-
Buy the book
The Cheater's Guide to Baseball
"Derek Zumsteg should be ashamed to have such comprehensive knowledge of the history of cheating in baseball. Pete Rose gave me two to one odds this book would become a classic." -- Allen Barra, author of The Last Coach: A Life of Paul "Bear" Bryant
Game 4, Mariners at Orioles
Washburn vs Loewen, 4:05 pm.
Good chance that this game won’t happen due to weather, but just in case, here’s a game thread for you all. In reality, we might not want this game to happen, as McLaren is planning on running out his Ibanez/Ichiro/Morse outfield of doom against the left-handed Adam Loewen, and is apparently not even noticing that noted flyballer Jarrod Washburn is taking the hill for his club. Morse/Ibanez is easily the worst defensive corner outfield tandem in baseball, and could provide some avert-your-eyes cringeworthy moments. Rain might be preferable to watching that, honestly.
Comments
270 Responses to “Game 4, Mariners at Orioles”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
-
USSM uses and recommends
Have they thought about just making Ichiro cover the whole outfield? Watching Ibanez run makes my hamstrings sore.
Is it Loewen or Trachsel today?
Is Morse worse in the field then Ibanez? Against lefties what would be the best lineup? Morse in left and Vidro at DH or Morse at DH and Jimerson in left?
according to Baker, Morse isn’t in the lineup tonight because Loewen was pushed back to tomorrow. The rain has also stopped.
Tonight’s lineups:
Mariners (2-1)
51 Ichiro (L) CF
4 Jose Lopez 2B
28 Raul Ibanez (L) LF
44 Richie Sexson 1B
29 Adrian Beltre 3B
6 Brad Wilkerson (L) RF
3 Jose Vidro (S) DH
2 Kenji Johjima C
5 Yuniesky Betancourt SS
56 Jarrod Washburn LHP
41 Steve Trachsel RHP - tonight for the O’s (if it happens).
If our offense can’t string together runs against Texas and Baltimore, I shudder to think what will happen when we face a real team.
McLaren should follow the coaching strategy of Buttermaker whenever he runs Ibanez and Morse out to the outfield. He should pull Ichiro! aside and tell him to take everything he can get to.
I have been anxiously checking the weather here all day. Not looking good. Even if they get a break, the field has been getting rained on pretty much all day.
Can anyone explain why the f*ck MLB schedules so many games in the E and NE during early April? I don’t give a crap if it is fair to the teams not getting home dates. If you want April home games, sack up and build a roof on your goddamned stadium! Even better, this is the only trip to Baltimore. Seriously- a grade school kid could avoid these kind of indefensible errors.
Prediction Mariners win 7-3
Adam Jones 2-4 2 RBI
Richie Sexson 2-3 1HR 3RBI 1BB
Lopez and Vidro combine 6-8 4RBI’s
Ichiro 3-4 3Runs
Washburn 6IP 6K’s 2ER
A K per inning for Washburn? That’s a bit generous, no?
Richie Sexson making contact? That is generous.
I guess if you keep predicting Sexson will hit a home run, you eventually will be right.
With Trachsel on the mound and possible rain delays, this could take the entire weekend. But Ichiro! one pitch, one down.
#12: Not necessarily. I’m not sure I’m expecting Sexson to hit a homer all year.
But hey, cheap beer!
Jay Payton’s defense is almost…..Ibanez-esque.
apparently they’ve kept it tarped most of the day
Here comes Sexson. Hide the kids.
Gameday seems to be indicating 85 MPH meatballs over the middle of the plate, mixed in with 85 MPH pitches on the edges. Is that about right?
“Richie Sexson heard a lot of boos at home in Seattle” - thanks for the salt, Gary Thorne!
Traschel’s been throwing mostly changeups at the knees and outside. As usual, Sexson is flailing at them.
so, are we going to see some more sad, sad graphics of Sexson ABs?
The M’s have been stupidly lucky with SBs so far this year.
Fail.
sit down Richie.
To bad we all know McLaren won’t think these “SB” are dumb luck. We can look forward to many more of those.
sigh.
Jesus Fucking Christ, Sexson.
Hey Richie, they’re not saying “Booooo”, they’re…..okay, they really are saying “Boooo.”
So I think the “aggressive baserunning” meme is more about “if Sexson’s at the plate the only way you’re getting home is if you do it yourself, so you might as well steal everything you can.”
Dog bites man, Sexson strikes out.
And in today’s “most unsurprising news” we have…..
Ugh, Sexson is so painful to watch. What’s his contact rate when he swings at a pitch? 10%?
wow. WHY THE F IS HE HITTING FOURTH?
[RICHIE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LEARN TO SPELL HIS NAME!!!]
How long will they let this go on for? It’s time to stick a fork in Richie.
I get your point about the East Coast games but, hey, a game was rained out in L.A. the other night…so maybe Sexson CAN hit a HR tonight. Rainout in L.A. has to be more rare than a
Sexy hit…right?
Another Funk-K for Sexson.
Oh no…..Look at the series of pitches. He doesn’t know what he’s doing: swinging at pitches low and out of the zone, couldn’t hit a fastball and now he’s badly fooled by the changeup. Not Good.
Figure it out, Rich.
did I already link to this nice piece on Jones & Markakis?
Washburn struck someone out? This season is getting weirder by the game.
My guess is the fat lady starts singing for Sexson about the same time as Hillary. Hopefully before June and definitely before November.
Can anyone explain why the f*ck MLB schedules so many games in the E and NE during early April? I don’t give a crap if it is fair to the teams not getting home dates. If you want April home games, sack up and build a roof on your goddamned stadium! Even better, this is the only trip to Baltimore. Seriously- a grade school kid could avoid these kind of indefensible errors.
Over at weather.com, it looks like the averages for Baltimore in April are high of 68 and low of 48 (about 10 degrees warmer than Cleveland) with basically just as much precip as any other month (arguably less than any other month), so it doesn’t seem obvious why they shouldn’t schedule April games in Baltimore.
It might not be all that comfortable in Baltimore during early April, but they could have a rainout at any point during the season.
My prediction- after he sucks through all of April, McLaren will make a big show of changing his spot in the lineup to “take some pressure off Richie”, since by then the “just getting off to a slow start” story will be really tired at that point even for casual fans. Then when he sucks all through May we might see some action, but I shudder to think who they would try to replace him with. I am sure they will want to replace an experienced veteran with another experienced veteran, since they are “serious about winning this year”. Who knows what brainstorm they’ll come up with.
Dammit, Gamecast. How did Millar send Mora to second when you didn’t even show me that Mora batted?
Thanks Huff!
Washburn has now struck out two someones in the same inning.
It’s Sandy Koufax on the mound today for the M’s
does anyone actually watch the Best Damn Sports Show?
Nice off-speed pitching from Washburn.
After Washburn’s two K’s, a Sexy home run is the logical next step. Nothing would surprise me anymore.
he got hit by a pitch and was standing on 1st so fast, there was no time to update it …
I feel bad for hating on Richie so hard. When I was a courtside waiter at Blazer games Richie would always take really good care of me. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.
Beltre just got Beltre’d.
Did Dave just say that batting averages don’t mean anything?
[RICHIE IT IS RICHIE]
Dang, Jose Vidro looked like he wanted to double his home run total there…
thank goodness our professional hitter DH worked that count.
#55 LOL, you beat me to it!
Very professional flyout by Vidro.
Oh man, now Sims has picked up the “no question about it” tick (I’m listening on the radio, where we’re treated to Sims and Rizzs).
I sometimes watch the O’s games just to hear their commentators. They are nothing amazing but one of the best tandems in the league IMO.
Also, Adam Jones looks nice out there.
Jojima was under consideration as a DH? MLB.TV announcers just said that
Jones would have had that..wait, he did.
I was hoping the free Comcast would show the Baltimore broadcast, but they are blacking it out. however, the Buccos are down in Floria, so Rich Waltz is doing the play by play
Yeah, the thing I really do like about getting the road commentators is a) no rally fries and b) they are much more realistic in the bizzare lineup choices that we’ve got.
#47 - I watch when the “best Damn 50 Hooter’s girls” special is on. Does that count?
There you go Richie. Belly-flop at the ball, you’ll get it every time.
Again, “No question about it” from Dave! Argh!
Two for the price of one …. Sexson sucks at both offense and defense.
Why didn’t richie break his hand or pull something there? Nothing serious, just something to get him to actually focus on hitting or watching some film or some rest time to learn how to hit again….
AJ!
Well, Sexson may suck with the bat but he makes up for it with his D.
Adam Jones walks to the plate to show the Mariners what they’ll miss.
Oh man, please don’t let Jones torch us right here.
I gotta think it’s beyond tough to be where Sexson is at bat and trying to focus in the field. We’re not talking “slump” here, we’re talking retirement planning…and that’s gotta weigh on someone who ain’t a great fielder to begin with.
Think the M’s want Jones back? That interview was “veterany”.
Classy individual though. He would have shined for us.
Nice to see Washburn’s in mid-2007 season form.
Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but Adam Jones’ Yahoo! picture is the funniest I’ve ever seen:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=280404101
It has to be said that Jones has got the WORST game day photo of anyone this year.
79, you’re not joking, I can’t believe they didn’t take a 2nd one.
81,
They did. Go check Lookout Landing. Jeff’s got some of the MLB photos of various Orioles on there, and it shows Adam’s second pic.
Why wouldn’t they use the other Jones pic? Wow that’s bad!
Washburn is throwing a shit-ton of pitches this inning.
The O’s commentators talking about OBP as a important stat and they both agree TB could be the big improvement team, refreshing to listen to.
On a run per minute-of-inning basis the M’s are looking great after that marathon.
60+ pitches in two innings. Not good.
In addition to the Mariners line up this season could rapidly become unendurable because of the Firestone ‘magic rings’ ad running on FSN. Fer crissakes, they’re just frickin’ tires you morons.
Washburninator.
Is there a place I can order pony decals to put in the corners of my TV?
its LCD if that makes a difference….
Well, the quick inning was good.
Wow… Gamecast showed that RIGHT at the wall. Are they exaggerating or did Ichiro have a nice climb?
It was pretty close. Ichiro was at the warning track.
It’s Sexy Time!
No climb, but he did get driven back some.
BTW, way to work the pitch count Raul.
Say Ritchie one more time. I dare you.
Double for Sexy!!! Wah-na-na-NAH!
I’m….I’m speechless.
…oh man. That’s another week on the roster.
I just fell over in my chair
Crap. That’s probably good for an extra week in the lineup right there.
The Great White Hope comes through.
One of the weirder things about broadcast TV, and Dierker talked about this in his book, is that they’re encouraged to do what we just heard Sims do — narrate the broadcast. So if they show Pentland randomly in the dugout, bam, someone has to say “And there’s Jim Pentland, hitting coach” even if it has nothing to do with the game, the topic, or anything.
Drives me nuts.
BELTRE’D!!!!
Wow.
Beltre’d!
Meatball any way you slice it, Beltre for President!
BELllllLlLLltre!
Wow! I totally just called that. With my dog as my witness.
Well, unless there’s a label on the screen a lot of fans are going to go “who the heck is that old guy? That doesn’t look like McLaren, and he’s too old to be a player…”
BELTREEEE!!!!
Seriously, enough with the Aflac Duck commercials.
Hi Ho Silva? Did Sims really just say that?
Adam Jones would’ve caught that.
Damn GameCast still uses AJ’s Mariners photo.
My MLB extra innings here in South Dakota give me the Orioles announcers, different that the stuff I heard in the home series. (First time with Mariners on TV, finally out of college :))
sigh
Adam Jones. :(((
Nice hit by AJ. I can’t root against him, I really can’t.
Adam Jones works the count, rips a double down the line taking advantage of Raul like he’s taunting him.
Man, our RF and LF defence sucks.
Ibanez showing off his cannon.
Adam Jones would have thrown him out.
That was what everyone that was against this trade was talking about.
Sigh.
That said, it’s hard not to root for Adam. I applauded his double.
121, it doesn’t just suck, its not even there. That’s hardly defense. They’re just keeping the game going.
a1
I think a number of us on this thread could have thrown him out!
I guess now we have to count on another Vidro funk blast to take the lead again. I’m so depressed.
88 pitches in only the 4th inning? Christ.
K! Brian Roberts looked pissed.
I hate all you guys. You’re all enjoying the game in some way while I’m here at work with no way to see what’s going on except to refresh the ESPN scoreboard.
So, what does it look like when Richie gets a hit?
Looks like we’re going to be picking up a Rick White clone in May.
What does it look like? An error.
129, Awkward and lucky are the two words I’ll pick.
Must be a glitch on ESPN, because Richie is incapable of getting a hit.
ok, much better idea to have JJ hawk the bobbleheads than last year’s scary tent-living fan-guy.
Of course Richie is bound to get a hit. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Also board watching.
My over-under on total runs for Yankees-Rays is about 20.
Back to the Ms.
@ 134 -
I wouldn’t describe Richie as a broken clock, though. He’s more like a clock that’s an hour slow, so he’s always wrong.
ok, not exactly making Old Steve work here, fellas.
After seeing that promotion for “Mariners All Access,” Sexson must be terribly unhealthy. Get well soon Richie!
“hit it to the wrong guy” yes you did.
Beltre’d!
There’s a ESPN top play. Nice job Beltre
Beltre’d!!!
That play wasn’t made by the Red Sox or Yankees so ESPN won’t touch it.
Anyone else have a Buckner flashback when Richie gets a slow roller? I was waiting for Mookie Wilson to run that one out.
So, I saw that coming after the first meatball. Why did Washburn even start this inning?
Adam Jones would have caught that.
Raul hustled hard… (tear)
So Washburn’s up to, what, 90+ pitches?
I guess the Mariners announcers didn’t hear that the Blue Jays got Scott Rolen.
I knew Washburn would give up the lead. Man, he sucks. Dave needs to link to the post he made a few years ago when it was announced on USSM that Washburn had been signed. It must be nice to be right more than the GM.
Lucky Washburn’s got AB out there…he’d be in an even deeper hole than he is already.
How come every post by Benne is negative?
Christ Benne, root for the team instead of finding a flaw in every aspect.
That was a great play by our Gold Glove 3rd Baseman. He hit a HR too.
Did you see that Benne?
140 was positive, no?
I’m taking bets on aggressive base running here. Think Johnny Mac will send him twice in one game?
Wow, that play was much closer than I thought it had a chance to be. Nice play by the O’s SS.
150–
That was an awesome play. My apologies if I come off as negative.
318 and 333 down the lines. you know, this would be a fine ballpark for our DH to hit his 2nd HR of the year …
LOL, no wonder. I lost track and thought it was Yuni running down the line.
wow Raul….
I blame that DP on Sexson, Ral knows there is no hope behind him.
154…or how about our 1B and clean up hitters first?
Must be more positive….um…Raul almost legged out that grounder.
Wow, twice tonight on 3 - 0 counts.
he’s a walkin’ machine.
Sexy walk. That will buy him another month in the cleanup spot.
I think someone told Richie, “Hey I promise they won’t throw a strike, they are laughing at you. Just pretend to bite 3 times and you’ll get a 4 or 5 pitch walk.”
Beltre trying to hit oppo….. Just creap one inside the short fence…
Oof. Ugly swing by Beltre.
Holy crap. That pitch was a foot and a half outside.
so……The Tigers are 0-4
I see Trembley’s pulled Trachsel already. He probably kept nodding off in the dugout waiting for him to throw pitches.
Lets Baek us some Orioles!
looong run for Ichiro, still beats Wilkerson…. HooRay for Ichiro!
Raul jumped about three inches for that ball.
sigh
So 85 straight and over the middle 2-3 times is all it takes for a HR huh? Hmmm
Well, I’m depressed now. I’m going to get some work done.
How many days until King Felix Day?
we sure are seeing some pathetic ‘home runs’ tonight. I’m sure the dynamic Mariner line-up could match some of those shots.
No way we have a Vidro 3 run homer coming up! Don’t start working yet!
Time to “manufacture” some runs.
Adam Jones would have caught Hernandez’s homerun.
Adam Jones also apparently does a great Adrian Beltre impression.
Walk. That’s a start.
ok, that is one scary mustache on Chad Bradford.
318, that’s all it takes, Jose…..
Gotta love that “Seven in the Seventh” contest — which I don’t think anybody’s won yet.
This is becoming an epic at bat.
Vidro just luring him into a false sense of security…..
So why didn’t Mr. Professional Hitter whack the hanging 2-strike breaking ball?
That is why I hate hit-and-runs.
why does any one let Brad run?
Well, we did have a ‘professional’ hitter up in that situation. Isn’t this how we manufacture runs?
Seriously, if you want to “put the game in motion” at least have some freaking speed on the bases.
Vidro let me down
on the topic of ichiro taking the whole outfield…if they got corey patterson, they could field a 5th infielder!!! seriously.
Johnny Mac’s small ball is finally killing this team. He’s having guys like Vidro, Wilkerson running for no reasons.
WE NEED TO RUN MOAR!!111!!!
Not everyone should be running.
Hey at least Vidro got his DP….am I right??!
Hit-and-run on a full count = pissing away outs
182: Listening rather than watching at the moment, so please tell that Bradford isn’t working on some faux-Rollie Fingers style ’stache.
Wow, that Sarfate guy has got a wicked fastball.
196…. its about there….
#197– no, it’s pretty regular- it was more the surprise of seeing one there…
I feel like there isn’t many M’s fans with hope in this 2 run game….
Yikes.
oh..ok… that’s why… its 4 runs now. sigh
So much for a close game.
Well, so far, Baek’s not exactly been “where it’s at,” either. >:(
A’boy Baek.
And so we have our first look at RSS for the season.
…er, RRS.
and he’s not making it look good
Here’s a tip:
Don’t throw it down the middle.
not that the bullpens pitching isn’t holding my interest, but the Metrodome camera’s just caught two under-6 boys who were adorned in carefully-painted Joe Mauer sideburns
so, how long has it been since either CSB or RRS have actually pitched in a game? the weekend? before?
Geez, guys, if you were bound and determined to spot the O’s this one, anyways, you could’ve at least kept it close enough for GS-52 sighting.
CORCO!
208:
RR-S.
Wait, so who is this guy again?
210: Speaking of 1970’s facial hair, then there’s those Mauer ‘burns — straight out of “Emergency!”
oh for petes sake.
insult to injury there…..
Wow. To be honest I was sorta hoping to see AJ’s first career grand slam…
This is quickly turning into a comedy of errors…
Aw, bummer…kinda hoping AJ might go yard there.
and so good defense will win you games and bad defense will lose you games…. huh?
ok, McLaren’s thought process baffles me.
McLaren tossing in the towel by having WFB bat?
Why don’t they get Morse in there now?!?!?!
And WFB doesn’t let him down either.
Where’s Cairo?
What? No Jimerson? Gonna let Raul have his lat at bat against a lefty pitcher, but you’re gonna take Lopez out for his?
I don’t frigging understand you, McLaren.
225
Probably in the back counting the money that he swindled from the M’s
Isn’t Morse in left now?
ohhhhh Beltre
Yeah Richie!!!
Guess Morse isn’t in left, oops.
ok, let’s get this game to the point where the Pear has to come in for a save attempt.
Keep swinging at ball four Raul, that way you can line a single to right instead of walking. Walks are, after all, for pussies.
OMG!
Of course Richie does something when it doesn’t matter.
OH MY GOODNESS RICHIE!!!!
Wa ha ha ha ha!! Sexson says “graph that tonight, Zumsteg!”
Ichiro would have caught that!
Or… “the broken clock is right!”
Richie Sexson has entered the A-Rod level of run producing irrelevance.
Richie Sexson……..master of the meaningless homerun.
He never would have hit that if we had been within 2.
Adam Jones shows off his improved range and route running.
ALL RIGHT LETS GO, I’M PUMPED NOW!!!
OMG, Richie!!! Better look out the window to see if there’s a plague of locusts coming!
Alas…a Sherill sighting after all!
MORSE COWBELL!!!
Hearing “Morse entered the game for defensive purposes” was a little chilling.
lol Mike Morse… continuing to make us all look like chumps for doubting him.
ok, George, I love you, but we need this game
oh, and I think Cairo is over here
Vidro with quite an at bat here.
Two “r’s” in Sherrill…slapping my own hands there!
238: Come to think of it, Russ Davis was pretty good at hitting irrelevant home runs as well.
Yay, idiots on the field!!!
248
It takes a special player to be that good at it, don’t you think?
What the hell was going on there before Joh batted?
Some clown was out on the field and FSN won’t show it because they don’t condone it.
fool out on the field; apparently the crack security team took all that time to actually get down on the field & corral him.
“fat, drunk & stupid is no way to go through life, son”
it isn’t just FSN– MLB asks all broadcast teams to not show them, trying to keep the wannabes from trying it
From as long as took them to rope that ‘lil dogie, it could be surmised that the “crack security team” at Camden Yards has been dosing out on too many hot dogs and donuts over the winter.
246: I thought I remembered seeing some Talosians listed in the Mitchell Report!
Watching the Reds/Phillies game….griffey just made the ump change teh advertisement that scrolls behind home plate because he was having a hard time seeing the ball from the outfield as the pitcher pitched.
Hmmm, on the one hand “Clutchiness” is not a measurable so it doesn’t exist, on the other hand some players excel at hitting “meaningless” home runs?
Can’t have it both ways.
There’s no clutch hitters, because if there were then one would have to ask why they let up and play poorly when the bases are empty.
There probably are, however, anti-clutch hitters, players that do not do well under pressure. They tend not to last too long in the majors, though.
Then there is Sexson, a .200 hitter who has enough power to hit one out once in awhile, if the pitcher cooperates.
Does McLaren just do stuff at random sometimes? Or does he just not think every innnig?
I love this week of the year, free baseball.
Rick Ankiel making two nice outfield plays on balls thrown by Ryan Franklin (think pitchers ever ponder that their outfielder had more raw talent as a pitcher than they’ll ever dream of?)
Justin Deuscherererer making a start for the A’s
hearing the Cleveland commentators say ‘our own Asdrubal Cabrera’
Ben Broussard hits a grannie to give Texas a 5 run lead vs the Angels
Well, let’s see…
Exhibit A: Pull Lopez for WFB, but leave Raaaauuuuuul! in against the lefty.
That’s all I need to see.
268: I think Messrs. Franklin and Ankiel try not to speak to one another, so no one would consider they are contemplating a “buy” together.