Game 74, Mariners at Dodgers
Hernandez vs Milton, 7:05 pm.
Happy Felix Day, sort of. Because….
Larry LaRue delivers the bad news – Adrian Beltre will have surgery on his shoulder in the next week or so, which will put him on the shelf for 6-8 weeks. That puts him out until September, realistically, and even his performance then would be a question mark, given the missed time.
This, obviously, is a huge blow to the M’s. Even with his offense struggling, he’s still an elite defensive player who has been playing at a +3 win level so far this year. The M’s don’t have a capable replacement in the organization, and the options for how the team will replace Beltre range from bad (Mike Morse) to experimental (Branyan to third, Carp at first).
And, obviously, this eliminates any chance of the team trading Beltre at the deadline. This also should push the M’s heavily towards sell mode, as the team had a slim chance of winning the division with their star third baseman, but this puts a pretty serious crimp in those plans. Minus Beltre, and with Bedard’s health a question mark, this team just isn’t that good.
Zduriencik confirms, via Baker, that tonight is Beltre’s last game. Jack mentioned Chris Woodward and Jose Lopez as options to replace Beltre, but not Branyan. If Lopez moved to third, Cedeno/Wilson would probably share second base after Yuni came back, which would make the dropoff from Beltre to his replacement probably something like two wins over the rest of the season. Those are two wins the M’s couldn’t afford to lose. Sell, sell, sell.
Comments
185 Responses to “Game 74, Mariners at Dodgers”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
USSM uses and recommends
In happier news – Felix Day!
It’s pretty obvious he simply hasn’t been right for almost the entirety of the year. This blows on a multitude of levels, too, as not only do we now lack any realistic probability in a push to win the West, but with his injury and awful stats this year, Beltre has perhaps pushed himself out of Type-A free agent status. We lose pretty much no matter what in this scenario. Crappy McCrapperson. All we can really hope for is that Zduriencik proves to be extremely creative and awesome at finding good value for the remaining assets we have. Good luck, Z.
Shift Ichiro to 3rd. He’s being selfish by insisting on playing in the outfield.
What do we have left to sell that another team would want, Washburn, Aardsma?
Wak would probably bring a nice price.
I think it’s time to start shopping the Moose.
Well then. That kinda sucks… not entirely unexpected given the past week, but still sucks nonetheless.
So who gets sold? Wash and Aardsma are the obvious two. Bedard if he gets healthy.
But what about Lopez?
Sometimes I swear those of us here at USSM are the only ones who realize that he’s nothing more than league average. Maybe some other GM with a hole at 2B/3B will take a look and decide that with his age, “defense” (more reputation than actual talent at this point), prior results (second half of 2007 aside), and add the fact that he’s signed somewhat cheaply for a few more years and he’s not a halfway unattractive piece to barter with.
Of course, there’s always the problem of who the hell to replace him with, but that’s another issue…
Boy, Kreuger really wants his “Big Cat” nickname to catch on, doesn’t he?
This hurts. One final push toward sell mode.
Damn FSN. I was really looking forward to this series against a quality team, and it’s the Black Screen of Doom here in Juneau.
Perhaps a commentary on the situation from FSN?
Is the game delayed? Nothing’s showing on Gameday either.
Bodhizefa: I’m not familiar with Crappy McCrapperson. Did you mean Callix Crabbe for the Rainiers would be brought up?
Sorry…I just like the name Callix Crabbe!
Punt.
Again I say… Rob Johnson sucks at catching things.
Trying to find a silver lining here, but could this positively affect the chance the M’s resign Beltre? Or is that hoping for too much?
Oh great – another injury.
Oh no, not Guti. Please not Guti…
What happened!? Still nothing on my screen!!
Guti may have turned his ankle or something, but he just advanced to third just fine.
Eric Milton isn’t good. Win you fooooooooo’s.
At this point all I want are Felix wins and Ichiro 100 runs. Realistically it’s time to sell going forward.
Thanks, Lauren. At least they didn’t ask Johnson to bunt for the sacrifice.
[spelling, grammar, and lack of understanding. post better]
One of the benefits of having the mlb online premium package is listening to either home or away teams…listening to Vin Scully is absolutely amazing.
Okay, Felix, they got you one run. Now throw a shut out. No pressure.
I was just about to say Branyan was looking terrible today but I don’t know what I’m talking about clearly because Russ is always awesome.
Junior!!!!!
In the immortal words of Kenny Mayne:
‘It’s never iffy, if it’s Griffey!’
This is killing me. Yesterday’s game I get nice and clear?? This!??
Pretty good antidote for last nights game. Its obvious that Rob Johnson is making a huge difference with the pitching. Last night our pitching was terrible with Johjima behind the plate. Tonight our pitching is much better with Johnson in.
Kaz I really, really hope you’re being sarcastic.
I’m sure the Johnson – Johjima bit is way more important than the King Felix – Vargas bit….
Heh, TJ Dirk.
Ok, the Dodgers are having winners luck.
E-9 on Ichiro on a dropped fly ball. Has that ever happened before?
Wow, that was highly unIchiristic…
So, the announceres mentioned that the M’s have had good success against Milton.
Brilliant.
Anyone want to guess how many members of tonights starting lineup were in the starting lineup the last time Milton faced the M’s?
Zero.
Desi Realford started in RF. Ichiro came in to pinch hit – he was the only guy currently on the roster who played in that game.
Kaz Sasaki got the save.
Great to know Milton has trouble with the M’s.
Beltre news is terrible….any chance the M’s inquire about Teahen?
Funny, I was just reading about Sasaki on Wikipedia last night (and on various other links afterwards). I had no idea about his off-field craziness (Art Thiel wrote an article describing his behavior as “indiscreet philandering”!), which is apparently why he ended up going back to Japan instead of finishing his contract. Nutty!
Well, Dave N, Blowers and Vin Scully all think he lost the ball in the lights.
JMHawkins, I always love when that ’stat’ is tossed out. Why don’t they just call it bad mojo and be done with it?
A pitcher does poorly in Arlington against the Rangers over a ten year career. I’d say it’s the blazing heat, bandbox, glare off that gross dirt, too much tequila, anything but the team itself.
IIRC, he went home and his wife divorced him …
Maybe he borrowed tapes from Hideki Matsui’s massive porno collection.
I think I say this once a night now, but NICE CATCH DFT!
Web gem ho!
msb: He was apparently having an affair with a much younger woman in Japan and then she got pregnant. Now he’s married to her.
Guess the ladies can’t resist the “Kiss the Closer” apron…
[illegible]
I’m a big fan of Matt Kemp, and I am very sad to see that he isn’t getting any All-Star recognition. I think he’s like 13th right now, and Beltran and Ibanez, who are both injured, are in the top 3. Not only is he healthy, he’s having a season on par if not better than both of them, considering regression at least.
Anyways, Guti showing us some more glove!
70 pitches for Felix through 4.
Can the M’s just pay Felix now and sign him already to a long term deal?
The worse part of watching Gameday: looking at Milton’s mug shot-esque photo. Man, never want to meet him in a bar at closing time.
Agree on sell, sell, sell. But what do we have to sell? Washburn? Anything else? It looks like the trade deadline will be kind of a dud for the Mariners. Let’s see what the Tacoma kids can do.
There’s little incentive for Felix to sign a long-term deal. Seattle should have taken care of this two years ago but oh well.
Uh, Juan Pierre is almost 32. I don’t think “kid” is an appropriate term here.
(I’m referring to what the broadcasters just said, not Utis’s comment!)
Washburn, Branyan and Aarsdma. The market looks bleak for buyers so these guys might be overvalued.
Maaaaaaaaaybe trade Yuni if a team wants to pony up and pry him from our loving fingers.
Oh, lordy, I had completely forgotten that.
He’ll be a kid as long as he uses a Little Leaguer’s batting helmet and keeps his cat on under it.
Speaking of Juan Pierre, this website cracks me up every time I check it out.
“On game-days, if Juan Pierre hits a home-run, prices fall to $10.” ROFL.
As far as replacing Beltre, where does Chris Shelton fall in this bad to experimental spectrum?
Just a quick glance at his stats and he has a .920 OPS. I’m not suggesting this as a valid move but more for curiosities sake.
Poor cat. I don’t see what advantage Pierre would get from that.
Sims mentioning Rob’s 2.84 catcher ERA as the best in the league.
Damn the missing edit!
More ’sacrifices’ from Johnson.
We need someone to replace Ronny Cedono.
Whenever I think of Pierre, I think of the Jay-Z line ‘I used to run base like Juan Pierre.’ It cracks me up that he probably looked long and hard for a better player to throw in that rhyme and got stuck with Pierre.
Sims is right on top of things.
“When Juan Pierre steals a base he goes into BEAST MODE.”
You have to remember, Sims has to pump up the team though. What else is he gonna say about Johnson? ‘Well, he’s hitting one eight… scrap that… He’s throwing out 9 percent of would-be base… umm never mind.. Wait he’s leading the leading the league in Catchers ERA! We can use that!’
Problem is, casual fans then think this stat means something.
That strikeout pitch to Blake was simply wicked. It reminded me of Gaylord, only it was 94 mph.
Just curious, isn’t Shelton another option at 3rd? I mean, he’s the best hitter in Tacoma at the moment with a .319/.392/.528 line. I suppose the 15 errors and crappy range (I’m guessing) might make him a bit less appealing. Then again, Morse has his fair share of miscues with 9 errors.
Selling on Branyan would be a PR problem unless you got a monster haul. Aardsma is a possibility but which buyer is a match? Washburn to the NL makes a lot of sense but not for Pierre. What other IF or OF do the Dodgers have to spare?
Ichiro rocks.
Ichiro!
Whoops, sorry I missed NoStars comment as I deliberated over mine.
How dare you deliberate.
Catcher ERA is a stat invented so broadcasters can pump up crappy catchers. There’s no reason to pay any attention to it.
I wonder what we could get for Ichiro. Nah. No one can afford him.
Come on Adrian! Fit farewell?
I’m only half paying attention, what is Sims blathering about? Something about Rick Monday beating up Canadian hippies?
I know, I should just spew out whatever I think. Why did we get rid of Boom Boom? He would have been so valuable right now! Stupid JZ…
No, he’s not. The only reason he’s playing there is to get all the 1B/DH types they have in Tacoma some at bats. Same as Morse. They would be disasters. Whatever you get with the bat over a guy like Woodward, you more than give back with the glove.
Damn it. Ichiro’s on pace for 84 runs. Drive him in fools!!!
Baseball players are such pansies. Not playing with one little beach ball on the field. That just makes it more fun!!!!
Breadbaker, I’ve been an M’s fan since my uncle to me to the Kingdome when I was 7 (1983). I have to say though I have no idea what it looked like when Gaylord perry pitched… Did he have bucket of Criso next to him or was it a little more subtle?
I was thinking Balentien for Griffey in Left, but maybe Griffey, as slow as he is, is a better fielder.
Besides, anyone can just tell by watching.
Last night? Joh caught and Vargas gave up 5 runs. Tonight? Rob catches. Felix gives up a run. What more do you need to know? I ask you.
I am going to type everything in sentence structure from now on-because thats what USSM deserves.
Felix is better then Tim Lincecum.
Ichiro with the drop! You don’t see that very often, thank goodness.
Did Kemp just come to the plate to Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough?” I’m so sick of the MJ media overload right about now.
R u serious? or r u making fun of us?
I’d like to see them try to pick up someone like Greg Dobbs, who is left handed, and while a little below average not terrible at 3rd, and then platoon him with Morse, or possibly Woodward. I think Morse would be your best bet defensively in Tacoma. And before somebody reminds how bad Morse is likely to be offensively, they have to tell me why his .366woba is less legitimate than Shelton’s .399, or Clements .368. I’m open to arguments about his defense.
Shelton has about 15 errors, Morse has 9 playing SS. My guess is Shelton would absolutely butcher third in the majors.
I am just serving my punishment, tis all.
Sorry.
What’s happened to Russell Martin this year??? 1 homer and .666 OPS.
Fun Fact: His full name is Russell Nathan Coltrane Jeanson Martin.
Felix is better than Tim.
Getting better… but it should be “than” not “then”
That’s ok. I just wasn’t sure if you were being snotty or repentant. People like to be snotty when they’re moderated
sometimesoften.Is Casey Blake being shopped?? haha.
Man, Franky missed a HR by inches.
Ugh. Re-reading that I see how confusing it is.
SometimesOften people like to be snotty when they’ve been modded.Oh for crying out loud Dave!
Come on, you’re a Hall of Famer. We love you, but you effed-up the call on Guttierez’s double like a rookie.
Y’all, we’ll be fine without Beltre. No one thought Gutierrez would turn into some crazy power hitter, and look at him! Look at Branyan! Look at powered-by-grief Lopez! Zduriencik can just reach his mighty hand down to the minors and pluck some mystery man up here to play 3rd and All Shall Be Well.
Guti! My man is en fuego tonight!
I’m just going to throw it out there, that this MIGHT be Ronny Cedenos last intentional walk for a while.
A. What did he do, Colm? Call it like it was going to be a homer?
B. I probably don’t care. He could call Junior Edgar and I still wouldn’t care.
So are they actually going to let Felix hit because they’re sending him out another inning, or they just realize he’s a better hitter than anything they got on the bench and they can put in a new pitcher after they’re done hitting?
Hahahahha Cedeno getting intentionally walked was the last thing I thought I’d see. Felix has a better chance of getting a hit than Cedeno..
You have to be kidding me. Felix is going back out for the 8th?
With Johjima back and taking games away from Rob “ERA” Johnson our pitching is going to fall off a cliff.
Are they int. walking .117 hitting Cedeno!?
LTC, I like it. Is it bad that you raised my hopes?
Nope, his bat was better than whatever we had on the bench.
Whoo-hoo! Game’s back on for the last inning!
Or, at least, the commercials on. I’m sure the picture will go out as soon as the game’s back.
Yeah, Mr. Niehaus called Guti’s double like it was 10 rows back in the stands… Still, we’ll always forgive him his failings.
Didn’t it make you excited, though?
I’ve probably listened to his call of the “old-time religion” call five or six times.
Phelics is still dealing. I suggest they keep Double-A in the pen.
My apologies for the stupid spelling of Felix. That looked a lot better before it was irreversibly posted.
Oakland has scored 3 in the bottom of the 9th. They’re coming back!
King Felix rides off the field in style. King Felix reigns.
According to MLB gameday Felix really mixed up his pitches against Furcal.
1 – 93 MPH fastball
2 – 89 MPH fastball
3 – 82 MPH curve
4 – 96 MPH fastball
5 – 68 MPH slider
Nice!
Wow..the difference between Johnson and Johjima behind the plate is night and day.
We’ll assume you were memorized by the King’s performance and out of sync for a while.
Ahem. Rob “CERA” Johnson.
Memorized, as you were?
MUSCLE!
Russ!!!
If only Branyan could actually play third, a lot of our problems would be solved.
BEASTMASTER!!!!
I read on ESPN that Branyan is on pace for the fewest RBIs for someone with over 40 homers….
“If only Branyan could actually play
third, short, second, and catcher, a lot of our problems would be solved.”FTFY
“Adrian’s last at bat for a while–” and he gives a rip that should have torn his arm off. Going out in style!
Awright, I’m a listening, not watching, and Dave and Rick are having paroxysms of delight over Branyan’s moonshoot. (Rizzs v. excited about Russel’s “lift and separation” – phnarr)
Just how high, and how far, did he hit that?
Wow. Branyan with another moonshot home run.
This reminds me, you ever get stuck by the guy at the ballpark who thinks they know everything but really know next to nothing? I was at a game last month and the topic of Branyan came up and the guy behind me said “Its nice to have a first baseman who can hit and field instead of just field like Sexson.’ This was only about the 3rd dumbest thing he said all night unfortunately.
This is another reason to keep someone like Bloomquist around–spare parts. Just take an arm off him, tan it up a bit, stick it on Beltre.
That’s such a disturbing image I’m going to go ahead and post this silliness.
Always, Scottdids, always. I fairly certain that it’s written in fine print on your ticket that that guy will be within earshot.
I have been trying to put together a roster of current players who were former M’s. I have someone at every position except first base. Strange that we suddenly have a surfeit of first basemen in the system when we had nothing there for so long.
Sell price on Branyan just went up!
I dunno about his arm, Lauren, but WFB would probably give his left nut to have anywhere near Beltre’s talent.
Felix’s split:
1958 PA, .753 OPS with Joh, 225PA, .580 OPS with Johnson
Allright Scotty… tell us the top two.
My Dad and I almost always can keep from laughing out loud when we go to games together.
I don’t think I could stomach losing Branyan at this point. He and Ichiro make every game at least interesting.
So long, Adrian… rehab quickly, please. It was bad enough knowing this was probably the last season to watch him as a Mariner, but to have it shortened like this just sucks.
Also, Russell Branyan is a home run hitting sex machine.
DTFW!
Hey, kg, make the idiot comments at the P-I thread, please.
I know we need the win nailed down, but I’d have been fine with saving Double A tonight.
Sorry that should be DTFT!
Guti almost got there too quickly on that fly ball and overran it. Show off.
Just hand the guy the gold glove. Right, freaking, now.
like a Barbie head.
I would hate trading Branyan too, but it would be like the time Bart and Lisa wanted Marge to go to the Candy Expo because she could steal more candy than either of them.
“For the greater good.”
j
I agree, but he was all warmed up and ready to go, so they were pretty much locked into AA pitching.
Update: now it’s a save situation.
Wouldn’t be Double A without the tightrope walk.
Alright! Time to bring our closer in! Save sit… wait what?
Well, according to the transcript of the chat Zduriencik had on mlb.com he was asked about trading Branyan and had this to say:
Of course, take that for what it’s worth…
Not for AA though
Nice that Kemp swung at ball three.
Really?
This is the first time I have felt that Felix was s
a pitcher from the 1st inning on. It looked good it felt good and it is a win!!!
Sims said Aardsma got his 16th save, but he entered the 9th with a 4 run lead.
You can’t pitch yourself into a save situation.
But he put two runs on base. Doesn’t that make for a save situation?
If you come into the game in a non save situation in the ninth, then put guys on base so it would be a save situation, you can’t get the save but the guy coming in can.
Gotcha
Aardsma “saved” himself because M’s fans would have rioted if he blew this game.
It doesn’t matter. The Save is BS stat anyway. It was basically created to give relievers huge money contracts or something…
I don’t think thats why it was created, but yes that’s whats become of the rule. K-Rod had his worst season last year but is lauded with praise for his record number of saves, which are basically a by-product of his team winning a lot of close games.
Sorry, I was off doing family stuff and listening on the radio.
Gaylord was quite subtle about loading up. He would brush all over his body, some of it really loading up, some of it not actually touching, just to screw with hitters’ and umpires’ minds.
However, the one time in his entire career he was tossed was when he was with the M’s. I remember listening to the game on the radio and Dave just did an “Ohmigod!” at the way the pitch just dropped like it had hit a wall. The ump had (and under the rules needed) no evidence the ball was doctored, he just pointed to the dugout and Gaylord didn’t argue.
I commend you to “Me and the Spitter,” his autobiography.
If Sims said that was a save he is simply failing at his job. Which is specifically to know these kinds of facts and help keep the listeners informed. Instead he just made people dumber about the rules of baseball, or in the least confused. Thanks for that.
KG:
Felix’s split:
1958 PA, .753 OPS with Joh, 225PA, .580 OPS with Johnson
I think its the language barrier, for instance Joh may call for a 4 seam fastball over the inside corner, but Johnson will call for a 4 seamer over the inside corner with a late break, like that one that got Blake to strike out swinging. That’s a huge difference.
I guess you missed the 1-hitter in Boston a couple of years ago.
Thank goodness Felix has finally stepped up and became the ACE we haven’t had in a long time. The Mariners are winning so consistently because Felix prevents any prolonged losing streaks with his amazing starts. Lets hope Olson doesn’t get shelled and get out of L.A. with a series win!!
So let me get this straight. Beltre is out 2 months. We are without a 3b and the cardinals just picked up Mark DeRosa for Chris Perez! Are you fing kidding me. Why were we not on DeRosa? Perez, I mean we could of gave them Sean White, he is better the Perez. Can someone tell me why the F.O. would not make a deal for Mark. Problem solved. I’m so tired of this organization sitting on their hands. Nick Swisher, Mark DeRosa, …..to be continued.
This is why we aren’t good.
The one hitter was especially sweet, because all the hype going in was DiceK’s Boston debut. Felix spoiled the party.
Just a random note, but Ichiro is on pace for 251 hits this year, even though he missed the first 9 games. WOW
Yes! We havn’t a good ‘Greg Dobbs’ arguement in quite awhile.
Or, havn’t had a good ‘Greg Dobbs’…sorry.
haven’t, actually. haha
Wow too bad DeRosa was traded to the Cardinals today….He would have been nice to have.
The point about Dobbs is he’s a left handed bat sitting on the bench in Philly, not getting much playing time. So he’ll be cheap, and won’t cost us much for a stop gap. There isn’t much of an argument about him, he is a decent bench player and left handed pinch hitter.
Speaking of ex-Mariners I see from the Cardinals box score that Ryan Franklin picked up his 18th save tonight, and is sporting a 0.93era. I can imagine a typical Cardinals game, having the announcers gush about what a sure thing Ryan is when he comes in in the 9th to preserve Joel Pinero’s eight shutout innings.
The only way this team should pick up Greg Dobbs is on the waiver wire.
The Save is BS stat anyway. It was basically created to give relievers huge money contracts or something…
OR SOMETHING:
JEROME HOLTZMAN devised the SAVE rule–probably to give some relief pitchers statistical recognition. I don’t think he had any idea of the albatross it would become.
BTW, I read somewhere that Dave Smith, the founder of RETROSHEET, noted that the percentage of wins when a team was ahead going into the 9th inning was almost identical before the SAVE rule and after the SAVE rule.
In tonight’s game, because it wasn’t a SAVE situation, most managers would not have used their best reliever–their closer. To his credit, WAK did.
It was an easy choice, given the off-day Monday and that he hadn’t pitched since Wednesday. I wish he hadn’t had to throw so damn many pitches. But I imagine I’m going to think that way so long as he’s a Mariner. He doesn’t have the stuff or the makeup to have a lot of six pitch innings.
John D. – You’re right about the history of the save. My post was an attempt at Sarcasm when writing. I obviously need work. It’s interesting to note that the idea of a 9th inning closer really didn’t come about until Lee Smith. There was a time when Closers were expected to go two maybe three innings. From the rule book:
Can you imagine if the closer pitched 3 innings today? People would be screaming for the managers head.
Three more hits for Ichiro, and he is now hitting .375.
Slowly but surely, Ichiro is moving towards the magical .400 mark.
The PI headline on their website this morning says:
In the article they do mention that he hit one homerun, and they also mention some guy named Felix.
Funny how no one really is paying attention to Ichiro’s BA creeping up to .400 because he has spoiled us over the years with his selfishly high batting average.
Maybe Ichiro should take the start of April off every year (historically it’s his worst month by far). He’s got his body in such a routine, perhaps it still thinks it is playing in the shorter Japanese season?
Derosa was known to be available (Swisher, on the other hand, was not — the Yankees were not eager to move him even before Nandy got hurt so the price would’ve been high). I am certain he wasn’t overlooked by the FO. If Zduriencik wanted him, they could’ve had him. But: he’s right-handed, he’s 34, and he’s really an outfielder: he’s -7.7/150 UZR at 3B or 2B (though he’s about average at SS). He’s versatile, yes, and fairly productive (.347 wOBA this year, right in line with the ZIPS predictions; .376 last year with the Cubs). But he’s really just Willie Bloomquist with a somewhat bigger bat (and more miles on the tires). That would be a big step up from the current situation, of course, but I suspect Zduriencik has someone else in mind. Yeah, it would be nice to know what that is, but let’s not overlook the fact that if we woke up this morning to news of DeRosa coming to the M’s, we’d be reading a lot about “He’s not the final answer” — and he isn’t.
Then you need to follow the Phillies a little closer. With Ibanez hurt, Dobbs is more than just a “left handed bat sitting on the bench.” Prior to last night, he’d been in six straight games, including starting four of them (and pinch hitting in a AL parks in the other two).
And this is why we always made fun of all things “PI”
…and what do you know. And Sean White was unavailable last night due to “soreness” so I don’t think the Indians would’ve been eager to get him in trade.