Game 67, Mariners at Athletics
DMZ · June 14, 2006 at 6:17 pm · Filed Under Game Threads
Pineiro v Haren. 7:05, FSN. Nothing weird about the lineup, really.
The M’s have a chance today and tomorrow, when they’re up against the shockingly ineffective Esteban Loaiza, with Washburn pitching for the M’s. Oakland’s been almost as bad against lefties as the Mariners.
Everett option watch: about ~200 plate appearances before the option vests for next year.
Comments
112 Responses to “Game 67, Mariners at Athletics”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Thank God that Joe Blanton, DemiGod, is merciful enough to only pitch once every fifth day.
Junkballing Jo-El would be nice tonight. Oh, and a hit or two.
I don’t know about the M’s having a chance. Does beating up the Royals and Angels mean that the M’s offense has suddenly improved to league average?
After all, we still have a manager who thinks that basepath outs are a good thing, and that a bench is unnecessary.
Borchard watch: OBP is now .330, better than Everett, Reed, Sexson, among others.
The question regarding Everett is, are we as USS Mariner readers going to allow this happen? What lengths are we willing to go to ensure it does not?
After all, we still have a manager who thinks that basepath outs are a good thing, and that a bench is unnecessary.
Ahem, those are “productive outs” according to Hargrove’s received wisdom.
Ugh. Cruceta gives up back-to-back dingers. Time for he  as well as Everett  to be “transferred to Everett.”
I can’t see any hope in the Everett situation. There is no one they can play in his place right now. Petagine is horribly rusty from sitting for nearly half a season, Doyle isn’t back to form and there’s no one else.
Is there any hope?
well, it is the A’s so my guess is the m’s get no hit tonight…Ugh.
I bet a week of regular play, to begin with, would shake off that rust in a hurry. I really can’t see that Petagine would be any worse than Everett … though, of course, that’s not really the standard we’re shooting for here.
Doyle singles and scores!
Ichiro! Just simply, Ichiro!
At this rate this is going to be a good game.
#9 Doyle scored off a single? Wow, he is a stud.
There’s that singles-hitting ability we’ve longed pined for from Beltre ….
Am I the only one who just reminded Fairly on the radio that changing things is clearly a “panic” move?
2 on no outs and Lopez up. Better Bunt!
Singles by Ichiro and Beltre; just like the ninth last night…oh, that might not be good.
Well crap, now the bases are loaded with no outs….
Anybody else catch a whiff of salami in the air? Or is it just my socks?
Was I the only person in the 9th last night that felt a huge disappointment when Lopez got HBP? Even then I was sure he was the only hope for driving in a couple of runs.
are we at the start of one of Raul’s mini-slumps, or is it just Oakland?
Wow, we got a run out of a bases loaded no out situation. Miricles do happen!
They got rid of Cameron because he was too expensive and struck out to much. So what do we make of Sexson?
Richie Mendoza ….
Has there been a team less efficient at scoring in bases loaded situations this year?
the A’s pitching coach claims that Blanton can only get teams in blue uniforms out– meaning the Ms & KC.
I guess Texas knows not to wear their blue jerseys when he starts against them. Or is that “half blue” and Blanton can only get half of them out?
oh, this is sad, the only ‘who’s hot’ they can come up with is that the Ms lead the league in triples. And we all know what happens to those triples….
#26 — Texas whups him, so they must have special non-blue blue jerseys. I like Deanna’s Anti-Nintendo theory, myself.
25.
All the more reason to go back to teal.
Just watching on gamecast. How does Joel look? Easy first inning….
Everybody’s getting a turn at being on first.
Oh great, as if these games aren’t agonizing enough, now there’s a rain delay to worry about? I guess the one upside is that the M’s bullpen is a little better than the A’s, so if a delay knocks out the starters…
If the M’s work hard, they can regain their MLB lead in hit batsmen … they’re seventh overall, just five off the pace, with 30.
I noted a real statistical oddity going into this series….both clubs were exactly even in runs scored and runs allowed. Is that a definition of a 500 ball club? So which club actually has a chance to do something over the remainder of this year? Even though in a player by player comparison the M’s come out ahead of which player you would take…..I would take my chances on the success of the A’s over the M’s in the remainder of this year.
Maybe instead of all the bunting practice they do, they could have someone throw batting practice pitches down and away to hitters without a bat in their hands. This might teach them not to swing at balls shoe top level on the outside corner.
a ha! perhaps it’s a cunning new way to lose in Oakland– fill the bases, let them score, and have the game called due to rain?
Here’s a surprise: Even with Rual’s first-inning heroics, the M’s are dead last in the AL in hitting into double plays. They’ve hit into just 39; Oakland is tops with 63.
Raul “Feet of Concrete” Ibanez strikes again.
Nice flop there by Raul. He looked like he wanted the ref to red-card someone for tripping.
and doggone it, they tried this inning to increase that lead, but the M’s wouldn’t let them. Please can we get Raul out of left field?
A hit batsmen, an error and a double lead to two runs. That’s an efficient offense.
Tacoma up 9-3:
Doyle 2-for-3, 2 RBIs, back up to .250
Choo 2-2, 2 runs
Nelson 2-run HR
Garciaparra 1-2
Johnson, Dobbs 2 RBI apiece
Cruceta 5Ks in 4 1/3.
#38– obviously he hasn’t had the correct practice
Would Mike Morse/WFB be better then Ibanez in LF?
At least then Ibanez could DH.
They swing at everything.
Dear Seattle Mariners:
Please stop chasing Haren’s splitter a foot out of the zone.
Thanks, guys!
Love,
Jim
Jim, it obviously was your socks.
I’ve got some powerful left-footed sock right now.
#43: No, an actual left fielder would be better in left field.
is it bad that i’m hoping crazy carl gets injured this season so he doesn’t get his option?
#49: Is it bad that I’m hoping to injure Crazy Carl this season so he doesn’t get his option?
Well, it really has to be Doyle in Left and Ibanez as full-time DH, doesn’t it? Counting the days until it happens.
Is there any timetable on when Doyle will be brought up?
This is painful to watch.
For us Gameday viewers, what’s going on?
Oh, man. Total crap from both the hitter and fielder on the same play. Sheesh.
#54: Frank Thomas banged one off the wall in left. Raul misplayed it. But the Big Hurt was in full trot mode, and was held to a single.
sigh. while we wait for some Mariner offense (rather than offensive Mariners) I could ask y’all my current mystery movie question … a friend is trying to identify a movie seen on tv sometime in the 70s– prisoners break out while their jailers are distracted by a soccer game (poss. the World Cup?) in order to crack the Bank of England, print up some money, stash it & then break back into prison.
Nice flop there by Raul. He looked like he wanted the ref to red-card someone for tripping.
When I turned on the TV tonight I thought, “Oh, a 1-0 lead. I wonder if the M’s can sit on the ball long enough to win.”
Have I been watching too much World Cup? Yes, yes I have. But it’s all in the name of blogging.
#57: “Break In Like Beckham”?
Question on Raul. At the beginning of the year, people talked a lot about how much he’d hurt the M’s defensively. In the two games I’ve attended, he was bad, but not awful. Is there any way to get a sense of how much he’s hurt the M’s defensively this year, compared to a league average fielder, or even, as we’d talked off season, a good fielder?
#59–
[pah rum pah!] it’s not Porridge or Two Way Stretch … I thought maybe she was combining several movies but she found someone else asking about the same movie (to no reply) at experts.about.com.
sigh. remember when Dan Johnson couldn’t buy a hit?
I love closed captioning: Instead of “Esteban Loaiza,” my TV reads “That Bohn Loaiza” ….
Mariners :: Angels
as
A’s :: Mariners
#63: Is that on the WASL?
Question on Raul. At the beginning of the year, people talked a lot about how much he’d hurt the M’s defensively. In the two games I’ve attended, he was bad, but not awful. Is there any way to get a sense of how much he’s hurt the M’s defensively this year, compared to a league average fielder, or even, as we’d talked off season, a good fielder?
The Hardball Times has the M’s at -5 on flyballs, using John Dewan’s plus/minus system, meaning the team has converted 5 less flyballs into outs than you’d expect. We’re all pretty sure Ichiro is good defensively, so your options for poor defensive outfielder are Ibanez or Reed.
I’m going with Ibanez. But thats just me.
What factors into “what you’d expect,” Dave?
64: They took this question off because it was too easy.
here’s a theory re: Joel … maybe all that hair is tilting him backwards on the mound, affecting his release point
Building to the Future – just for Jim!
Mauer watch: 0-3 tonight against Boston, which brings his average “down” to .376.
If Ichiro goes 5 for his next 5, he will take the lead.
Did anyone tell the Mariners that Haren’s ERA balloons after 50 pitches or so? For everybody else, that is?
oh, Derek– Hendu helpfully tells us that Loaiza is All Better after his visit to the DL.
65 – And Willie on lefty days.
57 – it sounds like a combination of the original The Italian Job, with Michael Caine and Victory with… Michael Caine. And Sly Stallone and Pele and…
#72– My thought was Victory + Who’s minding the mint …
If Joe Blanton is a DemiGod, is Danny Haren a Demigod Once Removed?
Let’s look at the bright side: after the A’s take the series, Hardgrove will have a team meeting for x minutes, and then the M’s will sweep the following series!
More good news! The Royals just tied the Angels in the 6th, 3-3. Who knows how long that will last…
Gameday makes it look as though Johnson just missed going yard on that SAC. True?
Well, now that the D-Backs have set a healthy precedent of unhealthiness by falling on the $22 million grenade known as Russ Ortiz, perhaps the M’s may be more willing to contemplate doing the same with Pineiro should he prove untradeable in July ….
#77: Nah, shallow warning track.
I’m so tired of Woods and Green.
At least we have fewer LOB. So we’re not stranding runners as bad as you might think.
Stranding runners is hard if you can’t get them out there in the first place.
At what point are we going to give up on Pineiro and call up Cruceta, who, y’know, may actually give us a chance to win games?
And some of you guys are still harping on Sexson despite his great year last year and career .900+ OPS?! Unreal. Meh.
Dave had a good analysis of Cruceta a few threads back. Cruceta strikes out a lot of guys but struggles mightily at times. There’s no reason to think he’d be much of an improvement right now until he improves his command, maybe establishes a solid change-up.
Quiroz is back already from “Everett.”
And sadly, some things never change.
what happened?
Stupid baserunning, what else?
I couldn’t follow the radio description.
did sexon go out of his way to run to the player with the ball so he could get his big tall self out?
I think it’s time for another long team meeting in Oakland.
However, this meeting would be the players telling Hargrove to suck an egg after he’s been fired.
Woohoo offensive upgrade to start a big ninth inning rally!
KC takes the lead. 4-3 going into the top of the ninth.
Well, at least I picked a couple good games to NOT see.
How appropriate that Willie be chosen for the honor of ending this game.
the angels game looks as if it could offer some excitement
I finished a book chapter while not paying attention to this game. I think it was a good decision.
you really ought to consider skipping the game thread tomorrow altogether.
games in oakland are way too depressing.
Pity the poor Mariners. Nobody told them they’d have to play some games against good teams.
Finishing the chapter was a very good decision. I followed the game instead of working on a book of mine and now I feel unproductive and depressed.
At least Ichiro and Lopez are still hitting
#65– I actually think Reed was worse on his miscue than Ibanez tonight. Center fielders shouldn’t run backwards on balls that drop at their feet.
The lowlight reel from this game would almost be as long as the game.
Choo with a two-run shot! Tacoma up 4-3 in the nightcap.
Beavis Bocachica ties it with a blast off Baek!
#97 You know, when I tell people I HATE the Oakland A’s people look at me like I’m out of my mind. The reason I hate the A’s is, for one, when I first started watching the M’s the A’s were one of best teams in our division (the Stewart, Eckersly, McGwire days). Since then the M’s for some reason just play like total ASS when they go to Oakland, leaving every shred of fundamental baseball ability and good luck at home for the trip. Even in 2001 it was in Oakland that the M’s lost three in a row AND a series for first time all year.
I freakin’ HATE the A’s.
Hey, maybe we’ll be able to get a win in this series yet — tomorrow’s scheduled starter, Esteban Loaiza was reportedly arrested for driving his Ferrari 120 MPH early Wednesday while drunk. Can he possibly start after that and even if he starts, can he possibly be effective? (I know it’s against the Mariners, but hmmmmm….). This article was just posted at the Oakland Tribune web site…
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_3938375
Back in the day there were guys who went out on the field drunk, and still won. I’m not sure the M’s could be a talented team no matter how drunk or hung over they were. Tomorrow’s game is the best shot the M’s have in this series, but not because of anything Loaiza may have done. Loaiza is the weakest pitcher in this series, and the A’s have trouble with lefties like Washburn.
Has Grover been fired yet?
Pentland on working with Beltre in Thursday’s times. The boil-down: there’s no hope.
No mention that in the first game of the Rainiers doubleheader last night, Doyle actually played in the field instead of just DH-ing. It was only the 2nd time since he’s been back. The first time, he played 5 innings in right. Last night it was 7 innings (complete game of doubleheader) in center.
And then he sat out the 2nd game, even though he also sat out Tues afternoon…..
Well, I think this series is telling us right where the M’s are. Better than the wors teams in the league, not as good as the better teams. From a rough estimate, I see them as a 70-75 win team. The Everett option could be a nasty problem for next year. Bavasi should be called on the carpet if he allows that option to vest.
#109: The M’s actually tend to play worse in Oakland than usual. They are probably a little better than they’ve looked the last two games.
Anyone see who the new manager is in Everett? Do managers at that level coach third?