Game 85, Mariners at Athletics
Kevin Millwood vs. Tom Milone, 7:05pm
The M’s escape Safeco Field after a dispiriting homestand that saw them score 2 runs per game and generally look pathetic. Whether it’s meteorological or psychological, the M’s are now free to see other ballparks for a while. Unfortunately, they’ve shacked up with another HR-stifling pitcher’s park and that park’s very solid pitching and defense. As I mentioned the other day,. the A’s have given up fewer runs per game than the M’s, despite not enjoying Safeco’s bizarre 2012 stats. The A’s have somehow assembled a very good defense despite near constant player turnover (I wonder if Brandon Allen remembers that he played for the A’s this year) and a pitching staff that’s extremely inexperienced.
Take Tommy Milone, for example. He was included in the Gio Gonzalez deal, and made his MLB debut last season with the Nationals. The classic soft-tossing lefty has made the transition to starting and to the American league with aplomb. Using a “fastball”, cutter, change-up and curve, he’s managed to keep his HRs allowed within the tolerable range, and his defense has done the rest. Coming up, he had fantastic strikeout rates (and K:BB ratios), but he’s not a strikeout pitcher in the majors – this is probably normal given his velocity. There’ve been a few mid-80s/change-up artists who’ve posted amazing strikeout rates in the minors, only to see them plummet in the bigs – Andy Sonnanstine was pretty good for a while before crashing out. Thanks to his HR-suppressing park and one of the better defenses in the league, he’s run an RA under 4.00. Sure, his FIP’s not that great but I’m talking about him in his specific, Oakland-y context. All of this is annoying in that he’s so similar in basically every way to his old college teammate, Anthony Vasquez. Both used a FB/curve/change; Vasquez used a two-seamer while Milone uses a cutter, and Vasquez’s FB was a tick or two slower than Milone’s, but they’re clearly somewaht similar. The resemblance is even stronger when Milone pitches away from the forgiving environment of Oakland – Milone’s RA away from the Coliseum’s a Vasquez-like 7. Of course, tonight’s game takes place in said forgiving environment, so the M’s may be boned. Go M’s!
Kevin Millwood tries to get through today’s start without his groin acting up again. Even with the option of Noesi, the M’s can get several solid innings from their suddenly excellent bullpen, especially with the all-star break looming.
The line-up:
1: Ichiro (DH)
2: Wells (LF)
3: Saunders (CF)
4: Olivo (C)
5: Seager (3B)
6: Smoak (1B)
7: Peguero (RF)
8: Ackley (2B)
9: Ryan (SS)
SP: Kevin Millwood
So, uh, everyone who thought Peguero might DH a few games before the break….surprise!
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126 Responses to “Game 85, Mariners at Athletics”
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Does Hendu realize what he just said about pitchers facing Seager is 100% contradictory to what he said earlier about the difference between AAA pitchers and major league pitchers?
No more predictions from me, I’ve got no magic tonight.
That’s more like it. Westy is back, baby!!!
Darn, my reverse curse didn’t work.
If we have to wait for Saunders or Olivo to win it, we’ll be here a long time. Reminds me of the famous 19 inning game with the Red Sox. The first nine innings of that were over by about nine o’clock, and then it went on for about three and a half more hours in extra innings. So plan your snacks and drinking accordingly.
Juneau, I wouldn’t have minded if Olivo’d homered.
I hope you’re wrong, Breadbaker, but I’ve got that feeling too.
Had to get that commercial in prior to the inevitable K.
I credit “TV Producer” for that decision.
A bloop dink hit and a check swing hit. Awesome kharma brewing.
Where’s Jo-bu?
Our LOOGY!
Great call
o-key.
“Yeah, I’ll throw it down the middle a second time. Who’d ever guess I’d do that?”
I am so God damn tired of this fucking team. I can only take the “young guys” excuse for so long. I am an original season ticket holder (from my Dad) and I am seriously thinking about cancelling next years tickets. This is unwatchable.
How many times have we seen opposing pitchers get career highs against the Mariners? This is ridiculous. They are making every pitcher look like Cy Young. SOMETHING has to change!
One positive result from that walk-off homer…
I don’t have to hear Hendu’s voice anymore.
Olivo called for the fastball 0-1, and a rookie is not going to shake him off.
Too many guys on this team stink, and there is no accountability, really.
Wedge is a poor manager, pretty much everyone is having a bad year. The FO doesn’t really show that much concern. And Z is in over his head.
I concur that it’s about as unwatchable as MLB can get. And these ROOT post game shows are absolute crap.
I know Brendan Ryan is the best defensive shortstop in the league, but how much more of this can we take? Not only is he an absolute wreck at the plate, he isn’t hustling! When he got in a pickle at first base he was WALKING to 2nd base. Where is the accountability there Wedge?
Yeah, Brendan Ryan….that’s the problem.
What was Olivo supposed to call? Delabar best pitch is the fastball…which gets destroyed by righties…
Steve Delabar is on pace to give up a home run every other inning when pitching again right handed hitting. That’s 8 HRs in 15.1 innings pitched to RHB’s. How many HRs haw he given up to LHers in 15 innings? ZERO! With extra innings the excuse is that he didn’t have anyone else… However, Luetge should have been available. He does much better against right handed hitters than Delabar.
Please correct me if I am wrong. However, I have seen this happen before and I am wondering with all the talk about accountability, when is Wedge going to be held accountable?
Location. Command. He just missed the fastball down the middle first time. Not a lot of major league hitters (other than those who have a compass rose on their caps, apparently) will do so twice.
Bread, I’m afraid to say it, but those players with a compass rose on their caps couldn’t hit a ball out of the infield even if it was on a tee for them.
They’d be looking for a tee that was low and outside so they could practice swinging over it and late.
^ Nicely done, Breadbaker. 🙂
Kansas City just grabbed Adam Moore off waivers.
Good luck, Mr. Moore! I hope things go better for you in the Royals organization than they did here.
Bread, I almost shot soda out of my nose