Game 147: Mariners at Rangers
RHP “King” Felix Hernandez vs. RHP Josh Rupe, 5:05pm, FSN & KOMO.
Let me be the third to say Happy Felix Day!
I saw “Rupe” on the probable starters and thought to myself, “Ryan Rupe is still around? Good for him.” In reality, the M’s will be facing Josh Rupe in his Major League debut. Rupe pitched decently at AA this season, then was promoted to AAA and got slapped around something fierce. Turns out Ryan is still around, though. The one-time Tampa Bay prospect appeared in 23 games for the Las Vegas 51s this season, posting a 6.42 ERA but fanning 74 in 75 2/3 IP.
RF Ichiro!
2B Santiago (not a typo)
LF Ibanez
1B Sexson
3B Beltre
“DH” Dobbs
SS Betancourt
CF Bubela (also not a typo)
C JoeJessica
The Rangers, incidentally, are on pace to break the M’s single-season MLB record for homers in a season (264 in 1997).
Comments
99 Responses to “Game 147: Mariners at Rangers”
Seems to me like the Rangers know whats coming…hmmm. Who was it on the White Sox that accused the Rangers of relaying pitches?
51. They don’t need to relay crap. All Felix has thrown is fastball, fastball, fastball….
He’s getting gassed after winter ball and a full year with Tacoma and the M’s. I’m not saying shut him down but maybe stretch him out and pitch him every 6th day.
Wow, that’s a big curveball. Totally different than the Royal Curve.
Well with that I’ve decided to goto full on drinking mode. I’m going to play a Mariners drinking game, need some sayings. The first is whenever I hear the term ‘Young Felix’ anyone got some others.
See there is one already *modified to Young Hernandez*
So… this isn’t normally something I pay much attention to or get all worked up about, but the pitch selection doesn’t seem too hot tonight.
looks like we jumped the gun on the “ace” label.
Oh great, the young Hernandez saying is already wasted and I don’t have any others yet.
Well, if all the hitters have their swings timed to a high 90’s fastball, then Shiggy’s probably a good man to put in right now.
Wasn’t this supposed to be our one bright spot the rest of the way? Sigh…
56. Agreed. I hate to be anecdotal, but last game I remember thinking how Torrealba was not locating the target particularly well. Locating to far outside for the ump’s strike zone, so that even when Felix hits the glove, it’s a ball. Maybe I’m just noticing it more because its with Felix. Who knows. At least something to think about.
Are you kidding Basebilman? Every ace gets rocked from time to time. Did you check out Randy Johnson’s line today before he threw a tantrum and got ejected? I don’t think anyone is removing the ace label from him.
Well, that was depressing… the fantasy team is shot to hell. Guess I can go back to cleaning my apartment. It sure would be nice if the Mariners could at least tie this up so the King doesn’t get the loss, but I imagine that’s not going to happen…
I think I’m most upset that the offense can’t even be anything more than pathetic against the Ranger’s own rook when our guy isn’t doing to well. He’s not going to be Jesus all the time, the offense can atleast attempt to get him off the hook. 3 runs atleast. Anything? How bout a double? No? Alright I’ll just stop. Sigh
Now we have a good indication how Felix deals with adversity. He pretty much crumbles. Part of that is because he is still just a kid.
Meanwhile, we are making a no-nothing Texas minor leaguer look absolutely unhittable.
Well, at least when I get off work I too can go straight to drinking instead of wasting good beer pong time on the game.
Unrelatedly, is there any standard for pitcher velocity increasing as they mature? Is it at all analogous to the way hitters develop (peak around 27 etc), or does their velocity peak earlier, or do they follow a different general system altogether?
Specifically, is it likely Felix will add 1-3 MPH to his fastball over the next few years? And if not, when does a pitcher’s velocity tend to max out?
I’d rather Felix develop more command than add an extra 1-3 mph on his fastball. Harden throws 100 mph, and he’s a good pitcher, but I’d rather have Felix with a 98 fastball and his other selection of pitches.
There’s kind of a sick brilliance in how Hargrove has strategically sprinkled the suck throughout the lineup tonight. I mean, we got plenty of suck roaming around, but I don’t think it has ever been truly maximized the way it is tonight. It seems to actually be designed to sniff out specific points of rally and snuff them out. It’s beautiful in it’s own way. What a show . . .
Fan since forever said:”Now we have a good indication how Felix deals with adversity. He pretty much crumbles. Part of that is because he is still just a kid.”
yeah, just like last week when he got hit around in the 2nd. oh wait, he then retired 11 straight until the 7th… 🙂
sheesh. those Rangers hitters. I was reminded the other day (when the notice of Teixeira becoming just the 5th guy to hit 100 homers in his first three seasons popped up on the Safe’s diamondvision) of my stunned reaction in ’01 when Texas drafted him with the 5th pick overall because everyone KNEW what they needed to get was pitching….
Well, I certainly agree improved command would be preferable to a couple extra miles per hour, but Felix being 19 made me realize I know almost nothing about how a pitcher’s velocity progress (or regresses) with age.
“Meanwhile, we are making a no-nothing Texas minor leaguer look absolutely unhittable”
well, you know, it is important for a team to carry on their traditions, season after season…
speaking of Felix being 19, I wonder if he is hitting the wall mentally– it has got to be the longest, most exciting year the kid has ever had….
When pitchers are drafted out of high school, they often talk about how he’ll fill out, mature, add strength, how his fastball projects to add some more zip… Felix is already a big kid. I can’t imagine he’s going to fill out (and if he does, that’s probably not a good thing).
I’ve never seen a team as bad offensively as these Mariners. At least if I have I cannot remember it. And I’ve seen a lot of bad Mariner teams.
The only teams they can score against are the Royals (everyone does that) and for some reason the Angels.
65, wow. not giving much of a margin for error there…
The Rangers seem to be attempting to corner the market on pitchers over 6’6″.
POP QUIZ! for the people watching TV in the last half inning:
1. Gina Lee Nolin once dated which Ranger?
2. Name Dan Wilson’s kids.
3. When Valle thinks of Wilson, which word comes to mind?
ESSAY QUESTION: Which AM/PM commercial do you hate the most? Give three examples why you hate it.
I want it on my desk in 50 minutes. I’ll be in the teacher’s lounge drinking heavily.
ummmmm…. 1)dunno 2)Sofia, Josie, Elijah, Abraham 3)ummm, character? jeez, what you miss switching over to the radio.
hey Jason, while you are still here with us — what’s homework this weekend?
I’m not paying much attention to the broadcasters. Seems to me I heard one of Wilson’s kids’ name is Sophie. I like AM/PM commercials. I’ll self-grade this one: F.
meanwhile, in his half-inning Red was talking about the guys he played with on the old Spokane Indians team…
ok, everyone is officially in mind-melt down in Arlington, and that was as close as I’ve ever seen Ibanez look like he might go down the hall for a snap.
Just joined the fun everyone. What happened to Ibanez. And yes, #69, the suck is certainly dispersed to maximize the suckage effect.
Why didn’t Ibanez slide?
Give four ABs to Bubela and you deserve to lose.
bonds homered
Hasegawa will not be an M next season, which is a good thing, but he has probably pitched himself into a guaranteed contract for at least a year for a million dollars. Someone will bite on him. He is a “proven closer.”
An Atchison sighting.
Valle and Rizzs are worried about Ichiro being able to get around and score on a ball in the gap.
HELLO. HE IS NOT THE TYING RUN.
2-Run home run by Santiago!
2-Run triple by Ibanez, with Ibanez thrown out trying to score on an inside the park home run.
boy, with the injuries this is the thinnest of thin benches. I couldn’t even think of who you could pinch-hit for Santiago…
#89 Probably more likely then #88’s scenario… sadly.
you just knew he’d whiff there
I had a feeling Big Sex was due for another strikeout.
#90. They could pinch hit Meche.
Listen to all this talk about Felix not being an ace anymore! Good lord, people, the kid pitched winter ball in Venezuela, then pitched spring training, then pitched 2/3rds the year in Tacoma, with time off only to heal bursitis, then has pitched here since August. Could it be maybe 270 innings of work over 11 months without a real layoff, and under massive scrutiny, pressure and expectations, both personal and from his team and fans, has worn the 19 YEAR OLD kid down a bit?
Nolan Ryan in his prime would be sucking wind and hanging fastballs too after a year like that.
#95
149 innings total pitched combined Tacoma and Seattle this year.
13.1 innings in Spring Training this year. Zero innings pitched in the Venezuela Winter League, it was his condition for pitching this spring.
That’s a total of 162 innings pitched at 19 years old, but in reality to be fairly compared with his peers, 149 i.p. is more accurate. Personally I don’t like Torrealba’s pitch selection, and that is an entirely different debate. The only pitch that is working for Felix recently is his curveball. Felix is still the “Ace”, he just needs a competent pitching coach like Chavez that handled Felix a hundred percent better than the “butcher” Bryan Price.
If I recall correctly (and I may not – I had a fair amount of beer at Steamworks this evening), the approriate name for Santiago is “that guy we got for Guillen”.
WHOA, zero innings of winter ball! That totally goes against all else I’ve heard. Well then, I stand corrected.
However, he IS 19 years old and being asked to carry a team on his back. Plus as one could infer from his interviews, he’s got high expectations for himself. So I can see someone at 19 getting a bit flustered after getting lit up for the second straight start, especially after being so dominant in August and sending already-high expectations through the roof as a result.
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