Game 112, Rangers at Mariners
King Felix vs. Colby Lewis, 1:10pm
Happy Felix Day to you all.
The M’s surrendered 8 runs in the 11th to well and truly lose to the Rangers yesterday. Worse, their inability to advance a runner after getting the lead-off runner to second on an error made it feel even worse. Today, the M’s have a decided edge in starting pitching, with Felix facing veteran junkballer Colby Lewis, a fly-ball pitcher with platoon split and gopher-ball problems. Lewis has a sparkling W/L record despite some shaky appearances – he gave up 7 runs on 3 HRs in 6 IP in his last start, but picked up the win, which tells you so much more about the usefulness of the stat than it does about the usefulness of Mr. Lewis.
Lewis’ FB is now in the high-80s, and it still has tons of vertical rise which helps explain his very high fly ball rates. His best pitch is his slider, which is fairly hard at 84 and helps him miss a fair number of bats. However, if he isn’t able to put it down and out of the zone, it can get hit fairly hard: he’s given up 6 home runs on the pitch this year. But Lewis’ bigger problem has been his inability to deal with left-handers. He’s developed a change-up that’s occasionally a good pitch, but lefties apparently see his fastball quite well. Over Lewis’ career, lefties are slugging .531 on his four-seamer and .535 on his sinker.
1: Marte, CF
2: Seager, 3B
3: Cruz, RF
4: Cano, 2B
5: Smith, LF
6: Montero, 1B
7: Trumbo, DH
8: Miller, SS
9: Zunino, C
SP: El Rey
Trumbo is presumably starting because he’s 4-13 in his career against Lewis, but really, this slightly odd line-up is the result of LoMo’s debilitating slump. The M’s are facing a pitcher who struggles against lefties, but they don’t want to give LoMo ABs right now. The M’s have instead used LoMo as a late-game defensive replacement in the OF, where he hadn’t played all year. This is the team we follow.
Ketel Marte gets a start in CF today. We’ll see how he fares, given his very limited experience in the OF.
The Rainiers lost to Reno yesterday 6-3, scoring all 3 runs in the first off of Jhoulys Chacin. Local kid Adrian Sampson – who came to the M’s in the JA Happ deal – took the loss. Today, Chien-Ming Wang faces off against Gabriel Arias in the series finale – the whole league has a day off tomorrow.
Jackson was obliterated by the Tennessee Smokies 14-1. The Generals surrendered a 10-run inning, and Moises Hernandez went 3 innings and gave up 12 earned runs. IF Luis Caballero pitched the final inning and gave up 1 run. Jimmy Gilheeney – just back from a stint in AAA – starts today for Jackson.
Bakersfield got another walk-off win yesterday, beating Modesto 5-4 on a walk-off error. Hey, they can’t all be walk-off 3-run homers. Dan Altavilla was effective for the Blaze and Tim Lopes had 3 hits. The beastmaster Tyler Pike takes the hill for Bakersfield today.
Clinton lost again, this time 5-1 to South Bend. Zack Litell’s on the hill for the L-Kings today.
Everett beat Tri-Cities 7-5. CF Luis Liberato homered and Drew Jackson had a hit and another walk – his OBP is now .441. Lane Ratliff gets the ball as the AquaSox travel to Vancouver today.
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35 Responses to “Game 112, Rangers at Mariners”
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“The M’s have instead used LoMo as a late-game defensive replacement in the OF, where he hadn’t played all year. This is the team we follow.”
Once again, this is additional evidence that the organization doesn’t see any significant value in defense – either that, or it has no idea how to evaluate it. Jack Z’s philosophy and toolset are firmly rooted in the past.
I have to think whomever initially id’d Guti as a prize (back pre-2009) is either no longer with the org, or else they saw the potential in his bat and the spectacular glove was just a serendipity. It’s certainly obvious defense doesn’t matter to them now.
The sooner this dynamic duo (Z and Lloyd) are ushered out of town, the better.
I think too, Westside, that LoMo as defensive replacement in the outfield is an illustration of something that seems to have plagued the M’s this year — having the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time, whether it’s Leone coming in late to lose a tie game, Seth Smith pinch-hitting to sacrifice bunt with Marte coming up (I think that really happened…), or anyone-who-can-walk playing corner outfield.
Dave Cameron once responded to one of my comments and said that every fan base thinks their manager makes crappy tactical decisions. Doesn’t mean we’re wrong.
I agree with both of you on all points. 😀
McLendon makes some weird decisions. I really didn’t get the love people showered him with last year (and said as much). He’s not only an old school baseball guy, he’s an old school baseball guy that makes questionable decisions.
Of course I’m of the mindset that the manager who manages best, manages least. 😉 I think a manager has the ability to hurt his team far more often than he can materially help his team – as far as helping goes, that’s more a matter of the roster the GM has put together.
(Which means the Mariners are doubly screwed…)
I’m glad that Cruz caught that lead-off line drive, but seriously – for most right fielders it would’ve been a routine play, not requiring a stumble-dive.
(Thinking about it because ROOT just replayed it)
Come ON Felix, we don’t need you struggling today.
Hahaha, nice to have some luck to the Mariners’ way!
A BUNT with NO OUTS Lloyd?! What the heck?
There was no one out, and Trumbo was already on second. Argh.
It think you meant “what the fuck!” If that’s not what you meant, it’s certainly what I mean.
Giving Miller away on a sac just to get Zunino to the plate with a runner on third – and one out – down by two runs.
It’s absolutely fucking baffling. Maybe Miller missed a sign. I sure hop that’s what happened.
Marte helped to clean up the mess with a two out hit, but it could have been a bigger inning without GIVING AWAY an out in that situation.
Haha yeah I was just being polite.
This team can’t afford to give up ANY outs.
Even if Lloyd wanted to go with his pet SSS narrative about how much better Zunino has looked since Edgar became batting coach (which BTW hasn’t held up into August)… Miller has been on an absolute TEAR lately.
Still recovering after spending all day at Safeco yesterday (and I’ve got the sunburned arms to prove it.)
After seeing Beltre make that play on that tailing pop-up, I started wondering if he would be my choice as the best Mariners 3B in history.
(Now, I say this as someone who has repeatedly, only slightly mockingly, said that David Bell was the best player to ever play the game.)
Anybody want to share with me their all-time Mariners line-up?
Mine (admittedly, these are evidence of a late-era fan):
C-Dan Wilson
1B-John Olerud
2B-Robinson Cano
SS-Alex Rodriguez (hurts to admit it)
3B-Adrian Beltre
LF-Raul Ibanez (still my wife’s favorite bb player ever)
CF-Ken Griffey Jr.
RF-Ichiro Suzuki
DH-Edgar Martinez
SP-Felix Hernandez
RP-Kazuhiro Sasaki
I considered Randy over Felix…or Jamie over Felix. I considered Joey over Robby. I considered Omar over Alex. Couldn’t pick Cammy over Junior. Couldn’t pick Bone or Nelly over Ichi…
Your mileage may vary (and I’d invite you to share yours.)
Great hit Montero.
WHY COULDN’T YOU HAVE COME THROUGH YESTERDAY?
Monty!
Boonie was better as a Mariner than Robbie has been.
I also really liked David Segui during his short tenure here, although Olerud appears to have a decided advantage in WAR. But for some reason I’d still go with Segui.
I was a huge fan of Cammy as well. I love great outfield defense, and the Cammy-Winn-Ichiro combo was world class.
Alvin Davis was better for a little bit longer than Olerud was. Olerud was decent for three seasons.
Cruz is on fire!
Outfield hijinx.
I’d say “oh, well, it’s a development season anyway”… but then that doesn’t explain Cruz and Trumbo getting so much playing time in the outfield.
Cruz did try to help Marte out – I can’t fault him on his hustle.
Hey I just realized Felix got rid of that awful beard-like thing he had. He looks a lot better.
Oh, no, it’s Rodney.
I’m not sure why LoMo should be playing at all unless Montero is taken out for a pinch runner. Montero should be getting a good long look at 1b, and while LoMo has shown occasional flashes of power, he’s currently slugging .365. And it’s hard to make the case that it’s a fluke because 3 of the last 4 years his slugging has been < .400. He's a low average, low OBP guy that can't consistently hit for power.
Just got in from town, listening on radio
new school – CF wears sunglasses on bill of cap
old school – flip down glasses
new school – Rodney still on roster, big contract
old school – Rodney pumping gas
At least we are up, at moment
Haha, Rodney’s made enough that I don’t think he’ll need to get a job after he’s out of baseball. He can spend his days just relaxing on his porch, sitting in his rocker, firing imaginary arrows at imaginary squirrels.
They need to keep pitching Rodney until they get closer to the waiver trade deadline just in case they can trade him for a marginal prospect. He does still have the velocity, so it’s not out of the question they could get something for him. And it’s not like the bullpen is overflowing with arms now anyway. I’m sure he’s already cleared waivers. Nobody would want him unless we absorbed the last month and a half of his contract.
Or Carson could be traded??? No big contract. Wild pitching his way to a loss, just like he was taught. SMH.
Huzzah for Felix! He gets the win!
“Or Carson could be traded???”
Of course that’s ridiculous. You trade your veterans with expiring contracts for prospects. You don’t trade your young players under team control for other less proven young players unless you have a surplus in that type and are filling a weakness.
The thing with Aaron Goldsmith is that for the most part, he’s a radio guy who grew up idolizing a bad tv guy.
Re. Lomo in OF. Guti was unavailable (woth the flu?) Friday and Saturday. Otherwise he would have started one or both games.
Hey Westside…
I think you’re right about Boone over Cano. I think Cano might be a better player, Boone is still the better Mariner.
(And I can’t claim “but what Boone did was probably enhanced” if I’m ok putting Alex out there.)
Yeah, Cano has had a better overall career for sure.
Same with RJ versus Felix – if you’re looking at their entire careers, I’d think you’d have to go with Randy. But while he was a great pitcher for the Mariners, Felix has been better – RJ became one of the best lefties in history after he became a Diamondback.
I chose not to think about ‘roids because we just don’t know who was actually clean, so we’d probably have to just refuse to consider anyone from 1990-2005 if we start down that path.
Peak vs. Sustained success
Peak Randy (95,97) > Peak Felix (09,10,14)
Felix is a human who has mastered his craft. Randy was an immortal being who shouldn’t have been allowed to face mere mortals…..until his back decided to be mortal.
Boone 01 > anything Cano has done for the M’s
01, dude was in the zone, made uncanny contact to go with his peak power and marvelous defense. Quite possibly better than any single season Cano has had, but Cano is putting together something that looks more like a HOF career if he doesn’t fall off a cliff in the next couple years (which he probably will….)