Game 118, Royals at Mariners
DMZ · August 16, 2005 at 6:41 pm · Filed Under Game Threads
RHP Zach Greinke (gr-EI-nke, commenters) v RHP Joel Pineiro (pin-EI-ro, commenters).
The Royals have lost 16 games in a row. Joel Pineiro, with the new hands-up motion (quick, how many times does that get mentioned in the broadcast), has had a couple decent starts in a row, leading to an encore presentation of “is he back?” arguments.
Bloomquist bats second, Morse goes to DH, and the insane-fielding Betancourt plays short again. The Royals counter with… bleaacchhhh. If Pineiro’s looking to rack up a decent start without Felix’s stuff, this is a good time to do it. You cleared waivers! Make daddy proud so he can find you a new home.
Comments
160 Responses to “Game 118, Royals at Mariners”
All 3 of Yuniesky’s RBIs have been go-ahead. True, he only has three, but they’ve been clutch.
151. Dangerous territory Mords. You sound like Rick Rizzs.
The speed clock at the game had Piniero living mainly around 91/92mph. He was woeful in the first, with no idea of the strikezone. Not much better in the second, started throwing strikes in the third and the Royals obliged by hacking at everything and giving him, what, three 5-pitch innings.
It was a quality start, but it didn’t convince me that we’ve seen the last of Bad Pineiro.
This line is from the P-I’s notebook for Wednesday. Beer wielding? Blog writing? Gee, both sound like DMZ…
“Adored by beer-wielding and blog-writing fans alike, Snelling had flourished briefly as an everyday player.”
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/236889_mbok17.html
152
I did not take his usual next step. I was simply remarking on the nature of his RBIs not on the nature of his skill set, talent set or anything else.
Folks, it’s the Royals, and what’s more it’s the Royals at the absolute bottom of what is probably going to be a historically bad season for them. Don’t let a win and a “quality” start mislead you. This is the pitching equivalent of batting practice; Piñeiro should have dominated them. A “good” Piñeiro would have. That he looked “good” but not dominating is bad news, not good news.
PS Where can one find information on players who clear waivers?
Certainly not on the Seattle Mariners official website, as far as I can tell…
156 – It’s not bad news. But yes, it’s not great news either, but with this team most will take what they can get.
I can’t stand it when Niehaus and Fairly refer to the KC SS as “Buh-RO-ha”. There is no “h” (or “j”) sound in it.
Whenever they say that I think of Salome Barojas.
#64 – sadly Jeff, there is pediatric Tommy John surgery. Often performed on early-teen hurlers from warmer states where full-year youth baseball is common, pitching in programs that emphasize winning now vs becoming a better ballplayer (i.e. curveballs at a too-early age, overworking the top kids, playing competitive ball year-round, etc). HBO did a piece on this in “Real Sports” – I made my 11-yr-old watch it. One look at the inside of a young pitcher’s elbow and he’s sworn off the curveball for quite a while.
Re: Pineiro – Given the state of health and/or effectiveness of the starters on our 40-man, and the dearth of FA starters coming down the pike, I think we need to keep Joel and take our chances. In a perfect world he pitches like he has the last 3 games and slots in as a 3-4, behind Felix, Mads, and a FA, leaving us to pick through the scrap heap to find a 5 (Spiroid, the empty shell of Meche, Mateo, or maybe Foppert/Borzado/Livingston).