Game 48, Twins at Mariners
Wade LeBlanc vs Jose Berrios, 7:10pm
Just as this series taught us that Erik Swanson wasn’t quite ready for regular rotation duty, so it reminded us that Marco Gonzales is *always* on a knife’s edge. When his command is great, he can confuse and confound hitters. But if something isn’t quite right, he’s throwing 89 MPH fastballs without pinpoint command, which…which is hard. To his credit, his command is good enough that he can get by most games. But yesterday reminds us that most is not the same as all.
If anyone knows that struggle, it’s Wade LeBlanc. LeBlanc’s velo is among the lowest in the game, and while he has an excellent change, he’s got to contrast it with fastballs. And now he’s got to do so while working his way back from injury.
Tonight, the Mariners face the Twins young ace-in-waiting Jose Berrios. Berrios hasn’t been the most consistent, but he has an interesting, hard curve that can be a true outpitch. It’s half-slider, half-curve, and it seems made for viral gifs on twitter.
Interestingly, it seems to be losing its mojo a bit this year. His fastballs are picking up the slack, especially to righties. But it’s righties are pummeling his odd hybrid breaking ball. Can the M’s righties take advantage?
1: Gordon, 2B
2: Haniger, RF
3: Vogelbach, DH
4: Encarnacion, 1B
5: Narvaez, C
6: Healy, 3B
7: Bruce, LF
8: Crawford, SS
9: Smith, CF
SP: Wade. LeBlanc.
Oof.
Everyone have their rally caps on?
I went to dinner. Came back to a 15-0 deficit. Now only 17-4. If pitchers give up 6 HR’s collectively, we may need help? 😉
USA Today, One Sentence Predictions
March 19th
Astros: Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are dominant in their contract year as Houston wins 100 games for the third season in a row.
Angels: Mike Trout has another Mike Trout season and Shohei Ohtani hits some home runs but the club languishes below .500.
Athletics: They stay competitive and push for a wild-card spot, but the pitching staff just isn’t deep enough to see the season into October.
Mariners: The longest postseason drought in professional sports continues as the rebuild gets off to an ugly start.
Rangers: Pitching continues to be a problem and they finish last in the AL West for the second year in a row.
************
(No Comment)
So… what can be said one third of the way in, other that we’re going to be playing leap frog with Texas for the rest of the season? Or, are we just going to watch the machinery of the rebuild grind onward with no particular W-L perspective…
But… not to despair, there’re other things we can wring out of 2019 Seattle Baseball. You ask what? Lesseeee….
JUNE (The month where Hope Still Abides)
Lou Piniella Hawaiian Shirt Night on 21/6 (Would be more appropriate if it was Tossing Bases Night)
Pilots Caps, 22/6 (Is anyone really that nostalgic)
Rick Rizz thingy 23/6 (ditto)
JULY (The month where it’s time to just anticipate the trades and Get Over It)
Mariners Growler 19/7 (get blitzed… always an option…)
Eeeeeedgaaaar collectible night 20/7
Eeeeeedgaaaar HOF Placard 21/7
HOF fireworks 26/7
Beach Towel Day 27/7 (Do they really want to risk suggesting other activities for summer?)
Kids Day M’s backpack 28/7 (let your 7 year old carry some of the beer…)
August (The month where it’s too hot to go fishing anyway…)
M’s T-shirt Day 7/7 (you KNOW you need another one…)
Eeeeeedgaaaar HOF Bobblehead 9/8
Eeeeeedgaaaar Replica Plaque Giveaway 10/8
Eeeeeedgaaaar Replica Street Sign Day 11/7 (beginning to see a pattern here…)
Sing Along Fireworks Night 23/8 (If it was matched with cheap beer night, this could be a winner…)
Run Around the Bases 25/8 (I’d go to watch 15,000 descend on the field for that, but… no?)
SEPTEMBER (Yes, Virginia, there’s a September)
Fireworks Night 13/9 (No particular reason)
Bobblehead Night 14/9 (PTBNL…)
Tribute to Beisbol Day 15/8 (uh… can we think of any Latin Americans?)
Fan Appreciation Fireworks Night 27/9 (Any fans still showing up, will certainly be appreciated)
Oktoberfest Ticket Special 28/9 (because, what else will we be doing in October?)
Kids Appreciation Day Moose Posters 29/9
(Any fans still shelling out bucks to bring their kids, deserve to have their kids appreciated…)
OCTOBER (The month where … never mind)
Go watch your local training center’s 18U Fall Ball team.
Twins: All your runs are belong to us.