Takeaway
Kyle Seager blasted a pair of home runs, but Alex Rodriguez swatted the one that counted, an opposite-field solo shot off Joe Beimel in the seventh inning that lifted the New York Yankees to a 4-3 victory (box score) over the Mariners (41-49). They failed to heed manager Lloyd McClendon’s pre-game urging “to hit the re-set button” in the second half and “play to our capabilities.”
Essential Moment
While A-Rod’s seventh-inning jolt — Beimel threw a sinker that didn’t sink — erased Seager’s two long balls and represented the game winner, the Mariners again squandered a prime opportunity. In the second inning, the Mariners had two on with one out, then the bases loaded with two down, and couldn’t push a runner across when Mike Zunino fanned.
Hitters
Seager’s home runs were his 13th and 14th of the season and his two-homer game marked the sixth such contest of his career. He accounted for all runs. Seager has a seven-game hitting streak. Zunino ended an 0-for-12 streak with a single to right in the fifth inning and finished 1-for-3.
In his return to the Bronx, Robinson Cano went 0-for-4 on only 11 pitches, his average dropping to .249. All-Star Nelson Cruz fanned three times. Austin Jackson went 2-for-4. McClendon used three pinch hitters in the ninth inning, to no avail. Jesus Montero fanned to end the game.
Pitchers
Seattle starter Mike Montgomery departed after six innings and 104 pitches, having allowed three earned runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts and three walks. Montgomery, who had seven K’s through four innings, has a no-decision and a loss in his last two outings after three consecutive victories, including two shutouts. The Mariners have recorded 53 quality starts, fourth-most in the AL.
Tom Wilhelmsen, summoned from AAA Tacoma Friday, worked 0.2 innings in relief without damage.
Words
“He did a nice job overall. I think he’s shown over several starts that he has some poise out there. Where he gets in trouble is when he leaves stuff in the middle of the plate. But he did a real nice job” — McClendon on Montgomery.
“A-Rod was hitting less than .200 off lefties and Beimel just left a pitch up. It was just a mistake pitch. We left one pitch up and lost the ball game” — McClendon.
Noteworthy
The loss snapped Seattle’s five-game winning streak at Yankee Stadium . . . The Mariners are 5-6 in their past 11, 21-22 on the road and 36-43 against the American League . . . Fifty-one of Seattle’s 90 games have been decided by two or fewer runs . . . At the end of the second inning, with New York’s Rob Refsnyder batting, Zunino was tagged with catcher’s interference for the first time in his career.
Next
The Mariners and Yankees play the second of three in the Bronx Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 10:05 a.m., PT. Hisashi Iwakuma (1-1, 5.22) will oppose former Mariner Michael Pineda ((9-5, 3.64).
13 Comments
I hate losing to ARod. I really do.
He’ll be happy to know.
I revel in the memory of his first game back here as a Ranger and the genius who managed to cast a fishing line out with a $ as bait. THAT guy should be in the M’s hall of fame.
“……..When Mike Zunino fanned”
Again.
Zunino is most definitely way above his head playing everyday in the big leagues, but in a round about way his regression, no solid backup catcher & all around poor team play can be mostly blamed on Mr. Single Cano. If he had actually been hitting, they never would have dealt Wellington Castillo for Mark BUMbo. Zunino would play sparingly & somebody else would be playing instead of K machine BUMbo. Obviously if Mr Single Cano had been hitting, chances are the lineup as a whole would have done better, thus maybe the bullpen doesn’t look as poor. Although that Brandon Maurer for the perennial All-star Seth Smith deal doesn’t look very good either. Imagine that….. poor deals from clueless Trader Jack Z.
No, not Cano’s fault. Z hired Cano. Lincoln hired Z. Z is Bavasi reincarnate– another Lincoln air ball that got another multi year extension. Lincoln has reigned supreme (as he is wont to do) and even created the Clownship and the Clownship legacy. All on his pathetic watch since his coronation. Luckily, he’s old. Nobody reigns forever. Retiring to some senior manor with a video game emporium may be his real dream. We can only hope.
I think it’s a toss up over which goofball has done more damage, Boobasi or Trader Jack Z. The list of awful players both these clowns acquired & banked on to be productive is very long & depressing. It’s actually a miracle this team can still scrape together an 81 win season.
Their records after 5 GM seasons in Seattle was identical, but Jack got extended for at least these two seasons. Damn parasite (Cano’s intestines, that is).
So . . . got a point there, Tryg? :)
Turns out, both a point and a purpose via 2 x 4 word bludgeoning… ;-]
The zeitgeist seems to have just recently enveloped the upper eschaton as the determinate problem to be dealt with. I actually heard a Lincoln-specific rant on an easy-answer call-in show– even looking at the team’s performance through Lincoln’s reign and doing the color by number that painted the culprit. Seems like a good time to pile on. After all, it is is our stadium, not theirs. The tenants are exhibiting unacceptable behavior: not using the facility for the primary purpose of the public benefit per the lease. We gave them the best and thay take the profit and equity money and squirrel it away. Wrong idea for everybody but those few weasels feasting in the Lincolnland squirrel cage.
2 straight losses…… that winning streak is coming any day now?
1 in a row now, with Felix Sunday. Now it begins . . .
Really? Remember when Joe stinking Blanton beat the so called King earlier this year? Just saying….