Game 107, Mariners at Orioles
Happy Felix Day!
The Boy King takes the hill today against another young pitcher, Erik Bedard, in Bikram Yoga-like conditions. Somebody make sure Felix drinks plenty of fluids, and not those Freddy Garcia-style fluids, either. The M’s went 8-7 against the Yankees, Jays, Red Sox and Indians. They need to make hay against teams like the Orioles to have a shot.
I know it’s too early for scoreboard watching, but I’ll note that Oakland has Esteban Loiaza (who has been atrocious this year) going against the Angels’ Kelvim Esobar. The Rangers are booting Boof Bonser and the Twins around.
I’ll post the lineup when it’s available.
Late edit: Jeff’s such a liar. He never posted the lineup.
Game 106, Mariners at Orioles
LHP Jamie Moyer v RHP Rodrigo Lopez. 4:05, FSN. Weather service reports it’s 97 degrees with 45% humidity right now. Ow. You can check out the Excessive Heat Warning.
Great day for a game, if they were here in Seattle.
Nothing really interesting in the M’s lineup.
Game 105, Mariners at Orioles
Game 1: Can the M’s beat the Orioles?
Game 2: Can the site hold up?
4:05, FSN.
Mariners:
RF-L Ichiro!
2B-R Lopez
3B-R Beltre
LF-L Ibanez
1B-R Sexson
DH-R Perez
C-R Johjima
SS-R Betancourt
CF-R Jones
Pitching, Gil “The New and Improved” Meche
For Baltimore:
2B Roberts
LF-L Fahey
3B-R Mora
SS-R Tejada
DH-L Gibbons
1B-R Conine
CF-L Patterson
C-R Hernandez
RF-L Markakis
and pitching, Adam Loewen.
Game 101, Blue Jays at Mariners
Laurie, who is in possession of a ridiculous bandwith quota and who is also not afraid to use it, is guest-hosting tonight’s thread. Head on over to Marbledog and knock yourself (and, quite likely, her server) out. While you’re over there, please thank her for this generous offer as we recover from the day’s fireworks.
Game 100, Blue Jays at Mariners
7:05, Halladay v Meche.
Notes: Lopez returns, bats 3rd. Everett’s still the designated out-maker, batting ahead three people who hit better than he has.
So let’s look at the Blue Jays lineup for a second
CF-R Reed Johnson
LF-L Frank Catalanotto
1B-L Lyle Overbay
3B-R Troy Glaus
C-B Gregg Zaun
RF-L Eric Hinske
DH-R Bengie Molina (whaaat?)
2B-R Aaron Hill
SS-R John MacDonald
There are some weird choices in there, too.
Game 99, Blue Jays at Mariners
7:05. Joel Pineiro v Casey Janssen. Getting either pitcher’s name wrong in the thread gets you a 24-hour ban, because it’s Monday.
This lineup brought to you by those dumb split-ended sparkplugs:
RF-L Ichiro!
2B-R Willie “The Ignitor” Blooooooooomquist
3B-R Beltre
LF-L Ibanez
1B-R Sexson
DH-0 Everett
C-R Johjima
SS-R Betancourt
CF-R Jones
Fun fact of the day!
2006, the post-collapse switch-hitting Carl Everett versus righties: .241/.309/.388 (232 AB)
2003-5, right-handed platoon player Eddie Perez versus righties: .239/.303/.351 (188 AB)
Game 95, Mariners at Yankees
10:05 AM here, and no TV (long rant about MLB’s stupidity w/r/t broadcast rights here). As a result, I’ll probably end up watching to see if Zach Duke can continue his resurgence, if Zito can whup the Orioles, or… well, probably not the Nationals-Marlins game.
Meche v Raaaaaaaaaaandy Johnson. Yup.
Interestingly, Jones stays in the lineup:
RF-L Ichiro
3B-R Beltre
2B-R Lopez
LF-L Ibanez
1B-R Sexson
DH-R Perez (!)
SS-R Betancourt
C-R Rivera
CF-R Jones
Tonight’s Yankees lineup only has four guys who suck: their 6-9 hitters are Phillips/Cabrera/Guiel/Green.
Game 93, Mariners at Yankees
Washburn v Wang.
Today’s amazing Hargrove lineup:
RF-L Ichiro!
2B-R Willy “The Ignitor” Bloooooooomquissssst
3B-R Beltre
LF-L Ibanez
1B-R Sexson
DH-B Everett
C-R Johjima
SS-R Betancourt
CF-R Jones
That’s… Hargrove-iffic. So the bench for tonight is
3B/1B-R Dobbs
C-R Rivera
2B-R Lopez
DH/1B/?-R Perez
Game 90, Mariners at Blue Jays
RHP Meche v RHP Janssen. 4:05, KSTW-11.
Every year, I ride the Seattle-to-Portland. I do it in one day, which requires a particular kind of conditioning and also a lot of stubbornness. When I’m riding during the summer, I’ll knock off a good century once a week, usually much harder per mile than the ride I’ll be doing in (oh man, is it really only) twelve hours. But there’s a big difference in doing that and spending the day on the bike, in finding the strength to charge up some monster hill at mile 150, when you’ve been out in the sun riding all day.
During the ride, there are parts of it that are beautiful and enjoyable, rolling hills and winding roads, and there are long stretches on the shoulders of highways with nothing to look at, along strip malls with no shade or respite, and the only way to keep going is to think about getting out of there.
It reminds me of being a baseball fan. I start out every season guardedly hopeful, knowing the worst-case scenario, and then for 162 games, more if you’re lucky, you keep at it. There are almost always painful stretches, like May, and there are pleasant surprises, like June.
But moreover, one of the reasons I go on the big rides is because once in a while, it’s good to be with ten thousand other bikers. Most of the time, we’re scattered across the region, maybe in small packs if we’re lucky. But for one day, particularly on this, the biggest ride of the northwest, to know that for all the solo time in the saddle, there are many, many more people of the same stripe, and they’re generally cool people, pleasant to hang out with even on an all-day ride.
I feel the same way about Mariner fandom. And even if our readership mirrors our author group and a quarter goes riding tomorrow, far more people will stop by USSM than ride the Seattle to Portland. Now that is cool.
So what’s up, folks? Gil Meche is our new ace. Adam Jones is our new centerfielder, for better or worse. Pineiro is the new Meche. We’re in contention for the AL West title. Our DH is the worst hitter on the team. The two highest-paid players are two of the worst-performing, while a set of guys under a million each are on fire.
This has been a fun trip so far. To a fine second half. Lineup when it’s available.
Game 89, Tigers at Mariners
LHP Nate Robertson v RHP Gil Meche. 1:05.
Meche makes the last start before the All-Star Break and, according to Hargrove, will start the first one after it. He’s an ace! An ace!
Today’s anti-LHP lineup for you:
RF-L Ichiro!
3B-R Beltre
2b-R Lopez
LF-L Ibanez
1B-R Sexson
DH-R Perez (no, really! Everett tempter tantrum scheduled to follow the game!)
CF-R Bloomquist the Ignitor
C-R Rivera
SS-R Betancourt