Game 100, Yankees at Mariners
Hisashi Iwakuma vs. Ivan Nova, 12:40pm
Iwakuma looks to build on a solid start against a rather poor offense by facing a far more challenging opponent. Ivan Nova looks to stifle his laughter at the team that chose Hector Noesi instead.*
Nova had a good ground ball rate last year, which is somewhat interesting given that he throws only 4-seam fastballs. This season, his K rate’s up substantially and he’s cut his walk rate as well – but the trade-off’s been a big increase in his home runs allowed. He’s throwing more breaking balls (sliders and curves) than he did last year, and his slider appears to be something of a feast or famine pitch – good amount of whiffs, lots of ground balls, but he’s hung quite a few of them and batters have taken advantage. We’re talking about tiny samples when we look at pitch-type results from three and a half months, but it’s definitely something to watch.
All told, he ends up something like Freddy Garcia – the peripherals have changed, but it leaves him surprisingly near where he was. As a pitch-to-contact guy, he put up a 4.01 FIP and a 4.16 xFIP. As a strikeout/HR guy, he’s put up a 4.43 FIP with a 3.89 xFIP.
Hisashi Iwakuma knows a little something about giving up HRs, and despite the fact that this is in Safeco, and despite the fact that A-Rod’s on the DL, he’s going to have to keep the ball down. He spotted his fastball much better against the Rays than he had in his previous starts, so maybe it’s just taken him some time to get stretched out.
The line-up:
1: Ackley
2: Saunders
3: Montero (C)
4: Jaso (DH)
5: Seager
6: Carp
7: Wells
8: Peguero
9: Kawasaki
SP: Iwakuma
The Rainiers are playing early today as well, as Erasmo Ramirez makes a rehab start at 11:35 at Cheney.
The Jackson Generals have a day game today as well, as Forrest Snow gets the start in 100 degree heat.
*If this is even true. That’s what Howard Lincoln had to say back in spring training, and he’s certainly in a position to know, but I have no idea if it was that simple, or if taking Nova would’ve required the M’s to add more to the deal.
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Is it really wise of Wedge to be playing Kawasaki today? How is Mune supposed to be able to field today through all his tears?
Ichiro is leading off for the Yankees – that’s a cool thing for Girardi to do, methinks (and Jeter as well).
It’s only been like 4 games, but I’m already tired of Peguero. Why does this org continue to hope he and his huge windmill swing are major-league caliber?
Agreed, jephdood. We’ve already got the (relatively) more talented version of that particular skillset available in Olivo.
The other side of that, though, is – if they’re going to call the guy up, they might as well give him enough rope to hang himself. Unfortunately there’s no way to let that happen without forcing the rest of us to watch the spectacle.
When Guti comes back, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Peggy go down… at which point we’ll start the process all over again with Trayvon.
If I heard Wedge correctly – and within context – during his interview on Brock and Salk today, it is because the ball “comes off of Peguero’s bat faster than anybody’s.” I think he used the word “special.” I believe he also said that the team will just have to see how things go.
I know he used the phrase “it is what it is” over and over and over again … in regard to pretty much everything. He probably blinked incessantly while speaking. Maybe Clouseu is driving him crazy, too.
Knowing exactly when the ball might actually hit Peguero’s bat, however … that’s another matter, entirely. Maybe it will be special when it happens. Until then, “it is what it is.”
I love Wedge; get a couple hits, you move from 7th to 2nd, hit a little snag, you drop from 3rd to 7th. Throw left handed, you play RF. This is what my little league coach did.
I’m assuming the guy is still too obtuse to establish Wells in RF. He (Wells) is the superior athlete with the superior arm. Big deal, his glove hand is to the foul line. Ahem…Clemente, Dewey Evans, maybe a few dozen others. What is this, JV.
If Casper’s in RF, I’ll apologize. I”ll be shocked – but I’ll apologize.
It is was it is. Sounds about right. Peguero Right or left doesn’t matter. It does however, show we “still” have a problem with our lack of positional depth in the organization.
No shocks for you today, VC. And I agree – Wells should be in right.
I think the batting order changes have more to do with the handedness of the pitcher than anything else. Against lefties he had Wells near (or at) the top and Saunders near the bottom. Please note that I’m not defending that decision, since neither guy has actually demonstrated a problem hitting same-handed pitchers…
The Aquasox are also presently playing a day game, and ahead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
Unsworth’s stuff isn’t as good as I want it to be
Make that 4-2, with Ard just driving in Zunino with a double off the wall.
“we “still” have a problem with our lack of positional depth in the organization.”
I agree – in all areas.
I was also just thinking what the outfield depth chart would look like if Fister and Bedard had not been traded last year. Wells and Robinson would not be here. I guess Figgins would have been a starting outfielder today in that case.
This organization would probably have a hard time growing weeds, let alone MLB players.
Mike Wilson is some form of thistle.
Hey Jay, there’s a new theme for you…
“Mariners minor leaguers as garden weeds”
I’ll contribute Carlos Peguero: Smartweed. Some people find this largish plant attractive; but its sap can burn and irritate the skin.
Mike Wilson I would take today – assuming the Yankees decide to retaliate for no good reason, whatsoever and the benches clear. You need a good thick thistle in situations like that.
I am surprised you would stoke the Mike Wilson interest fire, Jay. The very mention of his name makes us all dream … and dream big. When nobody asks about him it must be shocking to you.
I forgot we had a master gardener in the house. Please forward all future gardening questions to Westy ^
I don’t think I’ve gotten a single serious Mike Wilson question all year. But this has been a down year for him, in broad terms. He’s been injured and his slash line is off by about forty points all around.
I don’t know enough about botany to pull off the weeds one.
Holy crap, I just saw Justin Smoak’s twelve-year-old doppleganger in Everett.
wild pitch by Leone. 1st pitch. Scored a runner from third as they weren’t able to put the play together. 4-3 ‘Sox.
Oh look, there’s a Mariners game on.
Now that Ichiro is in the opposing dugout, is anyone else expecting them to do a pan of the Yankee bench and see Kawasaki just hanging out non-chalantly wondering if anyone will notice he’s there?
I would like to see our SS do what their SS just did.
He’d probably be wearing some sort of cowboy-ish mustache as a disguise, 300. Actually that doesn’t seem very far-fetched for Muni!
Crap, Jeter homer. Yeah let’s bring those fences in.
Muni – you heard Nostra-Mikey! Make it happen!
Yay Smartweed!
Oh come ON Sims. I’m glad
PeggySmartweed caught it, but sheesh! “The guy covers”?! It’s his crappy fielding that made the dive and roll necessary!Jay: With Ichiro gone and with Mune on the verge of a nervous breakdown, is Triunfel making any kind of legitimate case for a callup? If the answer is ‘yes,’ would Franklin then move to SS?
Franklin’s been splitting time as is and there’s really no reason for him not to take over full-time SS if no one’s fighting him for it.
Triunfel does have a .822 OPS in July coming into today, so he has a case.
I assume you are ‘working’ from home today, Westy?
I am at work trying to to listen to how good this Curto fella is – without the annoying 10 second delay – but he isn’t doing play by play yet.
Aw, Michael, I wanted another homer!
Woo Condor! Kaw-kaw!
Thanks Jay. I am glad to hear Triunfel is making a case. If his abhorrent cold streak from earlier in the year could be removed from the equation entirely, he would probably be having an excellent season.
Since Mune has no future here, maybe his time has come.
The only thing he covers is the fact that the Mariners are indeed rebuilding. He is a noxious weed for sure and like all noxious weeds, he will start choking the life out of the other good plants in the bunch…
Mike: Yup. I’m going to have to take off in about 5 minutes for a doctor’s appointment though. Hopefully the M’s will take that as a sign to score about five runs during my absence – they’ve done so before.
I think the Noxious Weeds started spreading sometime around 2003 – and haven’t stopped except for a couple seasons of moderate dormancy.
How did I do with that one, Westy?
hehe Mike.
Crap I have to leave. Seager, hit it!
Wow – nice AB by Seager.
Now would be a great time to announce your presence with some authority, Mr. Carp.
NOW!!!
To make matters worse, I’m not so sure how effective our minor league weed killer is, considering all the new species of weeds that have promulgated at Safeco Field.
Did I just hear that the Yankees are in need of a veteran third baseman? Hmmm… I’m wondering if we can send a particular weed out of Safeco with them, the weed species being known as Choneus Figginius.
Ackley’s 2012 strikeout and walk rates are almost exactly the same as they were in 2011. Its scary how similar they are … with diametrically opposed bottom line results.
His BABIP is way below last seasons and I doubt anybody would have had a hard time predicting that.
Regarding LD rate, is there a Readers Digest condensed version available which describes how LD’s are defined. I imagine there is qite a bit of subjectivity.
Everyday I’m seeing less and less of a catcher in Montero and am starting to agree with the people that say he is going to inevitably be a first baseman. So do you let him play catcher to see if he improves and try to keep the value or just switch him over to first as soon as he picks it up enough to play it at the major league level?
I know he hasn’t played a lot of games yet, but aren’t you guys encouraged with Zunino so far?
I see Zunino as our future franchise catcher and I know I’m not the only one amongst us.
I can smell the stink all the way out here on the Adriatic, where it’s almost 11pm and my fingers are wrapped around a neat 2-ounces of Grappo – 40%.
It is what it is, Wedge. And what it is, is you clinging to the last shred of your fading career. A blockhead, simply put. Seven months from now, good luck. On the other hand, Howard Lincoln probably thinks you’re doing a helluva job.
Welcome to Kansas City, 1957. They had Vic Power. He’d be about 84 now and probably a more legitimate threat then Peguero.
Bottoms up!
When your choices are Peguero, Robinson or Figgins, I might go with Peggy,too.
Boy, we need a new game action induced sub-thread.
Iwakuma is providing some legitimacy to our 5 man starting rotation. Good for him!
I understand Erasmo is going out on a rehab assignment soon … or may have already
He pitched 3 scoreless innings today Mike.
When grasping for straws in the middle of the stormy Sea, 3 scoreless innings might look pretty good. So does Wells’ nice catch in LF.
Montero throws out Ichiro ! Strike up the band!!!
Lol Kawasaki was excited to tag Ichiro
Wow, Oliver Perez – that was useful!
2 more innings for Wedge to navigate through land mines – and then, Willy.
A couple runs right about now would be helpful.
Good start – Jaso walk.
Oliver Perez should get an opportunity to start, he´s throwing 93-96… Safeco would help him , too.
Having Carp bunt is dumb. It’s not in his skillset for one thing…
Jaso/Zunino as our catchers? I’m ok with that…Olivo to the Nationals for a bag of balls!!!
Carp is awful. FREE DARREN FORD!
Well, there’s the reason why you ask him to try to bunt. At least Wedge gave him 2 strikes to work with to get a hit after he didn’t get it down. Carp didn’t get the job done. As a matter of fact, he did exactly what didn’t need to be done.
Frack!
Mike Napoli will be an interesting option for next season. He´d be an ideal #5 hitter and the #3 catcher.
I´d love Melky Cabrera or B.J Upton in RF
Smoak wasn’t hitting so we replace him with another guy that can’t hit. Then we bring up Robinson who also can’t hit. How many guys that can’t hit do we need on this team?
I don’t know how many we “need,” but I assume we already own the record.
I think, given the circumstances, it made sense to replace Smoak with Carp. Carp’s out of options, so they either had to bring him back or let him go outright. Given the way he hit last year, they want to give him a chance to show whether he’s that guy or not.
And it’s not like the team’s in “win now” mode, or has any other decent 1B options. Liddi’s not tearing it up either…
If we are going to make any trades at the deadline I would rather see us trade for an MLB ready bat than another ‘prospect’. When is the last time a ‘prospect’ worked out for the M’s? Felix??
I understand why they did it…but this is painful.
Pineda worked out too…
Did he really? We traded him for Montero and um that other prospect in Tacoma.If Montero becomes more than just a league average DH then maybe…
Hehe, Kawasaki really wanted to catch Ichiro’s pop-up.
I am with you Billy. I am just about ‘prospected’ to death, although there are usually interesting names out there. Unfortuantely, a lot of prospects are (and I hate to go all Ron Fairly on anybody) ‘suspects.’
I like Adam Eaton (AAA for the Diamondbacks) – but I have no idea how the team might go about getting him.
We need to be seeing some major leaguers return in pending deals, but it is tough to get a team to trade them when they are trying to better their team in the process. “Prospects” might be as good as Jack can do in any potential trades. If they are cusp guys like Wells and Furbush were, that would be okay.
A lot of teams looking for bullpen help…we have some good arms in there…some sort of package of arms plus some AA/AAA fodder and (heh heh) Figgins/Olivo/Anyone not Felix ought to get us something in return…maybe…
I am glad to have not been on a hunger strike since the last time Ackley got a hit. When was that, anyway?
I’m getting worn down by the prospects, but I don’t expect to see significant moves until the offseason. Z and Wedge want to give these guys every chance to show they belong (or, more likely, prove they don’t).
Just look at all the screaming we see regarding Mike Morse and Brian LaHair to see why.
Same as last time Mr. Mister had a hit.
LaHair pulled a Mike Carp at the begginning of the year but I doubt he’ll be a star player in this league, i wish we had held onto Morse a little longer and played him as much as we have played Ackless and Steam..oops Smoak…
I remember Murrr Mister from when I was in College.
In the mid 80′s. I have no idea what their “hit” actually was, though.
Yep, that’s a long time ago.
You know the fans that I hate?
The ones that run to the rail and beg for the ball from the guy who just caught a pop foul to make the first out in the inning when the bases are loaded.
(Note: This is not the entire list of the type of fans that I hate. This is one entry on a sadly long list.)
We can’t have nice things.
That wasn’t good…
Nor was that…
Well, since this game has taken a sad turn…
…Mr. Mister’s hits were:
“Broken Dreams”
“Kyrie”
“Is It Love”
Elvis had more hits than the Mariners have this series. The Yankees, however, have more hits than Elvis.
Now that Hammels has re-signed with the Phillies, I wonder if Pence is available?
We don’t need a RFer (in response to a that post some time ago, listing Robinson and Ford and claiming Peguero makes sense for now.)
Wells is a RFer. Period. Peguero makes no sense even if the list of M’s OF was three names long. You have a prototypical 5-skill guy who is 26. Runs, catches, THROWS, hits, has gap power. Just stop jacking him around. Give him RF, bat him 5-6 against all pitching, and pretend that you have a baseball player. Jeez!
What a gutless, simple-minded excuse we have for a manager.
Geez, am I seeing this right? Jaso walked 3 times?
Just a small nit-pick, because that’s how I am…
Wells is 28 – he turns 29 in November. He’s not 26.
Wells isn’t 26, VC, he’s nearly 29. But I’d agree that he’s earned consistent playing time. Having said that, I’d still like to see at least one more outfielder brought in (note, I didn’t say brought up!).
Way to beat me to the punch, Westy
Sorry Steve. That’s how I am.
Actually, he’s nearly 28. I goofed. So did you!
Remember when we used to think Smoak would be the next Texiera? Ah, good times, good times…
Me math skill no gud, parently!
LOL speaking of nitpicking…it was actually called ‘Broken Wings’
Broken Dreams are what us Mariners fans are forced to suffer thru…
I like Wells, but I’m not completely sold on him, yet. I’d also consider the possibility of playing him in center, with Saunders in left. If there’s a chance to bring in a proven hitter, with good defense, anywhere in the outfield, I’m all for it. At this point, Guti’s probably a fourth outfielder.
Help me Google! How old is Casper Wells?
3.9 in dog years.
You’re absolutely right, Billy Jive, about my mistake with the name of Mr. Mister’s biggest hit.
I was still trying to deal with the reversal of fortunes for the M’s in this game…in this season…in this decade.
“Take…this broken team… Learn to win again, to hit and score more than three…”
Ichiro is pretty emotional right now (relatively speaking).
I always wondered what the lyrics were to that….Richard Page musta been a Mariners fan in the 80′s too…
Darn it, Mike, I was kinda hoping that would work as a Google search – but no dice.
I figured you would retort with “3.95 in dog years, Mike.”
You might be slipping.
Montero’s 22 years old, guys. League average is pretty damn good for a 22 year old.
People of a sudden have been going on about Smoak looking all “lost at the plate” — frankly, though, it looks to me like most of the fookin’ lineup are refugees from “Hansel and Gretel”.
Hey argh – who ate the breadcrumbs then? Carlos Silva?
I don’t think the current bunch of Mariners could find a bread crumb with a magnifying glass and a pack of starving squirrels to point the way.
It’s saying a lot (or not, depending on how you look at it) that the best player in the M’s batting order today didn’t swing the bat at all until his 4th at bat.
“Mariners Baseball: Don’t bother swinging. Just see if they’ll walk you.”
“Mariners Baseball: Playing Like We Want the Sonics to Come Back.”
I thought they were sending Smoak down? I mean, c’mon, he’s 0-for-6 with 3 K’s in the last 2 days… What’s it take?… Oh wait, that’s Carp.
Oops.
Henry-
Ownership’s new “post-Ichiro” slogan:
“Mariners Baseball: Ever Wonder If Clay Bennett Likes Baseball?”
“Mariners Baseball: Wait, you’re telling me Michael Saunders is your best player? Really?”
Why has Josh Bard’s brother not been hired in some capacity?
Yeah, I know its de rigueur to blame the hitting coach, but – this team’s hitting issues seem to be systemic, and the only people who currently can hit either came from outside the organization or went outside of the organization for help.
What is Chambliss doing, exactly?
Westy-
And once the “outside the organization guys” get here, they can’t hit either…
Beltre
Cirillo
Sexson (took a year for the stink to stick)
Smoak
Ackley
Montero
Junior (post Kingdome)
Sweeney
All supposed strong hitters…
LONG LONG list of names could be formed…
Meanwhile, slap and hustle guys are the only ones who succeed… Ichiro, Seager, Saunders, Winn…
4 games set with the Royals!
Can we call Smoak up just for that series?
Yeah, I could be way off here but coupled with Wedge’s stated attitude, I think the M’s as a whole are way, way too free-swinging in general and for the Safe in particular. Walks have basically the same run expectancy in Coors Field as they do in Safeco and because Safeco is an overall lower run environment that actually makes them more valuable. Unfortunately we have a manager/hitting coach combination who preach the virtue of going after a pitcher early in the count. The M’s are towards the bottom of the league in pretty much everything, so I guess the BB rate looks semi-OK in comparison to, for instance, the team’s overall BA or OPS+, but it’s not good, and the team’s isolated walks trails the league too.
Brendan Ryan and Dustin Ackley do a decent amount of walking but otherwise I’m just not seeing it. Olivo, of course, is notoriously bad. Montero is not great at this either and he really needs someone to explain to him that much of the benefit of power is that pitchers try to nibble with you more. If Wedge cared about OBP, Jaso would be in the lineup every day. Saunders and Wells probably are what they are at this point, and I have an inkling that Seager is as well, but I’d still prefer to see someone with a better philosophy.
Uh, Beltre hit just fine when he was with the M’s. That’s one instance where the ballpark was the major contributor to his “bad” hitting stats. Hell, he was still putting up 110+ wRC+ in most of his years with the M’s. Then he goes to those 2 bandboxes of ballparks and people think he’s all the sudden a different hitter, he’s the same.
Grienke is available…pretty sure he’s a better hitter than anyone we have…
I liked Beltre the entire time he was here. My point isn’t that guys who don’t walk go to Safeco to die, it’s that walking is a much more important skill for a Seattle hitter than it is for hitters in other cities, and it’s already a pretty important skill to have. Unfortunately our manager/hitting coach seem not to care about this aspect of the game at all.
I was replying to MrZ’s comment, not your’s Johnny.
WELL OKAY THEN.
FWIW Montero is doing pretty well for a 22 year old kid, and I’m not quite sure how Clutchy McHuggerson makes that list either, as he did or outdid what he’d done in recent years with Kansas City when he got here. If MrZ’s point is that “free agents do not work out with Seattle except when they do” then yes, I totally agree.
Haha, pretty much Johnny.
I also think it was probably unfair to have McHuggerson on the list anyway since he was clearly in his declining years.
Personally, I like “aggressive” hitters. It isn’t very often a hitter gets a mistake pitch and they have to be ready to pounce on those, whether it be the first or tenth pitch. That’s what I mean be aggressive, not swinging wildly at pitches anywhere near the plate. You may be right, though, that in a park like Safeco patience could play a much bigger factor. But, in the end, no matter how patient they are, at some point somebody HAS to hit the damn ball in a gap.