7.22. The entire rotation's ERA in the month of May is now 5.94, a raise of 0.26 from the night before. The average line for a starting pitcher this month: 5.64 innings (5 2/3), 3.84 runs (3.72 earned), 6.4 hits, 2.5 walks, 2.8 strikeouts, 94.9 pitches (57.3 strikes).
As for the 2005 Mariners vs. 2004 Mariners battle, the 2005 Mariners did nicely in taking the final two games of the series against Tampa Bay. Their 20-29 record is now two games better than the pace set by last year's Mariners. Hoorah!
Jeremy Reed's hitting .270! That's good for fourth-highest in the starting lineup, which is both good and bad.
The Mariners return home for three against the Blue Jays and three against the same Devil Rays. If there's one good thing to take heading into this homestand, it's that Roy Halladay threw on Sunday, so the Mariners will miss him. Of course, that leaves the door open for a Josh Towers shutout or the (God forbid) Ted Lilly three-hitter, I'm sure.
Lilly. Moyer. Tonight.
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