Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays (April 13th): Game 12

Today's lineup:
Ichiro, RF
Kennedy, 2B
Bradley, LF
Cust, DH
Smoak, 1B
Langerhans, CF
Rodriguez, 3B
Ryan, SS
Gimenez, C


No Scapegoat, and no Olivo. Olivo has been horrible over the last couple of games, so it's go to see him get a day off. Also, Cust returns to action, hopefully his day off helped him get back on track. 


Hopefully Safeco is good to Vargas tonight.

Seattle mariners Game 11 Notes

Last night was once again a frustrating night offensively. Yes, Langerhans hit a 2-run HR and Bradley had a clean RBI single, but other than that, nothing. Frustrating. Very Frustrating. The Mariner's can't win ballgames if they depend on stellar pitching performances every single night.

Last night was stellar though wasn't it?! Pineda's performance reminded me in so many ways of Price's no-hitter last year. His fastball was unhittable for most of the game. He simply overpowered hitters by locating his fastball up high in the strike zone. He's good. He's very good.

Adam Moore

Rotoworld.com reported that doctors found an extensive tear during Adam Moore's surgery. He's expected to be out 4-6 months, with the likely possibility he doesn't return all season.

This is a fairly significant blow for the Mariners. Adam Moore had the potential to be the Mariner's catcher of the future. Looks like Olivo and Gimenez are going to be around for awhile. 

Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays (April 12th): Game 11

Today's lineup:
Ichiro, RF
Scapegoat, 2B
Bradley, DH
Olivo, C
Smoak, 1B
Rodriguez, 3B
Saunders, LF
Ryan, SS
Langerhans, CF


Yes, that is the catcher batting cleanup. 


Hopefully Scapegoat's move up to the number 2 spot becomes permanent until Figgins earns that spot back. 

Seattle Mariners Game 10 Notes

Notice we didn't win until Jack Wilson got taken out of the game? That should tell you something.

Good win tonight. Horrible beginning, fantastic, exciting win in the end.

3-7!

Seattle Mariners vs. Toronto Blue Jays (April 11): Game 10

Today's lineup:
Ichiro, RF
Figgins, 3B
Bradley, LF
Cust, DH
Smoak, 1B
Olivo, C
Saunders, CF
Ryan, SS
Scapegoat, 2B


Wilson is back (that's him batting 9th). Perhaps the healing can begin. 

Seattle Mariners Game 9 Notes

Yes this is late, I apologize. I've drafted a number of different responses to the game yesterday, but I couldn't feel good about any of them. I do my best to be positive on this blog. As frustrating as it is to lose, it's even worse to read blogs ripping on your team.

For that reason I have decided to scratch my notes about the game yesterday, and instead will just say this.

There aren't very many Pirates fans. Those that are I'm sure struggle every single day with their fanhood. As a Mariners fan I too have struggled with my fanhood over the year as I am continually disappointed. While the Mariners aren't nearly as frustrating, or as crappy as the Pirates, I can't help but feel that there must be some kind of clubhouse chemistry issues that are contributing to the Mariner's recent struggles. I can't blame everything on Jack Wilson as the team was struggling before his incident. The Mariner's roster isn't the greatest offensive lineup every created. But it should be doing better than it is. The pitching staff has been struggling as of late as well, and they can only get better. Eventually I have to think things will get better, but if whatever is hampering this team behind closed  doors isn't fixed soon this might be a very, very painful summer.

Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians (April 10th): Game 9

Today's lineup:

Ichiro, RF
Figgins, 3B
Kennedy, 2B
Cust, DH
Smoak, 1B
Langerhans, CF
Rodriguez, SS
Saunders, LF
Gimenez, C

Bedard vs. Tomlin

Whatever happens today, it's nice to see something different in the lineup. I don't know if it's the most effective lineup possibility, but at least Wedge is trying something new for a lineup that has been struggling something fierce lately. We also haven't seen much of Gimenez this year, so that'll be interesting to watch too. 

Seattle Mariners Game 8 Notes

Tonight was a pretty tough loss so I won't write too much about it. Fister was brilliant, giving up only 1 earned run, and 1 unearned thanks to the bad throw by Bradley. The offense was horrible. Even when we had chances late (two lead-off doubles in a row) we failed to take advantage and bring the runners home. Masterson was great as well, so lets give credit where credit is due. But it was pretty depressing to watch the Mariners play tonight. They seem to be a team with no heart or drive. 

Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians (April 9th): Game 8

Today's lineup:


Ichiro, RF
Figgins, 3B
Bradley, LF
Cust, DH
Smoak, 1B
Olivo, C
Kennedy, 2B
Ryan, SS
Saunders, CF


Fister vs. Masterson


No surprise Jack WIlson isn't in the lineup, which means I'll have to find another creative way to blame a potential loss on him. The Mariners match up pretty well against Masterson so I wouldn't be surprised to see them put up a good amount of runs. Hopefully today is the beginning of the rest of the season for Figgins. 


I'm also not convinced Saunders should be batting 9th here against a RHP. I know he's not doing well, but neither is Ryan. Perhaps there is some matchup that I don't know about, but it makes more sense to me to put the left-handed batter higher in the order than the  right-handed hitter who is batting .167 (Ryan). 


Enjoy the game. Maybe something good will happen. 

Seattle Mariners Game 7 Notes

I guess the big news isn't the game from last night, although I will spend a few moments on that. Giving up 10 runs in an inning should never happen. If that inning doesn't happen the Mariners actually have a chance to win (kinda). Apparently, Vargas just didn't have it. Whatever it is. Hopefully this is a lose the Mariners can easily bounce back on. Cleveland doesn't have a great pitching staff, especially their bullpin, os the Mariners in theory should be able to get some runs on them in the upcoming games. The good things from the game last night: Leuke pitches an inning, gave up only one hit, but stroke out two. He needs to get back on track and it was nice to see him begin that last night. Taking advantage of a tired Cleveland offense might have helped, but whatever works.

Figgins is off to another really slow start. It's like he's the Mariners version of Mark Teixeira, except shorter and not as good (also cheaper). I can tell you this: the Mariner's offense won't be respectable this year if Figgins doesn't pull it together. His lack or production out of the two hole absolutely kills all offensive mojo that Ichiro starts. I can deal with Smoak batting .250 in the 4 or 5 spot, but if Figgins continues to bat .100 (he has zero walks on the season, btw), not only will he have no trade value down the stretch, this year or next year, he should also be benched. He started doing well last year at right about the All-Star break. Perhaps his season should just start then.

No to Jack Wilson. Wedge revealed before yesterday's game that Jack Wilson actually pulled himself out of the game on Wednesday. Apparently he felt like he'd let Felix down (which he did), and didn't want to continue to be an offensive liability. His actions tell more about his attitude than his words do. Yes, I'm sure Felix didn't appreciate the two errors on double play balls. However, Jack Wilson does need to understand his role on the club at this point. Ryan is signed through the 2012 season, Wilson is signed through 2011. Ackley will probably be pulled up to play near the trade deadline, which means Wilson will probably be traded then, if not now. The Mariners can survive with Kennedy and Rodriguez sharing time at 2B until Ackley is ready. Wilson is still a great SS and has shown off a decent bat this spring, and through the first 6 games of the season. He should attract a fair amount of trade bait. If he's not already being shopped I'd be surprised.

However, the larger picture that Jack's attitude brings to light is of clubhouse chemistry. The team obviously understands that any time Felix is on the mount they have a legitimate chance to win. However, when a player voluntarily pulls himself from a game because he's struggling, especially when he's the best defensive and offensive player available at his position, it completely changes the attitude in the clubhouse. If a manager pulls a player from a game, the players understand the move as strictly a managerial change. But if a player pulls himself, it's a selfish move to avoid further embarrassment. I understand the Jack doesn't feel completely comfortable at 2B yet, and he shouldn't. But giving up and leaving the dugout and returning to the clubhouse is just pathetic. He needs to be there for his team, and he needs to display a leadership attitude for the young players on the Mariner's team. The Mariners can't succeed in any regard if their team chemistry is so poor that every single player doesn't try his best to stay in every game because they believe they can be a valuable asset. Without that mentality the Mariners will not win games.

My honest guess is Jack is traded in the next week. If the Mariners are unable to trade him (which they should be able to), I can't imagine Wedge will be willing to give him much playing time until he is able to prove to his teammates that he's a team player again.

All that being said, and to further my little rant on Jack Wilson, if he hadn't messed up the mojo in the clubhouse the Mariners would have won last night. I'm blaming him for Vargas not being focused. After all, Vargas did lose a gold glove at 2B because Jack was a little girl and wanted to go pout in the clubhouse. That's two games on you, Jack. 

Seattle Mariners vs. Cleveland Indians (April 8): Game 7

Today's lineup:
Ichiro RF
Figgins 3B
Bradley LF
Cust DH
Smoak 1B
Olivo C
Kennedy 2B
Ryan SS
Landerhans CF

Vargas vs. Carrasco

If you haven't heard already, Adam Moore got placed on the 60-day DL and the Mariners brought up catcher Chris Gimenez from Tacoma to take his roster spot. It really is too bad for Moore, as he was one of the few Mariners having a good year thus far. Also, Jack Wilson isn't in the lineup today, but seeing he got "injured"during the last game I won't get my hopes up. It's too bad he's not in the lineup either, seeing as it'll be more difficult to find somebody to blame the potential loss on. Hopefully Vargas can get us the time so it won't matter anyway. He has a history of pitching well at Safeco so he should give the Mariners a legitimately good chance to win. It fells strange to have the home opening a week into the season, so let's hope it's a good one. Go Vargas!

Seattle Mariners Game 6 Notes

Not Felix's most dominating or impressive performance. He struggled to keep the Rangers off the bases for most of the game. It definitely was a tough loss for Felix, but he should be used to those by now. However, he was able to get out of some jams, and had Jack Wilson been able to turn either of the two double plays that he committed errors on, it could have been a completely different ballgame. But that's not the case, and we'll live to see another game on Friday for the Mariner's home opener. And something tells me Chris Ray may not be on the roster when they reach Seattle. He's had a horrible start to the season, giving up 3 runs in 1/ 1/3 innings, with a blown save, 5 hits allowed, and no strikeouts. Some time in Tacoma to regain his confidence is desperately needed.

Ryan and Cust, two players the Mariners really need to produce if they want to be respectable, had clutch base hits. However, Figgins and Smoak both continue to struggle behind the plate. There were some rumors during the offseason about the Mariners trading Figgins. If he continue to bat this poorly, not only will the Mariners be unable to trade him, they might have to find a replacement. I know Figgins warmed up eventually last season, but he's looked absolutely terrible at the dish this season. If he can't get going, the Mariners will have to find somebody else to stick in the #2 hole. It may be early to start thinking about dropping him in the batting order, but a brief stint in the #9 spot might help kick him back into gear. Whatever works at this point, he needs to do better.

Jack Wilson has the highest batting average on the team right now! It doesn't matter though, because he probably won't play for the next week because he jacked up his leg or groin, or whatever freaky thing he did this time. I know Jack is injury prone, but 6 games into the season? Really? I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't play for a week or gets placed on the 15 day DL. Seems like injuries are already contageous as Moore had to be helped off the field as well. Like a scored writer, and mostly because I jumped on his train and he so quickly wrecked, I've decided to blame the rest of this season on Jack Wilson. You know how losing is always easier to take if you have somebody to blame it on? Usually its the umpires or a player on the other team, but I'm going to focus on Jack. I'm sure he wouldn't mind being the scapegoat, right?

Jack Wilson Rant

What the heck? Literally an hour after I post about how I'm jumping on the Jack Wilson train, not only does he commit two errors in one inning (both on double play balls that would have ended the 2nd inning and prevented runs from scoring), but he also injures himself too! 

It appears my train derailed, and I'm making a jump for it. 

Seattle Mariners vs. Texas Rangers, (April 6th): Game 6

Today's awesome lineup:
Ichiro, RF
Figgins, 3B
Bradley, LF
Cust, DH
Smoak, 1B
Wilson, 2B
Ryan, SS
Saunders, CF
Moore, C


Hernandez vs Wilson


It's good to see Ryan back in the lineup after a day off. Hopefully he had enough time to get his head back on straight and he came become less of an offensive liability. Also good to see Moore catching, as he hasn't played in awhile. Felix takes the mount today in what should be a good matchup. Wilson was dynamite last year for the Rangers in the playoffs. However, if there is any pitcher that cam shut down the Rangers' hot-hitting lineup it should be Felix. Felix usually shines during day games so today should be masterful. Last year he posted a sub 2.00 ERA in day games. Of course he won 2 and lost 4 of those, so who knows? Go Mariners! Go Felix! 

Seattle Mariners Game 5 Notes

If you didn't get a chance to watch Pineda pitch I'd recommend you look at highlights or something. If you have MLB.tv go watch the recorded video. He really was quite impressive. As I mentioned in my last post, I would consider it a good outing for Pineda if he managed to keep the ball in the ballpark. And he managed to do that. He also made it through 6 innings, giving up 3 runs, and only threw 85 pitches; not bad for his first time pitching in the Big Leagues, against Texas's offensive heavy lineup too. Pineda must be feeling good about himself, because there's no reason not to. He gave the Mariners a quality start, and a chance to win. That's about all they could ask of him.

On another note, I'm officially jumping on the Jack Wilson train. He had another big hit last night with a runner in scoring position, and is batting .353 for the season. Add his great defense so far at 2B, including that magnificent double play he turned a few days ago and he really is having a great season so far. This might be a short train ride, but until the he gets injured or starts having horrible at-bats, and being a liability on offense I'm going to pretend like he's the best thing the Mariner's have got. He's given me no reason not display confidence in him thus far. I'm sure I'll be disappointed later down the road (or train tracks I suppose), but for now I'm exciting about what he's bringing to the table. Now if he could only draw a walk every now and then (he has zero on the season).

Felix on the mound today for a day game. Lineup will be posted shortly. 

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland A's, (April 5rd): Game 5

Lineup: 
Ichiro, RF
Figgins, 3B
Bradley, LF
Cust, DH
Smoak, 1B
Olivo, C
Kennedy, 2B
Wilson, SS
Saunders, CF

Pineda vs Oganda

I'm guessing that for most of us, tonight will be the first time we've seen Pineda pitch. Too bad this rookie will have to face the Rangers for his first official start of the season. Pineda comes in as a 6'7, 260 pound, giant of a pitcher. Hopefully his size intimidates the Rangers' lineup, because otherwise the offense will have to pick up his slask (hah!). However, if he can come in and have a few good innings, strike out a couple batters, and keep the ball in the park - no matter how many runs the guy gives up - I'd call that a success for him. 

Jack Wilson's feet work well...

If you missed this play last night you should watch this highlight. You may need to watch it a couple of times. It is, that good.

Seattle Mariners Game 4 Notes

I'm a little late on this post, so I apologize. There's also not much to say about the game last night. Was I surprised Bedard struggled? No. And I don't really mind this loss. It's not a bad thing to lose to a team that is legitimately better. Yes, the Mariners have a chance to win every time Felix pitches, but Bedard is not there yet. Maybe by the end of the season we can expect Bedard to win when he steps on the mount, but last night was not. However, there were some positives I saw that I will take the time to mention.

First, as much as Bedard did struggle, his curveball looked fantastic at times. Considering this was his first official start in two years, I thought he looked great. He fought through five innings, which is really all anybody could ask of him. If he can start locating his fastball the way he could five years ago, the Bedard the Mariner's spent their farm system on could find his way back as an elite pitcher. That might take him all season to do though.

Second, Bradley and Smoak both had a good night at the plate. Bradley and Smoak both need to gave good years this year, and it's been good to see them both get off on the right foot. If Bradley wants to have a job next year, getting a decent paycheck (for a pro baseball player), or a contract longer than a year or an invitation to spring training, he needs to have a good year offensively without making any headlines. So far so good. Smoak on the other hand, just needs some confidence. He struggled in the majors last year when he came over after the Cliff Lee trade. But after being sent down to AAA he regained his confidence and found success. He's doing well so far this year, if he can keep it up and have a good offensive season the Mariners might finally have their first basement of the future.

Third, and lastly, Cust needs to step it up. He's faced two lefties in the past two games, so his poor performance so far this year might caused by that in part. However, a clean-up hitter batting .154 isn't going to have a job for very long.

The rest of the Mariners are have decent seasons so far behind the plate. Ichiro is Ichiro. Figgins' batting average has dipped lately, but I don't think he's off to the same kind of state he had last year. He looks comfortable behind the plate, has had good at-bats, and has hit the ball hard so far. He just needs to stay away from hitting the double-play ball. Ryan is also struggling, as is Langerhans. I'm not worried at all about Langerhans, since he'll sitting on the bench as soon as Guiti comes back. And we knew Ryan couldn't swing the bat when the Mariner's sign him. He's also switching over from the National League, which means it could take him a few months to get used to American League pitching. Personally, I don't expect him to be much of an asset offensively at all. However, he does need his batting average to be higher than Cliff Lee's by the end of the season. Jack Wilson is an abnormality. He'll cool off eventually.

That's all for now. Lineups should be up in a few hours.

Seattle Mariners vs. Texas Rangers, (April 4th): Game 4

Lineup: 

Ichiro, RF
Figgins, 3B
Bradley, LF
Cust, DH
Smoak, 1B
Olivo, C
Langerhans, CF
Ryan, SS
Wilson, 2

Bedard vs. Holland

Tonight is what I consider the Mariner's first real test. Yes, Oakland has a pretty good team this year, but the Rangers' offense is going to be crazy good. It'll be Bedard's first start in, what, two years? The only thing worse would be going up against the Yankees or Red Sox to begin the season. Bedard will have his work cut out for him. He looked great during spring training, showing why he could still be one of the best pitchers in the game. Tonight will be the first of many (hopefully) tests for Bedard. I'll be a lot more optimistic about this season if Bedard can come into Arlington and shut down the defending AL Champs.

The Mariner's are facing another touch lefty. My guess is our offense will struggle again. Unless Bedard is absolutely amazing the Mariners are going to get slaughtered (and of course, I mean that in he most humane manner possible). My guess is Texas continues their hot-hitting, HR frenzy. Bedard will probably get himself into a few jams early but escape. However, as his pitch count gets higher he'll ge lit up. 

Seattle Mariners Game 3 Notes

Couple of things to take care of first: CATCH THE FREAKING BALL! Yeah, I get it, the sun is bright and the ball is hard to see. But seriously, two in one game? That's just pathetic. The first one I could overlook simply because it was Milton Bradley so whatever. I expect him to drop half the balls that are hit his way. But c'mon Langerhans!  If both of those catches had been made the score could have been a lot lower.

Second thing: DON'T RUN ON ICHIRO! Personally, I thought this was a given nowadays, especially for a player like Matsui who's been in the league long enough, and played against Ichiro enough to know better. I'm not complaining about it, I just think it should be common knowledge that you don't challenge that man's arm.

Third thing: Eric Wedge's mustache is freaking dope! If that's not a mustache that says "Don't F*ck with me" than I don't know what is. I'm intimidated by it and I'm watching from my couch.

Now moving on to thoughts on the series.

I'm glad we're leaving Oakland with our first series win. It's always nice to begin the season on a high note and come out of the first series with a winning record. If we can win 2/3, or at least 1/3 of the games in Texas and return home with a .500 or above record I'll be extremely happy. Considering how poor this team played on the road last season, coming home with a decent record could go a long ways towards having a good season. These next three games will play an important role in staging the remainder of the season.

We got some good pitching in Oakland and some decent offense. However, for us to continue to win games, the middle of the order will have to be more productive. If Cust and Bradley both continue to bat below .250 (I know it's only 3 games into the season, but still) the Mariner's offense will struggle all season.

Bedard takes the mound tomorrow. I have high hopes for Bedard to have a good season. Hopefully he doesn't make me feel like a fool for rooting for him like he has the past few years. One way to prove he's back and healthy is to shut down that Ranger's offense. And good luck with that...

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland A's, (April 3rd): Game 3

Lineup:
Ichiro! RF
Figgins 3B
Bradley LF
Cust DH
Smoak 1B
Olivo C
Langerhans CF
Ryan SS
Wilson 2B

Fister vs. Gonzalez

Basically the same lineup we've been seeing for the past couple of days. The last two games seem to tell the story of how this teams offense might look: Ichiro and Figgins will do their thing and get some hits and get on base. If a couple of the middle of the order guys, Bradley, Cust, Smoak, and maybe Olivo can get some timely hits we'll continue to see runs put on the board. Not a lot, but certainly more than last year.

This will also be the first time the Mariners face up against a lefty. Considering most of our "good" hitters are left handed, and our right-handed hitters are mostly just in the lineup for their defense, I don't see the Mariners putting up more than a few runs (2-4). If Fister can pitch near perfectly and the bullpin doesn't blow another lead, the Mariners will have a chance.

However, if the A's get a few hits early look for Fister to struggle and give up some runs. Also, my guess is the A's don't make as many errors and give the Mariners a bunch of free runs. 

Seattle Mariners Game 2 Notes

Congratulations to Ichiro, the Seattle Mariner's new hits leader. Of course this was inevitable, but it was gratifying to see him break the record on his 10th anniversary. Was there any other fitting way for him to break the record other than on an infield single? Vintage Ichiro. 

Jason Vargas returned to his spring training form, allowing only one run over 6 2/3 innings, striking out six and only walking one. He's no Cliff Lee, but you can tell Vargas learned a lot from Lee during his time in Seattle. Vargas worked with a quick pace and hit his spots when he needed, while also allowing his defense to work behind him. He had running on base almost every inning but worked well out of the stretch and got himself out of some jams. It really was a shame the bullpin couldn't hold on and get him a win.

Today's game: Fister vs. Gonzales, 2:05 EST. 

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland A's, (April 2nd): Game 2

Today's lineup:
Ichiro RF
Figgins 3B
Bradley LF
Cust DH
Smoak 1B
Ryan SS
Wilson 2B
Saunders CF
Moore C


Vargas vs. Anderson


It's still early in the season, so hope, dreams, and fandom are still intact. Hopefully things stay that way.
Vargas will have a tough time tonight, going up against a tough opponent. If Vargas can continue to show the effectiveness he brought to the mound consistently throughout spring training (minus his last game), he'll have a good chance keeping the Mariners in this game.


Anderson on the other hand, had a good year against Seattle last year, going 5-4 with a 2.01 ERA. While that might not be that impressive given the Mariner's horrible offense last year, they still haven't figured him out. My guess is we struggle early but get a few late in the game. If Vargas and our new bullpin can keep Oakland's scoring to a minimum we might have a chance. If Oakland scores more than 3 runs my guess is we lose.


Go Mariners!

Seattle Mariners Game 1 Notes

First things first: King Felix is goooood. Yeah the first inning was a little shaky, giving up a two run HR to Josh Willingham. But after the first inning he settled down and allowed only three hits over the next eight innings. He also walked nobody while striking out five. Not Felix's most dominating performance, but he got players out even without his strikeout pitch.

We also got some good contributions from the players we should expect it from. Ichiro got a base hit with a runner in scoring position. Figgins didn't beging the season by sucking, so that's a good sign. And Smoak got a timely extra-base hit.

Essentially what we saw today was a glimpse of what this offense might be able to do. If Ichiro can continue to get on base (he will) and steal bases (hopefully) and if Cust, Bradley, and Smoak can contribute with timely hits, this offense has great potential. However, those are some pretty strong "ifs."

Tomorrow: Jason Vargas vs. Anderson. Another "if" game. We'll see if Vargas can continue to be as good as nobody thinks he should be.

Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland A's, (April 1st): Game 1

Today's Lineup:
Ichiro, RF
Figgins, 3B
Bradley, LF
Cust, DH
Smoak, 1B
Olivo, C
Langerhans, CF
Ryan, SS
Wilson, 2B


King Felix vs. Cahill


Opening day is always interesting. Should also be an interesting game 1, pitting two teams against each other who are both hoping to have a better season than anyone expects.


Hopefully today also begins a relationship with Milton Bradley in which nobody talks about what he does off the field, and only what he does when he's on it. 


And hopefully Wilson keeps hitting .400 (yeah right).


Go Mariners!