Game 92, Mariners at Angels
Dave · July 18, 2010 at 10:23 am · Filed Under Mariners
Vargas vs Santana, 12:35 pm.
The M’s #2 starter takes the hill, though this is now not nearly as exciting as it was the first half of the season. After a strong start to the year, Vargas has mostly been what he was before, and needs to throw strikes in order to succeed, because he’s not racking up the strikeouts any more. If he can avoid the walks, though, he can still be an effective starter, so look for him to pound the zone today against an Angels team that doesn’t hit lefties all that well.
Oh, and hey, Justin Smoak!
Ichiro, RF
Figgins, 2B
Gutierrez, CF
Lopez, 3B
Bradley, DH
Smoak, 1B
Langerhans, LF
Johnson, C
Josh Wilson, SS
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138 Responses to “Game 92, Mariners at Angels”
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Dammit Figgins!!! I thought you were finally going to make a play!!
I wanted to see another Smoak AB. I think I’ll get that chance.
God, I hate the bullpen.
Unless the Angels just walk off.
Where is J.J Putz?? Aardsma sucks
This is a sincere question here: what exactly happened to Aardsma? He is not the same pitcher he was last year. Is he not throwing as many strikes this season or what?
As another former NFL coach said, “they are who we thought they were”. Aarsdma had a good year last year but has reverted back to what he was in Boston.
He was lucky last year, he has never been a great pitcher …
He was never as good as the results would suggest last year. The dreaded regression to mean here. *shudder*
Come on, dammit! One more strike!
Haha, Sims said Mariners win, like he was shocked.
I hate you Aardsma!!!
Mr. Aardsma, you live a charmed life, indeed…
And the M’s salvage a big one-out-of-four in Anaheim…GIDDY UP!!!
Ah okay, thanks for the response. I honestly never took the time to look up his career before he got to the M’s.
As for the game, such a dull win. I didn’t get the least bit excited on that last strike. We won on a wild pitch and a blooper. This is going to be a long season haha
Aardsma actually mixed up his pitches … and threw a couple of the non-fastballs for strikes!? WTF?!
Where has that been? It made all the difference. He actually pitched … instead of just throwing. A trend that hopefully continues.
Thereby proving that you did the right thing by not going to the game … and are wise beyond your years.
My wife was shocked that there would be a M’s fan living in the Anaheim area. I told her that “Mariner Nation” is everywhere.
Here, let me fix that for ya:
This
is going to behas been a dreadfully long season!Yeah. I haven’t always lived here. Just moved up here from the Imperial Valley area last year for college (Cal-State Fullerton FTW!) . I drive around a Jeep with a Mariners trailer hitch on it. I’m probably not the most popular guy around here.
But yes, Mariner Nation is everywhere…for now
Way to cherry pick numbers. Those 5 outings were 105-108-109-106-106. He didn’t get into the 8th inning in any of those games, and he has never gone 8 all year. He was at 103 when he was pulled. He still wouldn’t have got the win even if he went 8.
And, just think, the White (Hot) Sox and Red Sox come to town for what should be about a 1-5 homestand…oh, boy!!!
I noticed that. But at least he got to say “The DA closes the case!” for the first time in a long time.
Interesting comment by Wak about Guti on Shannon Drayer’s blog:
In horrible news. The guy who played Lou Brown in “Major League”, James Gammon, died today. I will be watching Major League 1 and 2 back to back now. =(
Boy, I bet the Angels are embarassed!
That is sad news…RIP, Mr. Gammon.
Nah, he was moved to second because he was the “better defender.” I think the front office and management expected Lopez to put up numbers like he did last year, which is part of the reason we didn’t see power pushed for too much in the offseason. Then again, if everyone in the lineup were performing up to career averages/last year’s career season, we would probably be neck and neck with the Rangers for the division lead.
Haha on the Mariners official website, in the comments for today’s game article, someone is suggesting that Tui is the 3rd baseman of the future. I think I’ll go laugh myself to death now.
See, EthanN, it could always be worse.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, describes the 2010 Mariners season in a nutshell.
Hasn’t he been the 3rd baseman of the future for the past, oh, five years or so?
I don’t think I can agree with you Ethan. There is nothing more popular (in an opposing City) than to see the “Mariners” or their fans coming to town. The Mariners can help cure any of their rivals’ cold streaks. They have done it twice for Anaheim now. You might just be the most popular resident in all of Anaheim.
Good luck in school.
You know that commercial that FSN keeps playing to promote “batting practice” with Wak throwing and Junior yelling “make an adjustment” in the background … and Wak laughing while throwing. I think this phrase is probably something they have heard a lot. Nobody knows what it means (because of the lack of specificity) … but it means that someone needs to do something.
BTW: I think all teams do it.
The only proper adjustment (and the likely true meaning): Start producing.
Josh Lueke’s line today: 2 IP, 1 Hit, 3 K’s … 22 pitches – with 18 for strikes.
Lawson is also hitting the ball well since being traded.
Yay!
This kid’s a big part of our future,” Wakamatsu said. “It’s been a tough, tough year on him. Without the results, you still see some improvement. He’s got a ways to go to be consistent, but he’s pitched well enough in the past. He’s going to have to make some adjustments both physically and mentally.
“I think he’s got a chance to be an awfully good pitcher in the Major Leagues. Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forward. It hasn’t been pretty for him.”
Wak talking bout Hyphen saying he has a bright future? Maybe we need a coach that recognizes when a player is bad.
I remember Matt Lawson, but can’t remember from where. Sounds weird, I know, but my brain keeps saying, “good ballplayer, blue collar, strong.” This is not ESP. I’ve heard about him before but cannot connect. Anyone out there seen him or know his roots?
(Maybe too much cough medicine.)
Obviously, but only after an “adjustment” is made.
Are you maybe confusing him with Matt Lawton – former Twins outfielder? Matt Lawton’s profile kind of fits the metrics of your description above.
That is really sad. I love those movies.
Actually, he threw 102 pitches, to a total of 28 batters. 3.64 P/PA. Good thing he only threw 102 instead of, oh, 105.64 – the exact number I “cherry picked”. He sure did look fatigued after striking out 4 of his last 6 hitters!
He was having the game of his life with 9 strikeouts. It was a high leverage situation, and he’d just struck out Erick Aybar with a runner on base. I’m more concerned about the team winning the game than ascribing credit for that win to a certain pitcher.