Game 23, Mariners at Blue Jays
The rubber match of this series in Toronto features a moderately interesting pitching match-up as Jason Vargas squares off against Henderson Alvarez. The hard-throwing righty faced the M’s in his 2nd MLB start last year and much of what I said then still applies. There are some out there who think he could take a step forward and become something approaching an ace – velocity that touched 97mph and a lot of ground balls tends to inspire rosy projections. But he’s still not missing many bats, and despite the flurry of worm-burners, he’s yielded 5 homers in 23 innings so far.
Jason Vargas is an almost perfect inverse of Alvarez – lefty, instead of righty. Fly-baller instead of GB guy. Tops out around 88 and often works slower than that. If only Vargas got more whiffs….
With the day game after an afternoon game after a night game, the M’s are actually starting John Jaso. This doesn’t mean Olivo gets a day off, however. The M’s have their lefty-heavy line-up in, minus Justin Smoak who’s apparently getting a “mental” day off. This means Alex Liddi gets his first start in the clean-up spot, right-handed starting pitcher be damned.
1: Figgins (LF)
2: Ackley (2B)
3: Ichiro (RF)
4: Liddi (!) (1B)
5: Seager (3B)
6: Saunders (CF)
7: Olivo (C)
8: Jaso (DH)
9: Kawasaki (SS)
SP: Jason Vargas
Game time is 10:07am
The other news of the morning is that George Sherrill’s likely done for the year, as he’s slated to have elbow surgery soon. This isn’t a huge surprise, but I feel bad for Sherrill, who’s always been one of my favorites. With Lucas Luetge’s solid start, the M’s aren’t likely to suffer from Sherrill’s absence, but it’s never good to see an injury like this.
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157 Responses to “Game 23, Mariners at Blue Jays”
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Maybe it’s as simple as: Zduriencik simply forgot to tell Wedgie that Jaso is actually a catcher!
Chone!
Wow, Figgins flashing power
We’re playing at Rogers Centre, but still, good to see!
Some team needs to step forward and scoop up this versatile third baseman with power!
I keep waiting to hear that another team lost a middle infielder and has no in-house options.
Saunders!
I swear, if I see Olivo swing at the 1st pitch and pull a grounder one more time -with a runner on, I’m going to pull my hair out.
And Saunders would have scored on the ground ball to short, had Miggy done his job. A one pitch at bat pulling the ball to 3B – with a runner on 2b. Typical Miggy-crap
You simply don’t understand. Miggy’s got so much veteran grit just flying around him, it affects the flight of the ball off his bat.
It also obscures his vision sometimes.
I don’t understand why he’s hitting 7th either.
I have chosen to ignore Olivo and enjoy the other 8 men hitting. Makes for a much more enjoyable game.
And allegedly he (miggy-crap) was working all spring on hitting the ball up the middle and going the other way.
He still comes out of his shoes and tries to pull most every pitch he sees.
Glad to see Smoakamotive and Ryan get days off for “mental and mechanical” reasons, though.
I was just reading an article suggesting Carl Crawford would be a good fit for the Dodgers. I wonder if Z has had any conversations about a swap for our current left fielder? Crawford will likely be out for a while, maybe even the season if he needs surgery, but I’d take a flyer.
In all seriousness, even though he got away with it – I’m not sure Saunders should’ve tried stretching that into a double.
Good idea Terry
Yeah, I thought the same Westy. He was pushing his luck! If the throw-in wasn’t dropped, they probably had him.
I’d still like to see Figgins go away ASAP, even if he continues to be mediocre rather than outright sucking. He’s not part of our future, and we’ve got more than enough young guys better suited to be put in that role.
I mean, Wedgie ostensibly has trouble getting time for all the guys he has now (I mean that semi-seriously). It’s only going to get worse if/when Carp and Guti return. I certainly don’t think Saunders deserves less playing time, and Seager has earned a continued look…
You gotta like Saunders’ aggressiveness on that play, though. Actually, in the 2nd inning and with his speed, I kinda like what he did. But, yes … If the Jays had made the play, he would have been out. The play “surprised” them, and the surprise worked. Then, Miggy undid the advantage.
I agree. I’d like to see Saunders take over left when Guti returns and see more of Carp at 1st. Most of the young guys deserving of time are infielders though and I’m not too keen on the idea of moving them to the outfield. Maybe seeing Carp perform so badly in left, has made me nervous? I’d like to see at least one more solid, MLB proven outfielder on the roster. Maybe Abreu would be a good short-term fit? I’m not confident that Guti will play much this season, so that’s another reason.
That’s a good point, Steve. Given his history, it’s probably not wise to pencil Guti in full time after his return.
And Figgins hasn’t sucked out there. He’s not a great fielder, but he’s certainly adequate.
Given the roster we have, I’d like to see two simple moves… Give Wells the majority of starting time in left while Guti is out and start Jaso at catcher against RHP’s, if not all the time.
Abreu in the outfield would make you long to see Carp out there. He’s terrible in the outfield and we already have more DH’s then we need.
Neither of which is likely to happen, Steve.
Do any of you know when Carp began his rehab assignment in Tacoma. You are only allowed 20 days (not 20 games) for a rehab assignment. He has to be nearing a return sometime soon. I suppose the team was not expecting him to hit in the .140′s on his rehab assignment, but they are going to have to pull him up soon. Big opportunity today for Liddi to substantiate his case to stay up.
This realistically isn’t a contending year. So this would ideally be the time to play younger, less experienced players, right? The players in question, also happen to be the better players, so it’s really hard to understand Wedge’s decisions.
Figgins hasn’t been too bad in left, but Wells is better, and I’d like to see what he can do with the bat. Curious if he can hit RHP’s.
Yeah Mike, Carp started on the 13th, so he should be finished on the 2nd or 3rd.
Who is this “Wells” person you keep talking about? I’ve seen no evidence he actually exists.
I haven’t seen Abreu in left this year. Or much of last year. If he’s a step-down from Carp, I’ll pass on that flyer!
Nice hit Miggy. Now, steal a base
I wonder if Carp might be optioned to Tacoma for a while, given his struggles.
I’m scared that Olivo getting 3 hits this series is going to make Wedge think that he should catch 140 games this year. It will make him ignore that most of his at-bats are awful, his defense is bad, and that he frames pitches terribly.
God I hate Olivo.
Now, score a run, don’t drop any balls and never swing at bad pitches again.
You called it, msfanmike!
I’m thinking the same thing Westy but isn’t he out of options?
Olivo can steal a base! Who knew?
Oh… I didn’t realize he might be out of options.
Olivo has two skills he performs better than Montero, and we just saw one of them.
Good question. Maybe they option Smoak, give Carp time at 1st?
Now I can’t get the painful (theoretical) image of Montero trying to steal a base out of my head…
I’m thinking how it’d look on camera – the catcher would throw to the second baseman, then the cameraman would have to pull back to get Montero in the picture.
Also, WTF guys?
That REALLY disturbs me
Carp has gotten a hit each of the last 3 games, I believe – but still is clearly struggling. I would be surprised if he were the one optioned and I wonder if he has any remaining. I think someone else will be going down to Tacoma, but you bring up an interesting idea, Westy
Good god on that popup! Seaver has to call him off. Still no idea why Miggy pulled back after running to the spot. Frack!
Lucky they got him on the next pitch, but still, that shouldn’t happen.
Well, I think we can count on a Seager benching for that! Wedgie has to hold most of his players accountable, ya know!
Right now, I’m ok with Liddi at 1st. He looked terrible this spring at 1st, but not too bad in the regular season. That’s one way to keep both him and Seager in the line-up.
WTF FIGGINS?!
Holy Moley.
Haha Rogers Centre pop up !! The roof is playing with our guys.
Okay, Seager and Figgins will BOTH be given responsibility benchings…
Well, I’m still glad it isn’t Bradley in left.
hehehe Steve
But if they bench Figgins, it means Wells would likely start.
Got out if, luckily. Time to get some runs.
There you go again, mentioning this “Wells” person…
I suppose we can’t be too hard on Figgins, as he’s responsible for the games only run.
They could DFA Carp(which I wouldn’t care for)and if anyone claims him pull him back and send someone down. Might see if there is any interest in a outfielder out there. Then we talk Figgins instead. Dreaming here, I know.
That’s a very real possibility.
They could also put him on the DL again for a hang-nail or something.
What Carp does over the next few games may very well dictate what they do. I really wouldn’t be surprised if Smoak was the one squeezed out. He could probably use some time in Tacoma.
Smoak does have options, right?
I’m pretty sure he does, Steve. He could use a time in Tacoma to work on things.
Yeah, and it’s not like there isn’t anyone capable of playing 1st. Carp, Liddi, even Jaso.
Wells has options, as I just saw on an mlb.com page. Unfortunately, he might very well be the one going down – thanks to Wedgie’s legendary talent recognition skills.
A one run lead is not nearly enough the way these guys are hitting.
And Ackley, which they’ve already done once.
Funny that these 3 games have been so similar through 5.
Wow, nice catch Figgins
I hope Wells isn’t the one optioned
Nice hit Seager!
Okay, let’s take advantage of that!
BTW am I the only one who thinks Colby Rasmus resembles Michael Saunders? They both have these tall, lanky frames and seem to move similarly.
I’m not sure what the cause is, but it sure seems like at least some of these guys are (seriously) having a better approach at the plate as of late. We’re seeing walks!
… and up comes Olivo, right on cue.
So, Olivo watches obvious strikes go by… and has to (fail) check on a pitch at neck level.
Nice job Olivo. Watches one right down the middle, follows it up by swinging at crap.
Nice AB by Saunders. Typical AB by Miggy.
Damn Jaso not on the first pitch. grrr
haha, great minds think alike.
Damn, beat me to the punch Westy
You only get three strikes lind. haha
Encarnacion with his Barry Bonds impersonation … any strike is crushed.
Sad thing is that Olivo has a 7 game hitting streak where he’s hitting like .250 through it… which I’m sure justifies playing him as often as he does according to Wedge. Olivo wasting rallies like he does just makes me want to throw up! Watch a 2-0 count go straight down the middle, then watch another strike go straight down the middle, and flail for the 3rd strike! I’m glad he gets away with not adjusting or improving AT ALL!
He’s hit the ball hard this series.
Yeah, regardless of a hitting streak, most of Olivo’s AB’s are just ugly. A hit here and there doesn’t really make up for the bad AB’s.
Marc and Jay probably know right where to lay their hands on this information; but I’m having trouble finding a list of which Mariners have options left. I’m finding articles about individual players, so I know that Saunders, Wells, Liddi, and Kawasaki have at least one option…
It might be nearing the time to call in The Rob-Roy rally machine. You out there, Mr Z?
Olivo generally does hit the ball hard – when he makes contact. That’s what seems to endear him to old-schoolers like Wedgie. It seems to be a confirmation bias situation.
Saunders, really? I swore I had read he was out of options. Not that it matters, cause he wont be the one sent down anyway.
I’ve seen a couple mentions that Saunders has one option left.
Wedge(being an old catcher himself) likes the things that don’t show up in the box score. Dammit.
If you were responding to my comment Westy, I was referring to Encarnacion hitting the ball hard.
Come on Ackley! Clutch-up.
Wonder where it was I read he didn’t. No big deal though.
Come on Ichiro – clutch up. Need a knock.
WTF? Come on Ichiro!!
What’s more amazing, fouling off that pitch or deciding to swing at it?
Oh, sorry Steve – I misunderstood what you meant.
Also, it’s hard to believe but Carp’s been around longer than Saunders. It just seems like Saunders has been in the organization forever.
damn
Wow, didn’t know that. Didn’t Carp come over in the Putz deal?
BTW just now I was referring to how long Carp’s been in baseball, not with the M’s.
0-2 in “clutchiness”. If there is such a thing, that was it – Part 1 for today.
Yup. Carp came over with Guti.
Yeah I realized that sentence of mine was prone to being misunderstood. Carp hasn’t been with the Mariners forever.
gottchya
Nice catch.
Ugh. Olivo is the huge raised misshapen hairy mole on an otherwise attractive girl’s face.
It’s just that I remember hearing about Saunders for so long, it seems like he was in the org since the late 1990s hehe.
Sorta like Mike Wilson.
Horrible comparison… a mole can be covered and ignored with a band-aid.
Okay, to further drive this into the ground… I was wrong. Both Carp and Condor were drafted in 2004, apparently. Saunders, though, took some time to play on a Tallahassee community college team before signing.
Winning 5 of 9 on this road trip would be nice. Seeing whom we’re playing. And the games are at least interesting to watch so far this year. Yea for some improvement there.
Wow, Liddi just missed that one.
Okay, Seager, Saunders… let’s do it!
haha, bad toss to the fans.
Geez. What a break for the Jays
Are the fans chanting “Condor”?
Hmm… maybe I needed to clarify what it was I wanted Seager and Saunders to do.
They’re chanting “Saunders”, Steve.
Could see Montero hit in the nineth.
My lady’s next to me with, playing 80′s Brazilian music, so I can’t hear the game clearly.
^^^ Sounds like a worthwhile tradeoff.
ouch…
I claim that as ‘retaliation’ baby.
Man, I always flinch when a ball like that goes anywhere near the batter’s head.
Funny, I was just wondering if they’d be better off throwing him crap, like a less obvious intentional walk. Guess the result’s the same.
I know that wasn’t an intentional plunking.
CRAP.
Yeah, saw that coming.
Knew walking him to get to Lawrie didn’t make any sense. *facepalm*
Good clutchiness by the blue jays. Great call to steal on the first pitch from a new reliever, too. outplayed and out-coached, today.
Nice throw Miggy. Fpppplllllsssshhhh.
Geez
Yay olivo
I hear the fat lady singing..
Isn’t Edwin Encarnacion supposed to suck?
Bye bye baseball.
The fat lady’s doing a duet with Wedge.
Yard work time. Thanks to the Scheduler for providing that courtesy.
Yay for low-leverage homeruns!
Holy shit Miggy?
I’d be more excited by Olivo’s and Jaso’s hits if it weren’t for last inning.
Jaso!
4 games in Tampa, Terry. Ten game road trip. 5-5 would have to be considered a success of sorts. Freakin olivo. Came through in the clutch, at least in the bowels of Wedginess.
Um, I have a question. I’ve only been following baseball for 35 years, but I thought your DH was supposed to be one of your best hitters. You know, an established guy with some power and the ability to drive in runs. Usually hits fourth or fifth.
Why is our DH a new guy who plays sparingly and is hitting in the eighth spot?
Please help a confused Mariners fan. Thanks!
Bench Wedge Bench, loooking at Montero.
Here I come to save the… Er… nevermind.
Nickster, we’ve all been asking questions about how Wedge uses and doesn’t use Jaso – unfortunately I don’t think any of us have answers. I’d love to be proven wrong though…
MrZ sighting! Everything’s okay now! hehe
Why had Jaso stopped about 10 feet from third?
Bleh.
Miggy went 2 for 4 with a home run and a stolen base. We’re likely not ever to get him out of the line up, now. Dammit..
sigh.
So I was catching up by reading the scoring summaries on Gameday, it says in the 8th the Jays scored when a guy struck out?? How’d that happen? (I’m guessing something to do with Olivo and not catching a ball?)
Half right. Olivo threw away a pick out throw.
Terry-
Wow, but that doesn’t count right, because he hit a homerun? Runs caused for the other team are ignored once you hit a dinger in the Wedge book of baseball.
Our ONLY runs came on home runs by Figgins and Olivo.. Sad but true.
Accountability, Wedge. ACCOUNTABILITY. Right? Wait, what? Only for certain guys? Doesn’t apply to your favorites? Hmm.. that’s not what you said before. I’m sorry, but could you quantify “grit”, “guile”, and “bulldog”? Some of us don’t get how that translates into run production or run prevention.
I had a nightmare that The M’s traded away Jaso. I’m not even kidding.
Okay, we can put the blame for this one squarely on Jeff Sullivan. From his note about George Sherrill, earlier today…
“Also, this’ll only cement Charlie Furbush as a lefty reliever. At least he’s a good lefty reliever.”
This was the ideal time to have Jaso catch. RHP on the mound for a day-game. Glad we still gotta see Jaso’s bat, but Wedge’s decisions are just flat-out nuts.
Thanks Westy. It is comforting to know that I’m not the only one sitting on my couch thinking I’m in some kind of Bizarro Seattle.
Nickster, you may be onto something! If we start thinking about this as some sort of Bizarro world, it starts to make a certain kind of sense!
I’m taking off now – Hello!
I completely missed this game, so I was shocked when I saw that both runs were results of Figgy and Miggy…And Wedgie, did it again.
Something’s gotta give here in the next few weeks. All the issues that are glaringly obvious, need to be fixed, or at least an effort made.