Saturday, May 06, 2006
GAME 32: MARINERS 4, INDIANS 1
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: A come-from-behind win yet again. Games in which the Mariners have control are unfortunately the rarity these days. Behold the rarity.
This one featured Cliff Lee going up against Joel Piñeiro. The Mariners were trying to snap a four-game losing streak. Of course, it looked like an uphill battle. Joel Piñeiro started and finished in his last start, but Cliff Lee in his career has completely owned the Mariners. What would give today?
TOP 1ST
Grady Sizemore got ahead 2-0 and cranked a down-the-pipe 2-2 pitch and carried it over the wall in rightcenter.
»» INDIANS 1, MARINERS 0
Jason Michaels grounded a 2-2 pitch up the middle to Betancourt. Jhonny Peralta flew out to Ibañez in leftcenter on a 2-2 pitch. Victor Martinez smacked a 2-0 pitch into rightfield for a single. Ben Broussard bounced the second pitch to first. Piñeiro threw 22 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Ichiro took a 1-2 pitch to the right elbow armor. Willie Bloomquist flew out to center on a 2-2 pitch. Raul Ibañez laced a liner right into Belliard's glove at second. Richie Sexson took a 3-1 pitch down and in, moving Ichiro to second. Carl Everett whiffed on a 1-2 fastball in the dirt. Lee threw 21 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Casey Blake worked a 1-2 count full before nearly drilling Piñeiro with a liner into centerfield. Ronnie Belliard flew out to left on the second pitch. Ramon Vazquez bounced the second pitch back to the mound to start a 1-6-3 double play. Piñeiro threw ten pitches and had 32 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Adrian Beltre hit a slow-rolling 0-2 pitch on the left side, where Vazquez charged in, barehanded, and made the strong throw to first in time, or so the umpire thought (replays showed he was barely safe). Kenji Johjima popped the 0-2 pitch to Vazquez down the leftfield line. Jose Lopez smacked a single into shallow center. Yuniesky Betancourt flew out to right on an 0-2 pitch. Lee threw 12 pitches and had 33 through two.
TOP 3RD
Aaron Boone lined out softly to Beltre at third. Sizemore lined the first pitch off Piñeiro's glove, and it caromed to Lopez at second, who threw in time to first. Michaels took a lowish 1-1 pitch and Johjima held the ball in place a bit long, then Hargrove came out to argue with home plate umpire Jim Reynolds and was tossed. Michaels later whiffed on a 2-2 breaking ball. Piñeiro threw eight pitches and had 40 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Ichiro rolled the second pitch up the middle to Belliard, who made the off-balance throw in time to first. Bloomquist popped the second pitch to Broussard behind the bag at first on the outfield grass. Ibañez grounded a 2-2 pitch to second. Lee threw nine pitches and had 42 through three.
TOP 4TH
Peralta fell behind 0-2 and later waved badly on a 1-2 pitch. Martinez took an 0-2 pitch over the outside corner. Broussard hit a second-pitch broken-bat grounder to second. Piñeiro threw nine pitches and had 49 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Sexson mashed a hard single into leftfield for a single. Everett drilled a single through the left side, moving Sexson to second. Beltre hit a sinking liner into leftfield that got past Michaels and rolled to the wall, scoring Sexson and Everett as Vazquez didn't make a relay throw home. Beltre got credit for a double.
»» MARINERS 2, INDIANS 1
Johjima hit a low-lining a 1-2 single into shallow rightfield and Beltre barely got his left foot onto the plate in time as Johjima took second.
»» MARINERS 3, INDIANS 1
Lopez laid down a near-perfect bunt to the left side which took a great play from Martinez to get Lopez at first (2-4 putout), and Johjima moved to third on the play. Betancourt popped the first pitch to shallow left as Johjima held. Ichiro took a full-count pitch up and in for a walk. Bloomquist flew out to Blake in rightcenter on the second pitch. Lee threw 22 pitches and had 64 through four.
TOP 5TH
Blake failed to check his swing on a full-count pitch. Belliard fell behind 0-2 and hit a 1-2 pitch right at Bloomquist, who was crossed up for a second and had to leap to keep the ball from going past. Vazquez looped out to Ibañez in shallow leftcenter. Piñeiro threw 13 pitches and had 62 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Ibañez took Sizemore to the centerfield track on a 2-2 pitch, the eighth pitch of the at-bat. Sexson was jammed and grounded a 2-2 pitch to short. Everett flew out high to Sizemore in leftcenter. Lee threw 16 pitches and had 80 through five.
TOP 6TH
Boone took a 2-2 pitch over the inside corner (stretching the black). Sizemore fell behind 0-2 before popping to leftcenter (Ibañez) on a 2-2 pitch. Michaels grounded the 1-2 pitch hard to third. Piñeiro threw 16 pitches and had 78 through six.
BOTTOM 6TH
Beltre looped a shallow fly on the first pitch to Blake in right. Johjima flew out to Blake in shallow right on the second pitch. Lopez got ahead 2-0 and lined to Sizemore in center on a full count. Lee threw ten pitches and had 90 through six.
TOP 7TH
Peralta lined out to left on an 0-2 pitch. Martinez grounded the second pitch right to first. Broussard whiffed on a 2-2 breaking ball down and away. Piñeiro threw 11 pitches and had 89 through seven.
BOTTOM 7TH
Betancourt popped to second. Ichiro bounced a single through the right-side hole just past the reach of Belliard. Bloomquist flew out to Belliard in shallow right on a 2-0 pitch. Ibañez reached the gap on a 2-2 pitch, reaching the wall for a double and plating Ichiro.
»» MARINERS 4, INDIANS 1
Fernando Cabrera came in for Lee. Sexson failed to check his swing on an 0-2 pitch in the dirt. Cabrera threw three pitches.
Lee's line: 6 2/3 innings, 4 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, 1 strikeouts, 108 pitches (73 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Blake reached the gap in rightcenter, but it didn't get to the wall as he settled for a single, snapping Piñeiro's streak of 17 straight retired hitters. Belliard grounded the second pitch hard to Beltre, who started the 5-4-3 double play. Vazquez fell behind 0-2 before flying out to center on a 1-2 count. Piñeiro threw 11 pitches.
Piñeiro's line: 8 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts, 100 pitches (69 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Everett had the hitters' counts before flying out to center on a full count. Beltre looped a 2-2 breaking ball outside and popped to Belliard moving back into the centerfield grass. Johjima worked a 1-2 count full before tapping out to Cabrera beside the mound. Cabrera threw 19 pitches and had 22 total.
Cabrera's line: 1 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 22 pitches (14 strikes)
TOP 9TH
JJ Putz came in for Piñeiro. Boone bounced to Sexson, who had Boone run into his tag. Sizemore rolled an 0-2 pitch to second. Michaels walked on a full-count pitch down and in. Peralta watched as Michaels took second on the first pitch (indifference). Peralta whiffed on a 2-2 splitter.
Putz' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 19 pitches (12 strikes)
---
Gameball: Joel Piñeiro.
Really no other choice for the gameball here, even with my standards of non-obvious gameballs. No Mariner hitter had a multi-hit game. I could have tried to get some mileage out of JJ Putz throwing a scoreless ninth to get the save, but I don't feel like it. In Piñeiro's last start, he walked nobody and struck out nobody. Against the Twins, he got 17 groundouts and nine flyouts. Today against the Indians, the gross groundball tendency didn't hold up, as he got ten groundouts and eight flyouts. He didn't walk anyone, which was good, but he struck out six batters, a season high. Piñeiro may not be the Piñeiro of old, but as was bandied about in the series in Chicago, Freddy Garcia isn't what he used to be either. Niehaus and Fairly talked a great deal about Freddy not being able to crank the fastball up there like he used to, and now he's topping out around 91 or so. Of course, I remember the days when Freddy would try to strike people out with his fastball, and he'd overthrow and get himself into trouble and not get deep into games. That was before he realized his changeup was his best pitch. With Piñeiro, he can't rush it up there like he used to, but if he manages to successfully reinvent himself, then I'll consider that a victory. They haven't completely turned Piñeiro around, but things are looking up. If Gil Meche can start to make things look up for himself, that'll be good. I doubt it though.
Goat: Willie Bloomquist.
Raise your hand if you've been enjoying the McLemorization of Willie Bloomquist. Yeah, me neither. When Mike Hargrove has started Bloomquist lately, he's slotted him second in the lineup and bumped the nicely-hitting Jose Lopez all the way down to eighth. Depending on how games shake out, one could argue that Lopez gets at-bats taken away from him this way. It's not so bad if Bloomquist comes in, scratches out a hit, and wreaks havoc on the basepaths while not making any defensive gaffes. Today, he went 0-for-4 and left four ducks on the pond. Does hustle or the perception thereof make a difference when you go 0-for-4 and don't get on base? Jeremy Reed showed the ability last year that he can take away hits in the outfield on occasion, yet it's Bloomquist that gets the hype on the occasion that he makes a diving catch or something. My point? Reed can go 0-for-4 just as easily as Bloomquist. My point? Reed's three and a half years younger than Bloomquist and has more upside. If you're talking the future of this team, Reed's got to take his lumps. Bloomquist and Lawton getting time in centerfield while you bench Reed is something you do if you're a team that's built to win now. If anyone tells me this team is built to win now, I'll tell them they're on some sort of mind-altering substance.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 23-9 .719 -- L2
2002 22-10 .688 1 L1
2003 21-11 .656 2 W4
2000 17-15 .531 6 L2
2005 13-19 .406 10 L1
2006 13-19 .406 10 W1
2004 12-20 .375 11 L3
Sabathia. Washburn. Tomorrow.
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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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Wednesday, May 03, 2006
GAME 29: WHITE SOX 6, MARINERS 5 (11 INNINGS)
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: The early lead, the collapse, the odd comeback, the demoralization, and the predictable end.
This one featured Gil Meche going up against Freddy Garcia. Coming into the game, the Mariners had only scored seven first-inning runs all year. In a note that surprises nobody, Raul Ibañez hits .571 against Freddy Garcia. It was all too familiar being on the other side of that equation, though now the Mariners of course don't have Freddy Garcia.
TOP 1ST
Ichiro popped the second pitch to Mackowiak in shallow leftcenter. Jose Lopez popped high to left. Raul Ibañez smacked a 2-0 single to leftfield. Richie Sexson had the hitters' counts but grounded the full-count pitch to short. Garcia threw 15 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Scott Podsednik walked on a 3-1 high pitch. Tadahito Iguchi was ahead 2-0 and watched Podsednik get picked off of first by Meche. Iguchi singled to leftfield shortly after. Jim Thome chopped a 1-2 pitch to Sexson to start a 3-5-1 double play (Beltre was shifted). Meche threw 13 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Carl Everett fell behind 0-2 and rolled the 1-2 pitch to second. Adrian Beltre was ahead 3-0 before lining a full-count laser into the glove of a diving Crede at third. Matt Lawton bounced the first pitch to second. Garcia threw 12 pitches and had 27 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Paul Konerko took a 1-2 pitch over the inside corner. AJ Pierzynski bounced the second pitch to Sexson at first (3-1 putout). Joe Crede was ahead 2-0 before rolling to second. Meche threw ten pitches and had 23 pitches through two.
TOP 3RD
Kenji Johjima tapped a 2-0 pitch back to the mound. Yuniesky Betancourt was ahead 2-0 before popping high to Iguchi in shallow center. Ichiro chopped the second pitch to first. Garcia threw nine pitches and had 36 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Rob Mackowiak nubbed the second pitch slowly to the right side, where the ball passed Meche and Lopez barehanded the ball and threw it to Sexson just in time as he fell to the ground. Juan Uribe flew out to Lawton in deep center. Russ Gload was ahead 3-0 before flying out to Lawton in leftcenter on a 3-1 pitch. Meche threw ten pitches and had 33 through three.
TOP 4TH
Lopez was plunked in the jersey as he tried to evade a pitch. Ibañez laced a first-pitch single into centerfield, moving Lopez to second. Sexson nubbed the second pitch on top of the plate and it stayed there, and Pierzynski got the ball and tagged Sexson in the box as there was some confusion as to what went on. However, Lopez and Ibañez moved to third and second. Everett popped high to Gload in rightfield to score Lopez. Gload's throw went to third to hold Ibañez at second.
»» MARINERS 1, WHITE SOX 0
Beltre was ahead 3-1 before reaching on a full-count pitch and rolling to short. Garcia threw 15 pitches and had 51 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Podsednik chopped to Sexson on a full count (3-1 putout). Iguchi thought his 3-1 pitch was up and in and then grounded hard to first. Thome had the hitters' counts before walking on a full-count pitch inside. Konerko got ahead 2-0 before bouncing to third for a 5-4 fielder's choice. Meche threw 23 pitches and had 56 through four.
TOP 5TH
Lawton grounded hard to first. Johjima popped the first pitch to Podsednik on the track in leftcenter. Betancourt rolled an 0-2 pitch to first. Garcia threw seven pitches and had 58 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Pierzynski ripped the first pitch to right for a single. Crede fell behind 0-2 before flying out to a running Lawton in shallow leftcenter. Mackowiak flew out to Lawton in deep leftcenter on a full count as Pierzynski held at first. Uribe fell behind 0-2 before chopping a 1-2 pitch to a charging Beltre, who made the off-balance throw to first, as he often does. Meche threw 17 pitches and had 73 through five.
TOP 6TH
Ichiro rolled up the middle to Iguchi, ranging to his backhand side to make the play. Lopez punched the first pitch through the left side for a single. Ibañez bounced the second pitch right to Iguchi to start a 4-6-3 double play. Garcia threw seven pitches and had 65 through six.
BOTTOM 6TH
Gload took Ibañez to the leftfield track on a 2-0 pitch. Podsednik lined the first pitch off of Meche's glove, but it rolled to Lopez, who threw to first. Iguchi got ahead 2-0 before bouncing a 2-2 pitch back to the mound. Meche threw nine pitches and had 82 through six.
TOP 7TH
Sexson lined out to left. Everett popped the second pitch to right. Beltre whiffed on an 0-2 breaking ball off the plate outside. Garcia threw eight pitches and had 73 through seven.
BOTTOM 7TH
Jeremy Reed came in to play centerfield for Lawton. Thome cranked a 2-1 pitch high and foul and ended up walking on a full-count pitch inside. Konerko doubled on the fly into the leftfield corner for a double, moving Thome to third, the first time Chicago put a baserunner past first base in the game. Pierzynski was intentionally walked to load the bases with nobody out as George Sherrill and Rafael Soriano warmed up in the bullpen.
Rafael Soriano came in for Meche. Crede mashed a belly-high first-pitch fastball just over the wall in leftcenter. Ain't that some sh*@. Meche was visibly upset in the dugout. Better there than on the mound.
»» WHITE SOX 4, MARINERS 1
Mackowiak took a 1-2 slider for strike three. Uribe lined the first pitch right to Betancourt at short. Gload grounded a 3-1 pitch hard to Lopez, who tried to backhand it but it jumped over his glove and into rightfield. Podsednik watched the first pitch as Gload took second. Podsednik ended up fouling a 1-1 pitch to a cameraman in the press box before popping the next pitch to Lopez in shallow center.
Meche's line: 6 innings, 3 runs, 3 hits, 4 walks, 1 strikeout, 96 pitches (49 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Mackowiak moved to rightfield as Brian Anderson came in to play center. Reed doubled to the wall in rightcenter. Johjima served a single into rightcenter to plate Reed. Roberto Petagine was announced to hit for Betancourt.
»» WHITE SOX 4, MARINERS 2
Matt Thornton came in for Garcia. Willie Bloomquist, hitting for Petagine, who never hit, worked an 0-2 count full before punching a seeing-eye single on the ninth pitch of the at-bat to move Johjima to second. Ichiro chopped a 1-2 pitch to a charging Iguchi, who went to first for the out on Ichiro. Johjima and Bloomquist advanced to third and second.
Cliff Politte came in for Thornton. Lopez slapped an 0-2 pitch through the right side for a single to score Johjima and Bloomquist, and Lopez took second when the throw went all the way home.
»» WHITE SOX 4, MARINERS 4
Ibañez was intentionally walked. Sexson got ahead 2-0 and chopped a 2-2 pitch to third, where a 5-4 fielder's choice was completed, but Iguchi threw well over first after the takeout slide by Ibañez, who was out on the play. Lopez scored and Sexson ended up on second at the end of it all.
»» MARINERS 5, WHITE SOX 4
Everett was intentionally walked. Beltre grounded the 1-2 pitch to short for a 6-4 forceout.
Garcia's line: 7 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 79 pitches (51 strikes)
Thornton's line: 1/3 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (10 strikes)
Politte's line: 2/3 inning, 1 run (unearned), 1 hit, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 20 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Bloomquist stayed in to play short. Iguchi took a full-count pitch over the inside corner.
George Sherrill came in for Soriano. Thome rolled the 1-2 pitch to Lopez in shallow right.
JJ Putz came in for Sherrill. Konerko fell behind 0-2 before whiffing on a 2-2 fastball.
Soriano's line: 1 1/3 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 23 pitches (14 strikes)
Sherrill's line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 4 pitches (3 strikes)
Putz' line: 1/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 6 pitches (4 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Neal Cotts came in for Politte. Reed bunted the first pitch to the side of the mound, where Cotts made a diving stop and threw in time to first. Johjima had the hitters' counts and lined a full-count pitch into leftcenter but was robbed by Anderson on a full-extension diving catch. Bloomquist doubled off the base of the wall in leftcenter. Ichiro bounced a 3-1 pitch to Iguchi in the right-side hole. Cotts threw 16 pitches.
BOTTOM 9TH
Eddie Guardado came in for Putz. Pierzynski whiffed on a 1-2 slider low off the plate outside. Crede rolled over a pitch outside and bounced to short. Pablo Ozuna, hitting for Mackowiak, busted out the wedge and deposited the ball three rows or so back into the leftfield seats for his first homer in the Majors.
»» WHITE SOX 5, MARINERS 5
Uribe whiffed on a 2-2 pitch inside.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 13 pitches (9 strikes)
TOP 10TH
Ozuna stayed in to play right. Lopez rolled a 2-2 pitch to third. Ibañez took Anderson to fairly deep center on an 0-2 pitch.
Bobby Jenks came in for Cotts. Sexson smoked a line drive directly into Konerko's glove at first.
Cotts' line: 1 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 25 pitches (15 strikes)
BOTTOM 10TH
Sean Green came in for Guardado. Anderson walked on a 3-1 pitch way inside. Podsednik got ahead 2-0 and pitching coach Rafael Chaves came out to the mound for a visit. Podsednik bunted the next pitch barely in front of the plate as Johjima pounced on it and got Anderson (lead runner) at second. Iguchi lined out to Ibañez on the leftfield track.
Jake Woods came in for Green. Thome walked on a 3-1 pitch low and away. Konerko rolled the second pitch to second. Woods threw seven pitches.
Green's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 11 pitches (4 strikes)
TOP 11TH
Everett rolled the first pitch to Iguchi in the hole on the left side. Beltre laced a 2-0 pitch into centerfield for a single. Reed bounced the first pitch right to third for a 5-4 fielder's choice that Reed beat out. Johjima grounded the second pitch to Konerko, who played it to his backhand side but had the ball go off his glove into rightfield (error), allowing Reed to go to third and Johjima to reach base. Bloomquist bounced the second pitch to Crede down the third-base line, who made a strong throw in time to first.
Jenks' line: 1 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 13 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 11TH
Pierzynski reached the sky with the second pitch, but it landed in Ichiro's glove on the rightfield track. Crede popped to Ichiro in fairly deep rightfield. Ozuna bounced a 1-2 pitch up the middle but no one was covering second and Reed was playing back, and Ozuna was able to stretch it to a double. Uribe blooped a single into shallow leftcenter just out of Reed's reach.
»» WHITE SOX 6, MARINERS 5
Woods' line: 1 inning, 1 run, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 20 pitches (12 strikes)
---
Gameball: Gil Meche.
Goat: Eddie Guardado.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 22-7 .759 -- L1
2002 20-9 .690 2 W2
2003 18-11 .621 3 W1
2000 16-13 .552 6 L1
2005 12-17 .414 10 L6
2004 12-17 .414 10 W2
2006 12-17 .414 10 L2
Hernandez. Contreras. Thursday.
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Tuesday, May 02, 2006
GAME 28: TWINS 5, MARINERS 1
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: One bad apple. Of course, facing Johan Santana doesn't exactly help either.
This one featured Jarrod Washburn going up against Johan Santana. Washburn came in having never lost a game in his career in Minnesota and was the active ERA leader in the Metrodome at 2.20. Johan Santana is Johan Santana.
TOP 1ST
Ichiro spanked an 0-2 line drive over the shortstop and to the wall in the leftcenter gap for a leadoff triple. Willie Bloomquist laced a 2-0 single into rightfield, scoring Ichiro.
»» MARINERS 1, TWINS 0
Raul Ibañez stuck a single into leftfield, moving Bloomquist to second. Richie Sexson looked at a belt-high 2-2 pitch down the pipe. Carl Everett whiffed on a 1-2 change down and away. Adrian Beltre whiffed on a 1-2 change down and in. Santana threw 26 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Shannon Stewart hit a dying fly that was caught by Bloomquist in shallow centerfield. Luis Castillo popped the second pitch to Johjima behind the plate. Joe Mauer got ahead 2-0 and later lined a ball into leftfield on which Ibañez nearly made a sliding catch, but he had it go off his glove and past as Mauer reached second and was credited for the double, and replays showed he may have been out. Torii Hunter was ahead 2-0 and whiffed at a 2-2 breaking ball over the inside corner. Washburn threw 14 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Kenji Johjima whiffed on an 0-2 breaking ball down and in. Jose Lopez rolled over the first pitch and chopped to third. Yuniesky Betancourt grounded the second pitch hard to third. Santana threw six pitches and had 32 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Lew Ford bounced the second pitch deep in the hole on the left side and Betancourt got to it, but it was too far and Ford got the single. Justin Morneau singled hard into rightfield to move Ford to third. Tony Batista singled into leftfield to score Ford and move Morneau to second.
»» TWINS 1, MARINERS 1
Rondell White doubled to the baggie in rightfield to score Morneau and move Batista to third. Pitching coach Rafael Chaves came to the mound to visit.
»» TWINS 2, MARINERS 1
Nick Punto blooped a 1-2 single into shallow centerfield to score Batista and move White to third.
»» TWINS 3, MARINERS 1
Stewart grounded into a 6-4-3 double play on a 2-0 pitch as White scored.
»» TWINS 4, MARINERS 1
Castillo doubled the second pitch down the rightfield line. Mauer got ahead 3-1 and whiffed on a full-count breaking ball outside. Washburn threw 23 pitches and had 37 through two.
TOP 3RD
Ichiro served a 2-2 pitch into Stewart's glove in leftfield. Bloomquist popped an 0-2 pitch to Punto moving back into shallow centerfield. Ibañez fell behind 0-2 and whiffed on a 1-2 change down and away. Santana threw 15 pitches and had 47 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Hunter had the hitters' counts and popped the 3-1 pitch to Lopez backing into shallow leftfield. Ford flew out to Ichiro near the rightfield corner. Morneau hit a hard sinking liner into leftfield on a 1-2 pitch, but this time Ibañez was able to make a sliding catch. Washburn threw 12 pitches and had 49 through three.
TOP 4TH
Sexson cranked a double off the wall just inside the leftfield line to snap Santana's streak of nine straight retired hitters. Everett was nailed on the left tricep with the first pitch, moving Sexson to second. Beltre whiffed on an 0-2 fastball belly-high over the inner half. Johjima popped the second pitch high to Hunter in shallow center. Lopez popped an 0-2 pitch to Punto in shallow center. Santana threw 13 pitches and had 60 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Batista popped to Lopez on the outfield turf. White grounded the first pitch hard to first. Punto popped a full-count pitch to Ichiro down the rightfield line. Washburn threw 13 pitches and had 62 through four.
TOP 5TH
Betancourt popped a 1-2 hanging breaker to left. Ichiro popped a 2-2 pitch to Hunter in fairly deep center. Bloomquist bounced the first pitch to short. Santana threw 10 pitches and had 70 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Stewart fell behind 0-2 before popping the 2-2 pitch to right. Castillo was ahead 3-1 before bouncing to Sexson for a 3-1 putout. Mauer worked a 1-2 count full before bouncing back to the mound. Washburn threw 17 pitches and had 79 through five.
TOP 6TH
Ibañez fell behind 0-2 and whiffed on a 1-2 offspeed pitch down and off the plate. Sexson whiffed on a low 0-2 pitch. Everett looped a second-pitch single into shallow rightfield. Beltre fell behind 0-2 before whiffing at a 1-2 low breaking ball. Santana threw 14 pitches and had 84 through six.
BOTTOM 6TH
Hunter popped to Lopez drifting back into centerfield. Ford rolled to third. Morneau rolled a 1-2 pitch to second. Washburn threw ten pitches and had 89 through six.
TOP 7TH
Johjima nearly doubled a 1-2 pitch down the leftfield line before lacing a single through the right side past the reach of Castillo. Lopez popped the first pitch to center. Betancourt chopped the second pitch to a charging Batista at third for a 5-4 fielder's choice. Ichiro fell behind 0-2 and with the count 1-2 watched as Santana had Betancourt picked off at first, but Morneau at first couldn't hold onto the ball and Betancourt went to second. Ichiro worked the count full before bouncing to second. Santana threw 15 pitches.
Santana's line: 7 innings, 1 run, 6 hits, 0 walks, 9 strikeouts, 99 pitches (76 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Batista grounded the second pitch to second. White whiffed on an 0-2 change down and in. Punto hit a sinking flyout to center on the second pitch. Washburn threw seven pitches.
Washburn's line: 7 innings, 4 runs, 7 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 96 pitches (62 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Juan Rincon came in for Santana. Bloomquist fell behind 0-2 and ended up rolling the 2-2 pitch to short. Ibañez worked a 1-2 count full but whiffed. Sexson fell behind 0-2 and scorched a 1-2 liner into Stewart's glove in left.
Rincon's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 15 pitches (9 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
George Sherrill came in for Washburn. Sherrill was instructed by the home plate umpire to tuck away a loose string on his glove. Stewart worked a 1-2 count for a walk. Castillo ripped a second-pitch single up the middle into centerfield, moving Stewart to second. Mauer popped a 1-2 pitch to Bloomquist in fairly deep centerfield as Stewart tagged and moved to third.
Sean Green, making his Major League debut, came in for Sherrill. Hunter grounded the second pitch hard to Beltre, who knocked it down but only had the play at first as Stewart scored.
»» TWINS 5, MARINERS 1
Ford fell behind 0-2 and watched as Castillo was nearly picked off of second. Ford whiffed on an 0-2 pitch up and away.
Sherrill's line: 1/3 inning, 1 run, 1 hit, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (9 strikes)
Green's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 6 pitches (5 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Joe Nathan came in for Rincon. Everett punched a single through the left side. Beltre popped the second pitch high to Morneau beside the mound. Johjima failed to check an 0-2 swing on a breaking ball down and away. Roberto Petagine, hitting for Lopez, watched as Everett took second on the first pitch via catcher indifference. Petagine watched the next pitch in the dirt as Everett scooted to third. Petagine was ahead 3-1 before whiffing on a full-count fastball up and away.
Nathan's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 14 pitches (10 strikes)
---
Gameball: Sean Green.
Goat: Adrian Beltre.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 22-6 .786 -- W2
2002 19-9 .679 3 W1
2003 17-11 .607 5 L2
2000 16-12 .571 6 W2
2005 12-16 .429 10 L5
2006 12-16 .429 10 L1
2004 11-17 .393 11 W1
Meche. Garcia. Tonight.
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Monday, May 01, 2006
GAME 27: MARINERS 8, TWINS 2
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: A third straight come-from-behind win. The second time in three games in which The Big Inning arrived.
This one featured Joel Piñeiro going up against Scott Baker. Also, it featured a rare appearance of Ron Fairly on the television side of the Mariner broadcast. Live MLB.tv feed for me was FSN North, while archived feed was Mariners TV Network.
TOP 1ST
Ichiro chipped a 1-2 pitch into shallow centerfield for a single. Jose Lopez watched a 1-1 pitch as Ichiro nabbed second base. Lopez ended up grounding deep into the hole at short, where Castro grabbed it and would have thrown to first, except he noticed Ichiro too far off the bag at second and threw in time to get him. Lopez got credited for a single on the play. Raul Ibañez ripped a hard double into rightfield, moving Lopez to third. Richie Sexson fell behind 0-2 and later whiffed on a 2-2 high fastball. Carl Everett popped the first pitch to Castro drifting back into shallow leftfield. Baker threw 21 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Shannon Stewart was nearly hit in the left elbow with a 1-2 pitch before dropping a 2-2 single into shallow leftfield. Luis Castillo bunted the second pitch out in front, and Piñeiro was tentative in going for the ball and blocked Beltre's throwing path. Ron Fairly said Castillo's right foot wasn't in the box when he bunted the ball, but it wasn't called as he got the single instead and moved Stewart to second. Joe Mauer bounced an 0-2 pitch to short to start a 6-4-3 double play, except Mauer was called safe at first (just barely). Stewart moved to third on the play. Torii Hunter popped the second pitch in foul ground along the rightfield stands, and Sexson didn't get to it, but it was probably good since Stewart probably would have tagged and scored easily if he did. Hunter fell behind 0-2 and wound up rolling the 2-2 pitch to short, where Betancourt threw home and Johjima put the tag down to nail Stewart (Mauer went to second and Hunter reached). Lew Ford bounced an 0-2 pitch past a diving Beltre and a diving Betancourt in the left-side hole for a single to score Mauer and move Hunter to second.
»» TWINS 1, MARINERS 0
Justin Morneau grounded the first pitch to second. Piñeiro threw 23 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Adrian Beltre took the first pitch and fouled off the next six before flying out to Ford in rightfield. Matt Lawton scooted a single through the hole on the left side. Kenji Johjima turned on a 2-0 pitch up in the zone and drove it inside the leftfield foul pole about eight rows into the seats.
»» MARINERS 2, TWINS 1
Yuniesky Betancourt chopped a 1-2 pitch to third. Ichiro grounded the second pitch hard to first for a 3-1 putout. Baker threw 21 pitches and had 42 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Tony Batista had the hitters' counts before rolling the 3-1 pitch to short. Rondell White grounded out to short. Juan Castro lined the second pitch into centerfield and the ball jumped on Lawton and bounced all the way to the wall for a triple. Stewart flew out high to center on the first pitch. Piñeiro threw 12 pitches and had 35 through two.
TOP 3RD
Lopez rolled over a 1-2 outside pitch, bouncing into the left-side hole, but Castro's off-balance throw was up the line and away from the bag. Ibañez cranked the first pitch that one-hopped the bag in rightfield to move Lopez to third as Ibañez went to second when Ford juggled the ball on the track. Sexson whiffed on a belt-high 1-2 pitch over the inner half. Everett flew out to Hunter drifting back in centerfield, enabling Lopez to tag and score and Ibañez to move to third.
»» MARINERS 3, TWINS 1
Beltre smeared a 2-2 pitch that would have been a double down the line had Morneau not dove and made a successful stab of the laser shot. Baker threw 18 pitches and had 60 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Castillo chopped to first. Mauer bounced the first pitch deep in the left-side hole, where Betancourt ranged over and made the long off-balance throw in time to first on a great play. Hunter lined a base hit into rightfield that didn't get to the wall, but Hunter had his mind made up to go to second, and Ichiro had him by ten feet at second. Not even close. Piñeiro threw only six pitches and had 41 through three.
TOP 4TH
Lawton was ahead 3-1 before flying out to the rightfield track on a full count. Johjima drilled a second-pitch single into rightfield. Betancourt whiffed on a 1-1 hit-and-run on an icky pitch as Johjima was gunned down at second by a long shot. Betancourt ended up flying out to Castro on a 2-2 pitch (the ninth of the at-bat) along the third-base line. Baker threw 17 pitches and had 77 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Ford rolled a 1-2 single up the middle into centerfield. Morneau grounded an 0-2 pitch to Sexson to start a 3-6-3 double play. Batista lined an 0-2 pitch to Betancourt. Piñeiro threw 11 pitches and had 52 through four.
TOP 5TH
Ichiro lined a ball to the rightfield track that Ford leapt for and caught in front of the rightfield baggie. Lopez was ahead 2-0 and wound up popping to Morneau near the first-base coaching box. Ibañez flew out high to left on a 1-2 pitch. Baker threw 14 pitches and had 91 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
White lined the first pitch to Beltre's immediate right that he dove for and caught. Castro bounced a 1-2 pitch to short. Stewart grounded the second pitch very hard to third that Beltre gathered and threw to first. Piñeiro threw seven pitches and had 59 through five.
TOP 6TH
Sexson blasted a belt-high flat breaking ball on the first pitch for a homer about fourteen or so rows back into the leftfield seats for his 1000th career hit and his first homer since April 12th.
»» MARINERS 4, TWINS 1
Everett worked a 1-2 count full before taking a full-count pitch up in the zone and over the outside corner. Beltre smashed a ball a few inches short of clearing the baggie in rightcenter, and he cruised into second with a double.
Jesse Crain came in for Baker. Lawton stung the first pitch up the middle and off Castro's glove for a single to move Beltre to third. Johjima lined a 1-2 pitch to the wall near the rightfield line for a double to score Beltre and move Lawton to third.
»» MARINERS 5, TWINS 1
Betancourt chopped the second pitch past a drawn-in left side of the Minnesota infield with the ball going off Castro's glove and slowing it down enough so Betancourt got to second since Stewart in leftfield had so far to run to get the ball. Lawton and Johjima scored on the play.
»» MARINERS 7, TWINS 1
Ichiro chopped a 1-2 pitch to a charging Batista at third, who went to first as Betancourt ran behind him to third base. Lopez had the hitters' counts before smoking a full-count triple to the wall in centerfield to score Betancourt.
»» MARINERS 8, TWINS 1
Willie Eyre came in for Crain. Ibañez was ahead 3-0 before rolling out to short. Eyre threw six pitches.
Baker's line: 5 1/3 innings, 5 runs, 10 hits, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 100 pitches (72 strikes)
Crain's line: 1/3 inning, 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 18 pitches (12 strikes)
BOTTOM 6TH
Castillo was ahead 2-0 before grounding a 2-2 pitch to first. Mauer laced the first pitch into centerfield for a single. Hunter popped the first pitch to Ichiro in rightcenter. Ford was ahead 2-0 and grounded hard to Beltre behind the bag on a 2-2 pitch. Piñeiro threw 14 pitches and had 73 through six.
TOP 7TH
Sexson grounded the second pitch to third. Everett grounded a 1-2 pitch to Castro on the outfield grass, who threw over in time to first. Beltre had the hitters' counts and doubled to the leftfield wall on a full count. Lawton ripped a second-pitch single to rightfield and Ford came up throwing as Beltre tried to score. Ford's throw got to Mauer ten feet up the third-base line from the plate, and Mauer tagged Beltre as the latter had the most direct route to the plate blocked.
Eyre's line: 1 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 20 pitches (12 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Morneau laid the wood on the second pitch down in the zone over the outer half and managed to put it over the centerfield fence past a slightly lateral-to-the-ball Reed.
»» MARINERS 8, TWINS 2
Batista hit a 1-2 low liner that was caught by Lopez up the middle. White lined the second pitch to center. Castro chopped out to third. Piñeiro threw 11 pitches and had 84 through seven.
TOP 8TH
Matt Guerrier came in for Eyre. Johjima got the hitters' counts before popping to left on a full count. Betancourt chopped a 2-0 pitch into the left-side hole where Castro ranged to his backhand, but Betancourt legged out the single. Ichiro whiffed on a 1-2 dirtball. Lopez bounced back to the mound. Guerrier threw 17 pitches.
BOTTOM 8TH
Stewart chopped a first-pitch shorthopper to Beltre, who got it out of the air and gunned in time to first. Castillo chopped a ball fair down the first-base line that hopped to Sexson right by the bag, barely fair. Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire came out to argue, got miffed about the home plate umpire not making the call due to the ball not getting past the bag, dropkicked his cap and was thrown out. Mauer popped the first pitch to left. Piñeiro had 90 through eight.
TOP 9TH
Ibañez chopped the second pitch to first. Roberto Petagine, hitting for Sexson, stroked an 0-2 single into leftfield. Everett lined out to left as Petagine held at first. Beltre popped a high first pitch to centerfield on which Hunter got a late break, and it somehow dropped for a single, moving Petagine to third. Reed bounced the first pitch to first. Guerrier threw ten pitches and had 27 total.
Guerrier's line: 2 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 27 pitches (19 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Hunter punched a 2-0 single through the left side. Ford smoked a 2-2 liner right into Beltre's glove at third. Morneau fell behind 0-2 and bounced a 1-2 pitch to first. Batista popped the second pitch to center. Piñeiro threw 16 pitches.
Piñeiro's line: 9 innings, 2 runs, 9 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 106 pitches (77 strikes)
---
Gameball: Joel Piñeiro.
Goat: Carl Everett.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 21-6 .778 -- W1
2002 18-9 .667 3 L3
2003 17-10 .630 4 L1
2000 15-12 .556 6 W1
2005 12-15 .444 9 L4
2006 12-15 .444 9 W3
2004 10-17 .370 11 L1
Washburn. Santana. Tuesday.
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GAME 26: MARINERS 4, ORIOLES 3
In 25 words or less: Remember how when the Mariners were good, they'd jump out early and hold on? This team doesn't do that. They're different.
This one featured Jamie Moyer going up against Rodrigo Lopez. On an infuriating note, the live MLB.tv feed I was getting was Oriole feed on MASN, and we got opening montage graphics, but no graphics or commercials after that. Boo.
With a win, the Mariners could come away winning four of six and two straight series. The fact that the first series was against the White Sox is amazing in itself. The remainder of the road trip features an idiotic scheduling quirk wherein the Mariners travel to Minnesota and Chicago for dual two-game series before coming to Seattle to face Cleveland and Tampa Bay on the weekend and first half of next week.
But first, game on!
TOP 1ST
Ichiro was ahead 3-1 before grounding hard to third on a full count. Jose Lopez grounded a 1-2 pitch up the middle, where Fahey covered the hole, but slipped and threw very high and off the dugout fence, but Lopez couldn't advance (credited as a single). Raul Ibañez was ahead 2-0 and later slapped a single to leftfield. Richie Sexson took a full-count pitch low on a play where Lopez stood pat at second while Ibañez took off from first on the pitch (yikes). With the bases loaded, Carl Everett fell behind 0-2 and looped a flyout to Markakis down the leftfield line as the runners held. Adrian Beltre lined a 3-1 pitch right to Gibbons in rightfield. R Lopez threw 30 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Corey Patterson grounded hard to second on an 0-2 pitch. Melvin Mora crushed a 2-2 pitch just over the wall in leftfield, with Moyer and others lobbied for fan interference. Umpire Jeff Nelson had jogged out to leftfield to make the call, where apparently the ball hit a fan and came back onto the field, but it was determined that it was inconsequential.
»» ORIOLES 1, MARINERS 0
Miguel Tejada grounded hard to short on the first pitch and Betancourt had some trouble handling it, but easily got the slightly gimpy Tejada at first. Jay Gibbons had the hitters' counts before flying out high to center on the 3-1 pitch. Moyer threw 15 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Jeremy Reed fell behind 0-2 and rolled a 1-2 pitch to Gomez in the right-side hole. Yuniesky Betancourt hit a low liner that was caught by Gibbons in right. Rene Rivera lined the second pitch just over the wall in leftfield above Markakis.
»» ORIOLES 1, MARINERS 1
Ichiro took a 1-2 pitch over the inside corner. R Lopez threw 14 pitches and had 44 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Ramon Hernandez bashed a high second pitch just foul down the leftfield line, with Rivera visiting the mound immediately after. Hernandez whiffed on a 1-2 change. Jeff Conine blasted a belt-high 2-2 pitch about seven rows into the leftfield seats.
»» ORIOLES 2, MARINERS 1
Nick Markakis popped the first pitch to J Lopez on the infield dirt. Chris Gomez was ahead 3-0 before rolling a full-count pitch to second. Moyer threw 16 pitches and had 31 through two.
TOP 3RD
J Lopez flew out to Mora near the third-base coaching box. Ibañez poked a single into rightfield. Sexson stuck a full-count single into centerfield, moving Ibañez to second. Everett fell behind 0-2 and bounced in the right-side hole to second, where Gomez tried to turn the 4-6-3 double play. Everett was safe at first when R Lopez didn't step on the bag in time, but Sexson was out on a blatant neighborhood play by the shortstop Fahey (Ibañez went to third). Beltre popped a 2-2 pitch high to Gibbons in rightcenter. R Lopez threw 18 pitches and had 62 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Brandon Fahey, making his Major League debut, slapped the second pitch into leftfield for a single. Patterson bunted the first pitch in front of the plate, where Rivera got it but Patterson beat the throw to second. Mora popped the second pitch to Ichiro short of the rightfield track as Fahey tagged and advanced to third. Tejada watched the first pitch go by as Patterson nabbed second and drew a throw with Fahey staying at third. Tejada was ahead 2-0 and got two more intentional balls to load the bases. Gibbons popped the second pitch to Ichiro in not-too-shallow rightfield, who looked like he had the ball move on him before catching it, and the throw was offline to the plate as Fahey scored.
»» ORIOLES 3, MARINERS 1
Hernandez popped an 0-2 pitch to Beltre near the coaching box at third. Replay from between innings showed Moyer talking to Rivera in the dugout in a quite animated fashion. Moyer threw 15 pitches and had 46 through three.
TOP 4TH
Reed hit a sinking fly into shallow center that was caught by a charging Patterson. Betancourt rolled out to third. Rivera flew out to right on the second pitch. R Lopez threw nine pitches and had 71 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Conine got ahead 2-0 and shot the 2-2 pitch through the right side for a single. Markakis took a second pitch in the dirt as Conine nabbed second, with Moyer visibly miffed afterward. Markakis ended up bouncing right to Sexson at the first-base bag as Conine went to third. Gomez bounced right to third, who tried to tag Conine at third who had gotten to the bag safely, then threw to first to get the out. Fahey popped the second pitch high to second. Moyer threw 11 pitches and had 57 through four.
TOP 5TH
Ichiro grounded the ball off of R Lopez' glove and leg, and it ricocheted off into the grass as Ichiro easily beat it out. J Lopez watched the first pitch as Ichiro took off for second and Hernandez' throw was into the runner and went off of Ichiro and into shallow left as he had the bag swiped. J Lopez skipped a grounder to second, moving Ichiro to third. Ibañez lasered a single past the glove of R Lopez and into centerfield for a single to score Ichiro.
»» ORIOLES 3, MARINERS 2
Sexson took a 2-0 pitch low in the dirt that went off Hernandez' glove and scooted away, advancing Ibañez to second. Sexson walked on four pitches. Everett lofted a 2-0 pitch into the gap in leftcenter, scoring Ibañez easily. Sexson was sent to the plate on the play as well, and it looked like the relay via Fahey had him beat, but Hernandez looked to be too far on the backside of the plate as Sexson got the foot of his mammoth leg across the plate.
»» MARINERS 4, ORIOLES 3
Beltre took a 1-2 fastball across the outside corner. Reed nubbed a 1-2 pitch in front of the plate to Hernandez, who threw in time to first. R Lopez threw 23 pitches and had 94 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Patterson took a 1-2 pitch off the bat knob and later looped a 1-2 pitch to Ibañez in shallow leftcenter. Mora nubbed a 2-2 change in on the hands to the mound. Tejada lifted the second pitch to Reed a few steps short of the track in rightcenter. Moyer threw 14 pitches and had 71 through five.
TOP 6TH
Betancourt, demonstrating what I think is a new open stance, stroked the second pitch into centerfield for a single. Rivera was ahead 2-0 and popped a 2-2 pitch quite high to left as Betancourt went back to first after taking off on the pitch. Ichiro smoked a line drive that was speared by Fahey on the fly, who tagged the running Betancourt at second for the easy double play. R Lopez threw 11 pitches and had 105 through six.
R Lopez' line: 6 innings, 4 runs, 9 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 105 pitches (66 strikes)
BOTTOM 6TH
Gibbons crushed the first pitch, but got under it just a bit as Reed came down with it on the rightcenter track. Hernandez rolled the second pitch to short. Conine had the hitters' counts before walking on the 3-1 pitch just up and away. Markakis flew out to Reed on the centerfield track on the second pitch. Moyer threw 11 pitches and had 82 through six.
TOP 7TH
LaTroy Hawkins came in for R Lopez. J Lopez dumped a single into shallow rightfield. Ibañez fell behind 0-2 and flew out to Patterson on the track in centerfield. Sexson whiffed on a belt-high 1-2 fastball. Everett popped to left on a full count. Hawkins threw 18 pitches.
Hawkins' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 18 pitches (12 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Gomez bounced to Betancourt on the left side, who made the obligatory off-balance on-the-run throw. Fahey had the hitters' counts before looping a full-count single inside the leftfield line. Patterson popped the first pitch to J Lopez in shallow rightfield.
JJ Putz came in for Moyer. Mora took a 2-1 pitch off the left shoulder, moving Fahey to second. Tejada bounced an 0-2 pitch to short for a 6-4 forceout. Putz threw seven pitches.
Moyer's line: 6 2/3 innings, 3 runs, 6 hits, 2 walks, 1 strikeout, 92 pitches (61 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Todd Williams came in for Hawkins. Beltre rolled the first pitch to short. Reed was ahead 2-0 and wound up bouncing out to third. Betancourt hit a 2-0 pitch to rightcenter that looked like a flyout but it jumped on Gibbons and bounced over him and to the wall. Betancourt strolled into third with a triple. Rivera flew out to left on a 2-0 pitch. Williams threw 11 pitches.
Williams' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 11 pitches (5 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Gibbons grounded hard to third on a 2-0 pitch. Hernandez was ahead 2-0 and rolled out to short. Conine bounced the first pitch to J Lopez in the right-side hole. Putz threw eight pitches and had 15 total.
Putz' line: 1 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 15 pitches (8 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Sendy Rleal came in for Williams. Ichiro bounced the second pitch to the right side, and Conine and Gomez had some coverage issues and the ball leaked through to the outfield for a single. J Lopez popped an 0-2 pitch to Conine in foul ground near the bag at first. Ibañez got ahead 2-0 and flew out high to left. Sexson popped a 1-2 pitch into rightcenter and Gibbons got caught in the sod a bit and had to dive to catch the ball. Rleal threw 15 pitches.
Rleal's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 15 pitches (10 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Eddie Guardado came in for Putz. Markakis cranked an 0-2 pitch off the track and wall in centerfield for a double. Gomez rolled an 0-2 pitch to second, moving Markakis to third. Fahey got ahead 2-0 before watching two straight strikes called on the black of the outside corner, then he whiffed on a 2-2 pitch well off the plate outside. Patterson rolled the second pitch down the third-base line to Beltre playing up to protect against the bunt, who bobbled the ball for a split second before gunning barely in time to first.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 14 pitches (12 strikes)
---
Gameball: Jamie Moyer.
Well, he came through with the best start by a Mariner pitcher on the series, and therefore the road trip. It looked a bit shaky early in more ways than just on the scoreboard -- the Orioles scored runs in each of the first three innings, but to add to that, Moyer and Rene Rivera were having some communication issues. The animated dugout conversation appeared after the third inning, with Moyer having gone a turn and a half through the Baltimore lineup. Looks like everything got hashed out, since Moyer shut out the Orioles the rest of the way. Thus, the same pitcher that was undefeated at home last year was able to pull out a road win in this game despite giving up two homers. Of course, they were both solo shots in the first two innings. Anyway, Moyer was one out away from finishing the seventh and didn't even break 100 pitches, which was weird considering Hargrove's habits so far this season. If only the other pitchers in the rotation could be that efficient. I'm referring mostly to Gil Meche there, of course. A dash of Felix Hernandez too. And Piñeiro.
Goat: Jeremy Reed.
Kinda by default. Rene Rivera, even while miscommunicating with Moyer, somehow managed to hit a homer, though that's Camden Yards for you. Carl Everett left six men on base but had the game-winning double in the fifth. Adrian Beltre was the only other 0-fer in the lineup (0-for-4), but his defense probably bailed the Mariners out, and his strong arm bailed himself out of his own bobble on the final play of the game. Corey Patterson's a rabbit, so that wasn't easy. This leaves Reed. I'm a fan of Reed, he just didn't manage to get on base today or make any stunning defensive plays. I could have goated Eddie Guardado again, but that seems too easy. Guardado didn't completely blow it and didn't load the bases, so that's an improvement. Having the tying run on third with one out and stranding it is improvement. I guess my greatest fear for Reed is that Hargrove remembers every one of Willie Bloomquist's diving catches or stolen bases more than he does every one of Reed's running catches in the gap or 2-for-4 days. Especially when they don't come as often as they should.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 20-6 .769 -- L2
2002 18-8 .692 2 L2
2003 17-9 .654 3 W2
2000 14-12 .538 6 L2
2005 12-14 .462 8 L3
2006 11-15 .423 9 W2
2004 10-16 .385 10 W2
So went another one-run game for the Mariners. They got their second one-run win in eight tries. As has been publicized, this team falls behind early quite a lot. Carl Everett said the other day that they don't get ahead early and bury teams. Though it's Carl Everett who's saying it, he's right in this particular case. They fall behind. That's what they do. Of course, they've also managed to come from behind and win in some cases, many more times than I'd come to expect from any team of Mariners. Obviously this team hasn't hit their stride yet, but as we've learned from the Mariner teams of the last two seasons, it's a matter of "if" before it's a matter of "when." The Mariners' longest winning streak last year was four, and it was five in 2004. Just for trivial purposes, the Mariners lost the next two after the four-game streak last season, and it was in the middle of a stretch where the Mariners won eight of twelve games in July. The 2004 Mariners were what they were, and they followed up their five-game winning streak by dropping the next seven. Good times.
The other non-Moyer pitcher that was good today was JJ Putz. He plunked Melvin Mora to put the Orioles' possible go-ahead run on first base with one out in the seventh before slicing through the meat of the Baltimore lineup. In addition to growing a goatee that grows more confounding with each appearance, Putz hasn't given up a run in his last seven appearances. It's April, sure, but his last seven appearances have dropped his ERA from 4.50 to 2.35. I'm sure there's a ton of numbers you can reach for to make Putz look good. Of course, I'm not too good with most of the advanced stats and/or don't have the time or desire to dabble into it, but I think we can all agree that four walks and 21 strikeouts is quite good. Putz had some sketchy appearances early in the month, but my goodness, he's been crazy good the last two weeks. He's allowed runs in three of his fourteen appearances. He gave up runs in his first two appearances of the season. Simple math says he's shut 'em down in eleven of his past twelve times on the mound.
The Mariners pounded out nine of their twelve hits in the six innings that Rodrigo Lopez worked. Four Mariners had multi-hit games. Raul Ibañez rebounded from an 0-for-9 mini-slump to start the road trip and went 3-for-5 in this game. Ichiro and Jose Lopez both went 2-for-5. Yuniesky Betancourt went 2-for-4 with a triple on a ball that probably should have been caught, but he'll take it. The top third of the Mariner lineup went 7-for-15, scoring two runs and driving in one. Sadly, none of those seven hits were for extra bases.
I'm typing this late enough so that I saw the program, but did anyone Baseball Tonight on Sunday? At the end of the program, they had the panelists of John Kruk, Jeff Brantley, and Steve Phillips give their April surprises, disappointments, and teams likely to improve. Jeff Brantley's turn in the disappointments segment came up, and he raked Kenji Johjima over the coals with "who did the scouting report on this guy" and that "he's killing King Felix." He also made some remarks about how he calls a game and how he can't block balls too well. Obviously it's only April, and though Johjima started out hitting real well, I'm not sold on Johjima yet either. Between Johjima and Rivera, I'm not really sure how much better off the Mariners are behind the plate from last year other than the fact that nobody's gone on the disabled list yet. Can you imagine how worse this would be if Johjima had elected to play for Japan in the World Baseball Classic?
Anyway, it's two in Minnesota and two in Chicago coming up. If they take two of four, it's a decent road trip. If they somehow take three of four, it's a great road trip. It'd be very great. I don't know if I'm fully prepared for the possibility of this team coming home after a 7-3 road trip, as small a possibility as that may be. I've gotta dream, people.
By the way, the Mariners' 11-15 month of April leaves them in last place, but just 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers? I guess it had to happen sometime.
Piñeiro. Baker. Tomorrow.
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Sunday, April 30, 2006
DRAFT COMIN' ON
[date moved to accomodate day two, updated per pick, Saturday Mariner post below]
Mario Williams just got selected with the first pick as I'm typing this (originally, anyway).
The Seahawks pick at...
31st of the first round (Kelly Jennings/CB -- Miami),
63rd of the second round (Darryl Tapp/DE -- Virginia Tech)(Jeremy had him in the first round),
128th of the fourth round (Rob Sims/G -- Ohio State),
163rd of the fifth round (David Kirtman/FB -- USC),
239th of the seventh round (Ryan Plackemeier/P -- Wake Forest), and
249th of the seventh round (Ben Obomanu/WR -- Auburn).
Links direct to the purely incredible blog of one Mike Sando of the Tacoma News Tribune. Look there for all sorts of insight and downloads, be they informative Excel tables or audio clips from the picks or the brass.
Have a great day(s), y'all. Click-clack! Protect this house! Go Seahawks!
I promise that's the last time I'll say "click-clack" at Sports and B's.
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Saturday, April 29, 2006
GAME 25: MARINERS 8, ORIOLES 6
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: Mariner fans were bored out of their gourds until the Mariner bats met a much-too-elusive friend -- the big inning.
This one featured Felix Hernandez going up against Bruce Chen.
TOP 1ST
Ichiro fell behind 0-2 and ended up bouncing a 2-2 pitch to Tejada in the hole on the left side. Willie Bloomquist bunted the second pitch along the left side where Chen got to it but his throw was wide and Bloomquist was too quick and got the single. Raul Ibañez rolled a 2-2 pitch right to short for a 6-4-3 double play. Chen threw 12 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Brian Roberts was ahead 2-0 and roped a full-count pitch to rightfield for a single. Melvin Mora ripped a second-pitch single to leftfield, moving Roberts to second. Miguel Tejada whiffed on a 1-2 breaking ball in the dirt. Jay Gibbons took an 0-2 pitch over the outside corner, but it wasn't called as such. Gibbons ended up bouncing to second on a 1-2 count, but Lopez bobbled the turn of the double the play and his only play was at first. Ramon Hernandez bounced the second pitch to short. F Hernandez threw 21 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Richie Sexson worked a 1-2 count for a walk. Carl Everett flew out to fairly deep centerfield. Adrian Beltre popped out to Roberts along the rightfield line. Kenji Johjima fell behind 0-2 and popped high to Roberts on the infield. Chen threw 17 pitches and had 29 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Kevin Millar fell behind 0-2 and took a 1-2 pitch off the right wrist. Corey Patterson popped the first pitch high to rightfield. Jeff Conine punched the first pitch through the left side for a single. Kevin Millar walked off the field due to his wrist and was replaced by Chris Gomez. Ncik Markakis watched the first pitch go very far outside and to the backstop, moving the runners to third and second. Markakis lined the next pitch through the left side for a single, scoring Gomez and moving Conine to third.
»» ORIOLES 1, MARINERS 0
Roberts had the hitters' counts and walked, moving Markakis to second. Pitching coach Rafael Chaves visited the mound. Mora fell behind 0-2 and waved badly at a 2-2 curve away in the dirt. Tejada tipped the first pitch in front of the plate, and Johjima pounced on it and threw to first. Hernandez threw 21 pitches and had 42 through two.
TOP 3RD
Lopez was ahead 2-0 and got under a 2-2 pitch, flying out to left. Yuniesky Betancourt popped high to short. Ichiro flew out to Conine in left. Chen threw 11 pitches and had 40 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Gibbons popped the second pitch to Ibañez in shallow left. R Hernandez was ahead 3-0 and walked on the 3-1 pitch high. Gomez just missed a double down the rightfield line before bouncing a hit-and-run single through the left side on a full count, moving R Hernandez to second. Patterson nearly put a ball onto Eutaw Street, but anyway it was good for a three-run homer over the rightfield scoreboard.
»» ORIOLES 4, MARINERS 0
Conine doubled into the rightfield corner on the second pitch. Markakis took a pitch and Chaves came to the mound. Markakis was ahead 2-0 and later rolled up the middle to Betancourt as Conine went to third. Roberts flew out high to Betancourt on a 1-2 pitch. Hernandez threw 28 pitches and had 70 through three.
TOP 4TH
Bloomquist popped a full-count pitch to R Hernandez behind the plate. Ibañez whiffed on a 1-2 breaking ball over the outside corner. Sexson bounced a full-count pitch to third. Chen threw 18 pitches and had 58 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Mora rolled the first pitch up the middle for a single. Tejada blistered the second pitch to rightfield for a single, moving Mora to second. Gibbons banged the first pitch through the right side for a single to load the bases. Chaves came out again to visit the mound. R Hernandez nubbed a 2-2 pitch in front of the plate, and F Hernandez had to go barehand it and shovel it home for the force, leaving the bases loaded. Gomez grounded an 0-2 pitch up the middle to Betancourt to start a 6-3 double play. Hernandez threw 13 pitches and had 83 through four.
TOP 5TH
Everett was ahead 3-0 and popped the 3-1 pitch the other way into the lower bullpen in leftcenter.
»» ORIOLES 4, MARINERS 1
Beltre was called out on a failed 0-2 checkswing on a ball in the dirt. Johjima bounced out to third. Lopez split his bat on a first-pitch dunker of a single into leftfield. Betancourt took an 0-2 pitch over the outside corner. Chen threw 16 pitches and had 74 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Patterson bounced the second pitch to second. Conine popped high to right. Markakis broke his bat on a low pop to Beltre. Hernandez threw eight pitches and had 91 through five.
F Hernandez' line: 5 innings, 4 runs, 10 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, 91 pitches (60 strikes)
TOP 6TH
Ichiro put a double into rightcenter. Bloomquist watched the first pitch as Ichiro nabbed third. Bloomquist punched a single under Roberts into centerfield to score Ichiro.
»» ORIOLES 4, MARINERS 2
Ibañez watched as Bloomquist nabbed second on a throw that was on the shortstop side of second base, though it seemed like Bloomquist's slide was a little long and Tejada nearly reached over in time with the tag. Ibañez hit a sinking liner toward leftcenter but was foiled by a diving and aged Conine on a 1-2 pitch.
Jim Brower came in for Chen. Sexson watched the second pitch go to the backstop as Bloomquist went to third. Sexson walked on a 3-1 pitch. Everett watched the first pitch go by and R Hernandez threw to try to pick Bloomquist off third, but it went off Bloomquist, who got spiked by Mora, and the ball went down the leftfield line as Bloomquist scored and Sexson went to second.
»» ORIOLES 4, MARINERS 3
Everett rolled to second as Sexson went to third. Beltre took a breaking ball very high and in for a walk. Pitching coach Leo Mazzone came out to the mound. Johjima split his bat and fisted the first pitch for a single over Mora at third to score Sexson and move Beltre to third. Incredible.
»» ORIOLES 4, MARINERS 4
Eddy Rodriguez came in for Brower. Lopez walked to load the bases. Betancourt singled the second pitch past Tejada up the middle to score Beltre and Johjima scored.
»» MARINERS 6, ORIOLES 4
Ichiro punched a single through the right side to score Lopez and move Betancourt to third.
»» MARINERS 7, ORIOLES 4
Bloomquist flew out to rightcenter. Rodriguez threw 15 pitches.
Chen's line: 5 1/3 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts, 87 pitches (53 strikes)
Brower's line: 1/3 inning, 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 18 pitches (8 strikes)
Rodriguez' line: 1/3 inning, 1 run, 2 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts, 15 pitches (8 strikes)
BOTTOM 6TH
Rafael Soriano came in for Hernandez. Roberts dumped a 1-2 single into shallow centerfield. Mora watched the first pitch as Roberts took second without a throw. Mora nubbed the second pitch back to the mound as Roberts held at second. Tejada watched the second pitch high as Roberts nabbed third and the Orioles had the Major League record for steals to start a season without being caught (20) as Johjima's throw was high and Beltre had to leap for it. Tejada smacked the 2-2 pitch into rightfield for a single to score Roberts. Tejada was lifted for a pinch-runner, Luis Terrero. Roberts left the game as well.
»» MARINERS 7, ORIOLES 5
Gibbons whiffed on a high 2-2 fastball. R Hernandez watched as Terrero was gunned down at second by Johjima. Soriano threw 25 pitches.
TOP 7TH
Todd Williams (former Mariner, first appearance of the season) came in for Rodriguez. The bevy of injuries resulted in Raul Chavez coming in to catch, Mora moving to second, Terrero staying in to play left, Gomez moving to short, Conine moving to third, and R Hernandez moving to first. Ibañez was ahead 3-0 and bounced the 3-1 pitch to Mora at second. Sexson didn't hit the ball that hard, but it nonetheless took Terrero to the track in left. Everett popped the second pitch high to center. Williams threw 11 pitches.
Williams' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 11 pitches (5 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
R Hernandez took a 1-1 pitch off the left elbow. Gomez fell behind 0-2 before flying out to Ichiro near the rightfield line as R Hernandez held.
George Sherrill came in for Soriano. Patterson singled the first pitch under Sexson and into shallow rightfield, and the ball was hit slowly enough to move R Hernandez all the way to third.
JJ Putz came in for Sherrill. Conine grounded to Lopez in the right-side hole, scoring Mora.
»» MARINERS 7, ORIOLES 6
Markakis looped the first pitch to Betancourt. Putz threw four pitches.
Soriano's line: 1 1/3 innings, 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 31 pitches (22 strikes)
Sherrill's line: 0 innings, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 1 pitch (1 strike)
TOP 8TH
Sendy Rleal came in for Williams. Beltre bashed the first pitch four rows deep into the seats to the right of the hitters' backdrop for his first homer of the season.
»» MARINERS 8, ORIOLES 6
Johjima was up 2-0 but rolled over for a grounder to short. Lopez lined the first pitch to Terrero a few steps short of the leftfield track. Betancourt laced a 2-0 pitch into leftfield and tried to stretch it into a double, and was somehow successful even though it looked like the throw had him beat, but the tag didn't. Ichiro was intentionally walked. Bloomquist took an 1-2 breaking ball over the inside corner despite Chavez setting up over the outer half (i.e., Rleal missed his spot). Rleal threw 19 pitches.
BOTTOM 8TH
Chavez took a 1-2 pitch that caught the lower part of the zone. Mora whiffed on a 1-2 splitter down and in. Terrero broke his bat on an 0-2 pitch to Beltre, who knocked down the ball but was wary of the bat barrel hurtling toward him as well, enabling Terrero to beat out the throw to first (Beltre was tagged with an error). Gibbons chopped a 1-2 pitch to Lopez close to first base, who had to quickly shovel it over to first to barely get Gibbons as Sam Perlozzo came out to argue. Putz threw 15 pitches and had 19 total.
Putz' line: 1 2/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 19 pitches (15 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Ibañez bounced a 2-0 pitch to short. Sexson popped high to right. Everett bounced the second pitch to first. Rleal threw eight pitches and had 27 total.
Rleal's line: 2 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 27 pitches (13 strikes)
BOTTOM 9TH
Eddie Guardado came in for Putz. R Hernandez punched a first-pitch single past Guardado into centerfield. Gomez had the hitters' counts and singled the 3-1 pitch into rightfield, moving R Hernandez to second. Patterson bunted the first pitch off himself, then bunted the second pitch to Guardado, who went to first because nobody covered third when Beltre charged; the runners were on third and second). Conine was ahead 2-0 and took a 2-2 pitch just off the plate inside before taking the full-count pitch in the dirt to load the bases and put the winning run on first. Markakis fell behind 0-2 and whiffed on a 1-2 pitch over the outer half. Chavez bounced to Lopez, who took it to the bag at second for the game-ending force.
Guardado's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 21 pitches (12 strikes)
---
Gameball: Yuniesky Betancourt.
It's different when Hargrove pulls Jeremy Reed from the lineup and puts in Willie Bloomquist like he has lately. He's put Bloomquist behind Ichiro and bumped Jose Lopez down to the eighth slot in front of Betancourt. It's a bit intriguing considering how well Lopez has hit this season. You could say it adds more punch to the bottom of the lineup. You could also say that maybe Hargrove knows the middle of the lineup is going to suck, so maybe moving Lopez to eighth is good because he and Betancourt can hit, and lately Ichiro's been warming up as well. They're putting ducks on the pond for Ichiro, who's a good hitter. It is sad to have to punt the middle third of the order, sure, but I'm trying to reach for some goodness here. Betancourt may not be a world-beating hitter, but down in the ninth slot this year, he's been doing quite well. If Hargrove wanted to be really crazy, he could slot Betancourt second and see what happens. What you do with Lopez then is a mystery though, but that's not my concern. Maybe Hargrove should make the bottom and middle thirds of the lineup swap places.
Goat: Raul Ibañez.
Only Richie Sexson and Ibañez failed to join the hit parade today in the Mariner lineup, but Sexson walked twice and scored. Ibañez never reached base. He grounded into a double play to end the first, struck out in the fourth, was robbed of a double by Jeff Conine's diving catch in the sixth, and grounded out in the seventh and ninth. That's an 0-for-5 day, of course. On the other hand, Ibañez has been one of the few consistent bats in the Mariner lineup in this near month-old season. Despite the 0-for-5, he's sitting with a .286 average, which looks great compared to just about any combination that Mike Hargrove has put in the three lineup slots behind him. One other problem for the Mariners is the absolute lack of power hitting, and Ibañez doesn't lead the team in homers -- that's Jose Lopez and Carl Everett with a whopping four each. Ibañez has three, but he times them nicely. Still, more would be nice out of everyone, not just him. I think what we need to do is take wagers (1) who will lead the Mariners in homers at the end of the year, (2) how many that leader will have, and (3) how many homers the team will amass. Bonus points if you nail their team rank among the rest of baseball.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 20-5 .800 -- L1
2002 18-7 .720 2 L1
2003 16-9 .640 4 W1
2000 14-11 .560 6 L1
2005 12-13 .480 8 L2
2006 10-15 .400 10 W1
2004 9-16 .360 11 W1
Moyer. Murray. Tomorrow.
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GAME 24: ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 2
[initial partial post]
In 25 words or less: At this pace, the Mariners will end the year having hit like they've faced Pedro in 110 games.
This one featured Gil Meche going up against Daniel Cabrera. The Orioles wore their putrid black jerseys. An opening graphic on the TV broadcast showed that Meche averaged 19 pitches per inning coming into the game, the third-highest rate in baseball. The archived MLB.tv feed for this game was fun since they didn't cut to commercials and you could hear Niehaus/Rizzs and Valle talking during the breaks. This included a genuine reaction from Valle when hearing the news that the Houston Texans would not be selecting Reggie Bush. Also heard was a couple of post-inning clarifications on how many pitches Daniel Cabrera threw every inning.
TOP 1ST
Ichiro bounced a 2-2 pitch up the middle to Roberts at second. Jose Lopez whiffed on a 2-2 belt-high fastball over the inside corner. Raul Ibañez foul-tipped a 2-2 megafastball into the catcher's glove. Cabrera threw 15 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Brian Roberts shot an 0-2 groundout to third. Melvin Mora was ahead 2-0 before rolling over a 2-2 pitch to Beltre down the line at third, but he made the play. Miguel Tejada split his bat in half and dumped a second-pitch (down and away) single into shallow rightcenter. Jay Gibbons poked a 1-2 single into center, where Reed was caught between diving for the ball and shorthopping it, and the ball ate him up and went past (error), allowing Tejada to score from first as Ibañez ran over to field the ball. Niehaus did begin a sentence with "for cryin' out loud" during this sequence. Gibbons got credit for a single.
»» ORIOLES 1, MARINERS 0
Ramon Hernandez walekd on four pitches. Kevin Millar popped high to Lopez in shallow rightfield. Meche threw 21 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Richie Sexson smacked a 2-0 grounder to Mora at third. Carl Everett poked a ball off the dirt for a grounder to short. Kenji Johjima popped to left. Cabrera threw nine pitches and had 24 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Corey Patterson slapped an up-and-away second pitch off the leftfield foul pole for a solo shot. That's a Camden Yards homer.
»» ORIOLES 2, MARINERS 0
Jeff Conine walked on four pitches. Nick Markakis whiffed on a 1-2 fastball up in the zone and in. Roberts fell behind 0-2 and wound up whiffing on a 1-2 breaker in the dirt away. Mora chopped a 1-2 pitch to third. Meche threw 20 pitches and had 41 through two.
TOP 3RD
Adrian Beltre fisted a sinking fly into leftcenter where Tejada missed an over-the-shoulder catch and the ball fell for a single. Jeremy Reed swung weirdly at a high pitch, fighting it off his hands and bouncing to the mound to move Beltre to second. Yuniesky Betancourt popped the second pitch to Markakis in leftcenter, who had Patterson very close to a low-speed collision with him. Ichiro flew out to center on the second pitch. Cabrera threw ten pitches and had 34 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Tejada shot the first pitch to the right-side hole, where Lopez dove for it and threw from his knees on the outfield grass to get Tejada at first. Gibbons laced the second pitch into rightfield for a single. Hernandez worked an 0-2 count full before popping out to center. Millar flew out to Reed a couple steps in front of the track in centerfield. Meche threw 12 pitches and had 53 through three.
TOP 4TH
Lopez took a 1-2 fastball over the outside corner. Ibañez worked a 1-2 count full before grounding up the middle to Roberts, who made the play on the backhand and threw off balance in time to first. Sexson got under another one, flying out to center. Cabrera threw 14 pitches and had 48 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Patterson grounded hard to first, and it handcuffed Sexson for a second, but he came up with it and walked it over to first. Conine got ahead 2-0 and whiffed on a 2-2 knuckle-curve. Markakis grounded hard to left on the second pitch. Meche threw 11 pitches and had 64 through four.
TOP 5TH
Everett popped to Mora running down the leftfield line on a play where Tejada tripped up and experienced some knee discomfort but stayed in the game after precautionary attention from the training staff and manager Sam Perlozzo. Johjima worked an 0-2 count full before popping a high pitch to Mora in foul ground beside the third-base line. Beltre poked a 1-2 breaking ball for a single into rightfield. Reed popped a 2-0 pitch to left. Cabrera threw 18 pitches and had 66 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Roberts dug for a 2-2 pitch and flew out to center. Mora bunted the second pitch along the left side, catching everyone off guard as Meche tried an off-balance throw but they really had no play and luckily Sexson leaped to grab the wide throw as Mora had first base. Tejada walked on four pitches to move Roberts to second, attracting pitching coach Rafael Chaves for a mound visit. Gibbons lined out on the first pitch to a running Ichiro as the runners held. Hernandez ripped a single through the left side and Mora came around and tried to score, but the throw by Ibañez from left was a good one, as was the tag by Johjima at the plate as Mora was called out. Meche threw 14 pitches and had 78 through five.
TOP 6TH.
Betancourt whiffed at a 2-2 letter-high fastball inside. Ichiro doubled off the rightfield wall. Lopez wedged the first pitch just over the wall and Markakis' glove in leftfield to score Ichiro.
»» ORIOLES 2, MARINERS 2
Ibañez worked a 1-2 count full before whiffing on a low fastball over the inside corner. Sexson took a 3-1 pitch inside and off the dirt for a walk. Everett chopped the first pitch to short and was barely out. Cabrera threw 25 pitches and had 91 through six.
BOTTOM 6TH
Millar fell behind 0-2 but was bailed out on a 1-2 pitch that nicked him off the inside corner. Patterson bunted nicely out in front, and Beltre's best effort and throw to first weren't in time as the runners were safe at second and first. Chaves visited the mound. Conine poked a second-pitch single through the right side to load the bases.
George Sherrill came in for Meche. Markakis fouled off four 1-2 pitches, took the next pitch up and in and nearly was hit, then whiffed on a breaking ball on the next pitch. Roberts lined the first pitch to Ichiro drifting backward, and Millar scored. Patterson tagged and went to third.
»» ORIOLES 3, MARINERS 2
Julio Mateo came in for Sherrill. Mora watched the second pitch go off the fingers of Johjima's glove and to the backstop, scoring Patterson from third and moving Conine to second.
»» ORIOLES 4, MARINERS 2
Mora ended up chopping to third, and Beltre's threw appeared to mess with Sexson a bit, though he came up with it.
Meche's line: 5 innings, 4 runs (2 earned), 8 hits, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, 85 pitches (49 strikes)
Sherrill's line: 2/3 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 10 pitches (8 strikes)
TOP 7TH
Johjima rolled out to third. Beltre fell behind 0-2 and would whiff on a 1-2 pitch in the dirt that bounced away from Hernandez behind the plate, but Beltre was able to reach first base safely. Reed bunted the second pitch nicely along the left side to move Beltre to second. Betancourt watched the second pitch go by as Beltre nabbed third and Hernandez behind the plate couldn't transfer the ball to his throwing hand cleanly. Betancourt was ahead 3-0, took what he thought was ball four, then rolled out to short. Cabrera threw 14 pitches.
Cabrera's line: 7 innings, 2 runs, 4 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, 105 pitches (61 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Tejada lined a full-count knee-high fastball down the pipe four rows into the rightfield seats just to the left of the scoreboard.
»» ORIOLES 5, MARINERS 2
Gibbons bounced to short. Hernandez whiffed on a 2-2 pitch. Millar worked a 1-2 count for a walk and needed nine pitches to do so. Patterson grounded the second pitch up the middle to a diving Lopez on the outfield grass, who looked to first but could have had a play at second -- both runners were safe as he never got off a throw. Conine rolled to short for a 6-4 fielder's choice.
Mateo's line: 1 1/3 innings, 1 run, 2 hits, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, 32 pitches (18 strikes)
TOP 8TH
LaTroy Hawkins came in for Cabrera. Chris Gomez came in for Tejada at short, and Luis Terrero came in to play left as Markakis moved to right as Gibbons was lifted. Ichiro blistered a 1-2 pitch through the mound and into centerfield for a single. Lopez never took a ball on five pitches, whiffing on the fifth, a dirtball away. Ibañez grounded hard to Roberts in the right-side hole, who nicely started a 4-6-3 double play.
Hawkins' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 1 strikeout, 12 pitches (10 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Jake Woods came in for Mateo. Markakis took an 0-2 breaking ball over the outside corner. Roberts got the hitters' counts before whiffing on a full-count fastball over the outside corner. Mora lined the second pitch into shallow leftfield for a single. Gomez was ahead 3-1 and wound up grounding hard to Beltre behind the third-base bag.
Woods' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 18 pitches (12 strikes)
TOP 9TH
Chris Ray came in for Hawkins. Sexson was ahead 3-1 but eventually grounded hard to third on a full count. Everett chopped to Gomez up the middle. Johjima rolled over on a groundout to third.
Ray's line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 13 pitches (7 strikes)
---
Gameball: Ichiro.
You can't pin this loss on him. He did his job at the top of the lineup. His hits were hard-hit balls. He doubled off the wall then lasered a single through the box. When he was deep in the slump, I remember saying that he needed to pick it up to not only set the table for the rest of the lineup, but to help out the bottom third of the lineup, which was producing at the time. A few more Ichiro hits with the bottom of the lineup on base, and who knows what record they could have now? Ichiro pulled an 0-for-4 on Wednesday, but his last 0-fer before that was the first game of the Texas series. After that game, he was sitting at a paltry .177. In the nine games since, Ichiro has gone 16-for-37 (.432) and had the batting average jump to .273. Of course, the only extra-base hit he's had in that span was the double from this very game, and he's only walked once and hasn't stolen a base in the nine games. However, he's only struck out once in the same stretch, as opposed to nine strikeouts before that. In any event, he did his job in this game. Others didn't, but I'll get to that later.
Goat: Kenji Johjima.
I know he's not Miguel Olivo back there behind the plate or anything like that. I know he had a bunch of Gold Glove equivalents back in Japan. Is his thumb really that screwed up or did the Mariners get duped? One way or the other, we've been seeing a ton of passed balls involving this guy. The best thing he did in this game was make the tag at the plate on the other end of the Raul Ibañez throw. That ended the fifth with the Mariners down 2-1. In the sixth, what turned out to be the game-winning run for the Orioles got on base via Gil Meche hitting Kevin Millar with a pitch. That run scored to make it 3-2, then the second pitch after that went off of Johjima's glove and to the backstop, and another run came across. That misplay of a completely catchable ball made it 4-2 for Baltimore. Of course, Johjima's not just the goat here for his defensive purposes. He also had an 0-for-4 day at the plate and has really cooled off since anchoring the bottom third of the lineup for a decent portion of the month of April. He hasn't had a multi-hit game since the 19th, the middle game of the Texas series. He's gone hitless in all but one game since.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 20-4 .833 -- W9
2002 18-6 .750 2 W1
2003 15-9 .625 5 L1
2000 14-10 .583 6 W1
2005 12-12 .500 8 L1
2006 9-15 .391 11 L1
2004 8-16 .333 12 L1
Hernandez. Chen. Tonight.
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Thursday, April 27, 2006
GAME 23: MARINERS 5, WHITE SOX 1
[initial partial post]
. In 25 words or less: Rejoice, for the Mariners accomplished a rare feat -- they had complete control of this game. If only every game were this quick.
This one featured Mark Buehrle going up against Ryan Franklin. Also, Ephratan/Everett schoolteacher/Husky grad Mike Muchlinski made his Major League plate umpire debut, though Washburn didn't much care at one point in the seventh. As pointed out by Dave Niehaus during the game, after today, the Mariners don't have an off-day in Seattle on the schedule until June.
TOP 1ST
Scott Podsednik bounced a full-count pitch to second to end the nine-pitch at-bat. Tadahito Iguchi whiffed on a high 2-2 fastball. Jim Thome fell behind 0-2 before taking a 1-2 breaker over the outside corner. Washburn threw 19 pitches.
BOTTOM 1ST
Ichiro rolled a 2-2 pitch to Iguchi in the hole on the right side. Willie Bloomquist grounded the 2-2 pitch deep in the left-side hole to Uribe. Raul Ibañez popped the second pitch to Uribe in foul ground down the leftfield line. Buehrle threw 13 pitches.
TOP 2ND
Paul Konerko whiffed on an 0-2 belt-high fastball. Jermaine Dye took a 2-2 pitch over the inside corner but wasn't sent to the dugout, but then lined a full-count pitch to Ichiro. Joe Crede got ahead 2-0 and popped the full-count pitch to Lopez moving into shallow rightfield. Washburn threw 16 pitches and had 35 through two.
BOTTOM 2ND
Richie Sexson smeared a single past a diving Konerko at first. Carl Everett lined the second pitch into rightfield for a single, moving Sexson to second. Kenji Johjima was drilled in the back leg by the 1-2 pitch to load the bases. Adrian Beltre chopped the second pitch to short, and luckily it was too slow for Uribe to turn the double play, though he could have had Sexson at the plate. In any event, Sexson scored and Everett and Johjima went to third and second.
»» MARINERS 1, WHITE SOX 0
Jose Lopez took a close 1-2 pitch low and away, reached on a 2-2 pitch up and six inches off the plate, then rammed the next 2-2 up-and-away pitch into the rightcenter gap for a single, scoring Everett and Johjima.
»» MARINERS 3, WHITE SOX 0
Yuniesky Betancourt Dye to the rightfield track on the second pitch, advancing Lopez to third. Ichiro fell behind 0-2, fouled off the next three pitches, and worked the count full before grounding out to first. Buehrle had 42 through two.
TOP 3RD
Juan Uribe fell behind 0-2 and rolled over a 2-2 pitch to third. Chris Widger drilled a single into centerfield for his first hit of the season. Brian Anderson flew out to left. Podsednik slapped a high second pitch for a flyout to left. Washburn threw 14 pitches and had 49 through three.
BOTTOM 3RD
Bloomquist dropped a single into shallow centerfield and was most of the way to second, but Anderson threw the ball in quickly to Iguchi, who completed the relay to first to nail Bloomquist trying to retreat. Ibañez got ahead 2-0 and later chopped a ball up the middle and beat the off-balance throw by Iguchi. Sexson popped the second pitch high to center. Everett flew out to left on a 2-2 pitch. Buehrle threw 15 pitches and had 57 through three.
TOP 4TH
Iguchi popped an 0-2 pitch to Sexson in foul ground on the right side. Thome mashed a pitch right to Betancourt, playing to the other side of the second-base bag, who had the ball handcuff him and roll into centerfield for a single. Paul Konerko worked a 1-2 count for a walk, moving Thome to second. Dye got ahead 2-0 and later flew out high to center, shallow enough to hold Thome at second. Crede fell behind 0-2 before flying out to Betancourt in shallow center on the 1-2 pitch. Washburn threw 22 pitches and had 71 through four.
BOTTOM 4TH
Johjima grounded a 3-1 pitch to Crede behind the bag at third. Beltre popped the 3-1 pitch into the rightfield corner. Lopez rolled out to short. Buehrle threw 14 pitches and had 71 through four.
TOP 5TH
Uribe grounded the first pitch deep in the hole on the left side where Betancourt got to the ball and threw low to first, but it was dug out nicely by Sexson. Widger popped high to Beltre on the infield grass. Anderson bounced the 1-2 pitch to third. Washburn threw only nine pitches and had 80 through five.
BOTTOM 5TH
Betancourt shot the second pitch to third, where Anderson bobbled it completely but had enough time to stay with it and throw to first. Ichiro smoked a ball right into Konerko's glove. Bloomquist flew out to left on a 2-0 pitch. Buerhle threw only eight pitches and had 79 through five.
TOP 6TH
Podsednik got ahead 3-0 and bounced the 3-1 pitch to second. Iguchi popped the first pitch to Ichiro in the rightfield corner. Thome whiffed on a full-count offspeed pitch down and away. Washburn threw 12 pitches and had 92 through six.
BOTTOM 6TH
Ibañez laid the wood out on a 3-1 pitch low and away, putting it into the visitors' bullpen in leftfield.
»» MARINERS 4, WHITE SOX 0
Sexson flew out very high to center. Everett squirted the second pitch down the rightfield line into the corner for a double. Johjima popped the second pitch to Konerko behind the bag at first. Beltre took Anderson to fairly deep centerfield on the first pitch. Buehrle threw 14 pitches and had 93 through six.
TOP 7TH
Konerko was ahead 2-0 and wound up sending a single into shallow centerfield. Dye got the hitters' counts and laced the 3-1 pitch through the left-side hole for a single to move Konerko to second. Crede got ahead 2-0 and wound up hitting a sinking liner on which Bloomquist made a diving catch in rightcenter. Konerko tagged and went to third on the catch. Uribe bopped a 2-0 pitch to Bloomquist on the track in leftcenter, scoring Konerko and moving Dye to second.
Rafael Soriano came in for Washburn. Widger got ahead 3-0 and popped the 3-1 pitch to Betancourt just past the infield dirt. Soriano threw five pitches.
Washburn's line: 6 2/3 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts, 108 pitches (66 strikes)
BOTTOM 7TH
Lopez was foiled on a 1-2 pitch by a diving Crede at third, who threw to first and had it picked by Konerko. Betancourt flew out to center on the second pitch. Ichiro bounced an 0-2 pitch to short, where Uribe had to hurry but made the play. Buehrle threw nine pitches and had 102 through seven.
Buehrle's line: 7 innings, 4 runs, 7 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 102 pitches (62 strikes)
TOP 8TH
Anderson fell behind 0-2 and flew out to Betancourt in shallow center on the 1-2 pitch. Podsednik took a 2-2 slider over the inside corner. Iguchi whiffed badly on a 1-2 breaking ball. Soriano threw 18 pitches and had 23 total.
Soriano's line: 1 1/3 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 23 pitches (16 strikes)
BOTTOM 8TH
Bobby Jenks came in for Buehrle. Bloomquist chopped the first pitch to a charging Iguchi. Ibañez grounded the second pitch up the middle where Uribe got to the ball at the edge of the outfield grass, but couldn't get a hold of it as it went for a single. Sexson stuck a 2-2 single into leftcenter, moving Ibañez to third. Everett popped the 1-2 pitch to Anderson in centerfield, and Ibañez scored without a relay home.
»» MARINERS 5, WHITE SOX 1
Johjima popped the second pitch to Dye in shallow right. Jenks threw 17 pitches.
Jenks' line: 1 inning, 1 run, 2 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts, 17 pitches (13 strikes)
TOP 9TH
JJ Putz came in for Soriano. Thome walked on a 3-0 pitch barely inside. Konerko dropped a second-pitch single into shallow center, moving Thome to second. Dye fell grounded an 0-2 pitch to the hole at short (solid play by Betancourt) to start a 6-4-3 double play as Thome advanced to third. Crede worked a 1-2 count for a walk on a full-count pitch high and away. Uribe fell behind 0-2 and fouled off the next five pitches including a mega-smash that didn't wind around the foul pole, then flew out to Bloomquist near the track in rightcenter.
Putz' line: 1 inning, 0 runs, 1 hit, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts, 23 pitches (15 strikes)
---
Gameball: Jarrod Washburn.
Two great starts in a row for Washburn. In the last one, Hargrove left him in much too long, but he got one out away from a complete game, though the Mariners of course had little offense in that game and Washburn lost. I've said it before, but if Washburn likes throwing letter-high fastballs to get hitters out, and if he can't top out over about 92 with it and does a lot of high 80s with it...how can he keep getting away with that? ESPNews showed me a crazy stat tonight that showed the home-road split in Jarrod Washburn's ERA. Let's just say he's using Safeco Field to his advantage. His road ERA is terrible. I know this is after just five starts, but who knows? If he carries this whole good-at-home thing too far, we'll end up having to compare him to 2005 Jamie Moyer. For those with the lefthanded Ryan Franklin comparison, I was glad that this game didn't go grossly long and went pretty quick. Not like Franklin/Buehrle from last year, but still nice and short. I was hoping for an hour and fifteen.
Goat: Kenji Johjima.
I guess you can't argue too much with the fingers he was throwing down in this game, but he only got on base in this game when he was hit by a pitch. That's how he scored one of the Mariners' five runs, but he was 0-for-3 otherwise. That's not really the point I'm making. Though he didn't start on Sunday or Monday (and didn't play at all on Monday) due to the thumb injury and/or Mike Hargrove's perception of said injury, Johjima has exactly one hit in his last six games, though to be fair, one of those games on the log had him as a defensive replacement. In any event, he has a hit in just one of his last five games in which he has an at-bat. Call it a mini-slump. I obviously expect him to get a hit here and there, sure, but I don't expect him to tear it up like he was earlier in the season. Hargrove had him batting sixth in this game between Everett and Beltre. I'd elaborate on the whole lineup thing except that when Bloomquist is in there at all, it clouds my thinking, and it does so even more when Bloomquist is batting second.
Yr W-L Pct GB Stk
2001 19-4 .826 -- W8
2002 17-6 .739 2 L2
2003 15-8 .652 4 W5
2000 13-10 .565 6 L1
2005 12-11 .522 7 W2
2006 9-14 .391 10 W1
2004 8-15 .348 11 W1
Meche. Cabrera. Tomorrow.
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