Game 74, Mariners at Braves
DMZ · June 21, 2008 at 3:00 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Washburn v Jurrjens, 4pm our time.
This lineup — and I know that it’s sad to say this — made me really, really happy.
RF-L Ichiro!
2B-R Lopez
LF-L Ibanez
3B-R Beltre
CF-L Reed
1B-R Sexson
SS-R Betancourt
C-R Johjima
P-L Washburn
I mean, it’s… it’s so conventional, and generally well-structured!
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We would have a better chance of winning if we brought one of the ball girls or bat boys along with us to pitch instead of Jarrod Washedup.
he can make up for it with his hitting–
“Jarrod Washburn, who seems to be the proven commodity at the plate, going 9-for-32 (.281)”
Norton hitting 3rd?
I believe Bobby Cox is mocking us.
I wish that Yuni could hit somewhere higher than 7th in the lineup.
I would rather have Sexson hitting 9th than Washburn!
Except Clement should be catching….
I’ll take what I can get.
One step at a time. Wlad in the OF and Raul at first or DH can come later after Richie and Vidro are out of baseball.
We also had a reasonably conventional post game interview — liked the comment about not getting excited about one win. On that note…
With 89 games left, to avoid 100 losses (for what’s it’s worth), M’s need to go 37-52 (.416). That’s a bit worse of a percentage than what Colorado is after 74 games. With a reasonable lineup, should be achievable.
I guess we won’t get to see Princess Willie pick up some ground on his record, unless he pinch hits…
Ichiro should apparently just switch to the NL.
Wow, the magnitude of 32 straight games where he’s gotten a hit in interleague play. Whee.
Uh…Cairo?
So much for that joy.
Derek, in the interest of your happiness… don’t turn on the TV.
Cairo?
Lopez on deck… Beltre out?
Except that Ichiro is in right. That is just the dumbest thing ever. Yes, with Reed in center, we’re not taking a huge step back there, but come on. And McLaren’s statements about how Ichiro is “the best rightfielder in baseball” just make it worse. Curtis Granderson would be an awesome rightfielder too, but he plays center. Coco Crisp would be a kickass rightfielder too and he’s even on a team with Jacoby Ellsbury, who is a good centerfielder, but when Crisp plays, he plays center. Mike Cameron, Carlos Beltran, David DeJesus all would be awesome rightfielders! And yet they all play center because center is more important. Why does every other team understand that and somehow, we don’t. Guh.
Cairo is a great choice to bat second.
uhm. what happened?
And that’s about what you’d expect out of that outstanding #2 hitter.
These Braves announcers are really, really confused…
Beltre out.
I’d rather see WFB at third than Cairo.
Actually, I’d rather see a pitcher hit than Cairo.
Frankly, Ichiro is right makes sense, because no one on the roster right now has an especially good arm except Ichiro. The overall defense is stronger with Ichiro in RF and Reed in CF than it would be if Reed were in RF and Ichiro in CF. Reed is a good, I would say, better than average CF.
Forgive me, but I’m at work without TV. Has any explanation been given for Beltre’s late scratch?
Throwing arms in the outfield just don’t matter that much.
Getting to balls is much much more important.
no word yet on why Beltre is out.
what’s wrong with beltre?
Oh yeah, I forgot that “arm strength” was all that matter in right….
From Baker’s Blog. It looks like he jinxed everything…
From Baker’s Blog. It looks like he jinxed everything…
Riggleman playing Johjima just to spite Washburn.
I needed the old “spelling and grammar” button.
“matters”
That lineup happiness was very short lived…
I was entertained watching Willie learn about covering center-left for Raul last night.
Bruised index finger on his left hand…
Posted by Larry Stone
UPDATE 4:15: The Mariners revised their lineup at the last minute, scratching Adrian Beltre because of a bruised left index finger, with Miguel Cairo taking his place at third. See, I knew it was too early to say no injuries. The batting order was scrambled a little bit, so I’ll fix it down below
pause while we all laugh merrily at the notion of Richie “doing some damage here”
I’d like to see it. Frankly, I’d love it if Richie somehow just went crazy and hit a couple out tonight. I still root for him…
Apparently, Infante has lost his ability to play shortstop.
Ooh, that’s some stinky defense.
If this was a home game, maybe we could have the DH hit for Cairo instead of the pitcher.
I hope this is not another BP night for the Braves.
So much for having fun. At least we can dispense with the “Washburn gets no run support” mantra. He’s got a three-run lead and will cheerfully blow it.
Apparently I’m wrong. And Jeremy looked like Raul on that one. How I yearn for the days of Cameron and Griffey.
I hope Jarrod’s hitting can indeed compensate …
M’s marketing team working on a new slogan…
Here is one currently in the works.
“No Vidro??? No Problem!”
Looks like Greg Norton is a little anxious to take it to the Mariners.
Their catcher looks like he could eat Jarrod for lunch.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in more interesting developments, we have something I’ve always wondered about: what happens when a switch-hitter goes up against a switch-pitcher?
Oh yea, Joh will settle him down.
At this rate, we might not even see Jarrod’s awesome batting skills…
I’d love to hear those mound conversations with Jarrod and Johjima.
“Is it just me, or do your pitches suck?”
“Shut up.”
“Because I could get Burke out here for you…”
“Shut up!”
I suppose those pitches up, and the ones in the dirt, were all Kenji’s fault. Right, Jarrod?
47 – Haha. I was thinking the same thing.
Yep, they are Joh’s faualt! According to Jarrod, those should have been framed better!
I wonder if starting Kenji tonight instead of Clement or Burke is Riggleman telling Washburn that he’s not good enough to get his own catcher.
Now that that inning is over, he can go look for a bus to throw Kenji under.
Way to call all those balls Joh.
Doesn’t “struggling Jarrod Washburn” sound redundant?
there are times I miss Bryan Price. He’d have been out of the dugout, talking to the pitcher well before the inning ended.
Looks like we got a nice little 5 hour, 9 inning game headed our way!
He’d miss, up and away.
Odd game notes: Washburn got 3 K’s in the first (facing 7 hitters).
After one inning, Cairo’s WPA is equivalent to Washburn’s (-.033).
#58, that was gold right there…
They had a shot of Beltre on the bench. He looked cheerful, and his thumb is wrapped or taped up.
Read Ichiro’s lips:
“You’re a bad ump”
That was a bs call.
Cleveleand just hit it’s 6th single in the 11th.
Norton batting third? Infante batting fifth yesterday, in left? I know you guys told me the National League is inferior, but let’s get serious. I keep expecting to see Gary Gaetti or Benji Gil as part of a double switch.
You da man, Cairo.
You know, it’s one thing to have a sorry team…. but I just can’t stand washburn…. or bedard for that matter….Someone give that punk a hug
Pssshh…Felix does it in 9 pitches, jerk.
Cripes, the M’s have Cairo hitting second.
Are you implying that says something about the American League?
“Guess what?! I’ve got a fever, and the only prescription… is more Cairo!”
Jarrod knows that he only has to go 6 innings in the National League so he won’t do his usual…Oh wait.
Absolutely hilarious. This is surely the Jarrod Washburn Special. I think the only thing more hilarious is that poor Ruben Gotay struck out to this disaster of a pitch sequence.
What was going through their heads when they agreed on this pitch selection?!
Picture included for reference…
The link did not work in my first post…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/MistaGoodwin/Hilarious.jpg
#58, that was gold right there…
Absolutely. I don’t often laugh out loud to the comments here, but that was professional comedy. And not in a “Vidro is a professional hitter” sort of way, either. Is Ken Levine writing for anybody lately? There’s a joke he could steal.
That’s 5 SO’s for Washout on the waning full moon.
Atlanta has yet to learn to beware the Angry Chipmunk of Doom!
My, that is a manly beard you’ve got going there. Now could you throw an equally manly strike?
ah, the Rat.
You’re feeling it now, Richie.
Skip Caray: “Sexson isn’t having much luck but he’s swinging hard. Maybe that’s the problem.”
As opposed to swinging softly or not swinging at all?
45: Before I looked at that clip, my first thought was of one of Greg Harris’ games from the early 90’s.
Ah, nice that we have another one of these ambi’s come along every few years to entertain us.
Is Washburn really throwing the exact same pitch over and over? Does he HAVE another pitch anymore?
Yes, he does have another pitch: line drive.
Actually, Washout usually only pitches with this degree of effectiveness once every blue moon or so.
Washburn’s Arsenal:
- line drive
- ball four
- bailed out by the defense
- can’t believe they swung at that
There’s a #2.
Do the Braves have a plane to catch or something? They’re swinging at some seriously awful pitches.
a drinking game we somehow missed:
“Jarrod Washburn, trying to get out of a jam … “
That giant cow reminds me of the Simpson’s episode where the advertising statues come to life and rampage through the town.
“Just don’t look, just don’t look…”
Have you seen the eyes that cow has? Scary.
I was at the game last night. They announced the cow doing the tomahawk chop was “historic”. It just kind of hovers over stands in left, randomly “chopping” its short, stubby front right leg.
The giant Coke bottle, the cow, where’s the Geico lizard? What other corporate symbols are they missing?
You sure they didn’t mean “hysteric” instead of “historic”?
So, would the cow actually be doing a toma-hoof chop while chanting “MOOO-OOOO-OOO-AH-MOOO”?
Can we have Norton back?
Norton is REALLY rubbing it in now
Norton, you booger!
Oh my.
Wow! What a great catch!
even Norton hates Kenji
The animated talking Chevron cars…oh wait, that’s San Francisco.
I knew a pitcher would be a better hitter than Cairo.
Dang, I was really hoping at some point in this game to see Kenji get on first with one out, followed by Jarrod hitting into a DP…
Most NL pitchers hit better than Cairo.
Several NL pitchers hit better than our DH.
Most utility middle infielders and back up catchers hit better than our DH.
Ryan Divish with some Ichiro! quotes
Skip Caray: “I-ban-ez”
Ryan Divish is underrated.
I was going to say “wow, our lineup is arguably better without a DH”, then Cairo came up to bat second.
Cairo OPS now FIVE OH SEVEN.
Away OPS THREE EIGHTY NINE. That’s a THREE EIGHTY NINE OH PEE ESS.
talking to Lou, was he?
Boy, you can just see that Norton realizes just how emarrassing it is to strike out twice against Washburn. He couldn’t believe it.
KKKKKKK
after 5, by Washburn
Washburn’s pitching a fantastic game. perhaps we could trade him to Atlanta for a couple of decent prospects. preferably in the 7th.
Oh no…there goes the cow with the tomahoof chop again.
Washout @ 108 picches showing Bedard how not to be a wuss…
Washburn is over 100 pitches.
Would that he would pull a Bedard here before the wheels fall off.
pitches
Atlanta’s lineup certainly looks weak without C Jones.
They may allow Washburn to go 6. Shamed.
Yeah, and the pitcher is on deck, so he can probably get by even with his crappy stuff.
(Can I just point out that my prediction of a massive Washburn regression to the mean is coming true?)
With his contract and stats, we’d probably have a hard time trading him to the Queen Anne Little League for a couple of prospects…
Still, gotta at least thumb my hat at him for hanging in there that long tonight.
OK, panel…issue on the table.
Does Washburn have a point about Kenji not doing enough to frame close pitches?
(Let’s put aside his being a dick about how he dealt with his frustartion on this issue for the moment.)
That last pitch was close. Wash obviously wanted it. He didn’t get it.
Could another catcher have gotten it for him?
Atlanta saved from shaming. Washburn not able (allowed) to go 6.
[Anybody else not getting MLB Scoreboard/Gameday (blank screen), or it it my browser?]
Blowers, on Washburn: “The club almost got an extra inning out of him tonight.”
Heh. At least Bedard has the excuse of fragility. Washburn has nothing but the excuse of sucking for not getting deeper into games.
Damnit Raul.
Sorry your issue argh…
Good outing for Washburn.
Nice catch Raul… NOT
Things you never want to hear:
#157: This ball is well hit. Ibanez, with a long run…
Inside Acosta’s head after pitch 3 to Cairo.
Result = 81 mph slider – contact – pop out.
Looking back on this series so far, you’ve gotta wonder how many stolen bases Ichiro would have if we played the Braves every day. More than 100?
After hearing about Clement’s exploits at AAA, it would be nice to see him start hitting in a Mariners uniform.
Would this mean that we would never have to see Vidro again?
Oh great I turned on the game just in time to watch Sexson….
Acosta is fairly wild – can we hope for a Sexson W?
Sexson with 2 walks???
Shouldn’t they pull that ball out of the game and keep it for him?
That’s why Richie Sexson is a professional baseball player, plays like that.
Sexson, show some cajones – FLATTEN HIM!
If you can’t hit, do something!
Richie, you could at least pretend to bowl the catcher over. Instead of that dance-step thingie you did there.
Nice to see Sexson make some sort of strange slide as opposed to just standing there.
throw the old helmet at him! at least look like your trying!
Oh, and not even the catcher. The pitcher, fer cryin’ out loud.
Since Sexson is done, does anyone know anyting about this Hubbard guy down at West Tenn? If he had 50 more PAs, he’d be leading the league in OPS, but he’s not on the Future Forty. DMZ? Dave?
Maybe Yuni should have not been caught off 1st…
Holy idiots!^2
Acosta finally gets Betancourt up there – a guy who will swing at his fast stuff off the plate – and he throws a fastball down the middle.
Then Sexson tries for home.
One play to sum up the execrable play of these two teams this evening.
Sexson’s slide was funny as hell.
Is that one of those “unwritten rules”? If it’s not the catcher you don’t just run over him? Because if not that is inexcusable. There are people getting fired in part because you have been playing like shit. Show some balls Richie.
Sexson has no problem throwing helmets at them, but won’t run them over at the plate? Where’s, dare I say, the grit? Must be part of his new kinder gentler open stance persona.
*ugh* Why isn’t Willie playing first today?
Once again, doing everything we can to piss one away. C’mon M’s hold on!
Maybe Yuni should get a life as an AA player…
I can deal with the Mariners sucking, but that “play” by Sexson was just embarassing.
Tom in Edmonds,
I agree the throw should have been better, but shouldn’t your first baseman at least get some glove on that instead of just falling on his ass?
So Sims says they’re turning Chipper around, and he’s hitting .396 as a RHB. I checked the YTD stats, and he is about the same in BA either way, but his SLG is much, much better from the right hand side.
…and he singles.
That play by Sexson was set up by Yuni..
The PR on first looks 16 years old.
*sigh* Better cool off the Jagermeister…might be a long night…
Let’s put Yuni in LF and Ibanez at SS…just for fun
How manybad throws, how many bad running plays b4 U bench a guy?
Thank you Aurthur!
So why not walk Chipper in that situation?
That PR was Brent Lillibridge. He’s married to a girl that I went to school with at WWU this year. He’s a product of UW. I think he’s actually like 24.
Joh and then Vidro…hmmm…time for a bathroom break..
No, he hasn’t been great with the glove, but Yuni didn’t make Sexson do the weird little dance-move slide thing.
Vidro’s pinch-hitting for Rhodes? They might be better off letting Arthur Lee hit for himself.
Why is our mop-up guy pitching in a high-leverage situation?
Wait, I still don’t think you can give Sexson a pass on that play at first. The throw was in the dirt yes, but it was in the dirt UP the first base line. Richie fell backwards AWAY from the ball. Why in the world was he leaning the opposite direction of the throw? I’m sorry, you can get on Yuni for the throw, but Sexson had some fault in that as well, and he looked worse because he ended up on his back.
U know Jeff I am not going to defend Sexson, I think him & Vidro ought to get in a cab right now and get out of Dodge. However if Yuni had not been caught off 1st, again, Sexson would have never had to try that bazaar slide.
Yuni’s throws are another issue and yes Sexson should have blocked it….
With Batista out there ostensibly to “save” the game, the Bravos should be popping the top off that giant Coke bottle any moment now.
Watch Norton knock it outta here as payback…
Tom,
You think we could chip in for the cab fare?
Typical.
Well I was close…
Why would Norton want to payback the M’s? He should be happy that he got off the team when he did. I wish we would have gotten rid of Vidro sure, but why would Norton still want to be here?
Wait, I still don’t think you can give Sexson a pass on that play at first…
I swear it’s a pattern I’ve been noticing with Sexson…can a major league player be that afraid of the ball? Or does the guy have sight issues — maybe he’s losing his depth perception.
Yep…how did I just know that two in a row against the Braves would be too good to be true?
And how did I just know that Norton was gonna come back to burn the M’s?
Bavasi’s bad moves — the gifts that keep on giving. >:(
I hope Norton steals 3rd and home to beat us.
The M’s released the guy even though he was hitting…Of course he doesn’t want to be in Seattle…Who does?
On a positive note, at least Washburn doesn’t get the win.
Batista doesn’t have the closer mentality.
(getting out the rye bread and mustard)
Someone please remind me why I cheer for these guys??
Ray, LOL
The problem with getting rid of Norton because he is slow and we needed guys who could pinch run for our slow hitters, is that you have to actually have someone on base to pinch run for.
The M’s released the guy even though he was hitting…Of course he doesn’t want to be in Seattle…Who does?
I know it was a stupid move by the M’s. It just seems like people think Norton is going to want to play better because he feels the need for revenge. I would think he’d be shaking Bavasi’s hand (if he were in Atlanta) for getting him the hell off this team.
Game.
The Mariners lose!
In other news, sun rises in East.
Get out the champagne! I LOVE THESE GUYS!!
Post-game fight between Washburn, who had a rare quality start turned into a no-decision by Batista!
This was one of those nights that I just had a hunch that they were going to lose it in the 9th.
well, that was craptastic. doesn’t even deserve capital letters.
I know this will be erased, but I effing hate Miguel Batista. He is such a piece of shit, and I dont know why the Mariners would put him into a game when he has a single run, and he needs to shut another team down, but he was pulled from the rotation because he couldn’t even get out of the early innings without getting destroyed. What a moron. So much needs to change with this team… It’s soo effing disheartening!
Are the Mariners involved in a sports betting scheme to pad their already enormous salaries?
Was anybody else chanting “Strasburg! Strasburg! Strasburg!” inside their heads throughout that inning?
At the end of the game, Dave N. said that “the Braves have broken the Mariners’ heart.”
Heh…what heart?
Well I’m going to have some beers..Thanks for nothing M’s…
Have a good night people…
BilyJive,
I’m with you on this one, I wasn’t going to drink tonight, but this craptastic team has made me re-think that. Bring on the booze!!
ah me. I just turned it off at the start of the 9th, I couldn’t face it.
God I am glad I went to work during the 3rd inning. Sounds like this was one of the most depressing losses of the season.
You know, guys, we don’t really need to know if you’re drinking.
“He is such a p***e of sh*t”
Gee, I can’t imagine why that would be deleted.
You may hate what’s happening to the team, but try to remember these are people, too.
I thought maybe it was a cunning plan on his part to slide under the tag, because the pitcher was just standing there– but, dang it, he’s just too darned tall, even sliding awkwardly.
Oh boy! The Post Game Show!! Hooray!!!!!!
Nothing like recapping a THRILLER like this one!
Down to the wire!
Heroic battle!
The intensity! My oh my, the INTENSITY of it all!!!
I think I’ll crack a tall one and SAVOR THE FLAVOR that only the MEN IN BLUE AND TEAL can provide!
You’re right Jeff..After all we’re Mariners fans..and they are a family-friendly organization.
I think I’ll go have some ice cream…later people
So there is a story on espn about how Boston is having one of the best ever years for sports in a single city. I think it’s safe to say Seattle is having one of the worst ever…
Ummm…..I was just going to apologize for posting out of complete frustration.
I watched the second half of the game and it just got so bad, I didn’t think about what I was posting.
Is there any chance that Sexson is still on this team when they get back to Seattle?
5 minutes of game recap followed by 20 minutes of “Welcome to Turner Field” and other distractions.
you know, I am beginning to think Krueger wishes he’d thought of that “circle me, Bert” thing first.
I have a newbie question: can Sexson be sent down to the minors??
How long until we are mathematically eliminated?
And guys, look at it this way, every game we lose gets us closer to a number one draft pick.
So at this point, losses now=wins down the road
Okay, I correct myself. His baseball skills consist of a bag of shit.. Is that better? Have I considered his feelings enough now. Give me a break. The guy is making a crap-load of money to pretty much throw batting practice. I went to two games in a row where Batista started, and he was freaking terrible. He didn’t make it out of the second inning either time. When a person gets paid as much as these guys do to play a game, I expect greatness. If he can’t handle that, then he should go flip burgers or something.
only if he agreed to go.
I’d presume that he’s not on the Future Forty because he’s twenty-six at AA and until this season has never been particularly good.
This year he’s cut his strikeout rate a lot and upped his walk rate a little but most of the effect is an unsustainably high BABIP. (.471)
If Hubbard is any kind of answer you’re in need of new questions.
And if he doesn’t agree then our only choices are to keep him on the major league club or release him with us paying him either way? Talk about being over a barrel. Yikes!
Time for some comfort food. (And thank you for the answer msb)
ah, the KOMO post game show. A caller thinks that the answer to the closer problem is to throw Felix out there.
and then Matt Pitman adds to that really full roadway under the bus by saying that in his opinion only one of the two guys with back spasms has back spasms.
Batista is still the Mariner I’d most like to have dinner with, but I don’t get that warm fuzzy feeling I had last year when he was on the mound. What’s the opposite of warm fuzzy? Oh, yeah, fear.
I like Jair Jurrgens. He’s a talented young pitcher with great potential. As a Tigers fan I was sad to see him traded. As one who has disliked the Braves for 15+ years I’m sadder that he wound up in Chopville.
Some good news: the Mets hired Krivsky.
PaulMolitorCocktail,
HALLELUJAH!!
Well, I started watching and then got distracted by the “Dogtown and the Z-Boys” doc that was playing on one of the other TVs (more precisely, explaining it to the person next to me because it was running with the sound off). Then the repeat of the Russia-Nederlands Euro’08 match came on and I started watching that. Every time I looked up at the M’s game score was the same. Then I saw Batista come in and I said “Oh, great, the M’s are going to lose” and the person next to me pointed at the score and I said “Just watch, he’ll walk the first guy and then the next guy” — at this point I realized it was Norton on deck — “will hit a home run.” Not exactly what happened — Batista couldn’t even blow the game crisply, but had to draw it out — but when all was done I looked like a genius. “How did you know they were going to lose?” “It’s the Mariners”
I thought maybe it was a cunning plan on his part to slide under the tag, because the pitcher was just standing there– but, dang it, he’s just too darned tall, even sliding awkwardly.
It looked to me like he was expecting to score standing up and then suddenly the pitcher was there with the ball and it just startled him and he fell down like a
narcoleptic goat.
I’m still frustrated, but tonight it was the baserunning. I see some slams of Sexson and his crappy “slide” at home, but the real culprit on that play was Bentencourt, if he is not caught in no man land, then we get another baserunner, and who knows, maybe we score another run or two. It seemed minor at the time up, 4-1, but it turned out to be huge.
Honestly, this is one of the worst baserunning teams I have ever seem…we need a stat for getting caught in rundowns!
Ooooooooooooooooohh! I’m watching the replay on my new DIGITAL tv! So we GOTTA win this time!
joser, I knew Sexson reminded me of something. You nailed it!
Whew. Dodged a large-bore anti-tank round.
Weirdest thing I heard from Dave N. today: the Braves were worried when it was 4-3 because they always lose one-run games. The mind just boggles.
msb,
You are like the people who blog about Fox New Channel. You always link to timely and relevant stuff, but why put yourself through the KOMO postgame? Morbid curiosity? Insatiable Mariner fandom even in times of total disaster? Either way I am impressed.
Actually, the back-to-back episodes of The A-Team on RTN would’ve been more entertaining than KOMO’s insipid post-game show.
I didn’t go to tonight’s game or watch it on TV. Nope, I’m at the Midnight Sun Game in Fairbanks, AK, still!
Bill “The Spaceman” Lee made an appearance, not for a ceremonial pitch but he started and pitched 6 innings and is still in line for the win. I can die a happy man seeing the Spaceball/Leephus pitch in person. It was magical.
226: If ever I find myself in Fairbanks on the Solstice, I’ll be at that game — it sounds like an absolute hoot!
BTW, speaking of the Spaceman, I wish the M’s had him on the roster right now. Even as old as he is these days, he’d easily be more effective than three-fifths of the starting rotation!
usually waiting for Drayer to arrive with quotes and observations …