(Cal League) Playoff Baseball
The Mariners are still mathematically alive in the playoff race, but so are all the teams in the AL Central coming into today, thanks to the weakness of their division. But, if you’re hungry championship baseball a few weeks ahead of schedule, without all the nastiness of a well-funded juggernaut steamrolling the plucky young up-and-comer, might I recommend giving the High Desert Mavericks a tune-in?
The Mavericks are in game three of their division series against Rancho Cucamonga, hated Angels affiliate, and have thrown consecutive shut-outs at Mavericks Stadium. Stephen Hensley allowed three hits and a walk while striking out ten in the first game, and in the second, Mauricio Robles, who came over in the Washburn trade, had two hits, a walk, a balk, and eight Ks through seven innings. Michael Pineda, who has been remarkably dominant since coming off the DL, takes the mound for the Mavs as they try to extend their scoreless inning streak and sweep the series. The one cause for concern is that the offense has “only†managed nine runs so far.
A likely championship scenario has the Mavs going up against San Jose, also looking for the sweep today. While the Mavericks have had by far the best hitting in the league, San Jose ranks at the bottom of hits, runs, and walks allowed, and combined for a league-high thirteen shutouts over the season. That series should begin on the 17th, and will undoubtedly be an interesting one.
Game time is the usual, 7:05 pm PDT.
Quick public service advisory
If you read, anywhere, that Ichiro’s milestone is meaningless, and that milestone is used to write a column (or heck, part of a column) about how Ichiro! is overrated, his batting average hollow, defense too highly regarded — to generally recycle the lazy shots against him, you should stop reading that writer, because they are not worthy of even your eye roll.
Game 144, Felix time!
NWS @ 7:11 local:
LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE ACROSS NORTH TEXAS
THROUGH 1 AM. POCKETS OF HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE…
ESPECIALLY SOUTHEAST OF THE METROPLEX. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OVER THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS WILL GENERALLY AVERAGE HALF AN INCH OR
LESS…BUT ISOLATED LOCATIONS MAY RECEIVE AN INCH OR MORE.
Compared to last night, that’s paradise.
A surprising nugget
From a Baker piece today on the delays and possibility of playing tomorrow:
Spoke earlier to Mariners player rep Brandon Morrow and he told me he’s been in touch with the players’ association and that MLB has gotten involved as well. The Mariners players have almost unanimously come up to Morrow to tell him they do not want to stay and play tomorrow and the message has been conveyed to the union, which in turn has passed that on to MLB.
Morrow was optioned to Tacoma on July 11th and was down there for two months. Now, this either means that they handed the union rep badge around to whoever was the most junior player on the roster and then back to Morrow on his return, or… I’m not sure what the interim solution was.
I know on many teams the player representative is something to be shirked, but I’m always surprised when I find out that the guy sticking up for the interest of his fellow union members in cases like this isn’t the guy we hear is the veteran clubhouse leader (Beltre, say) but whoever is relatively junior and put their hand up. It certainly doesn’t helps with accusations that players don’t take union issues like steroids seriously enough (it does make me wonder why the union doesn’t do a better job advocating for low-service-time players, though, if they’re so disproportionately represented).
In any event — Morrow’s recalled on the ninth, makes a start, and four days after he rejoins the team he’s lobbying on everyone’s behalf with the union and the league. I’m sure whoever he took the badge back from was happy to be the complainer rather than the complainee.
Game 143, they’re going for it, huh
Fister v Hunter.
Here’s a question — why not Felix? If you think there’s a good chance you’re only going to get one in, and maybe only a partial of one, get him the start and the shot at the win.
M’s Add Three More From Tacoma
Tacoma went down last night, putting up a bit of a fight, but ultimately losing 13-8 as the pitching self-destructed. While not good for a number of guys, including the guilty party on the pitching staff, who gets to go home and think about what he did, it is good news for others who are now being promoted to join the Mariners in Texas. Welcome back to the show, LHP Garrett Olson and IF Matt Tuiasosopo, along with newcomer C Adam Moore. To make room for Moore, the Mariners have parted company with RHP Stephen Kahn, who seemed to unable to so much as look at a pitching mound without one of his ligaments exploding in terror.
Olson, we all know from earlier in the year as a bullpen arm/fifth starter on the fringe. I’d be pleased if I could happily report some recent breakthrough of his, but his latest Tacoma stint has only seen more of everything: hits, walks, and strikeouts. Tui hopes to get more playing time now than he did earlier in the year, and some of his recent performance has warranted that. While he did hit just .200/.375/.320 in September, he was .322/.426/.619 in August and has been getting some additional playing time at second base of late. Moore, who came off season that had him post a .902 OPS in double-A, had a disappointing 2009, as he couldn’t break .800. There’s nothing glaring that hints towards some flaw he needs to overcome, his discipline is the same if not slightly better, he just mysteriously lost about ten doubles. He works well with pitchers and is a darling of the organization because of it, though he has a bit of a passed ball problem. The organization hopes to build around him in the future, even if he won’t get much playing time at present.
Happy Felix Day, maybe?
Here’s the National Weather Service short version:
Today: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Steady temperature around 72. Northeast wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.
The MLB.com blurb says
Area rain will delay the start time until at least 12:05 p.m. PT.
Surprised they’re not just making them play now. Worked last night, didn’t it? Are they really hoping they’ll get six-something hours in? Or why not pack everyone up and play them up here when it was clear the weekend was going to be awful? They’ve got direct charter flights, and — I’ll stop ranting. I’m just not looking forward to twelve hours of on-again, off-again baseball while worrying somebody’s going to get hurt.
Update! 2:05. So now we’re hoping they can get two games in, 4 local and then ~7 local. yeaaahhhh.
Update: 2:45. If they wanted to really get two games in, the way to do it would be to get the broadcasters to run w/no commercial breaks (or super-limited ones). You could craaank these out.
Game 142, take 2
Morrow v Millwood, let’s get one of these in the books at least.
Good news, everyone
“I know you’re all disappointed we lost Brandon–”
“Yeah!”
“Mad as hell!”
“–but we have to be happy for him, don’t we?”
“Yeah.”
“I guess.”
“Besides, the club’s sent us a little something in return, to help us out with our pitching staff.”
“Really?”
“Probably Batista.”
“It’s not Batista. You ready? You’re going to be surprised.”
“Do you think it’s Felix?”
“There’s no way it’s Felix.”
“Now, he’s only won fifty two games as a starter…”
“Oh my god it’s Felix.”
“It’s not Felix.”
“…but this proud Venezuelan, STANDING INNNN AT SIX FEET FOOOOURR INCHEESSS…”
“It’s Felix.”
“Does he have an option left? How is this even possible?”
“…WEIGHING IN AT TWO-HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE POUNDS…”
“It’s Felix! It has to be Felix! Oh my god we’re the PCL Champions!”
“This is going to be the greatest game of my career.”
“…CARLOS SILVA!”
“Shit.”
“Worst. Worst game.”
2 IP, 2H, 2R, 2ER, 1K, 1HR.
Game 142, Mariners at Rangers
The hopefully triumphant return of Morrow to help stop this losing streak! Slightly shuffled but still not particularly interesting lineup!
5:05 our time.