Also, I agree with what you said about the crowd being very good, except I did not see much standing during 2 out situations until the scoreboard told people to do so. Other than that, the Anderson home run ball getting thrown back (the entire stadium demanded it), the random chants, etc were electric.

I go to several games a year, and this has definitely been the best crowd since 2001-2003 before attendance dipped.

As far as the game is concerned, it was one of the most non-descript, unentertaining games I’ve ever seen. Blah.

-Best crowd I’ve seen since the 01 season. Everyone stood up anytime a Mariners pitcher was working with 2 outs. “LET’S GO MARINERS” chants throughout the game. Heckling fans that actually know baseball and are familiar with the team. I haven’t seen that stuff in AGES.

-Nobody wore blue. MAYBE 20% of the fans. Very disappointing.

-The playoff atmosphere was there. Absolutely electric. Even the walk down Occidental from the Qwest Field parking lot was exciting. These fans (and vendors) are ready for the playoffs.

-McLaren getting tossed was appalling. I’ve never seen anything like it. I was sitting right behind 3rd base, and Mac was two steps into the dugout when the douchebag 3rd base umpire tossed him. I don’t care what you guys saw on TV, McLaren giving BOTH the HP and 3B umps a piece of his mind was exactly what the city and fans needed, and I’m really pretty shocked this ballclub didn’t rally behind him after that. Say what you want about the guy as a tactical manager (and I have and will), but at least we all know he believes this is a ballclub that is going to the playoffs. That was the loudest moment of the night. Safeco Field was absolutely rocking.

-Lackey’s stuff is nasty. Plain and simple. Even eager batters will foul stuff off; we couldn’t touch him tonight when he turned it on, even to put it out of play.

-Yuniesky Betancourt and Adrian Beltre are a pleasure to watch in person. There are so many things that the camera doesn’t catch in a ballgame where players show their passion and competitive spirit, and these two really deserve recognition for the moxie they show out on the diamond.

Because my good pal got me Diamond Club seats (sparkle sparkle). I was in sitting on the back, homeplate corner of the dugout. The best possible seats from which to tell McLaren exactly what I thought of his lineup…and he goes and gets tossed in the first inning. And I can report that he was mumbling something like “So…f’ing mad..” as he stomped down the steps to the dugout after his tirade.

Please, if you have to watch a six-nothing stinker like tonight I urge you to pay $400 and get all-you-can-eat-and-drink service and sit nine feet from the backstop net. It makes it a much more tolerable night.

Oh, and the mayor sat near me so I let him know that I wore my M’s jersey just for him.

Bad, bad, bad night for me to decide to not drink.

I’m not sure I’ll survive tomorrow and Wednesday with that pact in tact.

I got some chocolate chip cookies out of it, though.

I never thought I’d say this at the beginning of the year let alone in May, but here’s to Jeff Weaver “losing streak stopper.”