Game 3, Rangers at Mariners
Jason Jennings v Carlos Silva
I’ve said before we’d learn a lot about this year’s Mariners in the first month or so, and here’s two of the big questions: is Carlos Silva the pitch-to-contact pitcher we’ve seen in his career, or is he the middle-rotation pillar of support the M’s think they signed? And will the M’s defensive holes hobble him?
Fun comparison:
Jennings: lifetime big groundball pitcher (1.38 G/F), projections ran ~6K/9, 3.75 BB/9, 1 HR/9
Silva: even bigger groundball pitcher (1.55 G/F), projections run ~4K/9, 2 BB/9, 1.2 HR/9
Jennings signed for one year, $4m.
Lineups when we get them. Wait, no… I’m going to go out on a limb here and post them before I see them. Let’s see how far off they are.
Rangers
2B-R Kinsler
SS-R Young
CF-L Hamilton
3B-L Blalock
DH-B Bradley
RF-L Catalanotto
LF-L Murphy
C-R Laird
1B-L Broussard
Mariners
CF-L Ichiro!
2B-R Lopez
LF-L Ibanez
1B-R Sexson
3B-R Beltre
RF-L Wilkerson
DH-B Vidro
C-R Johjima
SS-R Betancourt
I promise not to try to upgrade the site during the game.
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damn big groundball pitcher, in fact.
I’m going to bet that Blowers says “no question about it” in the top half of the first inning.
makes a change from ‘no doubt’
Through two games, if I’m counting correctly the M’s have two extra base hits. Total in two games. This concerns me. Lets hope we break the trend tonight.
Silva has always been an innings eater. Unfortunately, he covers his innings in cheese and dips them in creamy ranch dressing prior to consuming them.
Silva da-oh wait, I’m not excited.
Silva pitches all of his balls in the strikezone.
Good hitters don’t get themselves out.
Therefore, a good hitting team like the Rangers will destroy Silva.
does it count if he say ‘no question about it’ on the radio pregame?
#4 — You underestimate the awesome extra base power of the M’s. They have three such hits, two by Yuni, one by Lopez.
#7 — I assume that Blowers uses “no question about it” during any conversation.
Home loan officer: The interest rate dipped to 5.35%. This is a good time to refinance your mortgage.
Blowers: No question about it.
So, slappy hitters have all of our XBH. Heck yeah!
Sometimes I think both Vidros are in the lineup, only one is named Sexson.
Adam Jones is 2-for-4. Didn’t we used to have him?
He said “no doubt about it” in the pregame. Trust me, I’m tracking this.
they are very fond of him in Bal’more.
Adam Jones also stole a base. I still have in-game update text messages about him from last season. I’m not turning them off.
There’s something we’ll see again a lot this season: doubles hit to “the gap” fielded by Ichiro as the other corner outfielder hobbles into view.
Alright, this year we really need to have some kind of TV-watching meeting in which y’all give me expertise on how to recognize pitches. Granted I am usually looking too much at my computer to use the skill, but I seriously suck at it.
Nice that the M’s are on television in Qatar via AFN. I doubt they’re making new fans but this old one sure enjoys it. I would have enjoyed last night’s game even more, especially if Felix had gotten a win, but I’ll take it.
You know, Lauren, that might make a really good article.
One other difference between Jennings and Silva….Jennings is coming off of a lousy season which ended with arm surgery.
I’ll be in Seattle in June – if no one has taught Lauren how to distinguish fastball from breaking ball by then, we’ll set something up.
Wait wait wait, I though Silva never walked anyone
those of you with those fancy widescreen tvs will get to see more of the hobblers … kinda like letterboxed vs pan-and-scan
I can’t wait to hear what they have to say about Richie next inning…you’ve got to think they’ve run out of things that sound remotely positive to say.
From people with said skill, you mean? Because me writing on the subject would be a lot of “Ummm… that ball looked slow? I guess it wasn’t a fastball?” and such.
I second the pitch recognition. I’m usually looking at everything but how the ball comes into, and then crosses the plate
How did Bradley miss that? An 81 MPH change-up right down the middle at the belt? That was a meatball.
Okay, yea, we should probably write something up before June then. I’ll add it to the to-do list.
Silva make walk a few, but he is a strik out machine. As of now, he averages 18K/9IP.
oops, strike “strik” and insert “strike.”
any chance raul can steal 3rd and home so we can score?
What an ugly swing Sexson has.
Man, I swear anything on the outer half of the plate and low is a guaranteed strike on Richie.
I usually know what I’m seeing pitch-wise, but I’d be curious to see what you have for advice on recognition, Dave. That sounds like a great article.
Why hasn’t the Times, the P-I or the News Tribune hired you yet?
A walk! Richie walked!
Holy crip he got on base!
That’s the best outcome for every at bat when it comes to Sexson. Pretty pathetic.
[RICHIE]
seven pitches … none a strike to Sexson … think the book on Richie is pretty much open across the league? It’s amazing he walked, don’t see that happening much from here on out.
[RICHIE]
Yeah, Dave, why hasn’t the Times or PI hired you yet?
If Adrian can keep sitting back and mashing fastballs into the right-center field gap he might do some nice things this year. He’s done it a couple times so far and it looks sweet. It’s not Edgar, but sweet nonetheless.
Can we “DH the 1B” and have Silva hit?
ok guys, give us the dirt….
Excellent play by Yuni there. Sorry if I overdid it a bit on the Sexon bashing…
Really though, a nice catch to end the inning.
N
F
W
Vidro hitting homers, Silva striking people out.
Pay a player and he will muscle up!
Vidro belts it? Yeah, halfway down the left field line. OK, I take that back!!
TURBO BUTTON!
I never thought I’d say this, but Turbo crushed that thing. Geez.
WOW Turbo
Turbo-Charged!!
Of course he crushed it. He is a professional hitter.
So what’s happening in the game? I just got distracted when a herd of pigs flew past out the front window.
Holy crap. That was a bomb, for Vidro.
Turbo Blast!
I have a “There isn’t any question about it” sighting in the bottom of inning 2.
TURBO FUNK BLAST!!!
Dammit Vidro.
If I hear “professional hitter” one more time I’m gonna puke.
How much could you have made in Vegas, if they took bets on such a thing, that the M’s first HR would be a Turbo shot? UFB!
You sure that wasn’t Pepe?
Vidro was the first Mariner to steal a base AND hit a home run? what???
Thx. I just snorted beer.
Turbo now leads the team in home runs and stolen bases. The end is near.
I did not see that one coming.
If they’re looking for over 20 and ten or under walks, it’s pretty much just Carlos Silva’s 2005.
You are about to enter another dimension, a dimension not only of strikes and outs but of holy freaking crap did Vidro just hit a dinger?
A Turbo Bomb!!!
43: Actually, apples and oranges, but it’ll be interesting to see if Silva can actually hit for a higher average during his interleague starts this year than Richie does for 400+ at bats.
I mean, obviously, there are a bunch of 1870s guy, but I can’t imagine they’re counting that.
If it’s 20 games started or over, there’s two – Brown’s 1963 and Silva’s 2005
Mariners starters: 15 IP, 1 ER
Nice inning there by Silva…so far can’t complain about his performance.
I wonder if people know they’re ‘rally fries’. Even though I detest them, I hate it even more when people hold up these signs when we have the lead!!!
Definitely a nice pace from the starters of yesteryear. Although I’m having fears of Wilkerson becoming Sexson Jr.
So the Vidro Funk Blast didn’t nuke the server?
AJ 2-for-4, GS with the save for the O’s…
In front of a whole 10k fans at Camden Yards!
Mike Blowers: “Personally, I think (Jose Lopez) is a much better hitter now than he was when he made the all-star team.”
That might be the dumbest thing he’s ever said, and it’s got a lot of competition.
Mike Blowers: “Personally, I think (Jose Lopez) is a much better hitter now than he was when he made the all-star team.”
Dave: Really?
Blow: Oh, no question about it.
Probably worse than when he said (paraphrasing) that the A’s were classless for releasing Kendall and that they couldn’t break in a new catcher mid season.
2 walks!?
Hahahaha — “Long run for Raul, but he’s there…”
Yep, must have been all of 25 feet.
“Long run for Raul!” ??? Ok, yes, this is Raul, thus, for him, relatively speaking, perhaps that was a long run.
Maybe Raul’s been instructing the rest of the team on how to walk. Walk. Instead of run. Get it? GET IT?!
Dave,
I’m only going off Gameday – is Silva pitching well or does Texas just suck?
Just an educated guess, but Mike Blowers will most likely not be a Ford Frick Award nominee anytime in the near future.
He made contact!!!!
I’m taking advantage of that on Monday to see the King pitch!
I would be so excited about this team if Richie Sexton came alive. I don’t expect that. I do hope they have him on a short leash. Isn’t #4 supposed to be the most brash, confident, swaggering hitter on the team? Not the one with the highest angst/AB ratio?
In this alternate universe of Turbo’s, anything is possible.
85: Hey, you could always do the old Kingdome trick: Buy a bleacher seat, and casually sneak down to the box seats by the third inning!
You don’t sound too sure. I’d say there’s no question about it, Blowers will not be a Ford Frick Award nominee.
Quality control strikes again! God bless you guys for your excellence (no sarcasm).
88: That’s certainly the plan. No use sending any extra money to Angelos’s way. Son of a gun blocked a ball team in DC for way too long.
Interesting developments in the Dodgers/Giants game. Both teams got a weather forecast that there was a huge cell supposed to hit Dodger stadium at 7 pm. Both teams go out to their pitchers (who are warming up) and pull them from their starts. They replace them with two relievers expecting a 2 hour delay once the rain hits. The game starts with the relievers and is 0-0 in the 4th inning. Now both starters are warming up in the bullpen.
Does anyone remember the weather forecast has played a role like this PRIOR to a game?
Yuni does it again! Breakout season?
Turbo now leads the team in home runs and stolen bases. The end is near.
D’ya think he’ll make the 10-10 club this year?
I’d love to see that, and I’d totally claim that I saw it coming just because I heart Yuni, my adorable little double-play twin.
Is that the Weight-Watchers ‘Lose 10 pounds in 10 days club’?
Can I vent about Dave Valle on the radio? He’s making me miss Henderson.
J LOOooooo! Holy cow!
Why didn’t he bunt over the runners? He isn’t supposed to swing.
Man, I’d love to see Jose put up a good year this year. If he’s gonna make it, it seems like he should hurry up and do it.
#2 hitter person!!!
Awright J-lo! I love three-run homers. (Somebody send a memo to Richie Sexson).
LOPEZ!!!
Is it just me or has Lopez been a LOT more patient this year?
The rally fries fiasco is making me want to watch Sexson bat.
Is it just me or is Richie Sexson TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!
He does seem more patient -though I have a sample of 2 games! It could be simply that he is hitting in front of Ichiro and he’s been told he has to be more patient and so he is trying.
[RICHIE RICHIE RICHIE]
Enough with the rally fries already!!!! God help us if somebody becomes a sponsor.
enazario:
After only an entire season?
i was wondering why billingsley and lincecum both weren’t in there. very bizarre.
should be a good bullpen duel, anyway.
Rally Fries are annoying.
Under no circumstances are Rally Fries MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FRICKING GAME
Sexson has always been capable of taking a walk, in fact that’s arguably the one thing he’s still capable of doing. The book on him shouldn’t be throwing it off the plate but throwing strikes and watching him get himself out.
What the HELL was that? He slaps the top of the wall where the ball lands? Yeah, good look making a play that way, Wilkerson.
Does Wilkerson wear ankle weights? I’m just asking as it seems he isn’t a very fast runner. In fact I think the umpire was out there first.
I think it’s safe to call that one a mistake pitch.
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a guy like Broussard to play 1B instead of that other guy?
broussard? eckk.
But don’t we all care who gets $6 worth of fries? I mean c’mon.
I hope Wilkerson doesn’t wear ankle weights, because recent studies have shown that they don’t really help you run faster when you take them off, even if you think they might. Let’s discuss.
BTW Jose is hitting behind Ichiro, not in front, and YES Richie looks terrible. I about threw up when Sims said “he just missed it.” He put up a weak popper, and 2 or 3 pitches prior proved that all you need to do is throw him a slider and he will just flail at it. He needs to get out of the 4 hole.
Oh how I miss Broussard!
Carlos Silva: Innings Eater
Seriously, we need a graphic of Silva’s head eating innings a la PacMan….or maybe even a video game!
Sorry I meant to say behind Ichiro.
I would agree that training for speed should actually include some speed work. Perhaps that answers why Wilkerson runs as though somebody owes HIM money.
I thought Silva was a pitch-to-contact hurler?! Five strikeouts so far… yes!!!
The comments really hate me. Or else DMZ is pissed at me for drafting Putz to my roto team, thus dooming him.
Just wondering… did any of you praising Richie’s plate discipline read this post?
http://ussmariner.com/2008/04/02/sexsons-strikeout/
I didn’t hear it.
…What just happened?
wilkerson is obviously a threat to steal here. i mean, if turbo can do it…
If I have to hear Sims say “sit down” one more time… I mean is this baseball or golf?
“Pretty good break there”
He’s out by ten feet if the throw’s near second.
Also — is this the only way they can keep Turbo, Professional Hitter, from GIDP?
The answer, it seems, is yes. Nice attempt at the GIDP there, Vidro.
my sarcasm stands corrected…
Folks the rest of the hitters getting paid are not professional hitters. Vidro it seems has moniker cornered.
I’m looking forward to the first double steal by the Blaze Brothers, Turbo and Wilkerson.
I’d list Turbo as PH-B for “Professional Hitter” if that couldn’t be read as pinch hitter.
Ibanez must have borrowed the ankle weights.
Haha. That was kind of funny watching Jose yell at Yuni for cutting in front of him (jokingly, I assume), and Beltre shaking his head.
Batista getting loose in the pen.
When facing a team of left-handed hitters, we’re going to replace the sinker balling right-hander who struggles against lefties with the sinker balling right-hander who struggles against lefties?
Okay. Rowland-Smith apparently isn’t on the team…
116 pitches, first outing of the season. We’re terrified of our bullpen, aren’t we?
Hung that pitch. It’s also funny how Dave and Blow keep talking about how he is a work horse (which over his career I guess is true). The guy pitched 7 innings and 115 pitches. Is that what passes for workhorse these days. I hate these commentators.
but what if those ankle weights are made of titanium? hmmm???
Apparently, without JJ, we are going to have to let the starters stay in the game longer, regardless of the pitch count.
I don’t remember actually seeing him emerge from all that smoke onto the red carpet on monday ….
I’m guessing tantulum instead.
Sims: “If Toronto gets any pitching, they’ll be okay.”
The Blue Jays were second in the A.L. in ERA last year, and you could argue that Halladay/Burnett/McGowan is the best 1-2-3 in the league. Yup, pitching is their problem…
msb: The real question is whether Edgar used to wear ankle weights on the field… because if EDGAR did it…
well, at least he did know that Halladay was pretty good.
Um. What’s the deal with the strike zones so far this season?
Ankle weights are derided by most sport medicine experts. Not only have they’ve been proven not to work but they have also been linked with injuries. It’s a no no.
OppositeField – Let’s hope it’s just this crew. But, I’m with you.
Nothing but lefties coming up (including a few with huge platoon splits), and McLaren’s really going to give the ball to Batista instead of Rowland-Smith to protect a 3 run lead?
The guy is a complete slave to experience.
What’s the opinion of the faithful .. Batista pitches in save situation or not?
When Guardado went down, the M’s went to using a guy without the proven closer label and found Putz. So now, faced again with an injured starter who might be out for a couple weeks or months, they’re going to use… the only other guy on the staff with a proven closer label.
Learn! Leaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrnnn!
Sims feels bad for Richie. Awww. I do too. His kids will starve.
They start booing Sexson already? Give that guy a break.
[SIMS! ONE M! SIMS!]
Experience doesn’t count if you have been doing it wrong all along.
someone on the radio was talking about Torre having Pettitte ready out of the bullpen last year on his throw days– maybe this is a Mel suggestion
…except that Batista blew as a closer.
Johnny Mac makes me want to punch myself in the face.
McLaren is a microcosm of baseball -which values “experience” and tradition over observable facts and scientific discipline. I love the game but it’s not run by rocket scientists.
[stop]
Due up in the 9th: Hamilton (L, big platoon split), Blalock (L, big platoon split), Bradley (switch hitter), Catalanatto (L, big platoon split), and Murphy (L) due up.
Seriously, how enslaved do you have to be to labels and experience to go with the right-hander who struggles against left-handed hitters here?
Roberto Hernandez has 326 career saves. Perhaps we could pick him up until JJ returns. He’s proven.
And here comes Batista.
This is going to be interesting.
Shockingly, Sean Green struggling to throw strikes against a lefty. Who could have possibly foreseen this event?
This is an astounding lack of understanding of baseball that McLaren is showing off right here.
There is absolutely no question about it.
I quote the Ranger FOX announcers (as heard here in my hotel room in Arkansas):
“Rangers have lefties coming up here in Blalock, Catalanatto, and Murphy. So the Mariners turn to the right-handed and home-run prone Miguel Batista.”
You’re not alone on this one, Dave…
Batistia has always gotten destroyed by lefties, I sense lots of yelling and breaking things in my immediate future.
George, we miss you…
FWIW, Batista in 2005– 31 SV, 8 BS.
And, for the first time this year, Adam Jones would have caught that.
Batista steps in for both JJ and Sexson.
(thirty Batista blown-saves later)
“But it worked on the third game! I’ve got to keep trying.” – McLaren
Krueger looks old in HD.
speaking of the umps this year, something else to look forward to — Ed Montague on tossing Bowa yesterday for being out of the coaches box:
“We got a memo and an edict, and they’re adamant about the box and stuff. Don’t go up in front of the box toward home plate, and don’t get any closer to the foul lines. I told Bo in the bottom of the fifth, because he got up close. And that’s what caught my eye. And I just told him, ‘Bo, you got the memo, we got the memo, and you’ve got to stay back.’ I went over and told Joe in-between innings what I told Bo. And Bo just said, ‘I’m going to do it the way I’ve always been doing it.’I said, ‘Bo, if you go up, I’m going to have to run you.’ And he said, ‘Do what you’ve got to do, and it is what it is.’ When he got up in front of it again, I said, ‘Bo, I told you once, now get back in the box.’ He argued it, and finally I said, ‘You’re gone.’”
McLaren just hit on 16 with the dealer showing a 5.
…and he drew a 4.
[violation of button terms]
So we’re 3 games into the season and after seeing Mac make some bonehead questionable decisions I have but one question.
Is it safe to say that if the M’s are successful this year it would be a result of just plain dumb luck on Mac’s part?
@176
Krueger is old, HD just proves it. He is a walking cliche, and he can’t even get the names right.
I hate to say it, but I love it when you guys are wrong. Nice showing for the save, however I will agree that it was an extremely STUPID move. Should I reference Les Miles and LSU tossing the last second touchdown when he could have gone for the field goal to win over Auburn? Sometimes coaching is shear lunacy, and nobody will ever be able to explain it.
They only ridicule you if you’re the goat….
Uhh, what exactly were we wrong about? That going after that part of the line-up with Green/Batista didn’t make any sense?
With a 3 run lead in the 9th, the M’s were approximately 93% favorites to win regardless of which pitcher they brought in there. No one was predicting that Batista was going to blow the save and they’d lose the game – we were simply stating that it was an illogical, inefficient move born out of a slavery to experience that simply isn’t good baseball strategy.
They’d have been better off going to Ryan Rowland-Smith in that situation. If that situation occurs again, and they again go with the experienced RHP, I’ll kill McLaren for it again. It’s a stupid move.
Luckily, the chance of the Mariners blowing it in that situation were extremely low, no matter who was on the mound. The criticism here comes from none of us wanting to see that kind of decision made when there’s a good chance at blowing the lead.
With a three run lead it is a nice time to rest the arms…they have been worked fairly hard lately. It would have been a dicier move with a slimmer lead…..
Are we gonna move Baek to the rotation and keep Batista in the pen? Not a terrible way to go, Baek is fairly close to Batista as a starter I would think.
186, I’m with you. Sometimes you throw conventional wisdom out the window. Like last night, Putz wasn’t ready, he started warming up later than usual, and the “go with the closer in the 9th” wisdom, didn’t work.
I would like to see Mac alter the starting lineup though, there is no reason why Sexson should stay at #4, that is just wrong
ah, the perils of waiting around to hear Drayer on the postgame show.
you get to hear callers say things like “I’m worried about our right-fielder. He has no enthusism. Why are Morse and Willie sitting on the bench instead of playing in right?”
Well, you could make a case for Bloomquist as a defensive sub in RF in late innnings with a sizable lead. Not for “enthusiasm” but just based on watching Wilkerson trundle out to the wall on those deep hits. Of course, that assumes you didn’t have an even more glaring need for a defensive sub in LF….
The problem with using Batista in that situation and having it work is that it will just reinforce the faulty decision-making. It’s exactly what doomed the space shuttle Columbia. “Well, crap has fallen off the tank on every launch and we’ve never lost a shuttle to it, therefore having crap fall off the tank on launch is completely safe.” If you don’t understand the problem, you don’t know if your decision-making is sound or you’ve just been lucky (so far).