Game 79, Mariners at Red Sox
4:10. Haaaaaaappy Felix Day! And everyone hopefully has the day off so you can watch!
Is there a cooler contrast in starters this year? Felix, young, ascending star, against Wakefield, much older, with an impressive career without the kind of sustained dominance that earns someone the “ace” designation. Felix has one of the best fastballs when he’s can control it effectively and loves to throw it, while Wakefield hardly ever throws a straight fastball, but does well with it, instead relying on a pitch he knows he can’t truly control.
I love watching Tim Wakefield pitch. I always have. If I don’t have anything else on MLB.tv I’m interested in that day and he’s pitching, I’ll always go for it. In a way, it’s like watching Ichiro: there’s no one else in the major leagues who makes their living in the same way these players do, and yet they’re among the best at what they do despite taking a much different approach. That’s fascinating.
And then Felix. You have to love watching Felix.
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And congratulations to the AL Pitcher of the Month for June!
Yay a novelty cap for us to buy yayyy.
Because there’s not an over-abundance of red uniform pieces in baseball already!
Not supporting these red caps means you don’t support America.
Definitely a Fenway “real quirk” double for Lopez there. “Real quirk” as in “not Tal’s Hill”
Thank lord Yuni wasn’t out there today.
Submitted: are some batters so annoying while in the box that pitchers should be allowed to throw at them (say, shoulders-down, once per at-bat) without penalty?
Wow, don’t see Papi score on a passed ball that often.
Currently? I’d have to think about it. I always hated Fernando Vina. Wish the ghost of Dizzy Dean could’ve plunked him.
You don’t see past balls scored as wild pitches that often. Rob Johnson, “catcher.”
Can we please trash the red caps? Why would you possibly want to look like the home team when you’re away? Red Sox chances of wearing teal in Safeco? -a million.
Felix, more bendy stuff , please.
Dear Rob Johnson,
Catch. The. Damn. Ball.
Love,
Every Mariner Fan
Glad to see the home plate umpire is off for the three day weekend, too. Apparently its down the middle or nothing early on.
Damn it! Adam Jones almost drilled Lackey with a line drive.
That should be strike three!
So, if I display by my nickname, I have to be moderated? Oh well. I’ll stick with “Steve T” then.
How in the hell does Rob Johnson have more doubles than Frank? I demand Guti to hit nothing but doubles til this statement is no longer accurate.
Fenway is a major league stadium in the way Uwe Boll is a director.
That is all.
Why not just demand that Rob Johnson not be allowed to hit anymore? It would also remedy the problem, and save us the frustration of absolutely terrible home plate defense to go with a mediocre bat.
Hark, i suppose i should ask for both? And a pony?
That was the infield fly rule, yes?
WFB now plays for Kansas City.
It isn’t called on the third out, because there’s no incentive to drop the ball for the double play.
Is anyone else watching the MLB extra innings feed, and listening to Lenny Clarke try to be funny in the worlds largest technicolor dream coat? GOD i miss Seattle.
You just can’t get this guy Johnson out.
Hahaha, Johnson comes through again!
All your fault! All your fault!
God damn Rob Johnson needs to stop making himself look good to everyday fans. Like my mother who thinks he “earned his playing time.” Ugh.
But the score’s tied now. Woo.
Rob Johnson loves the green monster. Maybe we can just leave him in Boston…
Rob and the monster are like Barry and Levon. Ahhh yeahh.
Whatever the opposite of power on power is, that’s it.
the best bottom of the order in baseball. No, i couldnt say that with a straight face.
It’s all your fault!! hahaahhaaa, love it.
Heh and the chant starts again
Bhwhahahahah!!!
Cedeno! 4-2! Game over I say.
Must of been Pepe Hernandez that threw the first 2 innings.
I would SOO not want to be those two guys who keeps getting the “All your fault” chant. Especially in Boston!!!
Go Mariners!
That was a weak balk call. A very week balk call.
That’s what makes America great: TV commercials with guys getting hit in the balls.
Every team should be required by MLB to give at least 150 IP to knuckleballers.
If there were a television show in which guys got hit in the balls continually, with commercials with guys getting hit in the balls. That would be the apex of entertainment. Sadly, we’ll probably have to wait hundreds of years for this to happen.
I muted the TV for that inning.
Rob Johnson and Ronnie Cedeno.
Maybe this says something about what it takes to do well against a knuckleball.
I’m 95% sure this is a Idiocracy reference.
The inability to do well against anyone else? We should just call up the entire Tacoma roster for Wakefield games.
You couldn’t have ALL guys getting hit in the balls. You’d have to have some of them getting hit in the head, or hit by cars or something. And a few guys just being dumbasses in general, to set the scene. Then: pow, right in the nuts. Pow. Pow.
“There are two theories on hitting the knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither of them work” – Charlie Lau
I still haven’t seen that movie. I just watch CNN and Fox News instead.
Uganda, right?
That’s what I was thinking too… it’s some pretty good satire, in my opinion.
See, here’s the other genre of commercial in play: guy being a douchebag (stealing wireless in a Lamaze class).
Is Moneytree’s slogan really “if Moneytree loans money to your business, it’s OUR business”? That doesn’t sound right. Sounds like the Mafia.
The fact that payday loan places exist is quite beyond my reckoning. They charge exorbitant interest rates in violation of anti-usury laws for microloans with POST-DATED CHECKS as collateral. How is this not what the Mafia does?
Glad to see Felix settling down, not just for the obvious fact it helps the M’s, but I don’t know who is left in the bullpen tonight after last night. Gotta figure Lowe and Batista are unavailable, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Aardsma can’t go either as he threw 30 pitches.
After my detour to the airport (surprisingly quiet today) I joined then game as Heineken guy endeared himself to the Fenway faithful.
a. Felix doesn’t look right in a red hat.
b. Felix doesn’t look right, but is battling.
You know, if we had a second baseman that could…whats it called…..run? Maybe Branyan doesnt go after that ball.
Jose was in position to field that ball.
Correct, my point being that its a rare, rare occurence.
Yea Felix!!!
Felix with passion baby!
Hark, most of their business is, I believe, cashing checks for people who either don’t have bank accounts, or do, but have banks that hold checks until they clear. A LOT of people live so close to the edge that waiting even a day for a check to clear is a disaster. The loans are usurious, to be sure, but I’m not sure where poor folks are supposed to go otherwise. Banks don’t serve them.
I think Johnson should start for the Mariners whenever we face a knuckleballer. Against other pitchers however going into today’s game Branyan’s ISO (.305) > Johnsons SLG (.293).
Thirty-four is a strike that shoulda been called on Dave Hollins trade return away from having a shut out.
They have no answer for our big guns, Cedeno and Johnson.
TheMsfan, are there words missing from your post?
The loans are usurious, to be sure, but I’m not sure where poor folks are supposed to go otherwise. Banks don’t serve them.
I think Wal-Mart cashes checks for a very small fee.
Kinda a brilliant move on their part, they’re probably going to dump an even larger part of the money in the store…and if the check doesn’t clear they’re going to coming back to return something defective soon anyway.
Nope, just kinda stupid. I was trying say in a clever way that Ortiz should have struck out rather then walked and the runs never score.
Sometimes I forget less is more.
Cedeno actually has me thinking about starting him in my rotisserie league, I mean regression to the mean has to get him to like .200 doesn’t it? His competition is Luis Valbeuna, who is in a terrible slump.
My head hurts at thinking of either of these guys.
And Steve, Fred Meyer, Wal Mart, and a large portion of grocery stores will cash checks. There is really no reason educated human being should use those places, and I feel for those who do.
Ichiro looks weird in a red cap. Never go to the Angels, Ichiro!
Well, shit.
It could easily be 7 to 4 tonight, this is not Felix Grey Goose, this is more Felix natti light.
LOPEZ!!!
Atta kid, Jose, insurance runs rock.
LOPEZ!!!
It’s really nice when it’s our guy coming right back to score after a score from the other team. It’s usually us getting the air let out of any comeback.
Langerhantastic!!!
Sit the f*** down, people!!!
Also, I’m loving me some Langerhans!
This Langerhans kid’s not to bad. Who’s idea was it to gt him again…?
Good to see that our GM is not joining the wave.
Ugh, could we not swing at the first pitch, please?
I dig that Z sits in the box seats during a road trip.
If Jack gets us a middle IF worth a flying you-know-what, im just going to go ahead and demand a life time contract.
Kool-aid is tasty.
Also, not signing Adam Dunn meant the Nationals have no place to put Langerhans, making him available for us. Wise decisions reap rewards down the road.
I could get used to seeing Guti and Langerhans hitting 5-6 for the next half decade or so. That is one less hole to fix next season.
Now maybe we can trade Balantien for Dobbs. Throw Corky in as a sweetener if we have to.
I imagine the conversation between Johnson and White went something like: “look, we’re not very good, but Tacoma smells funny and we only have to wear Red hats every once in a while, so try and do something right”.
Of the 17 hits so far there have been 7 doubles and 3 HRs. Egads… How does Boston ever get any pitcher to come here?
TJ Dirk–they have that line up to win.
Talk about being thrown back into the fire, yeeeeeeeeesh.
Wow, so that quote before the game about how Wak wasn’t going to use Kelley in a stressful situation for a couple weeks isn’t exactly holding up.
Here’s hoping he isn’t too rusty.
Could those red hats look worse on any other team?
I feel so bad for Felix
It’s because the red is the color of blood.
*sigh*
I hate fenway so, freaking, much.
Could those red hats look worse on any other team?
Arizona.
Although I think it’s mostly the accompanying jerseys that make them look bad.
Is Kelley throwing BP? Geeez…
Nothing makes me more angry in baseball than when a reliever comes in and start walking guys… Frick. I’d rather they underhand the ball down the middle than that.
Of course, the guy White walked comes around the score. Never freaking fails. There are NO excuses for walking the lead off guy. None. You get paid entirely too much to do that shit.
You can tell fangraphs isn’t an M’s fan. It actually thinks we have a 50% chance of winning this game.
That was the worst freaking bunt ive ever seen. Thank you very much Ronny, I appreciate that.
The sad thing is we were 1 out away of having Aardsma coming in for the 9th and shutting the door.Grrrr
There are NO excuses for walking the lead off guy. None. You get paid entirely too much to do that shit.
Yeah, because guys that throw 95 with pinpoint control grow on trees. We’ve got a bullpen full of young guys making the minimum, we knew there would be games like this, and we’ve been pretty lucky so far.
This is going to be rather frightening.
Every pitch Jaberwakee throws makes me feels queesy, its kinda like Bob Wells, anybody remember Bob Wells?
Luckily we have Jaku that can throw a few innings if needs be. Hopefully we score before it’s Corcoran’s turn…
Well, that shut me the hell up.
Tells us what the Sox manager thinks of the M’s, sending out his closer. We’ll see what strategy works here.
If we can just keep the inning alive until Johnson or Cedeno get up so they can get Lopez home.
Thanks, Kazinski, I needed that laugh. Too tense!
Damn. Damn. Damn.
UUUUGGHHHHH!
Why wouldn’t he use him? No save opp for the home team after the 9th if its tied.
Did Kelley do a rehab stint?
I keep forgetting we’re not the home team, Scottdids, which takes away the need for someone to keep the opposition from scoring if you take the lead, but if he is the best pitcher in your bullpen, but not used to going more than an inning, it would suggest the manager expects to win in this inning.
With Big Papi up….
Did Kelley do a rehab stint?
Yes, he did.
Shin-Soo Choo tonight: 4-5, 2 HR’s, 7 RBI’s, 4 Runs and a steal.
Another guy we just gave away back in the Bavasi days.
I wouldn’t say that he expects to win that inning. Using the best pitcher is your best chance of putting up a zero though, giving your team the best chance to win in the bottom of the inning.
At worst, it extends the game (assuming he doesn’t give up a run). You have to use him at some point, and you don’t want him sitting in the bullpen while some middle reliever gives up the winning run, then having to get questioned by the media why you didn’t use your best guy.
I come back from eating KFC and find out the bullpen blew a Felix win? Talk about coming down from a high….
The bunt’s always in order, Sims.
Wak not bunting Langerhans? Good call.
A narrowly avoided triple play on that bunt.
Kenji please.
If Johnson wins this thing, I’m going to have to eat my sofa cushion as a penance.
Why does it seem like we never pinch hit?
Yeah, should PH here.
nevermind i guess…lol
Maybe some ketchup with make this cushion a bit more palatable…
I wanted Kenji too.. but thank you Rob Johnson!!!!
Hey! Bad strategy gone good! Way to go, Wak?
Waks’ a genius.
Rob broke up with the Monster
Lowe coming in? I would think Aardsma on one long inning last night would be better than 2 innings for Lowe. Though i don’t know off hand how many pitches Lowe threw (Aardsma was 29 IIRC).
I really want Branyan to hit a home run now.
Ok, how do you intentionally walk a .900 OPS guy to get to a 1.000 OPS guy? It’s not the first time, either.
You guys can thank me on my paypal account for mentioning the doubles earlier tonight. I love it!
Ichiro leading the league in IBB’s, how selfish can you get?
I’m happy that it looks like the M’s will now win, but sad because today probably earned Rob continued playing time over Joh… Please Adam Moore, develop faster.
Make them pay, Branyan.
Doesn’t Boston need a Catcher? Lets trade them Johnson, he loves hitting in Boston (apparently).
Over Jason Varitek’s almost dead body.
They Should just make Varitek bench coach or something
I don’t think Mark Lowe has hit 100 MPH on the radar in quite some time…
Trade? I think so.
One could argue we should do the same with Sweeney, since apparently all we need him for is his clubhouse intangibles…
No argument here.
Here’s an idea Robby. How about calling something other than a fastball???
Of course, we can’t win by more than one run.
Or lose by more than one….
Never mind, Boston apparently has a power hitting Catcher already (Kottaras?)
WHERE WAS THAT PITCH?!?!?!?
This is like Battle of the Backup Catchers tonight…
f’ING GARBAGE……….
well they’ve got his fastball timed now.
Ugh… Come on Lowe…
Stupid ump.
24 pitches, 22 fastballs… Morrow redux??
Sweeney does always look like he’s having a ball. But who wouldn’t, to be paid very well to have the best seat at the field, and be the guy who slaps the ass of the other guys first.
Please Lowe, blow the Mean Little Squirrel away. Now.
whew
Sweet.
M’s win!!!
Please take those stupid red hats off now.
“Nice play by Woodward…”
Umm, was he watching the same game?
Huzzah! No Felix win but good triumphs over evil. And Angels down 2-0 as Santana continues to struggle.
But Go Felix, they won! They should wear the red hats all the time!
Wish granted. And that is the perfect description for Pedroia.
Your game MVP tonight – Rob Johnson — Whaaaa?
I want to see the mean little squirrel face the angry beaver. Seriously, though, someone needs to teach Pedroia how to shave his neck.
Also, I’m totally ready for robot umpires. Please?
I am surprised that somebody hasn’t dropped a “RoJo Mojo” reference into the postgame show.
“I’m totally ready for robot umpires”
It’s only a matter of time before umpires are fazed out. Eventually they’ll probably have one guy out there for no other purpose but to relay calls by the tracer and various other play tracking devices, as well as to keep the peace when fights break out.
It’s not really a knock on the umps. They have to make pretty incredible split second decisions and it’s amazing they can do it as accurately as they can. But as technology advances and we can put systems in place that can be significantly more accurate than the umps, it seems clear that the umps need replaced.
It will never happen in the Selig era, but the technology isn’t quite where it needs to be right now to replace the umps at any place except calling balls and strikes anyways. I give it 20 years and umps are more or less a thing of the past in baseball. Anybody want to bet??
Mission accomplished! Now they are playing with house money for the road trip. We might need Jamie Burke tomorrow, however. Any chance they bring up RRS or someone else up from Tacoma?
WOOHOO!
I gotta admit, i was skeptical with langerhans coming in, but he’s done great….another great move by Dr. Z
GRAVY TIME!!!!
Heh. Guess this year has been pretty darn good compare to last year.
Wakefield doesn’t have a good fastball, he just throws it a lot in 3-0 counts when guys are taking. Thus making it seem like his fastball is effective. Check out the swinging contact rates for proof.
Mean little squirrel. Heh.
Watching M’s games in bars during happy hour is much more fun than at home, I’ve discovered. Though the urge to throw my beer at the TV is greater.
So, seven games into the road trip of doom the M’s have won four. Even if they end up losing the next two at Boston I’d say that’s quite satisfactory for the trip.