Game 128, Angels at Mariners
Erasmo Ramirez vs. Jason Vargas, 6:10pm
*Note the hour-early start time*
Well last night’s game certainly was disappointing. Felix labored early, but aside from a bad pitch to Chris Nelson, looked capable of subduing the Angels’ B-team even without his good stuff. The M’s bats, however, looked incapable of dealing with Garrett Richards. Raul Ibanez still plays LF for this team. I feel like I need to write that every once in a while, just to remind myself that it’s happening.
Erasmo Ramirez is coming off his best game of the year, a 7IP, 2R performance in Arlington. It was, not coincidentally, the first time he appeared to have the feel for his change-up that he demonstrated late in 2012. The pitch was great against a good line-up with plenty of lefties, and he’s enticing swings on it again. While working his way back, he relied more on his slider, and for what ever reason, that pitch has been his worst thus far. The sample is tiny, but batters (righties, really, since he’s got the change-up to use on lefties) are putting it in play and pulling the ball. His change and fastballs get grounders, but the breaking balls get hit in the air, and that’s part of the reason he’s been homer-prone this year. Some of it may be bad luck and rust, but I’d like to see more of his curve, and even more sinkers and four-seamers to righties as his command comes back.
Jason Vargas is still Jason Vargas. At this point, he’s clearly been better than Ramirez, though Ramirez’ pure stuff make him a decent bet to exceed Vargas’ value in the years ahead, though with two DL trips in two years, that’s not exactly a guarantee.
1: Miller, 2B
2: Seager, 3B
3: Morales, DH
4: Morse, RF
5: Smoak, 1B
6: Chavez, RF
7: Quintero, C
8: Ackley, CF
9: Ryan, SS
SP: Erasmo
Hector Noesi starts for Tacoma in Tucson, Jimmy Gilheeney goes for Jackson, while Tyler Pike heads up the prospects, as he’ll toe the rubber for Clinton.
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37 Responses to “Game 128, Angels at Mariners”
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Ugh. Trout.
Two RF tonight? 🙂
Nice catch Endy!
With Morse we need another player in RF.
Aw, Endy. I wish we had you as a 4th outfielder all these years.
I thought this would have been a good night for Smoak to sit, Morales to play 1B, Morse to DH and Saunders to play in the OF. Saunders has better numbers against lefties than Smoak does, and Vargas has bad numbers against lefties, but – oh well. Why give your offense and OF defense a better chance to help you win a game?
Yes, aren’t we glad the team is staying the course? We’ll get to see Wedge make lots more decisions through 2014!
Good riddance, Tony Blengino! We don’t need any of your fancy nerd numbers!
Super AB’s by Quintero and Ackley. Just super.
Two on, so what?
This team sure knows how to demoralize what’s left of its fanbase.
The Mariners players must like Erasmo – they’re giving him the Felix treatment.
Pinch hit for everyone (sans Seager and Miller).
This is painful. An hour until the weekly
Premier League game starts.
Westy, I just turned on the game (ugh, yet again) & caught up on today’s posts above… Was something specific said about Wedge/2014 – or is this just speculation based upon the “leak” earlier in the week about Z/2014?
That’s on Endy.
Oh for fuck sake, Endy. I guess he just gave back the home run he saved earlier tonight.
This is so depressing. How many games have we lost this year to teams with losing records? Feels like alot!
R-Gordon-7: Sorry, I left for a bit.
The team has not said anything about Wedge, as far as I know. However today they announced they were letting Tony Blengino go – the stat guy who Zduriencik brought in back in 2009.
Between that announcement and the Zduriencik extension, I figure the writing is on the wall.
So it’s the gosh darn stat guy’s fault? No wonder why we have struggled. Wow. Who knew?
I don’t think they’re blaming him, Eastside – they just have no use for him. They’re happy with the 1970s approach to baseball.
Yeah. Why would you use those number thingies when you can “feel” the game and use your gut. Makes sense.
Thanks, Westy – makes sense. Damn, the M’s FO can prematurely kill even the last refuge of beleaguered fans, “wait ‘til next year”…
“They’re happy with the 1970s approach to baseball.”
…and their 1980’s performance.
Bring back Maury Wills!
I suppose I should attempt to be fair.
We don’t know the reasons Blengino was let go. He hasn’t even been in the Seattle office for a year or two. It’s possible there’s something else going on (e.g. “personal matters”).
Tonight is my first time getting to watch a game at Safeco from a suite. The suite is nice and all, but it doesn’t make this team any easier, or more fun, to watch.
But the Mariners fan base is bursting at the seams! A nearly 2% increase from last year! Its obvious that the plan is working! More bobble-heads! More trains! More shiny things!!!
That actually sounds like fun, crazyray! Especially if you can completely ignore the game. 😉
I’m trying my hardest to do just that Westy!
Alcohol might help…
Very true. Unfortunately I have to drive home. Alcohol can also make me forget this game if I drink some later so at least there’s that.
Apparently there are many people upset the Mariners had a U of Oregon Night tonight. I guess they forget the Mariners are a regional team, not just Seattle’s. Last time I checked, the Mariners and the U of Washington weren’t attached at the hip.
*whimper…….lather, rinse, repeat*
Hm… it’s the =Seattle= Mariners, not the Pacific Northwest Mariners. I would be upset if I were a Washington Husky, considering that the Oregon Ducks were our hated rival.
I mean, do they have a Portland Timbers day? The Seattle Sounders fans would object, right?
I cringe whenever Root Sports (and remember who owns them now) airs one of their Timbers’ ads.
It’s a bit different than with soccer – Oregon doesn’t have a MLB baseball team.
Well, exactly. And Seattle does have an Pac-12 (or soemthing; I keep track of the number) teams. It’s kinda weird, at least.