Saturday, May 06, 2006
GAME 31: INDIANS 9, MARINERS 4
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: I thought the Mariners might actually win this one, but that kind of thinking is so five days ago.
This one featured Jake Westbrook going up against Jamie Moyer. Westbrook throws sinkers and stuff. Moyer throws changeups and stuff. The Mariners were hoping to steer themselves out of a three-game losing skid. Of course, having Cleveland show up on the schedule isn't exactly opportune, but I thought the same thing when the White Sox came to Seattle for that three-game series and somehow the Mariners took two of three. Weirder things can happen. For the Mariners, though, the weirder things usually aren't good.
TOP 1ST
Grady Sizemore took an 0-2 pitch across the outside corner. Jason Michaels had the hitters' counts before lining to Ichiro, who leaped for the catch and banged against the wall in a higher-speed catch than we're used to seeing from Ichiro. Jhonny Peralta got ahead 2-0 before rolling over an outside pitch for a grounder to third. Moyer threw 12 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Ichiro bounced the first pitch up the middle to Peralta moving from short. Jose Lopez tapped a full-count pitch back to the mound. Raul Ibañez worked a 1-2 count full before chopping to Peralta up the middle. Westbrook threw 14 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Travis Hafner stroked a single into centerfield as Lawton played it off a hop. Victor Martinez tapped the first pitch back to the mound to start a 1-6-3 double play. Eduardo Perez bounced to second. Moyer threw seven pitches and had 19 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Richie Sexson bounced the second pitch to short. Carl Everett took an 0-2 pitch that tailed back over the middle of the plate. Adrian Beltre walked on a full-count pitch inside. Matt Lawton chopped to Westbrook along the first-base line. Westbrook threw 13 pitches and had 27 through two.
TOP 3RD
Ronnie Belliard popped the first pitch to Beltre on the infield. Todd Hollandsworth popped a 1-2 pitch to Beltre down the leftfield line, making the over-the-shoulder basket catch as he does. Aaron Boone walked on four pitches. Sizemore took Ichiro to the rightfield track with the first pitch. Moyer threw 11 pitches and had 30 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Kenji Johjima took a 2-2 slider over the inside corner. Yuniesky Betancourt bounced the second pitch to short. Ichiro was ahead 3-1 but rolled a full-count pitch to third. Westbrook threw 13 pitches and had 40 through three.
TOP 4TH
Michaels worked a 1-2 count full before drilling a thigh-high fastball that carried into the visitors' bullpen.
»» INDIANS 1, MARINERS 0
Peralta got ahead 3-0 and creamed the 3-1 pitch off the wall in the leftfield corner; the ball bounced and got away from Ibañez toward centerfield, but Peralta couldn't stretch it past a double. Hafner whiffed on a 1-2 change over the outside corner. Martinez bounced the first pitch slowly to short, but Betancourt threw to third to get Peralta, who ran on a ball in front of him, however slow the ball was hit. Perez crushed a 3-0 pitch for a rainmaker into the visitors' bullpen in leftfield.
»» INDIANS 3, MARINERS 0
Belliard popped the second pitch to Betancourt on the edge of the outfield grass. Moyer threw 25 pitches and had 55 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Lopez fell behind 0-2 but drilled the 1-2 pitch into centerfield for a single and the Mariners' first hit and first ball hit out of the infield in the game. Ibañez punched the first pitch through the right side for a single, moving Lopez to second. Sexson fell behind 0-2 before whiffing on a low 1-2 pitch. Everett slapped the first pitch near the leftfield corner and it landed just past a diving Michaels for a double, scoring Lopez and Ibañez. That was the first fly ball hit by the Mariners in the game.
»» INDIANS 3, MARINERS 2
Beltre tapped the 1-2 pitch back to the mound where Westbrook went back to Peralta to get Everett hung up between second and third (1-6-5). Lawton watched the second pitch as Beltre nabbed second base for his eighth in eight tries on the year. Lawton was ahead 3-0 and took a 3-1 pitch down and in for a walk. Johjima bounced a 2-2 pitch back to the mound. Westbrook threw 25 pitches and had 65 through four.
TOP 5TH
Hollandsworth fell behind 0-2 and whiffed on a 2-2 change. Boone bounced the second pitch past a diving Beltre, but Betancourt fired from the left-side hole to get Hollandsworth with time to spare. Sizemore took an 0-2 pitch barely inside as Moyer and Lawton were headed back to the dugout. Sizemore worked the count full and whiffed on a change down and away. Moyer 15 pitches and had 70 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Betancourt singled a 2-2 pitch past the reach of Peralta up the middle for a single. Ichiro watched as a Westbrook pickoff throw got past Perez and into foul territory, and Betancourt high-tailed it all the way to third after Perez originally laid on him after diving for the throw. Ichiro whiffed on a 2-0 pitch and Martinez tried to pick Betancourt off of third. Ichiro ended up tapping the 2-2 pitch to third and Betancourt held until Boone threw to first to get Ichiro, then Betancourt took off for home and beat Perez' throw.
»» INDIANS 3, MARINERS 3
Lopez took Michaels to the leftfield track on the first pitch. Ibañez bounced the second pitch up the middle for a single. Sexson whiffed on a 2-2 pitch. Westbrook threw 19 pitches and had 84 through five.
TOP 6TH
Michaels was ahead 2-0 and lined the 2-2 pitch to Ibañez. Peralta dumped a bloop single into shallow centerfield. Hafner worked a 1-2 count full before flying out to left. Martinez smoked the second pitch into centerfield for a single, moving Peralta to second. Perez popped a 2-2 pitch to center. Moyer threw 24 pitches and had 94 through six.
Moyer's line: 6 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, 94 pitches (57 strikes)
BOTTOM 6TH
Everett got ahead 2-0 and later lined right to Michaels in left. Beltre bounced a 2-0 pitch up the third-base line where Westbrook had to pounce on it, but Beltre beat the one-hop throw to first. Lawton was ahead 2-0 before flying out high to rightfield, but Beltre went nuts and tagged from first and evaded Belliard's tag at second on Hollandsworth's throw. Johjima got ahead 3-1 and walked on a full-count pitch, and Beltre nabbed third, beating the Martinez throw. Pitching coach Carl Willis visited the mound. Betancourt bounced an 0-2 pitch to a far-charging Boone, who made the throw to first on a difficult play. Westbrook threw 23 pitches and had 107 through six.
Westbrook's line: 6 innings, 3 runs (2 earned), 6 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, 107 pitches (63 strikes)
TOP 7TH
Rafael Soriano came in for Moyer, despite Moyer coming out to the mound to warm up. Belliard was ahead 2-0 before failing to check a swing on a 2-2 slider way off the plate outside. Hollandsworth put a charge into the first pitch, and Ichiro leaped to try to catch it, but was unsuccessful as the ball caromed off his glove and away, enabling Hollandsworth to get a triple. Boone took a 2-2 pitch barely off the plate inside, then drove the next pitch into the gap in leftcenter, scoring Hollandsworth easily.
»» INDIANS 4, MARINERS 3
Sizemore worked an 0-2 count full before walking on a pitch down and in. Pitching coach Rafael Chaves visited the mound. Michaels whifed on a 2-2 pitch and Johjima threw to third and Boone was out by a wide margin. Soriano threw 27 pitches.
BOTTOM 7TH
Jason Davis came in for Westbrook. Ichiro whiffed on a 2-2 pitch, the eighth of the at-bat. Lopez popped the second pitch to Boone on the infield. Ibañez was ahead 3-1 before popping to Michaels on the track just fair in the leftfield corner. Davis threw 16 pitches.
Davis' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 16 pitches (11 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Peralta worked a 1-2 count for a walk.
George Sherrill came in for Soriano. Hafner worked a 1-2 count for a walk as well, moving Peralta to second. Martinez whiffed on a 1-2 fastball over the outer half.
Sean Green came in for Sherrill. Ben Broussard, hitting for Perez, got the hitters' counts before walking on a 3-1 pitch down and in to load the bases. Belliard dumped a 1-2 pitch into shallow rightfield to score Peralta and leave the bases loaded. Chaves visited the mound.
»» INDIANS 5, MARINERS 3
Hollandsworth whiffed on a low 1-2 pitch. Boone was hit on the abdomen somewhere, forcing Hafner across and leaving the bases loaded.
»» INDIANS 6, MARINERS 3
Sizemore worked a 1-2 count for a walk, forcing Broussard across and leaving the bases still loaded.
»» INDIANS 7, MARINERS 3
Jake Woods came in for Green. Michaels was ahead 2-0 and poked a 2-2 pitch down the rightfield line and it was picked up by a fan (who was escorted from his seat) as Michaels was credited with the double. Belliard and Boone came across and Sizemore was awarded third.
»» INDIANS 9, MARINERS 3
Peralta rolled out to short. Woods threw nine pitches.
Soriano's line: 1 inning, 2 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 35 pitches (19 strikes)
Sherrill's line: 1/3 inning, 1 run, 0 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 10 pitches (5 strikes)
Green's line: 1/3 inning, 3 runs, 1 hit, 2 walks, 1 strikeout, 22 pitches (10 strikes)
Woods' line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 10 pitches (5 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Guillermo Mota came in for Davis. Sexson bounced the second pitch to short. Everett worked a 1-2 count full before fouling a pitch into the catcher's glove. Beltre tagged a 1-2 pitch off Boone's glove at third (error) as Beltre reached. Lawton drilled an 0-2 single into centerfield, moving Beltre to second. Johjima popped the 2-2 pitch to Hollandsworth down the rightfield line. Mota threw 23 pitches.
Mota's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 23 pitches (16 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Eddie Guardado came in for Woods. Roberto Petagine came in to play first. Hafner popped an 0-2 pitch to Betancourt in shallow leftfield. Martinez failed to hold a 2-2 swing on a pitch way outside. Broussard punched a 2-2 pitch down the leftfield line for a double. Belliard walked on a 3-1 pitch. Hollandsworth tapped the first pitch back to the mound. Guardado threw 19 pitches.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 19 pitches (11 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Danny Graves came in for Mota. Betancourt popped the second pitch to second. Ichiro drove a 3-1 pitch into the rightcenter gap for a triple. Lopez fisted a 1-2 pitch to second, scoring Ichiro.
»» INDIANS 9, MARINERS 4
Ibañez was ahead 3-0 before lining a full-count pitch into the gap and to the wall in leftcenter for a double. Petagine fell behind 0-2 before taking a 2-2 pitch tailing back over the inside corner.
Graves' line: 1 inning, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 25 pitches (15 strikes)
---
Gameball: Raul Ibañez.
I hate to go obvious with these, but Ibañez had far and away the best line of the night for any Mariner. Also, I decided it'd be easier to come up with material for how good Ibañez has been rather than try to give legs to an inning of shutout ball by Eddie Guardado. Raul Ibañez has never been held hitless for more than two straight games. Thus, Ibañez has never had his average go below .267 (early April). The only thing we hope for is more power, of course, but that could be said for absolutely every hitter on the team. Ibañez has the timing thing down when he hits his homers, he just doesn't have the quantity. So, when Richie Sexson falls off the face of the earth at the plate, the consistent power goes away and the Mariners are left with a bare cupboard. Sure, you're taught never to sit back and wait for a homer, but to never have the mere chance to do that is a little disturbing. With the Mariners, it's not like the power and the homers don't happen as often as they should, it's that they barely happen at all.
Goat: Sean Green.
I want him to succeed as much as the next guy, but he turned a game in which the Mariners had just lost grip of it to a game in which the Mariners were absolutely buried. He didn't give up any runs in the 1 1/3 innings of his first two appearances, both on the road. In this game, though, it was kinda sad watching it. I'm hoping for his sake they've got a longer leash on him than the one they had on Clint Nageotte. If not, then it's time to place wagers on which random pitcher comes up from the minors. It won't be a hitter, since Hargrove has that ridiculous liking for the twelve-man pitching staff. For me, the whole key to using the bench could have been resolved in the offseason by not signing Carl Everett, let alone throwing all that money at him. It's like the Mariners are jaded and think of the DH as an Edgarized position. If you don't have a hitter as good as Edgar to DH, then that spot should be rotated to give different players more playing time. Roberto Petagine might actually get some reps that way. As for Green, let's hope his next outing is a good one, or else Hargrove will remember this outing a lot more than his first two.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 23-8 .742 -- L1
2002 22-9 .710 1 W4
2003 20-11 .645 3 W3
2000 17-14 .548 6 L1
2005 13-18 .419 10 W1
2004 12-19 .387 11 L2
2006 12-19 .387 11 L4
Lee. Piñeiro. Tonight.
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