Week #16 in Review
Short week. But the three-day vacation gives you all the more time to savor that four-game sweep.
Vital Signs
Wins: 39. Losses: 49. Games out of first place: 13.5.
Finishing off a four-game sweep of the Angels, the Mariners game a couple of games in the standings this week. But the A’s keep winning, too, which now leaves the Mariners 6 games away from 3rd place. According to third-order wins, the Mariners are unlucky by not quite 3 games. Still, only Tampa Bay and Kansas City have fewer 3rd order wins.
Runs Scored: 380 (last in the American League). Batting average: .257 (last). On-base percentage: .317 (last). Slugging percentage: .389 (last). Home runs: 65 (last). Bases on balls: 247 (8th). EqA: .262 (tied for 10th with the Blue Jays, mere fractions above the last place White Sox, A’s and Royals).
Runs allowed: 393 (8th). Staff ERA: 4.26 (8th). DIPS ERA: 4.83 (13th). Strikeouts: 451 (last). Bases on balls: 296 (12th). Home runs allowed: 96 (11th, tied with Twins). Starters ERA: 4.88 (12th). Relievers ERA: 2.96 (2nd). Defensive efficiency: 71.7% (2nd, tied with Oakland).
Nice way to close the first half of ’05, but in all honesty, it hasn’t changed much. It was the Mariners’ third victorious sweep of the season (the Royals and Mets being the other shameful victims), and scored in double digits in consecutive games for the first time. In fact, those two games represented the 6th and 7th times the Mariners had scored 10+ runs all season. (By comparison, the ’04 club scored 10+ runs only 3 times in the first half.) More amazing, in those 5 previous victories, the Mariners garnered a victory only once in the following game and averaged little over 3 runs in that next game. And against, what at the time was, the second best pitching staff in the league. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day, I guess.
In a truncated week, the Mariners went 3-1, after dropping the first game of the Baltimore Orioles. They dominated their opponents on the scoreboard (26-16) largely due to some well-sprinkled fairy dust. Their oppoents hit more home runs (6-3), the Mariners drew no more walks (12) and accumulated no more total bases (57). Chalk this up to the small size of only 4 games.
Heroes
Richie Sexson went 4-for-13 (.308/.500/.615) with a double, a home run and 5 walks. With two outs in the fifth inning Saturday, Sexson clobbered a two-run double off John Lackey that scored the deciding runs in a 6-3 victory over the Angels.
Over the four games, the entire bullpen saw 11.1 innings of action and allowed just 2 runs. To be specific, J.J. Putz surrendered a Juan Rivera home run on Saturday and an infield single, walk and a run-scoring sac fly on Thursday. Even including Putz, the bullpen combined to allow 9 hits, while walking 6 and striking out 8.
Not-so-much Heroes
Someone’s hamstrings feeling better? Adrian Beltre is hacking away again, going 2-for-16 (.125/.176/.125) with 1 walk and 7 strikeouts. That’s a total of 14 outs in 17 chances at the plate. Randy Winn contribued 17 outs of his own in 20 times to the plate.
Thursday against the Orioles, Aaron Sele lasted 6 innings and allowed 4 runs on 7 hits and a walk. He surrendered home runs to Jay Gibbons (SLG .595 versus righties) and Sal Fasano (.404 career SLG). He did strike out 5, only the third time he’s done that all season.
Coming to a stadium near you
The Mariners next play three more against the Orioles in at Safeco Field. Then they travel to Toronto for a three-game set at Rogers Centre.
While the O’s started the second half with a win over the Mariners, they closed their first half 6-13. They have scored 436 runs, 4th in the AL, and allowed 412, 9th in the league.
Toronto has scored 428 runs, 5th in the league. They’ve allowed 384 runs, also 5th in the league. The Blue Jays lineup is exceedingly balanced without any sinkholes, but also plain vanilla average. Eleven Blue Jay hitters have logged 150 or more plate appearances. All but Aaron Hill sport an OPS between .707 and .806. And a Roy Halladay-less rotation means the Mariners will at least get a sporting chance of it.
Comments
63 Responses to “Week #16 in Review”
My simple point is that whoever can return more projected value for 2006 than they currently represent themselves should be dealt in order to (hopefully) realize that value. It is not unusual for pitchers to fall into that category for July sellers. If Randy Winn, Pat Borders, or whoever else falls into that category, then we should move them.
There must be a competent but slightly overpriced starter on one of the small market, non-contending teams. Someone who’s locked up for another 3 years, that could be had for the right package of prospects. Any reasonable suggestions? (Prior for Choo is not reasonable…..).
I hear Eric Milton is available.
He said “competent but slightly overpriced”, not “craptastic and VERY overpriced”.
An ERA that’s never been under 4.32 for a full season? A career ERA of about 5? kthxno.
#28–Jeff said: “This seems to be taken from today’s Times notebook, which says: Rafael Soriano, rehabilitating from shoulder surgery in Class AA San Antonio, returned to Seattle over the All-Star break and was diagnosed with a mild muscle strain in the shoulder. The injury isn’t believed serious, and he should be back in a few days.”
FWIW, it was Bud Withers who doesn’t reg. cover the Ms… there were other reports today that didn’t mention anything about his shoulder:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/232748_mbok15.html
http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/story/5023416p-4583141c.html
#54 and others included
You enjoy using innuendo my friend? That was a funny part on SNL………The first time I saw it. I guess satire is dead, but the dead have more fun anyways, sorry I’m not complacent. Jerk.
-Eric Milton is a flyball pitcher, I don’t have his stats handy but I’m not a big fan, although he did come from Minnesota where they make good players.
#49- Good call. Does anyone else in the league have interest in anybody that we have?? Are there any teams really in need of pitching who are competitive right now? And out of Meche, Moyer, Sele, Pineiro , who is worth the most on the market? Does anyone know if the rumors about Eddie being moved are true? People always need a closer, and the Mariner’s have needs other than that, which brings me to my next question, what do the enlightenened ones think is most likely for the Mariner’s to do for the 2nd half:-Hold what they have or try to make next year’s team better, or are they going to try to win this year? Who would the Mariner’s want to bring in if they could??
#52 “Someone who’s locked up for another 3 years”
Keep in mind that if you trade for a player in the middle of a multi-year deal he can request a trade after his first year with the team. So, unless you’re getting a young pitcher who’s not yet arbitration eligible you’re gonna have a hard time getting someone who’ll be locked up for another three years…
Re: CONSISTENT-CONSONANT (#s 8-20, with some omissions) – It seems that Evan is correct, that the poster meant “consistent.”
This type of error is common, where people hear a thing and spell it the way they think it’s spelled: “could of” or “should of,” when they heard “could’ve” or “should’ve;” “I’d just assume,” when they heard “I’d just as soon.”
Were it not for us, they might go through life making these errors.
Question: If we convert Willie Bloomquist to starting pitcher, do we still use a DH?
#59- I think the obvious answer is, if Willie Bloomquist did not exist, what would you be talking about?
What we talk about all the rest of the time, the Mariners.
OT:
According to Foxsports.com, Doyle is in left tonight batting 8th.
Re: CONSISTENT-CONSONANT [#s 8-20 (sporadically) and # 58] – Not to beat a dead horse, but: http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary
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