Game 63, Padres at Mariners
Happy Felix Day!
King Felix vs. Clayton Richard, 7:10pm
Felix Hernandez makes his first start since back tightness cost him some time (and may have contributed to his awful start against Chicago. It gave us all a good scare, but the layoff may have had a benefit: Felix watched himself on video for what sounds like the first time, and he diagnosed several mechanical flaws. A healthy Felix who’s also a mechanically-sound Felix would prove pretty tough to deal with, especially for San Diego and their below-average offense.
Opposing him is southpaw Clayton Richard, who had a minor break out in 2010 when he put up a sub 4 ERA and FIP in about 200 innings. Of course, once you park adjust, a “sub 4” ERA isn’t all that amazing; he was actually below average according to Fangraphs’ ERA- and FIP- stats. Still, for a back of the rotation guy, he was very good and seemed to be getting better. Since then, injuries and ineffectiveness have pushed him towards replacement level.
He throws a two- and four-seam fastball, a cutter/slider and a change-up. When he came to the Padres he was a ground-baller, using his sinker often with only an occasional four-seamer. From 2010-2011, he used the four-seamer much more often, which makes some sense in a park like Petco, but thus far in 2012 he’s gone back to the sinker as his most-used fastball. This has boosted his GB rates, but it’s not helping him recapture his pre-injury strikeout numbers. His GB and K% and B% now make him seem like a poor man’s Rick Porcello, or perhaps a poor man’s Jerome Williams and I *still* can’t believe I’m calling anyone a poor man’s Jerome Williams. Man, I wished Williams pitched for someone other than Anaheim.
The line-up:
1: Ichiro (RF)
2: Ackley (2B)
3: Montero (DH)
4: Seager (3B)
5: Smoak (1B)
6: Olivo (C)
7: Saunders (CF)
8: Figgins (LF)
9: Ryan (SS)
SP: KING FELIX
Yeah, yeah, Figgins in LF. Kyle Seager is batting clean-up, and we all sort of nod and scan the rest for problems. Can you imagine this a year ago? Kyle Seager is batting clean-up, for the Mariners, and we’re OK with that. This is absolutely not a knock on Seager, who’s been the M’s best hitter in 2012. I’m just marveling both at how smoothly Seager’s transition to the majors has gone…and how bumpy the road’s been for Jesus Montero (to say nothing of Justin Smoak).
In other news, the M’s have gone over slot to sign 3rd round pick Tyler Pike and 2nd rounder Joe DeCarlo. The combined amount puts them pretty close to the 10% threshold at which Serious Business occurs, so you’d expect that the M’s have a plan to underspend somewhere. Technically, they’ve underspent on 4th rounder Patrick Kivlehan and 7th rounder Taylor Ard, but I doubt those later picks put much of a dent in the overage for, say, DeCarlo. A half-million over slot never used to be worth a raised eyebrow, but the M’s clearly need to be careful now. If this is an effort to play hardball with Mike Zunino, then I don’t like it – having the overages public gives every bit as much leverage to Zunino as it does to the M’s. Because the M’s lose the slot amount if they fail to sign Zunino, they now absolutely MUST sign Zunino or they risk losing two draft picks. This makes me think they have something worked out with Zunino already, because if not, I can’t imagine anyone in the FO’s sleeping well.
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What if the M’s moved to Century Link Field, placed the diamond with center field facing east?
Official prediction:
Beaven sent down.
Figgins released.
Olivo tied up and dropped into Elliot Bay.
Barry Bonds signs a contract with the M’s.
Mike Hargrove replaced Wedge, but quits before the start of tomorrow’s game.
Carp with a hang nail related IR stint? Master of ceremonies is speculating on the radio. Carp is clearly “not right” – so why not! Apparently he did not even suit up for BP today.
After the attendance tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Hultzen get the call, in an effort to stir excitement.
Tacoma is on a road trip, that they just left on Sunday night. Is there any players that didn’t go.
At Steve: facing Mecca? Sure – why not. Couldn’t hurt … As long as someone somewhere would just move the damn fences inward – life would once again have proper balance.
After the attendance tonight, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw Hultzen get the call, in an effort to stir excitement.
Unless he can hit lead off, and have an OBP of .375, I don’t see it working.
I think that Hargrove prediction was worth the price of admission. Thank you for that, Henry.
What about just removing the fences, so well hit balls, could just keep rolling?
Mike, you have inspired me.
Now, whenever I see someone doing poorly, I’m just going to scream at them “MORE THE FENCES IN!”
Make sure you open your windows, Henry, so the neighbors hear you!
Beaven and Liddi down, Ramirez up, Guti activated.
Carp and Pryor to DL.
Drayer’s tweeted (god I hate saying that word) that Beavan and Liddi are getting a lot of hugs in the locker room, though nothing’s been officially announced.
Where did you hear that, Henry?! I’ve been diggin’ and the best I could find, was that damn tw***!
Try “move not “more” and it will work, great
You have given me a good idea … I am going to implement the line at work, when my kids need money and whenever their is a honey-do item. In honor of seattle-sons – i have now seen the light and i am now going to live a much simpler life moving forward.
Super size that order – with cheese – and move the damn fences in! Fill’er ip and move the fences in. Is there an app for that … and move the fences in. Hey bob, hey groz, continue to say nothing with words … And move the fences in.
Figgins sucks … And move the fences in.
Amen … And move the fences in!
Geoff Baker. For all that’s worth.
Wow, and we may see Wells up tomorrow, too.
Hehehe Mike.
I don’t expect Guti to hit for much; but he will be a welcome sight.
Nothings official yet, but man, I hope that’s true. If Pryor, Carp, Liddi, and Beavan are off the 25-man, and Guti, Ramirez, and Wells replace them… then there’s still one more move to be made. Maybe Delebar comes back? Capps?
So, Gutierrez, Ramirez and wells come up with
liddi, Beavan, Pryor and carp going down or to IR?
That leaves one remaining spot to fill (a pitcher) … Who might it be and can they have any influence on MTFI?
Just read the Baker article. I actually fully agree with what he said. Doesn’t happen often!
Steve, get out of my head!
haha, beat ya to the punch, Mike. MOVE THE FENCES IN!
Funny, that overnight, we may be going from a very limited outfield, to a very good one -at least defensively.
Well, given what Figgins and Carp are currently hitting – it’s not like Guti’s likely to be WORSE than them at the plate. And defensively the outfield is going to improve significantly.
I’d still like to see Figgins DFA’d. But as Dave suspected, he’ll now likely be the back-up at 3rd.
Even though they fell short, the ninth did at least demonstrate this team is better than – and much more watchable than – last year’s team. I certainly thought they had a shot at winning, and was disappointed when they didn’t pull it off. Last year I would’ve been resigned to the loss, even after the home run.
Totally agree. They’ve demonstrated the ability to come from behind, so there’s reason to hang in there, have hope.
BTW I’m waiting for the Times article that discusses Saunders failure to produce more RBIs – after all, he’s had a couple of multi-hit nights in the past couple weeks where his only failures were with men were in scoring position.
😀
(I’m terrible, I know it)
Guti looked great @ Cheney on Sunday. Seems like he has bulked up a bit. He blasted 2 doubles, including a shot smoked more than 400′ to straight-away center, probably would have been a HR @ Safeco. Let’s hope Guti can get back to his hitting stroke of a few years ago – line drives, timely hits…