Game 85, Mariners at Athletics

marc w · July 4, 2011 at 10:51 am · Filed Under Mariners 

Happy 4th of July, and happy Pineda day!
Michael Pineda faces the last-place A’s and the 2nd-worst offense in MLB (behind the M’s, of course). He’ll be opposed by twitter superstar Brandon McCarthy, making his first start since May 19th when he went on the DL with a “stress reaction” in his shoulder. Lucky for McCarthy, the M’s bats don’t tend to stress pitchers out too much.

The line-up:
1: Ichiro!
2: Ryan
3: Kennedy (3B)
4: Smoak
5: Ackley
6: Cust
7: Halman (CF)
8: Peguero
9: Bard

No Gutierrez today with a right-hander on the mound for Oakland. Never thought I’d say this, but I wouldn’t mind seeing more of Halman to allow Gutierrez to rest/build his strength back towards where it was in 2010 (I worry that we may not see the 2009 version for quite some time).

(Edited to correct where the game’s occurring. Oops. First pitch is at 1:05pm)

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Comments

57 Responses to “Game 85, Mariners at Athletics”

  1. Westside guy on July 4th, 2011 6:59 pm

    Unless it was some sort of matchup type of thing, I don’t see any other reason for it. Was it to get Guti’s defense into the game to preserve the lead?

    Ah, I missed the second pitching change. Thank you.

    Still… Guti? 😉

  2. Westside guy on July 4th, 2011 7:03 pm

    ‘peeping’ Jack Cust is a bad DH. Sometimes, especially if a man is on third with one out, the DH should try to put the ball in play.

    According to the box score, there were two outs at that point (Cust at bat, Smoak at third, Kennedy and Ackley had both made outs). Cust walked, then Halman struck out to end the inning.

    Oh, wait – it apparently happened again in the 9th… that’s what you’re talking about. But there was a guy on first, so you have to worry about the DP too.

  3. davepaisley on July 5th, 2011 12:18 am

    Still… Guti? 😉

    Yeah, what were they thinking? Should have gone to Albert Pujols – oh wait, we’re fresh out of those on the bench…

  4. Westside guy on July 5th, 2011 1:11 am

    Yeah, what were they thinking? Should have gone to Albert Pujols – oh wait, we’re fresh out of those on the bench…

    I went down the roster, thinking there HAD to be someone, anyone other than Guti… and you know who was the best option I could come up with?

    Jack Wilson. Yes, .226/.252/.250 hitting Jack Wilson.

    Oh man, this team makes my head hurt sometimes…

  5. gwangung on July 5th, 2011 9:12 am

    ‘peeping’ Jack Cust is a bad DH. Sometimes, especially if a man is on third with one out, the DH should try to put the ball in play.

    Um, no.

    The FIRST thing you think about is NOT TO MAKE AN OUT.

    The second thing to do is NOT TO MAKE AN OUT.

    The third—

    Anyway….not making an out increases your chance of making runs; making an out decreases it. That simple.

  6. eponymous coward on July 5th, 2011 11:33 am

    Um, no.
    The FIRST thing you think about is NOT TO MAKE AN OUT.
    The second thing to do is NOT TO MAKE AN OUT.
    The third—
    Anyway….not making an out increases your chance of making runs; making an out decreases it. That simple.

    But, um… “productive outs”! We need gritty ballplayers who make outs on weak grounders, not people who walk!

    Hey, Jose Lopez is available! And he NEVER walks! And he doesn’t strike out! He hits lots of weak grounders on bad pitches!

    It’s like Bill James and the last three decades of sabremetrics never existed- you’re a bad DH if you take a walk.

  7. Ralph_Malph on July 5th, 2011 1:57 pm

    Ryan has rye sense of humor.

    Put some mustard on that rye and you could make yourself a grand salami.

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