Game 81, Mariners at Red Sox
Morrow vs Lester, 10:35 am.
Ichiro, RF
Branyan, 1B
Lopez, 2B
Sweeney, DH
Gutierrez, CF
Langerhans, LF
Johjima, C
Woodward, 3B
Cedeno, SS
For all intents and purposes, Ryan Langerhans is the Mariners starting left fielder until further notice. This is the fourth game he’s started in a row, and the second of which the opposing pitcher has been left-handed. Wak has made it pretty clear that he just hasn’t been very impressed with Wladimir Balentien, and really, if Balentien can’t get into the line-up against a lefty in a day game before a cross country flight, then he’s basically out of the plan.
So, Langerhans looks like he’s going to get a real shot to prove what he can do. Welcome to the club, Ryan. Feel free to keep whacking the baseball as long as you’d like.
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and per Drayer, Griffey is out today because his knee is tender once more after the long trip and the play in the field…
Dave:
I heard it mentioned somewhere on this blog that the Royals had at one time expressed interest in Balentien. Of all the 3B options out there, for me the one that makes the most sense is Teahen. Is any kind of a package for Teahen feasible?
Well this isn’t such a great start…
When both Niehaus and Blowers say “Don’t throw Ortiz a fastball,” and then Morrow throws a bunch of fastballs, you have to wonder how uninformed either he or Johjima is.
morrow…
Langerhans makes Wak look like a genius in that at bat.
Ugh. I cannot stand today’s HP ump. He is terrible and defensive about the fact that he is terrible. Decent chance someone will get ejected today. Unless Morrow keeps grooving fastballs and makes any close calls moot.
It’s it bad of me to nearly weep with joy to see catches in the outfield?
It made me smile to see Langerhans get to that ball. I’m glad I didn’t have to watch Griffey not come close or Balentien take some strange route toward it and end up having it glance off his glove.
Something bit Mike Sweeney? Did I hear that right? Ichiro?
Am I a bad fan to see Sweeney going out as an opportunity to ease him off the 40 man roster?
I missed it, what happened to Sweeney?
They didn’t say what happened to Sweeney. It was odd, for some reason they decided to give us a shot of the broadcasters while Junior was batting and didn’t cut back until after the hit.
They haven’t mentioned it yet other than Junior hitting for him.
Dustin All Star MVP
Dodged a bullet there.
Oh, I bet it was hit, rather than bit? Anyway! He’s gone!
Good slide into the mean squirrel, Frankie! Now he’s really mad, though. Better watch out.
I hope Brandon’s watching how to pitch here. Just because you have a fast ball, doesn’t mean you use it. Say it with us. Off. Speed. Offff…spppeeed.
As I figured, only Ichiro and Felix made the All-Star game. Branyan and Aardsma stay home.
Woah Cedeno!
For someone who can’t hit, Cedeno sure gets some big ABs!
Ronny! Ronny! What, no inside the parker?!
Ronny Cedeno everyone!
swwweeeetttt…..
Triple triple triple!
I hate games like this, in my big money roto league I have Lester. So its a bit bittersweet to cheer for your team. Which means I’m happy all those runs are unearned!!!
I can’t believe they gave Johjima a hit in that inning.
They just changed it to an error on ESPN.
only johjima scoring is unearned i think. with one out, only the guy who was on as a result of an error is unearned.
Blowers with the pitching analysis. Hmm, maybe mixing up his pitches is working for Morrow.
But the Cedeno hit came with 2 outs. If Pedroia makes his play, the inning is already over.
refusetolose is right. Only Johjima reached via error, so his run is unearned.
Best looking Mariner? Uh. Hmmm.
it was actually a pretty entertaining puff piece.
Sweeney out with back spasms.
As I said, the Cedeno hit came with 2 outs. Lester should be out of the inning but because of the error, all 3 runs are unearned. If Woodward had hit the triple with one out, then yes, all except Johjima are earned.
The official scorer has to reconstruct the inning and determine who scores if there is no error, then assigns the earned/unearned runs based on that.
And the girlfriend says if Gutierrez doesn’t win Best Looking Mariner, she demands a re-count.
As a decrepit old man right around Sweeney’s age, I can sympathize.
He’s pretty much it. Bedroom eyes and all. Perhaps Griffey will stuff the ballot box?
A bunt, Joh? Hmmmm.
Oh Joh, why the bunt…?
Considering “best looking” is subject to style points, Ichiro! has to be in contention for just being so damn cool.
Ooh, a K on a breaking ball. Brandon, that’s a sign…throw more of those.
Don’t try the Cajun accent, Sims.
And I think that was a Twins game where Wak went out and kicked Corcoran’s ass around the mound.
I think he’s gorgeous and I am definitely not into guys. The girlfriend is right.
I was trying to think who else might be his competition. Not the best looking group of guys on this team. Not quite 2000-01 Sacramento Kings level of ugly (Doug Christie, Peja Stojakovic, Vlade Divac, Hedo Turkoglu), but its not pretty.
Yes, let’s guess what was being said there on the mound.
I go for, “DON’T FUCK THIS UP!”
“You know how you’ve pitched the last two innings? Do that again. Stop sucking.”
You’re the sexiest man alive for that throw, Frankie!
Guti, we love you! …so does Brandon, for what it’s worth.
Nice throw! Jeeze, how often do you see such a perfect throw to the plate?
Morrow with the K on Ortiz!
Whew.
That 4-3 on Ichiro! was disgusting. With 9/10 second basemen, that’s an infield single. Damn the Angry Little Squirrel.
Were you joking about this ?
Not to be a downer, but there’s no way we win this game. The Sox will come back in the 8th, 9th, and snatch this away.
Bay’s having a crappy day, though.
Nice K again, Brandon.
For those of you with MLB.tv, they have this commercial they use all the time for Major League Umpiring School. My questions:
1) How many people are they appealing to with this ad? I mean, are there really that many would-be umpires watching?
2) Even if i were thinking of going, the school is held in Compton/Long Beach, CA. Now I’m no ghetto expert, but I’ve seen enough Snoop Dogg videos in my day to know this isn’t a place I want to be. Could there be a worse location for this school?
If someone can explain how Branyan isn’t even among the five people to vote on for the last position on the AL team I’ll be waiting.
That is just amazing Morrow goes 6 giving up only 3 runs after that first inning. It just goes to show there is nothing wrong with being aggressive with the fastball when nobody is on, it isn’t the solo home runs that beat you.
If that kid Morrow ever gets command of those pitches he will be deadly out there.
I agree with Branyan being left out of the 5 people to vote for being stupid. Carlos Pena is my 6th choice among AL first basemen, if they had Miguel Cabrera, I could live with that over Branyan but not Pena. Figgins shouldn’t even be on there.
Speaking of Branyan, he’s at least not unattractive.
Morrow has always looked to me like The X-files aliens. No vote for him.
Lopez. No.
Endy Chavez would have gotten some votes, but do players on the DL get a vote?
Griffey is wearing Lester out.
Great at bat by Griffey.
Is anyone else surprised at the amount of walks the Mariners have taken lately. Yuni and Beltre are out, Did that shift really change the make up of the entire order. Is it me or does the entire team seem to working the count, being more patient? Making the pitcher actual pitch. The swinging from their nose to their toes is less prevalent
Yah, Jr’s going to steal 2nd, Masterson.
Yes, Jake, Blowers and Sims were going on and on about being patient, making the pitcher work, getting walks earlier, which shows they did know the team didn’t walk enough, but couldn’t rag on them.
BTW, when the hell are they going to stop wearing these damn red caps?
I think the Umpire School ads are part of the MLB labor agreement with the umpires association. The umpires run the camps, thus they benefit from added participants.
Today is the last day with the red caps.
The 2008 Miguel Batista is pitching today.
Batista.
Nothing more to say.
The site is the Urban Youth Academy based on the campus of El Camino College where they hold the RBI World Series, hence the neighbourhood.
The facility is absolutely top-notch though. They’ve used it for umpiring schools with international umps in preparation for the WBC as well as for potential new blues. They even offer scholarships to really good candidates.
Wow. Good play. I don’t thin Wladimaer had a chance on that one. And the spin move on the throw was sweet. Langerhans looks sharp. GM is smart cookie.
So FIOS and FSN have conspired to not put the play-by-play guys’ audio up for the last two games (I’m getting ambient sound from the field, but no commentary). God help me, I miss Sims…
one more out please
I have to say thats the first time i wish we had a lefty in the bullpen. Because Miguel Batista is fucking terrible.
f***ing Batista.
getting squeezed
I have Fios and I can hear them just fine.
lovely. bases loaded walk.
what the crap?!
…at least Batista had a little command…
Haven’t people suggested trading both Batista and Lowe?
Smart people.
f***ing Lowe.
This is painful.
well… we did win 2-3. great road trip guys.
lets take 3 from the O’s.
Even though I knew we’d lose this game, it still doesn’t feel good. Damn.
I do love how Wak just pulls these guys when they can’t get an out. So nice to see.
Well, this inning is a damn train wreck.
f***ing bullpen.
2 more to go, so it’s not over yet, and Branyan didn’t hit his obligatory HR so far!
So much for the historic sweep. This is much more like what I expected, although it is painful to watch.
Ouch. More pain.
And I thought Morrow was going to be the ugly part. The bull pen cannot pitch 4-5 innings a night. A would wager their getting tired out there. I feel the Mariners need alot more 7th inning starts to get that pen rested up.
Irrelevant. The division title doesn’t go to the team that wins the most series, it goes to the team that wins the most games. Blowing this game sucks.
Yeah it does hurt to lose this game, but it just shows where some of the weaknesses of this team are. Going into the season, we would have been happy if the bullpen just graded out as average. They’ve been great, and that isn’t (wasn’t) sustainable. Starting pitching has also been better than we can reasonably expect to continue. The outfield defense will continue to be great, but average defense is the absolute best we can expect from the infield. Then we’ve got one of the 5 worst offenses in baseball, and that is only going to get worse with Beltre out for two months.
Blowing a 2 run lead at Fenway is like spilled milk.
Look at it this way:
*5-4 on the road trip (while only playing one game where we didn’t belong on the same field as the opponent)
*4-2 vs. the Red Sawks this year
*No more than 3.5 out of first place with a 7 game home stand coming up (including 4 vs. Texas).
Not a bad deal (especially compared to where we were last year).
I’m on board with the trading Mark Lowe thing.
The loss today was tempered by the fact that we went into this road trip expecting a disaster, me, personally, didnt see more than 3 wins out of it. To come home 5-4 against 3 of the best teams in baseball on the road is a huge plus. Winning a series in Boston and LA on the road and being in pretty much every game was great, too.
The series with Texas is going to tell the tale of the season, I suppose. The team is 0-5 against them this year, and anything other than a winning series with them would have us out of contention I would gather.
Mmm, thanks for clearing that up.
Listen, I’m not happy the bullen blew the lead and we lost the game. However, I expected to get swept in Fenway, and return from this road trip ~6 games back. Compared to those expectations, I’m pleased.
The addition of Langerhans really boosts the defense. Even with the loss of Adrian, it’s just nice to see any flyball and think “it can be caught” and every line drive and think “they’ll hold him to a single.”
Before the road trip, Dave wrote a huge post where he remarked that 8-8 would be a huge accomplishment. I didn’t get a chance to post, but I though 6-10 and not getting blown away would be a huge accomplishment and a 2-7 road trip was very realistic.
While today’s loss was ugly, you can’t win ‘em all and there’s not a team that wouldn’t take 5-4 playing these three teams.
The division title doesn’t go to the team that wins the most series, it goes to the team that wins the most games.
True; but isn’t the team that wins the most series usually the team that ends up winning the most games?
The other way around, more like it.
Winning series is a meaningless and ultimately pointless arbitrary distinction, nearly as bad as dividing the season up into 10-game increments or something.
Obviously, if you win two series 2-1 or win one 3-0 and lose one 1-2, you have the same number of wins, just like if you beat the bad teams to a pulp and play crap against the good teams, you can still win a title. Until the playoffs. Then winning series is a good idea.
Ought to be some empirical support either way. Even if it is chopping up the season in arbitary ways, there should be some correlation between winning series and winning overall.
Correlation is not causation.