Game 101, Mariners at Red Sox
DMZ · July 24, 2011 at 9:47 am · Filed Under Mariners
Jeebus. Pineda v Wakefield
RF-L Ichiro!
SS-R Ryan
2B-L Ackley
C-R Olivo
1B-L Smoak
LF-L Carp
CF-R Gutierrez
DH-L Cust
3B-S Figgins
I know I’ve said this before, but any team that puts out a lineup card like this is either not serious about winning that game or badly managed. Sure, lineups don’t have a huge effect. But making the most of that is what Wedge is employed to do.
Red Sox:
CF-L Ellsbury
2B-R Pedroia
1B-L Gonzalez
3B-R Youkillis
DH-L Ortiz
LF-L Crawford
RF-L Reddick
C-S Saltalamacchia
SS-R Scutaro
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123 Responses to “Game 101, Mariners at Red Sox”
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Man, Ackley is certainly one bright spot within this mostly dismal season…
We’re number one.
Ugh.
And that’s the ballgame.
We’ve actually been hitting somewhat league average durring this streak. It’s the 6+ ERA that’s been killing us lately, and during the skid. Who would have seriously thought that it would be mostly our pitching that lead to a lengthy losing streak, earlier in the year? As far as Pineda goes, Fenway is his worst nightmare, I knew he was going to struggle this game, because he is a flyball pitcher, and, well, Fenway tends to eat those types up. No excuse for Felix however.
Somewhere the ’92 Mariners are popping a few corks and sharing a good laugh and/or sigh.
And yet, as depressingly dysfunctional as the Bill “Liquid” Plummer era was, what I wouldn’t give to see an offense like Edgar, Bone, Tino, and Junior nowadays.
The Mariners havn’t actually won a game in, what, two-and-a-half weeks?
It will be three weeks after we return home after this roadtrip. Cool Standings has us finishing at 68-94, I think that may be a bit generous.
“Was Smoak waved in, or was he just really, really determined to cross home plate?”
No, he wished to show to Red Sox fans that a slower runner exists rather than Ortiz
“Jack Cust has, in July, been swinging at significantly more pitches outside the strike zone.”
That’s pretty surprising since he had been introduced like an OBP machine
We know he’s slower that Ortiz, because Ortiz got an infield hit today.
Of course, his real talent is taking pitches in the strike zone. For strike three.
“We know he’s slower that Ortiz, because Ortiz got an infield hit today”
True. I even remember Ortiz getting a base hit by bunting to third base in a shift situation, it was some years ago vs the Angels and he reached first base walking – guess who was their smart 3B ?
I didn’t follow the game, but Pineda simply had a bad day against a great team, while the deplored, illogical line-up of the M’s delivered more than it has in roughly the last 10,000 years.
Why complain about the lineups when the team is bad enough to be able to find whatever it takes to lose?
May Ichiro find a way to 200 hits, or at least a .300 BA, and may the starting pitchers get something for their excellent work, but this season feels far worse than last year’s in that I’m neither surprised nor angry.
I don’t of course wish the team ill, but I simply do not care how they do any longer – they deserve this record however much the fans do not.
If Ichiro has a good year, the rest would be gravy. I half expect the “dump Ichiro” train to get started, maybe even here. He’d certainly do better ANYWHERE else.
Although I live in Seattle now, I grew up in Boston. It’s nice to know that I was merely a “bandwagon fan” in the thirty-seven years I followed them before they finally won a world championship. I guess everyone would want to get on the bandwagon to witness such joys as being edged out by 1/2 game (a strike-shortened season where Detroit got to play one more game than us) in 1972, the seventh-game collapse in 1975, Dent’s HR, Buckner’s error, Grady Little’s…well, Grady Littling the 2003 ALCS, and dozens of smaller humiliations.
It’s funny — when the Sox were “never since 1918” losers, their fans were considered die-harders who represented the triumph of hope over realism. Win a couple of titles, and, all of a sudden, they’re nothing but “bandwagon fans.” I guess when all you following the Mariners get to finally watch them hoist the World Series trophy (you know, sometime around 2050), you’ll be considered nothing but bandwagon fans, too.
I don’t think most M’s fans have that much of a problem with legit long-time fans of teams like the Red Sox or Yankees. What torques a lot of people around here, though, are these guys that run around in Red Sox gear who were born and raised in, say, Auburn or Lynnwood and have: 1) no connection to New England whatsoever; 2) never even been back East to see a game at Fenway Park; & 3) still a closet-full of Yankee gear from the last dynasty team that they were, uh, “die-hard fans” of.
As much as I sympathize (within reason) with long-suffering legit Cubs fans, I almost hope the Cubbies never break the “billy-goat curse” for that reason — since chances are that many of the self-proclaimed “die-hard” Sox fans will all of a sudden start sporting Cubs gear instead.
Who Wedge puts in the lineup (and where) is the least of his problems at this point ! He’s got to play the players he has. But he still hasn’t figured out that EVERY run is precious with this team, and after 70% of the season, he hasn’t figured out that “the big hit” isn’t likely. First and third, one out, BUNT to get a run in if you have to. Every time we don’t, it kills momentum. Why he hesitates to get’em over, get’em in after what he’s seen drives me nuts.
But now the pitching’s starting to show the wear of all those one-and-two run losses. We are in deep, deep trouble. Time to start talking 2012.
If I’m the M’s, I’m trying to get LF/3B Vinny Catricala to AAA this year, and I’m trying to get 3B Alex Liddi up to get some major league time at 3B before the year is out. I’d also move James Paxton from AA to AAA before the year is out.
I disagree, rightwingrick, and here’s why.
Scouts always say: “Bringing a kid up to the bigs before he’s ready is the quickest way to ruin him.”
Well, it’s like that to jump to AAA from AA, too. In AAA, you’re up against plenty of guys that ARE major-league caliber, but might be blocked or just getting seasoning before they’re big-leaguers for good. It’s a bigger jump than what some give it credit for.
Catricala and Paxton have some more to prove before they go to Tacoma, I think. For one thing, Catricala’s defensive value. And Paxton’s had like, what? Three starts at Jackson? It’d be a bigger rush job than what Seager was.
Catricala’s definitely got more juice now as a legit righty-hitting prospect, you’re right. But me, the major move I make right now with Cat is determine which position is his from now on- i.e. if I just don’t think he’s a third baseman at the higher levels, then I shift him NOW to left field and say “you’re an AA-outfielder for the rest of the year, at least”.
And then I give him whatever at-bats I can get him while he’s adapting to that. Unless he just destroys AA pitching and forces my hand to promote him, this is what I do.
As for Liddi…I can’t argue that, rightwingrick. I think if the org was of the mind that Peguero had earned as BIG of a shot as what he got…then Alex Liddi CERTAINLY has.
I don’t have a lot of hope for Liddi, just like I didn’t for Peguero. But man…if ever an org was due for a bolt-of-lightning-level “pleasant surprise”, it’s us.
Funny…I’d always heard what a butcher Liddi was at third, but those hands look fine to me. He’s not a primo athlete, but plenty of third sackers aren’t.
Give the Italian kid a shot. We have nothing to lose at this stage in doing so.
I think the M’s should consider trading Felix if there not going to add payroll next season and get a guy like Fielder. Also this is the reason why Pineda is not very valuable he has 2 pitches and he is not a proven work horse like Felix is. I mean seriously if you were a contending team your not emptying your farm for a guy whos best pitch is his fastball your doing it for a guy like Felix who has 4 pitches and Cy Young potential.
The package should be one of the best of the decade, and to a NL team, because i would be upset if Felix pitch at Safeco with another jersey, i personally don´t like the Fielder idea, because he will seek a huge contract, 200 M or so, and he´s a DH, otherwise Felix is arguably, the best pitcher in baseball, with a reasonable contract, he loves Seattle, and you can´t find a pitcher like him in the FA market nor in the draft, so the Montero, Bañuelos, Betances is not a great idea, Montero would be a DH with a good bat, Bañuelos could be a good #2, and Betances will be a relief pitcher, you can find these kind of players in the FA market without giving away Felix, i think the M´s should listen offers for him, but his contract is not an impediment to keep him, they spend more than 20 millions in Silva/Batista and they were awful, if the package is enough to bolster this team in an awesome way for the next years, trade him, i don´t think there are too many teams that could offer that…
It’s a bit late to return to this thread, but I heard and read elsewhere that the M’s are pretty sure that Pineda was tipping pitches, at least in the first inning, based on the consistency that the Red Sox were teeing off on the fastball, and letting the slider go.
This of course doesn’t explain him leaving his fastball over the plate like he was.
I hope this isn’t a trend…
I have a question that has been bothering me. I keep hearing guys talking about getting Fielder next year, but very few saying no. Is this a good idea or not? I think it is crazy to spend about 20% of your payroll on a DH, but I keep hearing it. Who is correct, do we spend that much money for a DH/parttime 1st basemen?
“Funny…I’d always heard what a butcher Liddi was at third, but those hands look fine to me.”
That’s the subtle power of some opinion makers who do not like a player in a way of principle from day-1 whatever he performs. Since it’s not easy to watch live regularly a minor leaguer player it’s not hard being induced to believe what others say. The trick is quite easy in such cases, starting with that opinion on mind they can easily find some evidence to justify it. Yesterday was defense, today is hitting, tomorrow will be for sure something else…you can always underline some negative trait while ignoring the positive ones and by that way you’ve created an opinion shared.
I just like him because he will only be 28 when he signs and we desperately need offense and he will protect Smoak and Ackley in the lineup. By the way im not mentioning trading Felix to make people mad i just don’t think there is a point in holding on to him if Chuck and Howie won’t let Z go out and spend on offense it will be the same old same old if the budget goes down.
Am i worried about investing alot of money into just a DH who is really big? Yes, But you worry about any huge investment you put into any FA and its not like hes like his dad he is a much better player then Cecil.