Game 125, Yankees at Mariners
Baek vs Karstens, 7:05 pm
Cha Baek makes his first start in the majors in a couple of years after posting a nice ERA in the PCL this season, but let’s be clear – he’s not a prospect. He throws his mediocre stuff over the plate and lets hitters get themselves out or not. It’s the Ryan Franklin approach to pitching. This is about the worst possible matchup for him, as the Yankees offense rolls into town fresh off a five game weekend sweep of the Red Sox. The Mariners, meanwhile, haven’t won a game since Columbus sailed the ocean blue. It’s the irresistible force against the most movable object of all time. This should be fun. But on the brightside, the line-up:
1. Ichiro, CF (WOO!)
2. Snelling, RF (WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!)
3. Beltre, 3B (WOO – BOO – WOO – BOO – Who knows)
4. Sexson, 1B (See above)
5. Ibanez, LF (Como se dice WOO en espanol?)
6. Lopez, 2B (Just a W, because after a promising start, we’ve gotten very little)
7. Broussard, DH (CHOOOOOO! – oh, wait, wrong team)
8. Betancourt, SS (OOH – he leads the league in plays that make you say ooh)
9. Rivera, C (Uhh, crap)
Minus the whole Rene Rivera thing – and I’m assuming that now that we’re out of it that Johjima will actually get to catch a human workload, which I’m okay with – this is pretty much the best line-up the M’s have put out all year. Hargrove ignores his normal left-right mandate and actually puts Snelling and his on base ways in the #2 hole, which is the lineup spot he was created for. We have Ichiro in center again. Willie is nowhere to be seen.
They might be too little, too late, but we have to admit, the M’s are making the right moves now. We’ve taken Hargrove to task all year long, but this line-up is a good one, and it shows that he’s capable of assembling a quality batting order. Let’s hope it sticks.
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Speaking of the whole “Choo” thing, I went to an Indians game last week at Jacobs field (brief stop on a road trip) and every time I heard the “Choo” chant it felt like stabbing…ugh. He’s almost to Sizemore status in Cleveland it seems.
A fun line-up and an excellent reason to actually watch the meaningless game.
“They might be too little, too late, but we have to admit, the M’s are making the right moves now.”
Like we were talking about two months ago… giving up earlier would have made the team better. I’m a firm believer in the power of irony, and had the organization tossed up their hands weeks ago, we could very well still be in the race.
I mean, this line-up (sub in Johjima) is the best line-up we’ve used all year and it took utter surrender to get it on the field. Shameful.
But exciting now.
And, as for Baek, what the hell, right? He’s something new to watch.
I predict a blow-out. Us blowing them out. Dave has me all giddy.
So what do we take away from this — the M’s can only do the smart thing when upper management and the fans are so disgusted none of them are paying attention? Somebody smart wrote up the lineup when Hargrove wasn’t looking and he’s so apathetic at this point he just went with it?
You know, the M’s have got the Yankees just where they want them: exhausted from pummelling the Red Sox and then flying across the country, on the inevitable come-down from the emotionally charged weekend, far from the Boss and lulled to sleep by Baek’s mediocre ways. Sure recipe for an upset.
Now, where’s my “Yuck the Fankees” t-shirt… ?
I like Choo just fine, but I seriously doubt he’s going to make the Mariners regret trading him, long-term.
…every time I heard the “Choo” chant …
For those of us who haven’t actually heard this, what does it consist of? The Simpsonsesque “I Choo, Choo, Choose You?” Some weird variation of “Choo, Choo, Choodeo” a la Phil Collins? Or just some lame train imitation?
OK, I’ve missed watching too many games in a row now. I’m here, grumpy from work, ready to see center-fielding Ichiro and Doyle running around staying physically intact and anything else the Mariners might want to do right.
irresistible, not irresistable. (hey, if I get corrected on Rizzs, which isn’t a regular word…)
When they just announced Sexson’s height, I suddenly started thinking how odd it would be to see Richie playing in the Little League World Series.
Please, Cha-Seung, make me proud.
8, You mean like the 6′7″ 12 year old 1B?
God it’s troubling to see Abreu in pinstripes.
Drat, I wish I got ESPN2 so I could switch over to the Storm-Sparks game on commercials.
“[This lineup] shows that he’s capable of assembling a quality batting order.”
If only there was some way he could show that he could do it every day, someone might think about giving him a job next year. Well, if he could also show that he could utilize his bullpen effectively every day. Or at least most days; that’s really the standard. And pinch hit intelligently every now and then.
Anyway, there’s no criticism stated or implied here, but I don’t think you guys need to temper your criticisms of Hargrove when he does something right, at this point. The time for the carrot is past (stick! stick! stick!), and no one is going to think you’re being insufficiently even-handed. No one who doesn’t irrationally think so already, anyway.
Is it just me or does Baek look just like Irabu in the face?
9, yes, that’s exactly what I mean. Richie towers above the regular size adults, can you imagine him (or 1 inch shorter) amongst the tots?
Baek’s facial expressions trouble me. He looks positively frightened. He always looked cool and confident at Cheney this year. So they’re not making HIM establish his fastball early and often….
Question: what’s the deal with the ‘movement’ indicator FSN puts up on the lower right hand corner of the screen? what is it meant to indicate exactly and how are they catching that data?
Giambi’s friends need to have an intervention. That stache is horrible.
Is it just me or does it seem like a long first inning?
The “Chooooo, Chooooo” sounds almost like a chorus of booing, but to make sure that you realize it’s “Choo”, they run an animated train around the scoreboard area between the first and second level of seats.
Hey guys what’s the BFD. We still suck because 95% of this team doesn’t care anymore. We get to watch what we should have already seen. It only took hargrove 100 games to figure it out!
15 – He says it’s an homage to Don Mattingly. Sal Fasano is trying to get everyone on the team to grom ‘em. It’s one of those phases you hope they grow out of.
But WE care. At least I do. For the moment, at least. However fleeting.
Please, for the love of everything good, can we do away with the Charo commercials?
It took 19 pitches to strike out Abreu and get Giambi to ground out to first. Damn Yankees, this could be a 1-0 game and still take 4 hours.
Good. Lord. David*, you are so very right. Ew. ew ew ew. He has escaped the 70’s and must be sent back immediately.
Re Irabu: errr. Yes, it’s just you.
So do we know anything about the kid the ^&#*ing Yankees are sending out tonight?
Now is as good a time as any to say this:
I love Snelling.
The strike zone in that at-bat was all over the place. But another good at-bat from Doyle.
What’s with the freakish patience at the plate? That is soooo not in this year.
Plate Patience…it almost brought back tears to my eyes. With visions of Edgar dancing in my head.
Apart from Ichiro continuing to not hit, all is proceeding according to plan!
And Doyle’s walk means the M’s get two runs when Beltre crushes that ball. Good signs for next year.
DOYLE!!!!!!!
BELTRE!!!!!!
I am going to breathe deep and release the bitterness of belated competance.
Fun, fun, fun.
That’s a terrible pitch. 90 MPH fastball, belt high, down the middle. Wow. What a bad pitch.
I know, but can you believe Beltre teed off on it? Where was the foul straight back to the screen that we saw 4 trillion times last season?
But they’re HITTING the bad pitches! That merits at least a “WOO”
Yeeuuugh. Is the too-long hair that looks all greasy at the back also a Mattingly homage?
Very true – in April, Beltre either stares at that pitch or pops it up on the infield. So WOOO for the homer.
But man, Karstens looks horrible. It’s just one inning, but if I was watching this kid pitch with this stuff in the minors, I’d be writing down “non-prospect” right about now.
“but let’s be clear – he’s not a prospect. He throws his mediocre stuff over the plate and lets hitters get themselves out or not. It’s the Ryan Franklin approach to pitching.”
And that goes for you too Jake Woods.
Sometimes I really wonder about this organization…Hopefully Cruceta is getting a look soon.
An 86 MPH slider from a guy who throws 89-91 with his fastball? That’s just weird.
A win would make the lineup stick.
Seriously, Snelling has got to be the most exciting player to ever play the game.
40. I have a soft spot for the kid. Oh yes, yes I do.
Karstens, eh? Yankees didn’t have a lefty in AAA to bring up?
Communism in the hizzie!
What are the chances that Baek beats out the more talented guys in the system for the 5th rotation spot next year? Slim, I’m hoping.
Man, he sucks. An 88 MPH hanging breaking ball. This kid is a meatball throwing machine.
3 hits, all extra bases. Woo!
Anyone know why Rivera is in the lineup?
Jojima’s gotta have a day off every so often.
I want to hit off this kid. He’s terrrrrrrrrrible.
When Rene Rivera gets a hit off you, you suck.
41- The yanks dont need to call anyone up. They just go and buy anyone they want to, even if they didn’t want to play for the yanks. They cant turn down the money.
We need to give Amber a shot at playing the outfield. Nice stab at that foul ball.
Dave those are called cutters.It is a cut fastball not to be confused with a slider.
Jojima’s gotta have a day off every so often.
But we had an off day yesterday…
“What are the chances that Baek beats out the more talented guys in the system for the 5th rotation spot next year? Slim, I’m hoping.”
There’s talented pitchers in our system?
On the 20-80 scouting scale, this is how I would grade Karstens out:
FB: 40 (present), 45 (future)
CB: 50 (present), 50 (future)
SL: 40 (present), 50 (future)
Command: 40 (present), 45 (future)
OFP (total grade): 40
He’s not a major leaguer. He’s got nothing. There’s nothing to like about him.
Don’t be so hard on him, Dave. If he were in little league with his peers he’d be dominant.
And you have to cheer for a guy that overcame the absence of a mandible to play at the Major League level.
Aww, in the first AB that I’ve seen from Snelling this year, he strikes out.
Well quit watching. You obviously jinx him.
Seems people are really busting Doyle inside.
Mr. Carruth, meet Mr. Cruceta and Mr. Feierabend.
Moyer wins debut with phils btw.
nice route ibanez
58: I’m sure that’s it….
What is up with this strike zone?
Boy that last pitch sure landed down the absolute pipe. I know its where it goes over the plate, but sheesh…
At least that last “non strike” call as a courtesy to Jeter didn’t help the Yanks…sigh
These two-out runs outbursts, just can’t get enough of them.
Take that bastard’s mic away. Talk about a jinx. “Blah blah, long ball blah blah.” As if we couldn’t see that one coming.
Just shut him up!
Saw that coming so quickly I made absolutely no reaction when it happened, nor will I ever.
ok, joining the game late, and crap, Abreu. ok, joining the game late, and with the tv muted as I then had to take a phone call– were we supposed to know the chubby guy in the blue t-shirt who was wiping his face with the Mariner towel? He looked vaguely as though he had indigestion, and the camera lingered on him a long time….
After 2 quick outs, that hurts.
69. I think you may be referring to Mr. Karstens, Sr. If and why he was using a Mariners towel I can’t say.
Somehow I knew the simple act of a routine fly alluding the M’s with a runner on third and less than two outs would cost them. I just didn’t think it would be only ten minutes later.
that would be pitcher Karsten’s father msb.
When Derek Jeter swings so hard that he almost falls over, you know your stuff is lacking.
This is the worst combined stuff in opposing pitchers I’ve seen in I don’t even remember…
Richie!
Big Richie!!!
440 ft. I knew it was huge. Wow!
One of the national radio guys is ripping a caller for suggesting Manny is better than Ortiz. “Manny is a horrible defender” and “look at Papi’s superior numbers”, etc.
Does anyone in the national media ever consider that, as bad as Manny is in left field, he must be better out there than Ortiz? Or that Manny hits behind Ortiz? Or that Ortiz gets to face far more righties than Manny does lefties?
Really Big Richie!
What’s are record when both Beltre and Sexson homer? Isn’t it like 5-0?
80. Make that our. How embarrassing.
78, If I could choose one player the M’s could have had on that road trip, it would be David Ortiz, way over Manny. He’s so clutch, that you probably cringe now when you hear that word to describe him like it’s a cliche. There were so many games on this road trip where a bunch of golden opportunities have turned into the most glamourous strikeouts for pitchers.
Not saying the losing streak won’t continue or anything.
I’d choose Ortiz too, being that he’s on fire and hits left. But he’s given some free passes that Manny isn’t.
a ha! it’s “Safeco Mariners Rally Towel Night” night. Lucky for Mr Karstens, the way he is schvitzing.
btw, the Non-Little Little Leaguer is one Aaron Durley of the Arabian American Little League (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia — apparently mostly the choldren of folks employed on the pipelines) 6′ 8″, 256 lbs. and 13 years old. (he was only 6′5″, 226 lbs at last year’s contest)
#82: Sure, but how would you get Ortiz’ spot in the lineup to come to bat when the M’s needed it most?
That’s the beauty of baseball: the batting order is set in stone. It’s not basketball, where you can pass the ball to Larry Bird or Magic Johnson to take the game-deciding shot.
82
I agree. He has that intangible quality that puts fear into the opposition the later and closer the game is.
The past few years, depending on how they’re hitting in the line up, hypothetically I can imagine the other team occassionally pitching around Ortiz to get to Manny. But I could NEVER conceive pitching around Manny to get to Ortiz.
So let’s see:
4.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 5 Groundballs, 2 Flyballs.
I’m not saying anything.
84. I saw a picture of him yesterday and I’m glad I’m not paying that grocery bill.
Game tip: be sure to mute the commercials or you will be hearing the “Taco Del Mar” song in your head all day tomorrow.
Heh. There’s a fine picture of Durley here. I’ve been reading too much Harry Potter because I read his last name as Dursley, which fit.
“We just have to worry about ourselves”
*sigh* I’m not sure that’s justified, when your en route to three 90 loss seasons with Seattle.
Hard to picture him in the Dursley household.
Just saw the Phillies collision that occurred yesterday. Yikes.
How about all these Ks for Baek!
“Christopher Doyle Snelling”
–ESPN’s player profile for the man himself
#88– even more when you see a shot of him next to a 4′8″ kid! I’m guessing that an American citizen with a passport to get in & out of Saudi Arabia has had his birthdate verified, though… turns out his dad is 6′7″, and his maternal aunt played in the WNBA, so he comes by it naturally.
I wonder how “rough” Bavasi got with Jarrod Washburn’s agent.
Man…ANOTHER borderline pitch that Jeter gets. That’s total bull. Last time a three run homer followed.
Wow… another non call’d strike.
Meanwhile, Storm’s losing 53-40 at the end of the third quarter. Sigh.
Make that another strike on “the captain” that gets called a ball.
Unbelievable
Whoops… I guess it’s only partway into the 3rd. Not sure how I mixed that up.
Of course Valle has no clue and apparently is sure they were off the plate until he sees the graphic on the screen
Cha-Seung, you are making me proud. And against the Yankees no less. (Since I wished him good luck in the majors the other night, before he knew about the Moyer trade I think, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t a jinx).
Brilliant, Val.
101 pitches. Baek’s done after only 5.
Oh. Probably because ESPN2 had their onscreen graphic mixed up until just now. It is the 4th quarter. Not that y’all care, but. Swing for the proverbial fences, Storm!
hey, c’mon. that’s Jeter, if he says it’s a ball, it’s a ball.
man, Jamie had 6 runs to deal with? It’s a wonder he wasn’t too giddy to find the mound!
Heh. I love the image of Moyer wandering dazedly around the field with small animated birds over his head.
Much love for Doyle in broadcastland!
With such an apparently tiny strike zone, you’d think we make at least a token attempt to draw a walk.
But not our team
It is the veteran Derryl Cousins behind hme plate. According to an article last year about the WS umps, Cousins “became a MLB umpire as a replacement umpire for striking umps in 1979. Still ostracized by many fellow umpires, Cousins generally has a small strike zone.”
Still ostracized by many fellow umpires, Cousins generally has a small strike zone.
Hmm… I wonder if umpires sit around in the locker room comparing strike zones.
Oh god. Here goes the Walla Walla. 2 count so far.
wonder if Homeboy Eric O’Flaherty is wearing a ‘Yankees Suck’ t-shirt under his Mariner jersey…
check covers.com for ump strike call pct. stats
Nice job by Baek – one pitch away from 5 scoreless.
Let’s go O’Flaherty!
Uh oh – time for the Walla Walla drinking game. Not sure I have enough liquor in the house.
Manny: .330/.446/.637/1.083 – Leads everyone but god (er, Pujols) in OPS
Ortiz: .287/.400/.627/1.027
Let me repeat, Manny hits BEHIND Ortiz. Just food for thought.
Good old Eric “Gameday picture = Mariners logo” O’Flaherty.
And the dreaded moustache retires to the dugout.
3 so far.
awww, Craig has just a little bit of his flowing locks remaining, to peek coyly out from under his batting helmet… ok, now the former-Pirate niceties are out of the way, let’s have a DP here.
barf.
Do we have ANY non-rookies we plan on showing the Yanks?
dammit, Eric, that’s not what I asked for.
I see the new mitt has made Alex feel all comfy & secure again.
Another day another play from behind
Bavasi expressed some interesting thoughts on free agency in that interview.
Arbitration, specifically.
That facial hair on Giami really is awful. I wonder if he’s gearing up to moonlight in porn during the offseason, or something. He’s otherwise greasy enough. “Time to ’stache it up, boys…”
Wow, shove O’Flaherty, the rookie lefty, up against a line-up of righties.
Whoa, thank god for Nick Green.
so, I’m guessing the White Sox still lead the AL offensively– are the Yanks in 2nd place these days?
Hey, give Grover credit for not bringing Mateo in with the game tied.
sorry fellas, not going to appear tonight.
Maybe DMZ is not really on vacation – maybe he is temporarily occupying Grover’s brain which is why we’re seeing so many decent managerial moves today.
Wow. I haven’t had time to follow the Mariners lately. This is pretty cool.
Uh oh, Corcoran sighting….
Wow, Hargrove even used his DH platoon correctly…
Rizzs, during a graphic that says Karstens has got 2 K’s, 3 GB outs, and 12 FB outs tonight:
“The Yankees have to be pleased with how this kid is pitching.”
I hate you Rizzs. Also, I listened to part of the game on the radio in my car earlier and just turned on the TV, so I had to hear his retarded “Wright and Wang” joke twice.
It stinks. I live in Idaho, and I can watch the Mariners on TV. I move to freaking Tacoma and all I have is radio.
I’m telling ya, it’s not Hargrove. Something fishy is going on. It may be an X-File in the making.
What, now Torre and Hargrove are playing chess with lefty-righties? Memo to Torre: you’re not facing some kind of stategic genius with a superstar lineup at his disposal. I realize you have to get your world series moves ready and all, but is this really necessary?
I’ll claim my own ignorance but I wasn’t sure he could bring in Eduardo. But he did and it worked. Sometimes the sun shines on a dog’s ass. Or did he grow a brain? Yeah, right.
Oh yeah, I’ll head down to Compton for that MLB Umpiring clinic. I’ll try not to get shot while I’m down there.
As I said to Jake in Palo Alto, watch Yuni swing at the first pitch, no matter where it is.
Haha, the play-by-play announced for the PCL team I work radio for even just stated he on-air he thought the M’s would have canned Hargrove by now.
Hey, Oakland lost today. If we win, we’ll be only ∞ game out of first.
Wow, I’m apparently drunk with my typing
Maybe it is DMZ. That whole “I’ve left my high tech job for, hmmm, well something…” thing was a little sketchy. Maybe the remote control deployment of “Doyle” graphics on Sunday was a trial run, and now USSM has direct control of Hargrove’s brain. I mean, if a bunch of kids in shipping containers outside Las Vegas can fly Predators over Afghanistan, how hard can it be to meat puppet a shambolic MLB manager?
shut your mouth joel
So, Bill James’s son Isaac is in my Econ class.
You’d think that with all of the monetary success Bill James has likely had over the years that his kid would go to a better school than UPS.
He must’ve heard Corcoran was going to be there…
..with his double-handed prom date mystique…
He thinks I’m weird, because here is the conversation transcript:
Isaac: “My Dad works for the Red Sox”
Me: “What is he?”
Isaac: “Senior Analyst for Baseball Operations”
Me (suspicious and getting excited, because that’s Bill James’s title): “What’s his name?”
Isaac: “Bill James”
Me: (jumping as high as I can) OH MY GOD YOU ARE BILL JAMES’S SON!!!
Well, if dementors can take over the A’s, DMZ can take over Grover’s brain – at least for a game or two. Putting Rivera in the lineup was just a decoy so we wouldn’t catch on too fast.
I love watching those two.
Good call walking A-Rod to set up the DP, DMZ.
And so far, all the in-game strategic decisions seem to be working. Which is the best possible proof that something has stolen Hargrove’s brain….
My ears are bleeding. I don’t know if it’s because of the broadcasters or the Little Richard/Aflac commercial.
Good thing Rivera is still in there. I was really worried he wouldn’t get to hit again. (Eyes rolling)
Doyle!
DOYLE!
DOYLE!!!!!!
Man it’s great to have Doyle in there!
How sweet it is.
Doyle looks like the real deal so far.
Awesome!
P.S. It will be a LONG time before Charo or Li’l Ricky achieves Howie Long levels of irritation.
Nothing wrong with a walk here…take it easy Adrian
Oh, I see… for Beltre that IS a strike. Gotcha.
Too bar it wasn’t an intentional walk of Beltre to get to Sexson….
SMAAAAAAAAAL strike zone Richie…remember that please
Man, if we start next season with Ichiro, Doyle, Beltre batting 1,2,3… I will be one happy dude.
Bad. Too bad. The bar is where I’m getting my drinks…
It will be a LONG time before Charo or Li’l Ricky achieves Howie Long levels of irritation.
agree 1000%
nice!
NICE, Beltre!
Great job by Adrian…totally saved Sexson’s sorry swing on that one.
DAMN, Beltre!
That’s a great slide by Beltre. Well done.
B E L T R E ! ! ! Nice!
Ooh, Beltre dealing some rough justice…
Myers and Villone! Yay!
Damn it. I missed Doyle’s AB. Had one of my neighbours not left their laundry in the dryer, forcing me to empty it before putting my clothes it, I would have made it back easily. Well, good for him anyway.
And Corco, that’s a great story. This is one of the few places where it would be truly appreciated.
Didn’t he break up another DP not too long ago too?
You can’t doubt the man for lack of caring, you really can’t.
Richie!!!…kind of.
On replay, that slide was a bit late. I wouldn’t be surprised if a pitch “gets away” from a Yankee pitcher sometime in the future.
Beltre’s been playing like a complete package for at least 2 months.
That’s probably the toughest slide I’ve seen all year. Nice Job and way to show some heart, Beltre!!!
At least AB hasn’t quit.
So now that the Storm has lost and I can bring my attention back here… aren’t there going to be any more USSM meetups this year? Now that I’ve inflicted pseudo-witticisms and profanity on y’all, I feel an urge to meet face-to-sad, depressed face.
This is almost exciting.
Ron 5 looks so weird without his vandyke.
Looks like a good move by Torre. Raul hasn’t been doing much of anything lately and even less than that against lefties.
I miss Villone. He was so fun to bash.
This small srike zone ump wouldn’t appear to be a good fit for Villone. Lets hope were patient enough to take advantage
If we are going to meet, I think the Tap House would be a fine venue for such a gathering of eclectic and intoxicated Mariner fans.
Naturally that would’ve clearly been a ball on Jeter, right?
OH , COME ON.
That almost hit him, for chrissake.
Rauuuuuuul!
WOOOOO!!!!
192
Feels great to be wrong! Granted, being married I have a lot of practice being reminded that I usually am wrong.
I think we’re going to win!
marbledog, you can remove the “almost”
This would be a cuddly time for Jose’s first RBI of the friggin’ month.
I think it’s going to be a 19 inning game!
screw you Jose. More Willie Less Lopez for the rest of the year.
2-0 and a tiny zone, so of course Jose feels compelled to swing…sigh
202 – OK, you’re right.
This is exciting. Pure and simple. It’s been a long long time.
I spell Lopez with seven “z”s.
And the secret weapon tonight? The Sandman isn’t available…
205
Corco, in their last 160 ab’s their comparison is almost scary:
Jose- 0hr 5rbi 4walks 2sb .256avg
WFB- 1hr 9rbi 17walks 5sb .238avg
marbledog: did you used to play POLO? that’s so cool.
OK, Soriano needs to be shut down for the season. He’s either hurt, or tired, or both.
Unfortunately when THEY get the 2-0 counts they likely won’t hack away and harmlessly pop up.
Failure to execute the bunt! That means they lose right?!
wait a second… ELEPHANT polo? good lord.
I missed Soriano — I take it he was still hitting 91?
well, watching KING/NWCN to see their report on Moyer’s debut and I find they are also running a really lame piece called “Dark cloud hanging over Mariners”, where they report that, well, a dark cloud is hanging over Mariners. huh.
213
I see I was wrong again. I should just predict a Yankee win, therefore guaranteeing the M’s break their losing streak!
OK, this is turning into one of those “it had everything” games — home runs, run-downs, a slide that breaks up a double-play… all we need is somebody to go into the stands to catch a foul/rob a HR
Heh… Melky Cabrera ladies and gents.
That’s double cool for the Mariners, since now they can leave Sherril in to get Damon out in the 9th.
uh… pretty much – for many years. I’m retired now. If you make it to the Kitsap USSM thing – if we ever have it (in Kingston so that’s only 30 minutes from Edmonds) – get some beers in me and I’ll tell you all about the defensive strategies and how the matriachal elephant society determines how best to save a goal.
204: Someone activate Mike Cameron…
Oooooh Perez vs. a Lefty in the late innings.
matriarchal, I mean
This ump is seriously pissing me off.
Good to see SOMEONE not afraid to walk on this team…besides Doyle
Does this mean Bloomquist is our new DH?
Of course ANYTHING that results in Willie coming in the game must seriously be questioned for its worth to the team
Hey, Yuni took a ball at least…
Bunting in front of Rivera:
So clever, it’s retarded…
If were gonna waste an at bat by Yubet, what’s the point in pinch running Willie? I mean Perez can make it to second on a friggin’ sacrifice.
KENJI!
D’oh.
Johjima can’t buy a day off.
But Willie does it scrappily!
Alex really likes his big new mitt.
and the NL is officially different than the AL.
Kyle Lohse, Twins. 7.07 ERA.
Kyle Lohse, Reds. 1.37 ERA.
Doyle — you are our only hope!
C’mon Snelling, steal Sexson’s IBB Juice.
C’mon C-Snells, Chuck a wobbly and show errbody what yer made of.
WTF! DON’T PINCH HIT!
Bunting in front of Rivera:
So clever, it’s retarded…
And we don’t even get to see DOYLE! win the game.
FU Hargrove.
Oh my fucking god. Pinch hitting Bohn for Doyle? Bad Hargrove is back.
Yeah, take the bat way from Ichiro so you can pitch to Doyle. Heh, heh, heh…
Wait, WTF?
I’m sure this will look like a terrific move a few innings later if were down by one with the tying run on second and effin’ Willie is up to make the last out.
Oh and taking Snelling out too? Un-effin’-believable
WHAT???!
Why? Why sit Doyle?
Oh, good god.
Or T.J….I guess….
NO!!! Not for Doyle!!
Okay, I’ve lost all respect for Hargrove now after this move. (Not that I had much left with to begin with.)
237: Apparently not.
WTF???
dammit. Hargrove wrests his brain back from Derek, and pinch-hits Bohn for Doyle.
Grover is clearly no longer being possessed by DMZ.
Sure Bohn…2-0 and swing at one almost in the dirt
It gets better though, now Mateo is coming in….
Now if we go to extra innings, our 2 hitter is Bohn, and Willie is the DH. Fantastic. When DMZ had control of Hargroves brain, he should have ran into the wall a few times.
and at a little after 10pm the site shudders and stalls, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced…
Not liking the Mateo / Abreau matchup. Not at all.
Talk about losing the DH spot.
Might as well PH Pineiro for Willie. At least Pineiro will get some work in and Willie won’t hurt his back with all those gritty swings at pitches in the dirt and over his shoulders.
Well, the good thing is with this ump making the pitchers literally pour it down the middle, this is pretty much what Julio does anyway.
Anyone remember three hours ago when the lineup was really something to be excited about?
Fire that hack.
It’s a time game son, if you don’t score, it’s not over.
Here’s for the scrappiest DH in the league! There goes two hitters for pitchers in the lineup.
ok, I’m going back to my old theory. Hargrove is trying to get fired.
DMZ, enjoy your vacation now. You tried.
#256: Even a blind squirrel…
So, since Rivera is unavailable, Hargrove decided not to use his closer? How sporting.
Abreu has gotta be thinking:
Did I seriously just let his guy strike me out? Guiel pinch hitting…were not out of the woods yet (or EVER when Grover is calling the shots). Lefties just bludgeon Mateo usually.
I am so goddamn sick of Hargrove, I can’t stand it. Even when the Mariners hand me a big bowl of tasty candy, he has to spit in it, then knock it out of my hands.
I can’t believe that Bloomquist and Bohn are in the line-up… what a fucking idiot.
Just fucking fire him already.
Of course Abreu is actually only thinking about that first sentence.
255/msb: I’m still laughing, that was hilarious.
This place is heaving like the server’s about to explode into flames, but anyway, back from the game:
– Lots of Yankees fans tonight, but they were relatively nice. In the last few years I’ve come to realize that Yankees fans are arrogant, but they know their ball and would stop to help you change your tire, while Red Sox fans are drunken assholes who got their damn ring so their act ain’t cute anymore.
– It’s clear this is a new era in Safeco. Fewer casual fans, more hardcore types.
– DOYLE IN RF!
– We head up to our section and there’s Deanna sitting one section over. She seemed kinda surprised to see us.
265
Maybe Grover bet Torre he could get more batters in the game who’s last name begins with “B.”
Seriously, did Willie save Hargrove’s life at some point? Does Grover owe him that much?
groan.
Mr. Stupid is going to walk Guiel. Absolutely believable!
Maybe Alex will get confused and think this is a playoff game…that may be our only hope.
6-11 vs Mateo
So he actually got A-Rod out five times?
265: In that way, Hargrove is sort of like the asshole who tells a friend who just won a 360 million dollar Powerball drawing, “Yeah, but it’s only 200 million after taxes.”
Kenji to Mateo: Please try not to suck.
If the Yanks can’t go ahead here, they may NEVER score again…at least not for several more innings.
A slider with an inch of movement. Fucking terrible.
hum..
Oh PHEW.
Lotta luck in that last out…
Crikey, A-Rod’s average against Julio is now down to 500
Now why is it that Yankee fans give A-Rod such a hard time, lol?
And you can hear the booing from NY all the way across the continent.
I stayed up to 1:25 to see this overpaid fraud K with RISP again. Booooooooooo!
Wow. Two nuts in one inning.
(See #263)
We need a walk off, I don’t see us winning a war of attrition here.
Rivera and Proctor unavailable tonight
What more could we ask for (besides a real manager)? Does Villone need to throw it underhanded? Lets get some dang runs!
OH MY GOD
BELTRE!!!!! FUCK YEAH!!!!!
WOW!!!!
WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beltred!
Thank god!
SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh this will crash the server…
286
Question answered by Yo Adrian!!!!!!!!
Yankees can’t lose at Fenway, M’s can’t beat ANYONE in our divsion, yet BOTH teams’ current streaks end tonight! Gotta luv it!!!
Hey A-Rod, you were a hero to plenty of M’s fans tonight at least
John in L.A. called it.
I said this game had everything, and now, well, it had everything. Walkoff HR. Two HRs by Beltre. Way to step up.
Did I mention Beltre’s SLG has continued to climb all year, even as his AVG and OBP leveled off?
FINNNNNNNNNNALLLLLLLLLLLLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
IT’S OVER!
IT’S OVER!
IT’S OVER!
THE SERVER IS CRASHED!
THE STREAK IS DONE!
HELL HAS FROZE OVER!
YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH BABY!!!!!!!!
There is justice in the universe!
That was bloody good to see.
A win!
Against the Yankees!
A walkoff homer!
By Beltre!
His second of the game!
Honestly, which of those is the most surprising?
And we are spared the empty-bullpen, best-hitters-out-of-the-game, numb-nut, extra-inning management strategies of Mike Hargrove.
Thuuuuh Yankees lose! Thuuuuh Yankees lose!
And, like the cherry on top of the sundae, they just had Snelling and his adorable aussie accent on the radio postgame show…
299: Merely Beltre’s second homer that is. Tough to hit two walk-offs in one game.
Wow, we won.
BTW, “Emperor of the North” is on Comcast 149. Terrific movie.
BTW, those of you who have listened to NYY radio broadcasts will appreciate this New Yorker’s take on them. (Warning, adult language, but nothing worse than Snakes on a Plane.)
Robert Aldrich would kick Hargrove’s ass for us.
I love the win but have a disturbing feeling that by the end of the season Mateo will have the most wins of any Mariner… 9 and counting.
I vote WOO.
Mateo is the Emperor of the Vultures.
And every Mariner fan with sarcasm now will say, “the next 11 game losing streak begins tomorrow.”
LOL
Seriously though, this was a good game for the Mariners to win.
Against the Yankees, after falling behind late in the game, needing that clutch hit in the 9th, and we even got 5 walks, which is a little rare for this team (especially under Hargrove).
Obviously all hope for this season is lost, but if the Mariners straighten out their starting staff and get a manager with some common sense and a little bit of fire, then this team could go places in ‘07 and especially ‘08.
And as a fan that basically went through hell the last 2 weeks, this is the kind of emotion that springs through you after this kind of a game.
Hope.
Simply, hope.
I like the potential of this team, now with a little more growing up, fire, and a few more pieces to the puzzle coming up in ‘07, then this defenitely could be a team you may have to respect once again very soon.
ohmigod. have they been having these ‘dance-offs’ on FSN all along? this is horrible. Could I have some Mariner & Moyer highlights, please? please?
Love the win and all, but after Beltre’s second whiff, the fucking FSN signal went out. I had to see the homerun on Gameday. I watch the whole game, and then I don’t get the see the walk-off. Sigh.
and while I’m whining, can we outlaw the word ‘fire’ on this blog unless it relates to Hargrove being unemployed?
Raul must really dislike either Cameron Wong or interviews in general. He practically has his back to the man.
he also looks like he hasn’t slept during the entire losing streak.
Ibanez is about the only person who had no idea the Yankees had beat the Red Sox five in a row coming into this game.
Interesting, useless stat:
Beltre — last homer before tonight was last win before the losing streak.
End of streak – good
Arod strikes out – better
Beltre taking no prisoners – great
Hargrove drives blindfolded through a 4-way and no one gets hurt – be afraid, be very afraid.
315 – Ibanez is about the only person who had no idea the Yankees had beat the Red Sox five in a row coming into this game.
Ibanez undoubtably didn’t run into Rick Rizzs at any time during the day, who has mentioned it 422 times already and still counting.
i’ll second that; it seems like hargrove more or less stumbled upon a line-up that works as a result of a sense of desparation…i would have hoped that it didn’t take an 11 game losing streak to figure something out.
317
What’s scary is that it isn’t hard picturing Grover really doing that
Congrats to the team on a great win.
VICTORY!!!
3. Beltre, 3B (WOO – BOO – WOO – BOO – Who knows)
Looks like it was WOO – WOO – WOOOOOO! tonight….
If Beltre keeps doing things like this my Beltre mancrush will come back.
ohmigod. have they been having these ‘dance-offs’ on FSN all along?
I think so, the past week or so. I’m usually out of the bar or onto another channel by the 9th (particularly on this road trip) so I’m not sure when it started. Really, I don’t know how Angie whatshername can look at herself in the mirror every morning. I host what?
Ibanez is about the only person who had no idea the Yankees had beat the Red Sox five in a row coming into this game.
Actually, from the way Snelling reacted on the postgame I don’t think he knew either. He also seemed pretty oblivious to the losing streak “I don’t know, I just joined the team in Anaheim” — bless him.
Perhaps Rizzs can corner Ibanez and Snelling and tell them about that magical 1995 season and the 5 game division series with the Yankees!
Beltre — last homer before tonight was last win before the losing streak.
Does that count homeruns taken away and called ground rule doubles instead?
w00t! Now I get to make fun of all the yankee fans at work. I mean…seriously…they lost to the Mariners! That’s like losing to KC or TB…ouch!
We know that O’Flaherty knows about “That Magical 1995 season” because yes…HES FROM WALLA WALLA! Thanks Rick, we hadn’t heard.
i’ll second that; it seems like hargrove more or less stumbled upon a line-up that works as a result of a sense of desparation…
Panic moves! Panic moves!
Just got back from the game. The problem with Yankees games at Safeco is listening to obnoxious NYY fans taunting. But they got shut up, and I was ever so polite to each one I encountered on the walk out and the bus ride home.
I was all set to use my Rally towel (tonight’s giveaway at the Safe) in a way unintended: folded white side out, it would make a great surrender flag. But yay, I didn’t have to.
Speaking of the off-season, would someone tell me why the Ms don’t invest more (or most) of their cash in lefties? Clearly Safeco offers them the unique opportunity to build a large home-field advantage. I’m not even sure how they accomplished the Sexson signing. How is he that valuable to the Ms?
gotta love it, ESPN finally got around to the Phillies highlights, and led into it with footage of the Moyer debut with the Cubs these 20 years ago… Moyer was a little skinnier, but pretty much everything looked the same, including the run onto & off of the field….
Just got back from the game. Sat in the third deck behind home plate, and was *surrounded* by Yankees fans, including about 15 women “in love” with Derek Jeter.
So imagine how *good* it felt to be at this game!
Here are a few things in no particular order:
1) Snelling has some of the fastest hands through the strike-zone that I’ve ever seen. Even the Yankees fans sitting next to me (good guys, notwithstanding) were commenting on it.
2) That ball that Abreu hit out was absolutely *crushed*. Same goes for A-Rod’s dinger later, which actually made it into the upper deck.
3) Speaking of A-Rod, I’ve never heard the boos louder for him than tonight.
4) Beltre’s slide to break up that double play brought a standing ovation from my section.
5)I roundly cursed Hargrove for pinch-hitting Bohn for Doyle in the 8th.
6) I roundly cursed Hargrove (again) for putting Matteo in in the 9th. I was pretty shocked that struck out A-Rod like that to get out of that jam.
7) Speaking of A-Rod, man did he seem to be in a funk this evening, in the on-deck circle, out playing defense. He just didn’t seem his same borg/perfection/robot self. I almost felt sorry for him.
Anyway, WHAT A GAME!!!!!
hey, 333, did you have the blue Thornton 53 jersey with the letters all in white? I saw you go down the aisle, if so. Almost considered yelling and asking if I could take a picture of it for amusement value.
Yeah, it was nice seeing Dylan even for a few seconds as he kept going up and down the aisle, too. For some reason I figured that since I was wearing my USSM shirt and yelling “GO DOYLE!!!!!!!!” a lot, I’d have to run into someone from here, but alas.
Also just back from the game, one additional ovservation I didn’t see posted. During the (inconceivable!) Bohn-for-Doyle PH fiasco, none other than Howard Lincoln taking in the action from the rail of the M’s dugout. Better yet, Grover visibly twitchy and standing as far away as humanly possible. We were really hoping Lincoln was on his way out to the field for a mid-game manager change
So those home runs were Adrian’s 9th and 10th at home this year versus only 5 on the road. I’ve got wonder what is going on with him on the road. Anyways, I was also at the game tonight behind home plate and #333 those boos for Arod are nowhere close to what happen in his first return to Seattle when he was with Texas in April 01. And its certainly fine to boo him, but how he gets louder boos than Bonds is beyond me. Also, damn Ichiro looks good in center, but he looks that much better with Doyle standing next to him in right, Doyle! rocks.
I looked a little closer and noticed that Adrian has almost 3 times as many doubles on the road as at home (24-9), so although I’m guessing this is just sample size theater, is Safeco suppressing his gap power ability but not taking away home runs, that seems odd.
334. Yes, Deanna, that was me. I went down to get my friend and I a beer during the top of the 2nd. You should have stopped me. I’d have recognized the USSM gear and of course you could have had a picture. Would you believe I had to get a Matt Thornton jersey special ordered?*gasp*
I love telling people he’s my cousin and watching their faces. (It’s true that I have a cousin named Matt Thornton, but he’s not from Michigan, and he doesn’t pitch for Chicago now)
I think I’m gonna have to pick up a Snelling jersey now.
Maybe next time there’s a USSM gathering you can get your picture with that coveted jersey.
337, Chavez Ravine is usually a major doubles suppressor, as is Safeco. That’s probably a nice chunk of it.
Naturally; he’s getting booed by both the Mariner fans and the Yankee fans.
Why Bonds gets booed and not Jason Giambi — or any of the other players who’ve actually, you know, been caught using substances, instead of just accused — is beyond me.
I can’t believe I missed the end of that game…after ARod hit the homer I turned the tv off and went to bed at 11:00pm EDT, and said to my wife “well this game is over”. I stayed up many nights during the losing streak and had given up at this point. I was shocked this morning when I found out they won!
Beltre’s slide was magnificent. This was totally his best game of the season. The slide, the two home runs… Hmm… was Steinbrenner in the house? Ok… kidding aside…
Pinch hitting for Doyle was the knucklehead move of the game. It ruined the “chemistry” of the night for me and my friends watching the game on tv. Then… you could see in the player’s faces they knew the inevitable was coming. Bohn didn’t even know what was coming. Nothing like putting a young kid out there and throwing him to a Yankee game in a critical situation.
On the Mateo move… my ulcer grew twice it’s size. But look on the bright side, maybe he can get more wins and raise his TRADE value.
On the brightest side… ding dong, the witch is dead, the witch is dead. Yea, nothing like the Mariners breaking out of a funk against the pinstripes.
It kind of reminds me of August 18th 1995 when I was at the Kingdome. After that horrible stretch of games against the AL west (Oakland). We begin a series against Cy Young hopeful Tim Wakefield and the overpowering Red Sox. Blowers hits 2 dingers to almost the same spot and the M’s 14 game comeback begins. That’s the only game I attended that year. But what a season.
…Well at least I’ll be going to my first game on Thursday. Maybe this is the series where we turn it around and make an insane run and Oakland collapses? I know there’s hardly a chance mathematically…and this isn’t your 1995 Seattle Mariners. But stranger things have happened. And for one day… the dark cloud begins to dissapate and a sliver of hope peaks through. But alas, that sliver of hope is most likely for 2007…
340. Not only did I boo Giambi, I heckled him every at-bat.
I had the Yankees fans sitting around me wincing with comments like:
“Hey Giambi, did you remember to shoot up today?” (first at-bat)
“Hey Giambi, which cheek today, the left or the right? Or was it a cream and clear day today?” (second at-bat).
Then they got a pinch runner for him, still, it was fun while it lasted.