Game 90, Mariners at Angels
Pineda vs. Pineiro, 7:05
The M’s best chance to sneak a win in the series comes tonight, as Michael Pineda gets to face the Angels for the first time and the Angels start someone other than their big two. Joel Pineiro’s been a decent starter this year, though his strike-out rate’s at a career low, and his GB rate (while still above average) is just over 50%, a far cry from the 60% he put up in his last year with the Cardinals. Still, the M’s have made guys like Guillermo Moscoso and Cory Luebke look amazing, so forget I said anything. Pineiro struggled a bit against lefties so far, so it may be a decent matchup for Kyle Seager.
Franklin Gutierrez isn’t feeling well today, which means Greg Halman slides over to center field and Carlos Peguero is back in LF. I’m glad Guti’s taking a day off, and it doesn’t sound serious, but then, the flare-ups he had during spring training didn’t sound serious either, and here we are half way through the season and Guti’s been on the DL and hit like a pitcher when he’s played.
Line-up:
1: Ichiro
2: Ryan
3: Ackley
4: Olivo
5: Kennedy (1b)
6: Smoak (DH)
7: Seager
8: Halman
9: Peguero
In the minors, Jarrett Grube returns to the Rainiers and gets the start tonight against Reno (7pm). Dylan Unsworth, the South African pitcher who only walked one in the AZL season last year got roughed up a bit today v. Johnson City in the Appy league. Chris Sorce takes the ball for High Desert at 7, and Everett and Peoria haven’t named starters yet.
Comments
66 Responses to “Game 90, Mariners at Angels”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
These angels seem to have an inside source to help them?
And the money to rent an umpire or two …apparently
Gray looks okay he sat for what 4 weeks?
Seager will figure it out,he looks like he is pressing. Go halman,hewill get more playing time .hopefuly?
Keep the (bizarro) hits coming, Peggy!
Yeah I heard Bill Belicheck is on their payroll.
King FELIX tomorrow is what will help me smile tonight
With a lttle CROWN royal too…maybe more than a little
Justin Smoak, 4 at bats, 5 pitches.
Is that really how you get out of a slump? I dunno, seriously, is that something that is coached?
Wedge seemed none too happy about that call. Apparently he was tossed before he even came on the field.
I seem to recall a certain figure in authority saying he was tired of the players doing the same thing and expecting different results. Smoak can definitely say he’s not “doing the same thing”. 😀
But seriously, unless the manager starts telling the press exactly what he says to his players in each situation (and what manager in his right mind would do that) – who knows? Could be the manager telling Smoak to be aggressive, could be Smoak getting uptight and swinging at everything, could be random chance.
To be fair Smoak did hit two hard line drives tonight — right at defenders.
It’s infuriating to watch this team flail on first pitches or 2-0 and 3-1 counts. Their discipline has nosedived right around the time losses started piling up.
Only two hitters have any sort of plan at the plate: Ackley and Pegeuro. And Carlos doesn’t count since his plan is to swing really, really hard.
Halman seems to have a bit of a plan as well–Of how to make much more consistent contact, while averaging a strikeout per game.
Well, besides being:
1) A divisional rival whom we have to play 19-20 times per year to begin with (and never seem to be able to beat anymore these days)…
2) The team who chumped out the M’s for the division title in 2002 en route to the AL Pennant…
3) Another overrated LA team whom the networks love because they think they can get ratings out of them…
4) The team with perhaps some of the most idiotic and nonchalant “fans” in the majors (i.e. show up in the 4th inning, leave in the 7th, and basically do everything else but pay attention to the game all the time they’re there)…
& 5) The organization which seems to have a knack for “dumping” guys on the M’s who are either overvalued or washed-up (i.e. Spiezio, Washburn, Figgins)…
I guess they’re really not so unlikeable after all.
I imagine there is a sign in 13 American League clubhouses that says “Carlos Peguero will always swing at a low inside breaking ball with two strikes.”
I think Felix has to win tomorrow. If we lose and the Rangers win again, we’re all but done in terms of competing for this year’s division title.
I’m not so sure if King Felix wins, that we’re still in it at all….but I do know that this team would need a hell of a lot of inspired play and a lot of things going right in order to overtake one of the teams ahead of us, and just doesn’t have the horses to overtake both of them if it stays like this MUCH longer.