Game 3, Indians at Mariners
Mike Leake vs. Trevor Bauer, 1:10pm
I’m writing this from a sailboat trying to make its way north through Colvos passage. The idea was to tie up in Seattle and go to today’s game. As it happens, there’s a small craft advisory and the water’s a bit rough for kids and their landlubber/baseball blogging dad (Mom can sail through anything, but we’re at that poorly marked border between ‘can’ and ‘should.’) [Edit – eh, this nothing bad. She wants to put more sail up than I’m comfy with, but we’re flying.]
Sooo, James Paxton’s poor spring came north with him, huh. Paxton had minimal command, and his velocity isn’t high enough to pitch through that right now. Every hit the Indians had came on his fastball, and the command issues resulted in Paxton pitching from behind and needing to throw a ton of fastballs. Credit to Cleveland for spoiling some cutters and laying off curves, but Paxton threw heaters on 2/3ds of his pitches, and that’s just too much.
Interesting match up today between Mike Leake, whose already-great control got even better with Seattle last year, and Trevor Bauer, whose refined slider led him to an eye opening spring. If Leake’s able to spend a full season pitching like he did for Cincinnati and less like the durable-but-hittable guy he was for much of his Cards tenure, it’d help tremendously.
1: Gordon, CF
2: Segura, SS
3: Cano, 2B
4: Haniger, RF
5: Seager, 3B
6: Vogelbach, DH
7: Healy, 1B
8: Ichirooooo, LF
9: Freitas, C
SP: Leake
Happy M’s debut for catcher David Freitas, a waiver claim from the Braves a while ago.
Ichiro’s HR robbing catch was amazing, and it really felt like a play from 10 years ago; Ichiro’s mannerisms after the play remain cooler than anyone who ever played. The two hits were encouraging as well.
Cleveland lefty Andrew Miller had the tying run in scoring position yesterday and decided to intentionally walk Mitch Haniger. In one sense, that’s understandable – Haniger’s a good RH bat. In the other sense, the Indians willingly put the go-ahead run on to face the M’s first baseman, who had the platoon advantage. If there are other teams besides the M’s who feel Ryon Healy is better than his statline, Cleveland is evidently not among them.
The biggest loss may have been Nelson Cruz, who, as Ryan Divish reports, slipped in the clubhouse and hurt his ankle; he’s now in a walking boot.
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11 Responses to “Game 3, Indians at Mariners”
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Watching gamecast on CBS so I cant see the plays… was that really a sac bunt with no outs runner on second down 2 in the 5th by our brand new awesome lead off CF??… smh
Think he was trying to bunt for base hit.
I know sss but Vogelbach sure doesn’t look like he’s ML ready
He does look slightly more competent striking out, though … compared to how he looked striking out in late 2015 and at various points in 2016.
@tame thank you. It didn’t make sense for a contact hitter to bunt at that point… Hindsight works both ways. Yes we ended up with 2 runs…. But next time up he homered lol. I didn’t like it if it was a straight sac.
I liked it. He’s a good guy to lay down a sac bunt with because he is a contact guy, it was early enough in the game, and imo the team should be doing it more.
If you have a contact guy who bats lead off that’s exactly the time NOT to sac bunt. If he was an awful hitting 9th hitter maybe. I don’t like playing for one 1 run in the 5th inning down 2 it doesn’t make any sense.
Eh! I can see your point but I think it’s just a difference of opinion. Good thing for you I don’t manage the M’s
Away for most of the off season.. now that Ichiro! is back (at least in body if not production) why to we still have a “sigh”?
@pdome1 I’ll agree with that lol. If Cruz gets back soon Im hoping to see 200+ long balls easy this year and never have to see a bunt unless it’s Ichiro or Gordon dropping a base hit.
@roninX the fact he has 2 hits and robbed a HR he has exceeded all my expectations! I am so glad he is back though I never want him to stop playing, there will never be another quite like him.