Thursday, August 11, 2005
GAME 113: TWINS 7, MARINERS 3 (14 INNINGS)
Twins 7, Mariners 3 (14 innings)
In 25 words or less: The Mariners lose the sweep, and they can thank Willie Bloomquist for that.
This one featured Brad Radke going up against Joel Piñeiro. The Mariners had already won the series (really), and were looking to extend their first winning streak since sweeping the four-game series from the Angels before the All-Star break.
TOP 1ST
Grade: A
Quick start for Joel. Shannon Stewart lined out to second. Luis Rodriguez grounded out to second. Joe Mauer also grounded out to second.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: C
A start of miniscule proportions. Ichiro grounded the second pitch to first. Willie Bloomquist bounced a full-count pitch up the middle for a single and stole second on the 3-0 pitch to Raul Ibañez. Ibañez fouled off the 3-1 pitch and whiffed on a full-count breaking ball. Richie Sexson walked on a 3-1 pitch outside. Adrian Beltre got ahead 2-0 and was later jammed, grounding harmlessly to short for a 6-4 fielder's choice.
TOP 2ND
Grade: B-
A wee bit dicey. Matthew LeCroy took a 2-2 fastball down the pipe for a strikeout. Jacque Jones got ahead 2-0 before whiffing on a 2-2 curve. Justin Morneau lined the second pitch off of Bloomquist's glove in the hole on the right side, and it got past him for what was ruled a single. Terry Tiffee got ahead 2-0 before smoking a single to centerfield and moving Morneau to second. Michael Ryan bounced the second pitch to first, where Sexson underhanded to the covering Piñeiro.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: C
Misfortune. Jeremy Reed got ahead 3-0 before walking on a 3-1 pitch. Yuniesky Betancourt popped an inside 0-2 pitch to Mauer behind the plate near the screen. Chris Snelling hit a laser beam to Morneau at first, who gloved in and stepped on first to double off Reed.
TOP 3RD
Grade: A
A top-notch inning. Juan Castro grounded an 0-2 pitch to second. Stewart rolled the second pitch to short. Rodriguez whiffed on a 2-2 pitch.
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: C
Sudden end. Wiki Gonzalez popped out high to rightfield. Ichiro grounded an 0-2 pitch into the hole on the right side, and Rodriguez couldn't quite get enough on the throw, and it went as a single (though replays show it might have been an out). Bloomquist grounded the second pitch to short for a nicely-turned 6-4-3 double play.
TOP 4TH
Grade: C+
Joel didn't get away so easily this time. Mauer knocked the first pitch up the middle for a single. LeCroy worked a 1-2 count full, fouled off two pitches, then whiffed. Jones ripped a single through the right side on the first pitch, moving Mauer to second. Morneau blooped the second pitch into leftfield for a single, scoring Mauer.
»» TWINS 1, MARINERS 0
Tiffee grounded the second pitch to short for a 6-4-3 double play.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: B
Life! Ibañez grounded the second pitch to second. Sexson crushed a letter-high 2-2 pitch into the Mariner bullpen beyond the centerfield fence. Majestic.
»» TWINS 1, MARINERS 1
Beltre got under a 2-0 pitch, popping it to leftfield. Reed bounced the second pitch to second.
TOP 5TH
Grade: A
Way too easy for Piñeiro. Ryan popped out to centerfield on the first pitch. Castro chopped the 2-2 pitch up the middle, where Betancourt ranged over and plugged the hole, throwing out Castro. Stewart popped to centerfield.
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: C
Grrrr. Betancourt flew out to the track in leftfield on the first pitch. Snelling knocked the second pitch through the right side for a single. Gonzalez broke his bat on the second pitch, nubbing it to Radke off the mound on the right side, who easily threw over for the out, and Snelling moved to second. Ichiro got ahead 2-0 and ended up whiffing on a 2-2 dirtball (2-3 putout).
TOP 6TH
Grade: B
Piñeiro escaped jamness. Rodriguez lined the 1-1 pitch to Snelling's glove in leftfield. Mauer got ahead 2-0 and ended up doubling a full-count pitch off the base of the wall in leftfield. LeCroy grounded the second pitch to third. Jones grounded the second pitch to second.
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: B-
Nice to see a half-baked offense rather than just crap. Bloomquist poked a double into the leftfield corner. Ibañez drilled a single up the middle, and the throw home was cut off.
»» MARINERS 2, TWINS 1
Sexson got ahead 3-0, fouled off a 3-1 pitch, then took a full-count pitch inside, moving Ibañez to second. Beltre smacked a high fastball into the gap in rightcenter, but the ball was cut off before it could go to the wall, so the bases were loaded and Beltre had the single. Reed chopped the second pitch to second, where a 4-6-3 double play was turned, though Ibañez scored. Sexson moved to third.
»» MARINERS 3, TWINS 1
Betancourt popped the 0-2 pitch to Castro in shallow leftfield.
TOP 7TH
Grade: A
Piñeiro was looking too good. Morneau popped the second pitch high to rightfield. Tiffee barely held a swing at a high 0-2 pitch, then chopped to second on the next pitch. Ryan popped an 0-2 pitch high to centerfield.
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: C-
Nothing here. Snelling foul-tipped a 1-2 pitch low and away into the catcher's glove. Gonzalez poked the first pitch to second for the groundout. Ichiro fouled off a couple of 2-2 pitches before whiffing badly on a dirtball.
Radke's line: 7 innings, 3 runs, 7 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, 94 pitches (58 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: B-
Turbulence. Castro poked the second pitch up the middle for a single. Stewart chopped out to a charging Beltre. Rodriguez got behind 0-2 and later chopped out to second, with Castro holding at second.
George Sherrill came in for Piñeiro. Mauer got behind 0-2 and poked the 1-2 pitch through the left side for a single, scoring Castro.
»» MARINERS 3, TWINS 2
JJ Putz came in for Sherrill. LeCroy took a 1-0 pitch, and Mauer stole second on it after Gonzalez couldn't come up with it. LeCroy whiffed on a 1-2 pitch.
Piñeiro's line: 7 2/3 innings, 2 runs, 7 hits, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts, 98 pitches (72 strikes)
Sherrill's line: 0 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 6 pitches (5 strikes)
Putz' line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 5 pirches (3 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C
Blown chance for insurance. Matt Guerrier came in for Radke. Bloomquist chopped the second pitch high to third. Ibañez popped the 3-1 pitch into the leftfield corner, where Stewart had the ball go off the heel of his glove just inside the leftfield line, and Ibañez coasted in with what was ruled as a double. Sexson worked a 1-2 count full before whiffing on a curveball. Beltre was intentionally walked.
Terry Mulholland came in for Guerrier. Reed popped a full-count pitch high to Tiffee near the mound.
Guerrier's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 17 pitches (7 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: D+
Eddie Guardado came in to shut the door. Jones lined the first pitch to fairly deep leftfield, but he didn't quite get it to the track, and Snelling came down with the catch. Morneau grounded the second pitch to the hole on the right side, where Bloomquist slid on the outfield grass and threw in time to first. Mike Cuddyer, hitting for Tiffee, worked an 0-2 count full, fouled off three pitches, then grounded up the middle, where Bloomquist ranged over and tried to make a nice play, but instead threw three feet over Sexson and into the stands, landing Cuddyer on second, where Nick Punto ran for him. Lew Ford, hitting for Ryan, poked a single through the left side, and Snelling threw home, but it was a tad bit late, and Punto slid through Gonzalez' leg blocking the plate. Gonzalez got to the ball, and nailed Ford trying to take second.
»» TWINS 3, MARINERS 3
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 1 run (unearned), 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 15 pitches (11 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Grade: C
BAH! Betancourt laced the second pitch up the middle for a single. Snelling bunted the first pitch to Punto on the left side, moving Betancourt to second. Gonzalez nubbed the 3-1 pitch to second, and Betancourt went to third. Ichiro was intentionally walked.
Jesse Crain came in for Mulholland. Bloomquist popped the first pitch to Morneau near the first-base dugout.
Mulholland's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 18 pitches (8 strikes)
TOP 10TH
Grade: C+
Julio Mateo came in for Guardado. Castro dumped a single into leftfield on the first pitch. Stewart bunted the first pitch to the right side, where Sexson fielded and threw to a covering Bloomquist, moving Castro to second. Rodriguez popped high to Snelling near the leftfield line as the runners held. Mauer was intentionally walked, and Castro came out of the game with what was later revealed as a left knee sprain, and Jason Bartlett came in to run for him. LeCroy popped high to Gonzalez behind the plate on the first pitch.
BOTTOM 10TH
Grade: C
Sigh... Ibañez rolled a 1-2 pitch out to second. Sexson popped a few feet short of the track in rightfield. Beltre roped the 2-2 pitch into the gap, where Jones ran it down and caught it.
TOP 11TH
Grade: C+
Big jam. Jones got ahead 2-0 and flew out to Snelling in fairly deep leftfield. Morneau lined the second pitch off of Mateo's glove, and it caromed to Bloomquist, who threw in time to first (1-4-3 putout). Punto reached for a low second pitch and poked it into centerfield for a single. Ford mashed the 2-2 pitch for what would have been a homer down the leftfield line had it stayed fair. With a full count, Ford grounded into the hole on the right side, and Bloomquist slid once again, stopping the ball, picking the loose ball off the ground, but throwing a bit late to first, moving Punto to third. Bartlett popped the second pitch to Ichiro near the rightfield line.
BOTTOM 11TH
Grade: C-
Bottom of the lineup. Reed got behind 0-2 and eventually whiffed on a 2-2 pitch. Betancourt got behind 0-2 and eventually popped to Morneau barely on the outfield grass. Snelling got ahead 2-0 and ended up rolling a 2-2 pitch to second.
Crain's line: 2 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 29 pitches (21 strikes)
TOP 12TH
Grade: B-
Tightroping again. Stewart doubled the second pitch off the base of the wall in rightfield, and Ichiro nearly gunned him down at second. Rodriguez bunted the first pitch along the left side, and Mateo threw in time to first as Stewart moved to third. Mauer was intentionally walked. LeCroy grounded the first pitch right to Beltre, who took some time to throw to second (probably waiting for Bloomquist to get over there), but it turned out to be a double play, 5-4-3.
Mateo's line: 3 innings, 0 runs, 4 hits, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 39 pitches (22 strikes)
BOTTOM 12TH
Grade: D+
Joe Nathan came in for Crain. Dave Hansen, hitting for Gonzalez, got behind 0-2 and worked the count full, fouled off a pitch, then took a pitch high and outside for a walk, and Yorvit Torrealba ran for him. Ichiro bunted the second pitch off the plate, and it bounced high into the air. When it came down, Punto and Mauer collided, and Punto threw a tad bit late to first (ruled a single). Torrealba moved to second on the play. Bloomquist air-bunted the first pitch to Mauer behind the plate (runners obviously holding). Ibañez whiffed on a 1-2 breaking ball. Sexson took a 1-2 pitch barely off the outside corner, and eventually he grounded out to third.
TOP 13TH
Grade: A
Matt Thornton came in for Mateo. Jones got ahead 0-2 and whiffed on a 1-2 pitch. Morneau flew out to Snelling in the gap in leftcenter. Punto fouled off an 0-2 pitch, took the next pitch just off the outside corner, then bounced out to short.
Thornton's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 11 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 13TH
Grade: C-
Beltre got behind 0-2 and later whiffed on a 1-2 pitch up and in. Reed got behind 0-2 and couldn't hold a 1-2 swing, ending up as a whiff. Betancourt poked the second pitch toward the hole on the left side, but Bartlett had a ways to go to get to the ball, and the throw was wide, giving Betancourt the single. Betancourt took off for second on the 1-0 pitch to Snelling, but he was gunned down by Mauer. Bartlett's leg was blocking Betancourt's best path to the plate, and he was tagged before his right hand touched the bag.
Nathan's line: 2 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 33 pitches (22 strikes)
TOP 14TH
Grade: F
Jeff Nelson came in for Thornton. Ford worked an 0-2 count full, fouled off a pitch, then took a pitch way outside for a walk. Bartlett air-bunted the first pitch to Sexson charging in on the first-base line. Stewart was nailed on the left elbow with a 1-1 pitch.
Shigetoshi Hasegawa came in for Nelson. Rodriguez got ahead 3-1 and later blooped a full-count pitch into leftfield for a single, scoring Ford and moving Stewart to second.
»» TWINS 4, MARINERS 3
Mauer got the hitters' counts and tagged the 3-1 pitch into the leftcenter gap for a double, scoring Stewart and Rodriguez.
»» TWINS 6, MARINERS 3
LeCroy got behind 0-2 and drove the 2-2 pitch into leftfield for a single, moving Mauer to third. Jones grounded to second, where Bloomquist tossed to Betancourt for the 4-6 fielder's choice since the throw back to first wasn't in time. Mauer scored easily.
»» TWINS 7, MARINERS 3
Morneau grounded the second pitch to second, and Bloomquist's throw pulled Sexson off the bag. Jones moved to second on the play. Punto grounded the second pitch to second, where Bloomquist shoveled to Betancourt for the 4-6 fielder's choice.
Nelson's line: 1/3 inning, 2 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 13 pitches (7 strikes)
Hasegawa's line: 2/3 inning, 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 24 pitches (14 strikes)
BOTTOM 14TH
Grade: C
Juan Rincon came in for Nathan. Snelling poked a full-count pitch through the right side for a single, and trainer Tom Newberg attended to him, and Scott Spiezio ran for him. Torrealba whiffed on a high 2-2 fastball. Ichiro smacked the first pitch right to second, starting a 4-6-3 double play. Ballgame.
Rincon's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 14 pitches (9 strikes)
---
Gameball: JJ Putz.
After George Sherrill had probably his worst appearance of the year, Putz got Matt LeCroy swinging with the tying run on second. With the strikeout, Putz held the 3-2 lead, which the Mariners took into the bottom of the eighth and the top of the ninth. Yes, JJ came through in the clutch. It's not really anything you could say for most of the Mariners on this night, but hey, somebody had to do their job, and this isn't the obvious gameball. I'll get to the candidates for that later. Since the sense I'm getting is that Bryan Price and friends (and broadcasters) are high on Putz, he'll be around for a while. So, it's good to see him get good outings and hopefully shake himself off of that grand slam deluge earlier in the year. The LeCroy out, though only one out, was a very big out in the eighth. It was a big out on the way to what should have been a three-game sweep of the Twins at the hands of the Mariners, except for the bad things that were about to happen. We're not just talking 1-2-3 innings out of the offense or just plain bad pitching or anything like that. We're talking about last night's output of...
Goat: Willie Bloomquist.
He's earned a respite of a month or so on my part, since he's usually been helping the team win, but I'm done with that for this game. Obviously, I'm turning a blind eye to the single and the double. In the ninth inning, he made a nice play on the ball hit by Justin Morneau, I'll give him that. Then he got greedy. If you're overthrowing 6'8" Richie Sexson at first base, that's a tall order (pardon the pun). I mean, good gracious, put the ball in your back pocket and let him have the base, but don't put the tying run into scoring position. I know he's been a Major League semi-regular starter for only a month or so, but that is the type of mistake that you'd expect from a newbie like a Mike Morse or a Jose Lopez or something, not a 27-year-old in his third season in the Majors. But it didn't stop with the error, no sir. Though minor, with runners on the corners and two out in the ninth, he popped out in front of the first-base dugout. For another major gaffe, with runners on first and second and nobody out in the twelfth, Bloomquist air-bunted the first pitch and was out. Horrible. To kick dirt on the grave, Bloomquist pulled Sexson off the bag in the top of the 14th, making the excruciating inning last even longer. Bloomquist also grounded into a double play in the third inning.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 82-31 .726 -- W2
2002 69-44 .611 13 L2
2003 69-44 .611 13 L1
2000 67-46 .593 15 W5
2005 49-64 .434 33 L1
2004 43-70 .381 39 W2
Since it's already late, I'll try to reel off my immediate thoughts of what I can remember over that game that was much too long.
The cost of Willie Bloomquist getting greedy WITH TWO OUTS IN THE NINTH...
-- if it weren't for the off-day today, the bullpen would be absolutely jacked for the next three or four games
-- Joel Piñeiro gets screwed out of a win
-- Eddie Guardado probably pitches different with a runner on first rather than on second
-- two hours that I could have spent writing up this recap since the game would have been over
-- me eating my dinner late
-- an absolute buzzkill; this win coupled with the Felix thing and the sweep would have been absolutely awesome
-- Chris Snelling doesn't have to leave the game in the 14th with a possible injury if Bloomquist eats the ball in the ninth
-- No amount of late-night Ivar's Clam Chowder on the waterfront is warm enough to melt away the shock of being one out away from a sweep and then realizing that you have to take the 12:50am ferry home since somebody pulled a Knoblauch. Keith Olbermann's mom isn't back there, Willie
Multi-hit games in this one belonged to Ichiro, Bloomquist, Raul Ibañez, Yuniesky Betancourt, and Chris Snelling. Ichiro went 2-for-6 with a walk and a couple strikeouts, and I remember the strikeouts especially because Radke made him look pretty stupid on them (balls in the dirt). Bloomquist left five runners on base on his 2-for-6 night. Ibañez doubled, had an RBI, and struck out twice for his 2-for-6 night. Betancourt went 2-for-6, and Snelling was 2-for-5 with a strikeout.
What the frick has gotten into Joel Piñeiro? He's holding the ball and glove further away from the body before winding up and doing the leg kick, but is that seriously all it was? He's turned in two good starts in a row, and this one -- NO WALKS?! Seriously?! Is this the same dude we've been watching most of the season? I frankly think we have some sort of cyborg uber-Piñeiro that's grown a more stately goatee and dyed his hair dark again. I'm reminded of the Stewie-controlled Peter Griffin robot from Family Guy. Of course, said cyborg/robot holds his hands further away from his body, and apparently that must be enough of a mechanical shift to get everything else going right. Granted, I think the fastest pitch he threw all night was going 93mph, but I guess this mechanical thing is a decent place to start. It's too bad it took way longer than just a ten-day stint in "Tacoma" to figure it all out, but if this keeps up, maybe it'll bode well and hopefully they can carry this into next year.
Credit Julio Mateo for eating up the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth innings, but probably not much more than that. I like three innings and everything, but two walks and four hits? If anything, Mateo proved to be incredibly slithery. It was like walking on eggshells for an hour just hoping none of the Twins would score. Incredibly, Matt Thornton followed up his best outing of the year on Monday night with a pretty dominant inning in the 13th.
Then Jeff Nelson came in and crapped the bed. He had Lew Ford 0-2 and walked him. Though Jason Bartlett pulled a Bloomquist, he was followed by Shannon Stewart taking a baseball to the left arm. I'm not sure if George Sherrill or Jeff Nelson was more Ron Villone-like on this night. One pitcher gave up an RBI single and was pulled, yet the other was wild and beaned a batter. Tough decision, really.
The man who was portrayed by Don Cheadle in the film Hotel Rwanda was in the crowd tonight, and he was still in his seat around the 13th or 14th inning, which I thought was amazing. It's too bad the Mariners couldn't give him a win, since he had to sit through an interview conducted by Matt Morrison and everything. If you thought the FSNNW interview was out of place, debate with yourself about whether you'd rather hear Matt Morrison conduct that interview, or Rick Rizzs and Dave Valle stumble through the first two outs of an inning.
Is it a good time for an off day? I'd have to say so. The game was much too long. Thank goodness that in Hawaii I can still watch a whole game like this, do a recap, and then manage to not be a total zombie the next day. If I were still back in Bremerton, I'd be railing against Bloomquist even more.
Now, for things I wish I'd see on the transaction wire, but I know I won't...
SEATTLE MARINERS -- Designated UT Willie Bloomquist for assignment. Recalled 2B Jose Lopez from Tacoma (AAA).
Thursday's off, folks. That means off-day posts from us, and here at Sports and B's, that could really mean anything. Then...the Angels. Yikes.
Washburn. Moyer. Tomorrow.
In 25 words or less: The Mariners lose the sweep, and they can thank Willie Bloomquist for that.
This one featured Brad Radke going up against Joel Piñeiro. The Mariners had already won the series (really), and were looking to extend their first winning streak since sweeping the four-game series from the Angels before the All-Star break.
TOP 1ST
Grade: A
Quick start for Joel. Shannon Stewart lined out to second. Luis Rodriguez grounded out to second. Joe Mauer also grounded out to second.
BOTTOM 1ST
Grade: C
A start of miniscule proportions. Ichiro grounded the second pitch to first. Willie Bloomquist bounced a full-count pitch up the middle for a single and stole second on the 3-0 pitch to Raul Ibañez. Ibañez fouled off the 3-1 pitch and whiffed on a full-count breaking ball. Richie Sexson walked on a 3-1 pitch outside. Adrian Beltre got ahead 2-0 and was later jammed, grounding harmlessly to short for a 6-4 fielder's choice.
TOP 2ND
Grade: B-
A wee bit dicey. Matthew LeCroy took a 2-2 fastball down the pipe for a strikeout. Jacque Jones got ahead 2-0 before whiffing on a 2-2 curve. Justin Morneau lined the second pitch off of Bloomquist's glove in the hole on the right side, and it got past him for what was ruled a single. Terry Tiffee got ahead 2-0 before smoking a single to centerfield and moving Morneau to second. Michael Ryan bounced the second pitch to first, where Sexson underhanded to the covering Piñeiro.
BOTTOM 2ND
Grade: C
Misfortune. Jeremy Reed got ahead 3-0 before walking on a 3-1 pitch. Yuniesky Betancourt popped an inside 0-2 pitch to Mauer behind the plate near the screen. Chris Snelling hit a laser beam to Morneau at first, who gloved in and stepped on first to double off Reed.
TOP 3RD
Grade: A
A top-notch inning. Juan Castro grounded an 0-2 pitch to second. Stewart rolled the second pitch to short. Rodriguez whiffed on a 2-2 pitch.
BOTTOM 3RD
Grade: C
Sudden end. Wiki Gonzalez popped out high to rightfield. Ichiro grounded an 0-2 pitch into the hole on the right side, and Rodriguez couldn't quite get enough on the throw, and it went as a single (though replays show it might have been an out). Bloomquist grounded the second pitch to short for a nicely-turned 6-4-3 double play.
TOP 4TH
Grade: C+
Joel didn't get away so easily this time. Mauer knocked the first pitch up the middle for a single. LeCroy worked a 1-2 count full, fouled off two pitches, then whiffed. Jones ripped a single through the right side on the first pitch, moving Mauer to second. Morneau blooped the second pitch into leftfield for a single, scoring Mauer.
»» TWINS 1, MARINERS 0
Tiffee grounded the second pitch to short for a 6-4-3 double play.
BOTTOM 4TH
Grade: B
Life! Ibañez grounded the second pitch to second. Sexson crushed a letter-high 2-2 pitch into the Mariner bullpen beyond the centerfield fence. Majestic.
»» TWINS 1, MARINERS 1
Beltre got under a 2-0 pitch, popping it to leftfield. Reed bounced the second pitch to second.
TOP 5TH
Grade: A
Way too easy for Piñeiro. Ryan popped out to centerfield on the first pitch. Castro chopped the 2-2 pitch up the middle, where Betancourt ranged over and plugged the hole, throwing out Castro. Stewart popped to centerfield.
BOTTOM 5TH
Grade: C
Grrrr. Betancourt flew out to the track in leftfield on the first pitch. Snelling knocked the second pitch through the right side for a single. Gonzalez broke his bat on the second pitch, nubbing it to Radke off the mound on the right side, who easily threw over for the out, and Snelling moved to second. Ichiro got ahead 2-0 and ended up whiffing on a 2-2 dirtball (2-3 putout).
TOP 6TH
Grade: B
Piñeiro escaped jamness. Rodriguez lined the 1-1 pitch to Snelling's glove in leftfield. Mauer got ahead 2-0 and ended up doubling a full-count pitch off the base of the wall in leftfield. LeCroy grounded the second pitch to third. Jones grounded the second pitch to second.
BOTTOM 6TH
Grade: B-
Nice to see a half-baked offense rather than just crap. Bloomquist poked a double into the leftfield corner. Ibañez drilled a single up the middle, and the throw home was cut off.
»» MARINERS 2, TWINS 1
Sexson got ahead 3-0, fouled off a 3-1 pitch, then took a full-count pitch inside, moving Ibañez to second. Beltre smacked a high fastball into the gap in rightcenter, but the ball was cut off before it could go to the wall, so the bases were loaded and Beltre had the single. Reed chopped the second pitch to second, where a 4-6-3 double play was turned, though Ibañez scored. Sexson moved to third.
»» MARINERS 3, TWINS 1
Betancourt popped the 0-2 pitch to Castro in shallow leftfield.
TOP 7TH
Grade: A
Piñeiro was looking too good. Morneau popped the second pitch high to rightfield. Tiffee barely held a swing at a high 0-2 pitch, then chopped to second on the next pitch. Ryan popped an 0-2 pitch high to centerfield.
BOTTOM 7TH
Grade: C-
Nothing here. Snelling foul-tipped a 1-2 pitch low and away into the catcher's glove. Gonzalez poked the first pitch to second for the groundout. Ichiro fouled off a couple of 2-2 pitches before whiffing badly on a dirtball.
Radke's line: 7 innings, 3 runs, 7 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, 94 pitches (58 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Grade: B-
Turbulence. Castro poked the second pitch up the middle for a single. Stewart chopped out to a charging Beltre. Rodriguez got behind 0-2 and later chopped out to second, with Castro holding at second.
George Sherrill came in for Piñeiro. Mauer got behind 0-2 and poked the 1-2 pitch through the left side for a single, scoring Castro.
»» MARINERS 3, TWINS 2
JJ Putz came in for Sherrill. LeCroy took a 1-0 pitch, and Mauer stole second on it after Gonzalez couldn't come up with it. LeCroy whiffed on a 1-2 pitch.
Piñeiro's line: 7 2/3 innings, 2 runs, 7 hits, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts, 98 pitches (72 strikes)
Sherrill's line: 0 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 6 pitches (5 strikes)
Putz' line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 5 pirches (3 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Grade: C
Blown chance for insurance. Matt Guerrier came in for Radke. Bloomquist chopped the second pitch high to third. Ibañez popped the 3-1 pitch into the leftfield corner, where Stewart had the ball go off the heel of his glove just inside the leftfield line, and Ibañez coasted in with what was ruled as a double. Sexson worked a 1-2 count full before whiffing on a curveball. Beltre was intentionally walked.
Terry Mulholland came in for Guerrier. Reed popped a full-count pitch high to Tiffee near the mound.
Guerrier's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 17 pitches (7 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Grade: D+
Eddie Guardado came in to shut the door. Jones lined the first pitch to fairly deep leftfield, but he didn't quite get it to the track, and Snelling came down with the catch. Morneau grounded the second pitch to the hole on the right side, where Bloomquist slid on the outfield grass and threw in time to first. Mike Cuddyer, hitting for Tiffee, worked an 0-2 count full, fouled off three pitches, then grounded up the middle, where Bloomquist ranged over and tried to make a nice play, but instead threw three feet over Sexson and into the stands, landing Cuddyer on second, where Nick Punto ran for him. Lew Ford, hitting for Ryan, poked a single through the left side, and Snelling threw home, but it was a tad bit late, and Punto slid through Gonzalez' leg blocking the plate. Gonzalez got to the ball, and nailed Ford trying to take second.
»» TWINS 3, MARINERS 3
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 1 run (unearned), 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 15 pitches (11 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Grade: C
BAH! Betancourt laced the second pitch up the middle for a single. Snelling bunted the first pitch to Punto on the left side, moving Betancourt to second. Gonzalez nubbed the 3-1 pitch to second, and Betancourt went to third. Ichiro was intentionally walked.
Jesse Crain came in for Mulholland. Bloomquist popped the first pitch to Morneau near the first-base dugout.
Mulholland's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 18 pitches (8 strikes)
TOP 10TH
Grade: C+
Julio Mateo came in for Guardado. Castro dumped a single into leftfield on the first pitch. Stewart bunted the first pitch to the right side, where Sexson fielded and threw to a covering Bloomquist, moving Castro to second. Rodriguez popped high to Snelling near the leftfield line as the runners held. Mauer was intentionally walked, and Castro came out of the game with what was later revealed as a left knee sprain, and Jason Bartlett came in to run for him. LeCroy popped high to Gonzalez behind the plate on the first pitch.
BOTTOM 10TH
Grade: C
Sigh... Ibañez rolled a 1-2 pitch out to second. Sexson popped a few feet short of the track in rightfield. Beltre roped the 2-2 pitch into the gap, where Jones ran it down and caught it.
TOP 11TH
Grade: C+
Big jam. Jones got ahead 2-0 and flew out to Snelling in fairly deep leftfield. Morneau lined the second pitch off of Mateo's glove, and it caromed to Bloomquist, who threw in time to first (1-4-3 putout). Punto reached for a low second pitch and poked it into centerfield for a single. Ford mashed the 2-2 pitch for what would have been a homer down the leftfield line had it stayed fair. With a full count, Ford grounded into the hole on the right side, and Bloomquist slid once again, stopping the ball, picking the loose ball off the ground, but throwing a bit late to first, moving Punto to third. Bartlett popped the second pitch to Ichiro near the rightfield line.
BOTTOM 11TH
Grade: C-
Bottom of the lineup. Reed got behind 0-2 and eventually whiffed on a 2-2 pitch. Betancourt got behind 0-2 and eventually popped to Morneau barely on the outfield grass. Snelling got ahead 2-0 and ended up rolling a 2-2 pitch to second.
Crain's line: 2 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 29 pitches (21 strikes)
TOP 12TH
Grade: B-
Tightroping again. Stewart doubled the second pitch off the base of the wall in rightfield, and Ichiro nearly gunned him down at second. Rodriguez bunted the first pitch along the left side, and Mateo threw in time to first as Stewart moved to third. Mauer was intentionally walked. LeCroy grounded the first pitch right to Beltre, who took some time to throw to second (probably waiting for Bloomquist to get over there), but it turned out to be a double play, 5-4-3.
Mateo's line: 3 innings, 0 runs, 4 hits, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 39 pitches (22 strikes)
BOTTOM 12TH
Grade: D+
Joe Nathan came in for Crain. Dave Hansen, hitting for Gonzalez, got behind 0-2 and worked the count full, fouled off a pitch, then took a pitch high and outside for a walk, and Yorvit Torrealba ran for him. Ichiro bunted the second pitch off the plate, and it bounced high into the air. When it came down, Punto and Mauer collided, and Punto threw a tad bit late to first (ruled a single). Torrealba moved to second on the play. Bloomquist air-bunted the first pitch to Mauer behind the plate (runners obviously holding). Ibañez whiffed on a 1-2 breaking ball. Sexson took a 1-2 pitch barely off the outside corner, and eventually he grounded out to third.
TOP 13TH
Grade: A
Matt Thornton came in for Mateo. Jones got ahead 0-2 and whiffed on a 1-2 pitch. Morneau flew out to Snelling in the gap in leftcenter. Punto fouled off an 0-2 pitch, took the next pitch just off the outside corner, then bounced out to short.
Thornton's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 11 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 13TH
Grade: C-
Beltre got behind 0-2 and later whiffed on a 1-2 pitch up and in. Reed got behind 0-2 and couldn't hold a 1-2 swing, ending up as a whiff. Betancourt poked the second pitch toward the hole on the left side, but Bartlett had a ways to go to get to the ball, and the throw was wide, giving Betancourt the single. Betancourt took off for second on the 1-0 pitch to Snelling, but he was gunned down by Mauer. Bartlett's leg was blocking Betancourt's best path to the plate, and he was tagged before his right hand touched the bag.
Nathan's line: 2 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 33 pitches (22 strikes)
TOP 14TH
Grade: F
Jeff Nelson came in for Thornton. Ford worked an 0-2 count full, fouled off a pitch, then took a pitch way outside for a walk. Bartlett air-bunted the first pitch to Sexson charging in on the first-base line. Stewart was nailed on the left elbow with a 1-1 pitch.
Shigetoshi Hasegawa came in for Nelson. Rodriguez got ahead 3-1 and later blooped a full-count pitch into leftfield for a single, scoring Ford and moving Stewart to second.
»» TWINS 4, MARINERS 3
Mauer got the hitters' counts and tagged the 3-1 pitch into the leftcenter gap for a double, scoring Stewart and Rodriguez.
»» TWINS 6, MARINERS 3
LeCroy got behind 0-2 and drove the 2-2 pitch into leftfield for a single, moving Mauer to third. Jones grounded to second, where Bloomquist tossed to Betancourt for the 4-6 fielder's choice since the throw back to first wasn't in time. Mauer scored easily.
»» TWINS 7, MARINERS 3
Morneau grounded the second pitch to second, and Bloomquist's throw pulled Sexson off the bag. Jones moved to second on the play. Punto grounded the second pitch to second, where Bloomquist shoveled to Betancourt for the 4-6 fielder's choice.
Nelson's line: 1/3 inning, 2 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 13 pitches (7 strikes)
Hasegawa's line: 2/3 inning, 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 24 pitches (14 strikes)
BOTTOM 14TH
Grade: C
Juan Rincon came in for Nathan. Snelling poked a full-count pitch through the right side for a single, and trainer Tom Newberg attended to him, and Scott Spiezio ran for him. Torrealba whiffed on a high 2-2 fastball. Ichiro smacked the first pitch right to second, starting a 4-6-3 double play. Ballgame.
Rincon's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 14 pitches (9 strikes)
---
Gameball: JJ Putz.
After George Sherrill had probably his worst appearance of the year, Putz got Matt LeCroy swinging with the tying run on second. With the strikeout, Putz held the 3-2 lead, which the Mariners took into the bottom of the eighth and the top of the ninth. Yes, JJ came through in the clutch. It's not really anything you could say for most of the Mariners on this night, but hey, somebody had to do their job, and this isn't the obvious gameball. I'll get to the candidates for that later. Since the sense I'm getting is that Bryan Price and friends (and broadcasters) are high on Putz, he'll be around for a while. So, it's good to see him get good outings and hopefully shake himself off of that grand slam deluge earlier in the year. The LeCroy out, though only one out, was a very big out in the eighth. It was a big out on the way to what should have been a three-game sweep of the Twins at the hands of the Mariners, except for the bad things that were about to happen. We're not just talking 1-2-3 innings out of the offense or just plain bad pitching or anything like that. We're talking about last night's output of...
Goat: Willie Bloomquist.
He's earned a respite of a month or so on my part, since he's usually been helping the team win, but I'm done with that for this game. Obviously, I'm turning a blind eye to the single and the double. In the ninth inning, he made a nice play on the ball hit by Justin Morneau, I'll give him that. Then he got greedy. If you're overthrowing 6'8" Richie Sexson at first base, that's a tall order (pardon the pun). I mean, good gracious, put the ball in your back pocket and let him have the base, but don't put the tying run into scoring position. I know he's been a Major League semi-regular starter for only a month or so, but that is the type of mistake that you'd expect from a newbie like a Mike Morse or a Jose Lopez or something, not a 27-year-old in his third season in the Majors. But it didn't stop with the error, no sir. Though minor, with runners on the corners and two out in the ninth, he popped out in front of the first-base dugout. For another major gaffe, with runners on first and second and nobody out in the twelfth, Bloomquist air-bunted the first pitch and was out. Horrible. To kick dirt on the grave, Bloomquist pulled Sexson off the bag in the top of the 14th, making the excruciating inning last even longer. Bloomquist also grounded into a double play in the third inning.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 82-31 .726 -- W2
2002 69-44 .611 13 L2
2003 69-44 .611 13 L1
2000 67-46 .593 15 W5
2005 49-64 .434 33 L1
2004 43-70 .381 39 W2
Since it's already late, I'll try to reel off my immediate thoughts of what I can remember over that game that was much too long.
The cost of Willie Bloomquist getting greedy WITH TWO OUTS IN THE NINTH...
-- if it weren't for the off-day today, the bullpen would be absolutely jacked for the next three or four games
-- Joel Piñeiro gets screwed out of a win
-- Eddie Guardado probably pitches different with a runner on first rather than on second
-- two hours that I could have spent writing up this recap since the game would have been over
-- me eating my dinner late
-- an absolute buzzkill; this win coupled with the Felix thing and the sweep would have been absolutely awesome
-- Chris Snelling doesn't have to leave the game in the 14th with a possible injury if Bloomquist eats the ball in the ninth
-- No amount of late-night Ivar's Clam Chowder on the waterfront is warm enough to melt away the shock of being one out away from a sweep and then realizing that you have to take the 12:50am ferry home since somebody pulled a Knoblauch. Keith Olbermann's mom isn't back there, Willie
Multi-hit games in this one belonged to Ichiro, Bloomquist, Raul Ibañez, Yuniesky Betancourt, and Chris Snelling. Ichiro went 2-for-6 with a walk and a couple strikeouts, and I remember the strikeouts especially because Radke made him look pretty stupid on them (balls in the dirt). Bloomquist left five runners on base on his 2-for-6 night. Ibañez doubled, had an RBI, and struck out twice for his 2-for-6 night. Betancourt went 2-for-6, and Snelling was 2-for-5 with a strikeout.
What the frick has gotten into Joel Piñeiro? He's holding the ball and glove further away from the body before winding up and doing the leg kick, but is that seriously all it was? He's turned in two good starts in a row, and this one -- NO WALKS?! Seriously?! Is this the same dude we've been watching most of the season? I frankly think we have some sort of cyborg uber-Piñeiro that's grown a more stately goatee and dyed his hair dark again. I'm reminded of the Stewie-controlled Peter Griffin robot from Family Guy. Of course, said cyborg/robot holds his hands further away from his body, and apparently that must be enough of a mechanical shift to get everything else going right. Granted, I think the fastest pitch he threw all night was going 93mph, but I guess this mechanical thing is a decent place to start. It's too bad it took way longer than just a ten-day stint in "Tacoma" to figure it all out, but if this keeps up, maybe it'll bode well and hopefully they can carry this into next year.
Credit Julio Mateo for eating up the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth innings, but probably not much more than that. I like three innings and everything, but two walks and four hits? If anything, Mateo proved to be incredibly slithery. It was like walking on eggshells for an hour just hoping none of the Twins would score. Incredibly, Matt Thornton followed up his best outing of the year on Monday night with a pretty dominant inning in the 13th.
Then Jeff Nelson came in and crapped the bed. He had Lew Ford 0-2 and walked him. Though Jason Bartlett pulled a Bloomquist, he was followed by Shannon Stewart taking a baseball to the left arm. I'm not sure if George Sherrill or Jeff Nelson was more Ron Villone-like on this night. One pitcher gave up an RBI single and was pulled, yet the other was wild and beaned a batter. Tough decision, really.
The man who was portrayed by Don Cheadle in the film Hotel Rwanda was in the crowd tonight, and he was still in his seat around the 13th or 14th inning, which I thought was amazing. It's too bad the Mariners couldn't give him a win, since he had to sit through an interview conducted by Matt Morrison and everything. If you thought the FSNNW interview was out of place, debate with yourself about whether you'd rather hear Matt Morrison conduct that interview, or Rick Rizzs and Dave Valle stumble through the first two outs of an inning.
Is it a good time for an off day? I'd have to say so. The game was much too long. Thank goodness that in Hawaii I can still watch a whole game like this, do a recap, and then manage to not be a total zombie the next day. If I were still back in Bremerton, I'd be railing against Bloomquist even more.
Now, for things I wish I'd see on the transaction wire, but I know I won't...
SEATTLE MARINERS -- Designated UT Willie Bloomquist for assignment. Recalled 2B Jose Lopez from Tacoma (AAA).
Thursday's off, folks. That means off-day posts from us, and here at Sports and B's, that could really mean anything. Then...the Angels. Yikes.
Washburn. Moyer. Tomorrow.
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