Sunday, July 31, 2005
GAME 104: INDIANS 9, MARINERS 7
Indians 9, Mariners 7
In 25 words or less: Not a good game for starting pitching lovers. It was a seesaw affair in which the Mariners never led. More like a yo-yo affair.
This one featured Jake Westbrook going up against Joel Piñeiro. Of course, gameday and the night before it featured some trades. Though you've probably heard about them anyway, here's what they were...
-- Randy Winn to the Giants for righthander Jesse Foppert and catcher Yorvit Torrealba
-- Miguel Olivo to the Padres for minor-league righthander Natanael Mateo and catcher Miguel Ojeda
-- Ron Villone to the Marlins for minor-league pitchers Yorman Bazardo and Mike Flannery
Of course, with such moves being made to the roster, some new bodies have to fill the spots on the Major League roster. George Sherrill, Jamal Strong, and Ojeda took the three roster spots that were vacated after the moves. Chris Snelling more than likely will come up after staying his mandatory ten days in the minors, hence the callup of Strong.
So, with the new additions to the team, and with none of them actually being with the team yet, how would the Mariners fare?
TOP 1ST
Grade: C+
An inopportune start for Piñeiro. Grady Sizemore got the hitters' counts and took the 3-1 pitch high and outside. Coco Crisp hit a broken-bat bloop single into shallow rightcenter, moving Sizemore to second. Jhonny Peralta popped an 0-2 pitch high to leftfield, where Raul Ibañez made the catch just foul down the line. Victor Martinez poked a 2-0 pitch through the right side, and Sizemore scored, drawing a too-late throw from Ichiro.
»» INDIANS 1, MARINERS 0
Jeff Liefer tattooed the first pitch up the middle for a single, scoring Crisp and moving Martinez to third.
»» INDIANS 2, MARINERS 0
Ron Belliard grounded the first pitch to second, starting the badly needed 4-6-3 double play.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: A-
Hey, they fought back. Ichiro grounded the first pitch hard to Ben Broussard behind the bag at first, who knocked it down, bobbled it, then threw quickly back to a covering Westbrook in time. Jeremy Reed fouled off a couple of 0-2 pitches and slapped a single in front of Crisp in leftfield. Raul Ibañez slapped a 1-2 pitch just past the shortstop and through the hole on the left side for a single, moving Reed to second. Richie Sexson bounced the first pitch up the middle for a single, scoring Reed and moving Ibañez to second.
»» INDIANS 2, MARINERS 1
Adrian Beltre mashed the second pitch on one hop to the wall for a double near the corner in leftfield, scoring Ibañez and moving Sexson to third.
»» INDIANS 2, MARINERS 2
Mike Morse fouled off an 0-2 pitch and later whiffed on a 1-2 slider low and off the plate outside. Dave Hansen lined a pitch toward the right side, but Belliard hopped up and reached to make the catch.
TOP 2ND
Grade: D+
Piñeiro kinda imploded. Aaron Boone laced a single into shallow leftcenter. Broussard got ahead 3-0 and took the next pitch outside for a walk. Casey Blake bunted in front of the plate, where Piñeiro fielded the ball and went to first for the only play, advancing Boone to third and Broussard to second. Sizemore got ahead 3-0 and later took a 3-1 pitch high to load the bases and draw a mound visit from pitching coach Bryan Price. Crisp fouled off a 1-2 pitch before grounding hard to Beltre at third, who threw home for the force (5-2 fielder's choice). Wiki Gonzalez behind the plate didn't have a play at first for a possible double play. Peralta lined one down the leftfield line, and it got to the wall in the corner for a double, clearing the bases. Note that it's Ibañez playing leftfield, so maybe he couldn't get to the ball as fast as Winn could, though his arm may or may not make up for that.
»» INDIANS 5, MARINERS 2
Martinez got behind 0-2, took a 1-2 pitch barely low or inside, then whiffed on a full-count change.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: B-
They didn't get it all back this time. Wiki Gonzalez bounced the second pitch toward the left side that took a crazy hop over Peralta and into leftfield for a single. Yuniesky Betancourt reached to get a low and outside 1-2 and put it into centerfield for a single, moving Gonzalez to second. Ichiro lined the second pitch, a bullet right into Boone's glove at third. Reed tapped a nubber to the left side, where Westbrook let the ball go through to Boone, who couldn't quite get the throw in time to first, loading the bases. Ibañez grounded out on the first pitch to second, scoring Gonzalez.
»» INDIANS 5, MARINERS 3
Sexson took a 3-0 strike, took a 3-1 pitch off the outside corner for a strike (crappy call), then took the next pitch just off the inside corner, but for a ball, loading the bases again. Beltre whiffed on a 1-2 slider low and about half a foot outside.
TOP 3RD
Grade: A
An easy and quick inning. Liefer bounced out to short on the second pitch. Belliard popped out high to centerfield. Boone hit a low liner to Ichiro in rightfield. After the 1-2-3 inning, Dave Niehaus referred to Piñeiro's inning with, "where's that guy been?"
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: C-
Almost as quick as Piñeiro's third. Morse tapped to Westbrook in front of the mound for a groundout. Hansen grounded the first pitch hard up the middle, where Belliard plugged the hole and threw over in time. Gonzalez fouled off a 2-0 pitch, then bounced to a charging Belliard.
TOP 4TH
Grade: B-
Tacking on. Broussard fouled an 0-2 pitch off himself, then flew out high to Reed in rightcenter. Blake got the hitters' counts and golfed the 3-1 pitch inside the foul pole down the leftfield line.
»» INDIANS 6, MARINERS 3
Sizemore got ahead 3-0, took a strike, then flew out high to leftfield. Crisp whiffed on an 0-2 curve.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: C-
Unlike Piñeiro, Westbrook followed up his good inning with another one. Yuniesky Betancourt popped a full-count pitch to Blake in shallow rightfield. Ichiro got behind 0-2 and worked on his cricket swing, hitting a ball that bounced up to the plate for a popup to second. Reed got behind 0-2 and later grounded out to second.
TOP 5TH
Grade: B-
Another inning, another run. Peralta lined a pitch to the leftcenter gap, where Ibañez chased it down. Martinez laced a ball down the rightfield line for a double. Liefer flew out high on the first pitch to Beltre in foul territory down the leftfield line. Belliard knocked a ball up the middle for a single, scoring Martinez.
»» INDIANS 7, MARINERS 3
Boone got behind 0-2 and later hit a low liner to leftfield for a flyout.
Piñeiro's line: 5 inning, 7 runs, 8 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 87 pitches (55 strikes)
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: B-
Hmm, maybe there was something left. Ibañez stung a 2-0 pitch up the middle for a single. Sexson got behind 0-2 and later bopped a 1-2 pitch off the track and over the wall for a ground-rule double, holding back Ibañez from scoring, but leaving Sexson on second and Ibañez on third. Beltre popped out high to third. Morse got ahead 3-0 and grounded the 3-1 pitch to second, scoring Ibañez and moving Sexson to third.
»» INDIANS 7, MARINERS 4
Hansen looped an 0-2 pitch just over Broussard at first for a single, scoring Sexson.
»» INDIANS 7, MARINERS 5
Gonzalez rolled a ball to short, where Peralta bobbled the ball but only had to underhand to second for the force out (6-4 fielder's choice).
TOP 6TH
Grade: C
Matt Thornton came in for Piñeiro. Broussard fouled off a couple of 0-2 pitches and later poked a 1-2 pitch through the right side for a single. Blake cranked a double off the top of the wall in leftfield (Pepsi sign) for a double, moving Broussard to third. Again, we'll be thinking of the capabilities of Randy Winn in leftfield for a while, much like the Mike Cameron-to-Winn transition last year. Sizemore took a full-count pitch low and away for a walk, bringing Bryan Price to the mound for a visit. Crisp clubbed the first pitch to leftcenter, where Reed made the catch (almost colliding with Ibañez) and threw in to second to hold the runner at first. Broussard scored, and Blake tagged and went to third.
»» INDIANS 8, MARINERS 5
Peralta got ahead 3-0, whiffed on 3-1, then grounded the full-count pitch to Beltre, who double-clutched a bit, then tried to turn the double play. They got the one out on the 5-4 fielder's choice, but not the other at first. Blake scored.
»» INDIANS 9, MARINERS 5
Martinez grounded into a 5-4 fielder's choice.
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: B
The game got even more weird. Yuniesky Betancourt bounced the first pitch up the middle, where Peralta plugged up the hole and threw in time to first. Ichiro rolled out to second on the first pitch. Reed took a 3-1 pitch low and away for a walk. Ibañez bashed the first pitch off the base of the wall in centerfield for a double, scoring Reed from first.
»» INDIANS 9, MARINERS 6
Sexson took a 3-0 strike and took the next pitch, a dirtball low and away for a walk.
Rafael Betancourt came in for Westbrook. Beltre popped the 0-2 pitch to the track in rightcenter, but Sizemore lost what should have been a flyout in the sun. The ball bounced off the track and over the wall. Ibañez scored, but Sexson had to be held at third.
»» INDIANS 9, MARINERS 7
Morse fouled off a couple of 0-2 pitches before whiffing on a pitch up in the zone over the inside corner.
Westbrook's line: 5 2/3 innings, 7 runs, 11 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 109 pitches (68 strikes)
TOP 7TH
Grade: A
The relief corps came through. Liefer flew out to rightcenter on the first pitch, a ball that Reed lost in the sun, but Ichiro ran over to catch.
Jeff Nelson came in for Thornton. Belliard popped a full-count pitch to Morse down the leftfield line on a tricky play with Beltre and Ibañez close by. Boone flew out on the first pitch to Reed, who had to shield the sun with his glove in order to make the catch.
Thornton's line: 1 1/3 innings, 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 27 pitches (17 strikes)
Nelson's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 8 pitches (5 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: C
The Mariners couldn't chip away here. Hansen popped out high to Boone behind the bag at third. Gonzalez whiffed on a 1-2 pitch. Yuniesky Betancourt poked the second pitch into centerfield for a single.
Arthur Rhodes came in for Betancourt. Ichiro slapped a 2-2 low liner toward the leftfield corner, but Crisp ran over to make the catch.
Betancourt's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 17 pitches (15 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: A
George Sherrill came in for Nelson. Broussard whiffed on a 1-2 pitch. Blake rifled a line drive to third, where Beltre leaped up to his right and made the catch. Sizemore got the hitters' counts and poked the full-count pitch to Morse, barely on the leftfield grass.
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C
Blown chance. Reed tapped out on an 0-2 pitch to second. Ibañez took a 3-0 pitch high and outside for a walk.
Bobby Howry came in for Rhodes. Sexson fouled a 3-1 pitch into the catcher's glove before whiffing on a pitch high and inside. Beltre tapped the second pitch to first, where Broussard stepped on the bag.
Rhodes' line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 12 pitches (6 strikes)
Howry's line: 2/3 inning, 0 euns, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 8 pitches (5 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: B
Sherrill got out of a mini-jam. Crisp fouled off an 0-2 pitch and later took a 2-2 fastball over the inside corner. Peralta got ahead 3-1, fouled off three full-count pitches, then took a pitch low for a walk. Martinez popped the first pitch into the first-base dugout, off of Sexson's outstretched glove. Martinez fouled off a 3-1 pitch before whiffing on a fastball outside. Liefer hit a line drive toward the rightcenter gap, but Ichiro drifted back to make the catch.
Sherrill's line: 2 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 40 pitches (25 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Grade: C+
Bob Wickman came in for Rhodes. Morse mashed the second pitch off the top of the wall in centerfield and back into the field of play for a double, just missing a homer. Hansen flew out on the second pitch to leftfield. Gonzalez worked a 1-2 count full, then took a pitch low and away for a walk. Jamal Strong came in to run for Gonzalez, and Willie Bloomquist ran for Morse. Betancourt lined the second pitch to the wall in leftfield, where Crisp reached up to make the catch. Ichiro fouled off a 2-0 pitch and grounded the next pitch to second with the runners taking off. Ballgame.
Wickman's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 16 pitches (7 strikes)
---
Gameball: Jeremy Reed.
One of the subplots that may got lost in everything (it depends on Mike Hargrove's whim) is Reed moving up to the #2 spot in the lineup, where he hasn't been since early in the season, when Randy Winn and Reed swapped the #2 and #7 slots in the order. In this game, he went 2-for-4 with a walk, therefore reaching base three times. His hits came in the first two innings, when the Mariners put up a total of three runs, trying to claw back after the Indians put up five runs in the same amount of time. I would have to hope that this could only be a positive move for Reed, who will now be hitting between Ichiro and Raul Ibañez, and theoretically will see better pitches to hit as a result. It's not too much of a drawback on the other end either, since Mike Morse or thereabouts should be hitting in the sixth spot to protect Adrian Beltre. Morse has shown the ability to hit fairly well since he's come up from the minors, so one can only hope that the move wouldn't make Beltre worse. The other thing Reed had to do in this game was negotiate the brutal sun. He had to yield to Ichiro on one ball that he lost and was able to shield the sun with the glove before another catch. Of course, none of Reed's adventures were as disastrous as Grady Sizemore allowing the high Beltre fly to bounce off the track and into the seats for a double.
Goat: Joel Piñeiro.
Who thought I was going to go with Ichiro's 0-for-6? Not this time. Joel's hurt, right? Can he possibly suck this bad? The AP wire article for this game says Joel has only won a game once the 26th of April, and that was a start in the four-game series in Anaheim. That's pretty bad. I should have been paying attention to the radar gun with Piñeiro, but I wasn't. Piñeiro threw a 1-2-3 inning in the third, prompting Dave Niehaus in the booth to ask, "where has this guy been?" Later, Niehaus said, "Piñeiro back into that very very tentative mode, just standing out there..." Needless to say, the two quotes reflect completely different parts of the game, and you can guess how Piñeiro was doing when Niehaus put across that second quote. I'm sitting here after the trade deadline sad that the Mariners couldn't get anything for Joel Piñeiro and Gil Meche. I've just about convinced myself that if those two guys are ever going to reach the potential that they've been so hyped to reach, it's not going to be in Seattle. I haven't received much indication of it lately, anyway.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 75-29 .721 -- W3
2002 63-41 .606 12 W1
2003 63-41 .606 12 L1
2000 61-43 .587 14 W3
2005 45-59 .433 30 L1
2004 39-65 .375 36 L3
The Mariners remain six wins better than the pathetic pace of the 2004 team. The Mariners were busy losing six straight games at this time last year. Thus, the Mariners of now have the next three games with which to reach a season high in the category of Number of Wins Better Than the 2004 Mariners. That's right. The 2005 Mariners have never been more than six wins better than last year's team, though to me it's been a big difference. Last year's team was utterly unwatchable, but this year's team is at least watchable at times. You can wait for a Richie Sexson blast every once in a while, and you can watch Jamie Moyer do his thing, and you couldn't bank on either of those things happening last year. Last year, we had to wait for pretty late in the season for Bobby Madritsch, Bucky Jacobsen, and Edgar Martinez to do their things. We knew when Edgar was going to stop playing, but the news that we'd basically lost the other two for an extended period of time in the upcoming season came quick. Think about it. With all the anticipation we'd carried over from last year, we've had a Bucky-free year and a few innings' worth of Bobby Madritsch. Yikes.
What can you say about the bats when they score seven runs but still strand twelve runners? What can you say when the only starter that goes hitless in the game is Ichiro? The horrible thing is that he's the leadoff guy, so he went 0-for-6 and left five runners on base. Ichiro will have the occasional day where he goes 0-for, sure, you just hope it doesn't come very often. I didn't goat Ichiro for an 0-for-6, though it's fathomable for me to consider such a thing. Still, I guess I considered the fact that he'd carried the offense the day before; that probably had something to do with it. Ichiro went 0-for-6, but of course you don't see anything in the boxscore indicating Ichiro making errors in the field or anything like that. He has range, can make difficult catches, and prevents runners from taking the extra base. None of that shows up in the boxscore, but hey, we're Mariner fans. We know what Ichiro does, and we likes what he does. Hitting a ball that bounced off the ground was completely unnecessary, but he did it, and to know that he did is something you can share with friends or even random people.
Five Mariner hitters in the starting lineup came away with multi-hit games. They are Reed (gameball), Raul Ibañez (3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs), Richie Sexson (2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and two walks), Adrian Beltre (2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs), and Yuniesky Betancourt (2-for-5). Of course, the only bad secondary statistic out of this is that Beltre left six runners on the basepaths, which is never a good thing. That and the one double he had was dependent on Grady Sizemore losing the ball in the sun and having it bounce off the warning track and into the stands. In addition, Dave Hansen, Ibañez, and Beltre each left two runners in scoring position with two out. Still, it was nice to see Ibañez and Sexson get on base four times apiece. It's also nice to see Yuniesky Betancourt get his first Major League multi-hit game. That's a big bonus for the Cuban, and an even bigger bonus for the team to have two hits coming out of the #9 slot in the order.
Two and a half months after making his 2005 debut, George Sherrill finally appeared on the field at the big-league level again, throwing two scoreless innings. He allowed only a one-out walk to Jhonny Peralta in a nine-pitch at-bat that saw Peralta foul off three pitches with a full count. Otherwise, half of Sherrill's outs were recorded via the strikeout. The other half were flyouts. With the trade of Ron Villone, I can only hope that Sherrill's on the roster to stay, which is something I should have been able to say back in late March. Meanwhile, Matt Thornton is still on the roster for reasons unknown. Thornton came into the game today and immediately sucked, basically doing a 180 from Thursday night's game.
Pick the nearest person and have a friendly wager as to what the ERAs of Matt Thornton and Joel Piñeiro are. Are you ready for the revelation? Matt Thornton's ERA is 5.77, while Joel Piñeiro is sitting at a stout 6.06. Mariners Baseball, What a Show!
Yes, it's an off day on Monday followed by three in Detroit and three at Comiskey. Then it's three in Seattle against the Twins and the return of Bret Boone (unless he's designated for assignment again by that point), followed by another off-day on Thursday the 11th. What do we hope for out of the road trip? Why, .500, of course. Be realistic.
Campillo (not Moyer). Johnson. Tuesday.
In 25 words or less: Not a good game for starting pitching lovers. It was a seesaw affair in which the Mariners never led. More like a yo-yo affair.
This one featured Jake Westbrook going up against Joel Piñeiro. Of course, gameday and the night before it featured some trades. Though you've probably heard about them anyway, here's what they were...
-- Randy Winn to the Giants for righthander Jesse Foppert and catcher Yorvit Torrealba
-- Miguel Olivo to the Padres for minor-league righthander Natanael Mateo and catcher Miguel Ojeda
-- Ron Villone to the Marlins for minor-league pitchers Yorman Bazardo and Mike Flannery
Of course, with such moves being made to the roster, some new bodies have to fill the spots on the Major League roster. George Sherrill, Jamal Strong, and Ojeda took the three roster spots that were vacated after the moves. Chris Snelling more than likely will come up after staying his mandatory ten days in the minors, hence the callup of Strong.
So, with the new additions to the team, and with none of them actually being with the team yet, how would the Mariners fare?
TOP 1ST
Grade: C+
An inopportune start for Piñeiro. Grady Sizemore got the hitters' counts and took the 3-1 pitch high and outside. Coco Crisp hit a broken-bat bloop single into shallow rightcenter, moving Sizemore to second. Jhonny Peralta popped an 0-2 pitch high to leftfield, where Raul Ibañez made the catch just foul down the line. Victor Martinez poked a 2-0 pitch through the right side, and Sizemore scored, drawing a too-late throw from Ichiro.
»» INDIANS 1, MARINERS 0
Jeff Liefer tattooed the first pitch up the middle for a single, scoring Crisp and moving Martinez to third.
»» INDIANS 2, MARINERS 0
Ron Belliard grounded the first pitch to second, starting the badly needed 4-6-3 double play.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: A-
Hey, they fought back. Ichiro grounded the first pitch hard to Ben Broussard behind the bag at first, who knocked it down, bobbled it, then threw quickly back to a covering Westbrook in time. Jeremy Reed fouled off a couple of 0-2 pitches and slapped a single in front of Crisp in leftfield. Raul Ibañez slapped a 1-2 pitch just past the shortstop and through the hole on the left side for a single, moving Reed to second. Richie Sexson bounced the first pitch up the middle for a single, scoring Reed and moving Ibañez to second.
»» INDIANS 2, MARINERS 1
Adrian Beltre mashed the second pitch on one hop to the wall for a double near the corner in leftfield, scoring Ibañez and moving Sexson to third.
»» INDIANS 2, MARINERS 2
Mike Morse fouled off an 0-2 pitch and later whiffed on a 1-2 slider low and off the plate outside. Dave Hansen lined a pitch toward the right side, but Belliard hopped up and reached to make the catch.
TOP 2ND
Grade: D+
Piñeiro kinda imploded. Aaron Boone laced a single into shallow leftcenter. Broussard got ahead 3-0 and took the next pitch outside for a walk. Casey Blake bunted in front of the plate, where Piñeiro fielded the ball and went to first for the only play, advancing Boone to third and Broussard to second. Sizemore got ahead 3-0 and later took a 3-1 pitch high to load the bases and draw a mound visit from pitching coach Bryan Price. Crisp fouled off a 1-2 pitch before grounding hard to Beltre at third, who threw home for the force (5-2 fielder's choice). Wiki Gonzalez behind the plate didn't have a play at first for a possible double play. Peralta lined one down the leftfield line, and it got to the wall in the corner for a double, clearing the bases. Note that it's Ibañez playing leftfield, so maybe he couldn't get to the ball as fast as Winn could, though his arm may or may not make up for that.
»» INDIANS 5, MARINERS 2
Martinez got behind 0-2, took a 1-2 pitch barely low or inside, then whiffed on a full-count change.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: B-
They didn't get it all back this time. Wiki Gonzalez bounced the second pitch toward the left side that took a crazy hop over Peralta and into leftfield for a single. Yuniesky Betancourt reached to get a low and outside 1-2 and put it into centerfield for a single, moving Gonzalez to second. Ichiro lined the second pitch, a bullet right into Boone's glove at third. Reed tapped a nubber to the left side, where Westbrook let the ball go through to Boone, who couldn't quite get the throw in time to first, loading the bases. Ibañez grounded out on the first pitch to second, scoring Gonzalez.
»» INDIANS 5, MARINERS 3
Sexson took a 3-0 strike, took a 3-1 pitch off the outside corner for a strike (crappy call), then took the next pitch just off the inside corner, but for a ball, loading the bases again. Beltre whiffed on a 1-2 slider low and about half a foot outside.
TOP 3RD
Grade: A
An easy and quick inning. Liefer bounced out to short on the second pitch. Belliard popped out high to centerfield. Boone hit a low liner to Ichiro in rightfield. After the 1-2-3 inning, Dave Niehaus referred to Piñeiro's inning with, "where's that guy been?"
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: C-
Almost as quick as Piñeiro's third. Morse tapped to Westbrook in front of the mound for a groundout. Hansen grounded the first pitch hard up the middle, where Belliard plugged the hole and threw over in time. Gonzalez fouled off a 2-0 pitch, then bounced to a charging Belliard.
TOP 4TH
Grade: B-
Tacking on. Broussard fouled an 0-2 pitch off himself, then flew out high to Reed in rightcenter. Blake got the hitters' counts and golfed the 3-1 pitch inside the foul pole down the leftfield line.
»» INDIANS 6, MARINERS 3
Sizemore got ahead 3-0, took a strike, then flew out high to leftfield. Crisp whiffed on an 0-2 curve.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: C-
Unlike Piñeiro, Westbrook followed up his good inning with another one. Yuniesky Betancourt popped a full-count pitch to Blake in shallow rightfield. Ichiro got behind 0-2 and worked on his cricket swing, hitting a ball that bounced up to the plate for a popup to second. Reed got behind 0-2 and later grounded out to second.
TOP 5TH
Grade: B-
Another inning, another run. Peralta lined a pitch to the leftcenter gap, where Ibañez chased it down. Martinez laced a ball down the rightfield line for a double. Liefer flew out high on the first pitch to Beltre in foul territory down the leftfield line. Belliard knocked a ball up the middle for a single, scoring Martinez.
»» INDIANS 7, MARINERS 3
Boone got behind 0-2 and later hit a low liner to leftfield for a flyout.
Piñeiro's line: 5 inning, 7 runs, 8 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 87 pitches (55 strikes)
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: B-
Hmm, maybe there was something left. Ibañez stung a 2-0 pitch up the middle for a single. Sexson got behind 0-2 and later bopped a 1-2 pitch off the track and over the wall for a ground-rule double, holding back Ibañez from scoring, but leaving Sexson on second and Ibañez on third. Beltre popped out high to third. Morse got ahead 3-0 and grounded the 3-1 pitch to second, scoring Ibañez and moving Sexson to third.
»» INDIANS 7, MARINERS 4
Hansen looped an 0-2 pitch just over Broussard at first for a single, scoring Sexson.
»» INDIANS 7, MARINERS 5
Gonzalez rolled a ball to short, where Peralta bobbled the ball but only had to underhand to second for the force out (6-4 fielder's choice).
TOP 6TH
Grade: C
Matt Thornton came in for Piñeiro. Broussard fouled off a couple of 0-2 pitches and later poked a 1-2 pitch through the right side for a single. Blake cranked a double off the top of the wall in leftfield (Pepsi sign) for a double, moving Broussard to third. Again, we'll be thinking of the capabilities of Randy Winn in leftfield for a while, much like the Mike Cameron-to-Winn transition last year. Sizemore took a full-count pitch low and away for a walk, bringing Bryan Price to the mound for a visit. Crisp clubbed the first pitch to leftcenter, where Reed made the catch (almost colliding with Ibañez) and threw in to second to hold the runner at first. Broussard scored, and Blake tagged and went to third.
»» INDIANS 8, MARINERS 5
Peralta got ahead 3-0, whiffed on 3-1, then grounded the full-count pitch to Beltre, who double-clutched a bit, then tried to turn the double play. They got the one out on the 5-4 fielder's choice, but not the other at first. Blake scored.
»» INDIANS 9, MARINERS 5
Martinez grounded into a 5-4 fielder's choice.
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: B
The game got even more weird. Yuniesky Betancourt bounced the first pitch up the middle, where Peralta plugged up the hole and threw in time to first. Ichiro rolled out to second on the first pitch. Reed took a 3-1 pitch low and away for a walk. Ibañez bashed the first pitch off the base of the wall in centerfield for a double, scoring Reed from first.
»» INDIANS 9, MARINERS 6
Sexson took a 3-0 strike and took the next pitch, a dirtball low and away for a walk.
Rafael Betancourt came in for Westbrook. Beltre popped the 0-2 pitch to the track in rightcenter, but Sizemore lost what should have been a flyout in the sun. The ball bounced off the track and over the wall. Ibañez scored, but Sexson had to be held at third.
»» INDIANS 9, MARINERS 7
Morse fouled off a couple of 0-2 pitches before whiffing on a pitch up in the zone over the inside corner.
Westbrook's line: 5 2/3 innings, 7 runs, 11 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 109 pitches (68 strikes)
TOP 7TH
Grade: A
The relief corps came through. Liefer flew out to rightcenter on the first pitch, a ball that Reed lost in the sun, but Ichiro ran over to catch.
Jeff Nelson came in for Thornton. Belliard popped a full-count pitch to Morse down the leftfield line on a tricky play with Beltre and Ibañez close by. Boone flew out on the first pitch to Reed, who had to shield the sun with his glove in order to make the catch.
Thornton's line: 1 1/3 innings, 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 27 pitches (17 strikes)
Nelson's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 8 pitches (5 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: C
The Mariners couldn't chip away here. Hansen popped out high to Boone behind the bag at third. Gonzalez whiffed on a 1-2 pitch. Yuniesky Betancourt poked the second pitch into centerfield for a single.
Arthur Rhodes came in for Betancourt. Ichiro slapped a 2-2 low liner toward the leftfield corner, but Crisp ran over to make the catch.
Betancourt's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 17 pitches (15 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: A
George Sherrill came in for Nelson. Broussard whiffed on a 1-2 pitch. Blake rifled a line drive to third, where Beltre leaped up to his right and made the catch. Sizemore got the hitters' counts and poked the full-count pitch to Morse, barely on the leftfield grass.
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C
Blown chance. Reed tapped out on an 0-2 pitch to second. Ibañez took a 3-0 pitch high and outside for a walk.
Bobby Howry came in for Rhodes. Sexson fouled a 3-1 pitch into the catcher's glove before whiffing on a pitch high and inside. Beltre tapped the second pitch to first, where Broussard stepped on the bag.
Rhodes' line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 12 pitches (6 strikes)
Howry's line: 2/3 inning, 0 euns, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 8 pitches (5 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: B
Sherrill got out of a mini-jam. Crisp fouled off an 0-2 pitch and later took a 2-2 fastball over the inside corner. Peralta got ahead 3-1, fouled off three full-count pitches, then took a pitch low for a walk. Martinez popped the first pitch into the first-base dugout, off of Sexson's outstretched glove. Martinez fouled off a 3-1 pitch before whiffing on a fastball outside. Liefer hit a line drive toward the rightcenter gap, but Ichiro drifted back to make the catch.
Sherrill's line: 2 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 40 pitches (25 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Grade: C+
Bob Wickman came in for Rhodes. Morse mashed the second pitch off the top of the wall in centerfield and back into the field of play for a double, just missing a homer. Hansen flew out on the second pitch to leftfield. Gonzalez worked a 1-2 count full, then took a pitch low and away for a walk. Jamal Strong came in to run for Gonzalez, and Willie Bloomquist ran for Morse. Betancourt lined the second pitch to the wall in leftfield, where Crisp reached up to make the catch. Ichiro fouled off a 2-0 pitch and grounded the next pitch to second with the runners taking off. Ballgame.
Wickman's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 16 pitches (7 strikes)
---
Gameball: Jeremy Reed.
One of the subplots that may got lost in everything (it depends on Mike Hargrove's whim) is Reed moving up to the #2 spot in the lineup, where he hasn't been since early in the season, when Randy Winn and Reed swapped the #2 and #7 slots in the order. In this game, he went 2-for-4 with a walk, therefore reaching base three times. His hits came in the first two innings, when the Mariners put up a total of three runs, trying to claw back after the Indians put up five runs in the same amount of time. I would have to hope that this could only be a positive move for Reed, who will now be hitting between Ichiro and Raul Ibañez, and theoretically will see better pitches to hit as a result. It's not too much of a drawback on the other end either, since Mike Morse or thereabouts should be hitting in the sixth spot to protect Adrian Beltre. Morse has shown the ability to hit fairly well since he's come up from the minors, so one can only hope that the move wouldn't make Beltre worse. The other thing Reed had to do in this game was negotiate the brutal sun. He had to yield to Ichiro on one ball that he lost and was able to shield the sun with the glove before another catch. Of course, none of Reed's adventures were as disastrous as Grady Sizemore allowing the high Beltre fly to bounce off the track and into the seats for a double.
Goat: Joel Piñeiro.
Who thought I was going to go with Ichiro's 0-for-6? Not this time. Joel's hurt, right? Can he possibly suck this bad? The AP wire article for this game says Joel has only won a game once the 26th of April, and that was a start in the four-game series in Anaheim. That's pretty bad. I should have been paying attention to the radar gun with Piñeiro, but I wasn't. Piñeiro threw a 1-2-3 inning in the third, prompting Dave Niehaus in the booth to ask, "where has this guy been?" Later, Niehaus said, "Piñeiro back into that very very tentative mode, just standing out there..." Needless to say, the two quotes reflect completely different parts of the game, and you can guess how Piñeiro was doing when Niehaus put across that second quote. I'm sitting here after the trade deadline sad that the Mariners couldn't get anything for Joel Piñeiro and Gil Meche. I've just about convinced myself that if those two guys are ever going to reach the potential that they've been so hyped to reach, it's not going to be in Seattle. I haven't received much indication of it lately, anyway.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 75-29 .721 -- W3
2002 63-41 .606 12 W1
2003 63-41 .606 12 L1
2000 61-43 .587 14 W3
2005 45-59 .433 30 L1
2004 39-65 .375 36 L3
The Mariners remain six wins better than the pathetic pace of the 2004 team. The Mariners were busy losing six straight games at this time last year. Thus, the Mariners of now have the next three games with which to reach a season high in the category of Number of Wins Better Than the 2004 Mariners. That's right. The 2005 Mariners have never been more than six wins better than last year's team, though to me it's been a big difference. Last year's team was utterly unwatchable, but this year's team is at least watchable at times. You can wait for a Richie Sexson blast every once in a while, and you can watch Jamie Moyer do his thing, and you couldn't bank on either of those things happening last year. Last year, we had to wait for pretty late in the season for Bobby Madritsch, Bucky Jacobsen, and Edgar Martinez to do their things. We knew when Edgar was going to stop playing, but the news that we'd basically lost the other two for an extended period of time in the upcoming season came quick. Think about it. With all the anticipation we'd carried over from last year, we've had a Bucky-free year and a few innings' worth of Bobby Madritsch. Yikes.
What can you say about the bats when they score seven runs but still strand twelve runners? What can you say when the only starter that goes hitless in the game is Ichiro? The horrible thing is that he's the leadoff guy, so he went 0-for-6 and left five runners on base. Ichiro will have the occasional day where he goes 0-for, sure, you just hope it doesn't come very often. I didn't goat Ichiro for an 0-for-6, though it's fathomable for me to consider such a thing. Still, I guess I considered the fact that he'd carried the offense the day before; that probably had something to do with it. Ichiro went 0-for-6, but of course you don't see anything in the boxscore indicating Ichiro making errors in the field or anything like that. He has range, can make difficult catches, and prevents runners from taking the extra base. None of that shows up in the boxscore, but hey, we're Mariner fans. We know what Ichiro does, and we likes what he does. Hitting a ball that bounced off the ground was completely unnecessary, but he did it, and to know that he did is something you can share with friends or even random people.
Five Mariner hitters in the starting lineup came away with multi-hit games. They are Reed (gameball), Raul Ibañez (3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs), Richie Sexson (2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and two walks), Adrian Beltre (2-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs), and Yuniesky Betancourt (2-for-5). Of course, the only bad secondary statistic out of this is that Beltre left six runners on the basepaths, which is never a good thing. That and the one double he had was dependent on Grady Sizemore losing the ball in the sun and having it bounce off the warning track and into the stands. In addition, Dave Hansen, Ibañez, and Beltre each left two runners in scoring position with two out. Still, it was nice to see Ibañez and Sexson get on base four times apiece. It's also nice to see Yuniesky Betancourt get his first Major League multi-hit game. That's a big bonus for the Cuban, and an even bigger bonus for the team to have two hits coming out of the #9 slot in the order.
Two and a half months after making his 2005 debut, George Sherrill finally appeared on the field at the big-league level again, throwing two scoreless innings. He allowed only a one-out walk to Jhonny Peralta in a nine-pitch at-bat that saw Peralta foul off three pitches with a full count. Otherwise, half of Sherrill's outs were recorded via the strikeout. The other half were flyouts. With the trade of Ron Villone, I can only hope that Sherrill's on the roster to stay, which is something I should have been able to say back in late March. Meanwhile, Matt Thornton is still on the roster for reasons unknown. Thornton came into the game today and immediately sucked, basically doing a 180 from Thursday night's game.
Pick the nearest person and have a friendly wager as to what the ERAs of Matt Thornton and Joel Piñeiro are. Are you ready for the revelation? Matt Thornton's ERA is 5.77, while Joel Piñeiro is sitting at a stout 6.06. Mariners Baseball, What a Show!
Yes, it's an off day on Monday followed by three in Detroit and three at Comiskey. Then it's three in Seattle against the Twins and the return of Bret Boone (unless he's designated for assignment again by that point), followed by another off-day on Thursday the 11th. What do we hope for out of the road trip? Why, .500, of course. Be realistic.
Campillo (not Moyer). Johnson. Tuesday.
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