GAME: Red Sox (41-36, 3rd, AL East, – 5.5 GB) at Mariners (33-46, 4th, AL West, – 16.5 GB). GAME #: 80. SERIES: 3rd of 4 games. MEETING: 3rd (series tied 1-1). WHEN: Saturday, 7:10 p.m., Safeco Field. PROBABLE PITCHERS: RHP Josh Beckett (4-7, 4.14) vs. RHP Erasmo Ramirez (0-2, 4.18). STREAKS: Mariners L 1; Red Sox W 1. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: KIRO 710 (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.
The Mariners entered their 10-game home stand batting .203 at Safeco Field, worst home mark in the majors. After the first five games, in which the Mariners have dribbled just five runs across the plate, that average is down to .197, reduced again Friday night when Seattle could only eke out two hits off journeyman Aaron Cook, who had been battered in his past two starts.
Manager Eric Wedge has watched offensive lameness at home all year, but after Friday’s 5-0 loss, in which the only thing of note was that Hector Noesi became the majors’ first 10-game loser, Wedge fumed.
“It’s a step back today for me, offensively, and that’s hard as hell to do the way we’ve been swinging the bats here at home,” Wedge said. “I’m tired of watching. I’m patient and I believe nine times out of 10 you’re rewarded for patience, but there also has to be a sense of urgency with every player in that room.
“We’ll find it. It’s my job to make sure we find it. That’s why I’m here. I have no plans of failing here. We’re going to figure this thing out. We’re going to hit at home like we hit on the road. We’re not there yet, not even close yet, but it will happen.
“Whether it’s the same guys in the room or not, that’s yet to be determined, that’s up to them, but they’re not getting it done now.”
The Mariners, solved by Cook on a scant 81 pitches Friday, will take another stab at getting it done Saturday night. Erasmo Ramirez will hurl for Seattle against Josh Beckett, who tossed a 5-0 win over the Mariners May 15 at Fenway Park. A closer look:
MARINERS: RHP Erasmo Ramirez (0-2, 4.18 ERA, 1.21 WHIP)
In his first major league season, will be making his fourth start following seven appearances in relief. Ramirez made seven starts with AAA Tacoma, going 3-2, 2.11. Ramirez is coming off a 1-0 loss to the Oakland Athletics, the 50th 1-0 loss in franchise history.
A native of Rivas, Nicaragua, the 5-11, 205-pound Ramirez came to the Mariners in 2007 as an amateur free agent. He began his professional career in 2008 with the Mariners entry in the Venezuelan summer league. He also pitched for the club in 2009, posting an 11-1 record.
That earned him a promotion to Class A Clinton of the Midwest League in 2010, when he went 10-4. Ramirez pitched for AA Jackson and AAA Tacoma in 2011. He went a combined 10-8.
Ramirez made his major league debut April 9, working in relief of Hector Noesi in an 11-9 Texas win over Seattle at Rangers Ballpark. He pitched 3.0 innings and allowed one run on two hits and surrendered a home run. He did not factor in the decision.
After allowing earned runs in each of his first three appearances, he did not allow any in his last four. The Mariners had seen enough to send him down to Tacoma in order to build him back into a starter. When the Mariners had seen enough of Blake Beavans troubles, they farmed him out and recalled Ramirez June 12.
- LAST START: June 25 vs. Oakland at Safeco Field, lost 1-0; allowed one earned run on three hits over 8.0 innings and struck out a career-high 10, becoming just the eighth rookie in franchise history to reach double digits in strikeouts.
- LAST VS. RED SOX: Never pitched.
- CAREER VS. RED SOX: No record.
- AT SAFECO FIELD: 0-2, 3.63 ERA in four games, including two starts, covering 17.1 innings; 14 strikeouts vs. four walks; no home runs.
- LOVES/HATES TO FACE: No record.
Ramirez / 2012
- June 14 (L, 0-1): Vs. San Diego at Safeco Field, lost 6-2; allowed five earned runs on eight hits in 5.0 innings; struck out three and walked one; threw 93 pitches, 64 for strikes.
- June 19 (ND, 0-1): In Phoenix, took a no-decision in 12-9 win; allowed four earned runs on five hits over 4.0 innings; struck out five and walked one; two home runs.
- June 25 (L, 0-2): vs. Oakland at Safeco Field, lost 1-0; allowed one earned run on three hits over 8.0 innings and struck out a career-high 10.
RED SOX: RHP Josh Beckett (4-7, 4.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP)
In his 12th major league season, and seventh with the Red Sox, Beckett will make his 13th start of the season and second against the Mariners. Beckett defeated Seattle 5-0 May 15, is coming off a 4-1 loss to the Miami Marlins and has lost his past three decisions. Beckett is just off the 15-day DL (shoulder inflammation).
A native of Spring, TX., the 6-5, 225-pound Beckett attended Spring High School. The Florida Marlins selected Beckett in the first round (second pick) of the 1999 amateur draft.
Beckett pitched in the Florida system until Sept. 4, 2001, when he made his major league debut in an 8-1 win over the Chicago Cubs. Beckett collected the victory by allowing one hit over six innings.
Beckett pitched for the Marlins from 2001 through 2005, compiling a record of 41-34, 3.46 ERA. On Nov. 24, 2005, the Marlins traded Beckett with Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota to the Red Sox for Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, Hanley Ramirez and Anibal Sanchez.
Beckett won 15 games with Boston in 2005, 16 in 2007 and became a 20-game winner for the first time in 2007 when he went 20-7, finished second in the Cy Young voting and appeared in his first All-Star Game.
Beckett has pitched in three All-Star Games (2007, 2009, 2011), was the 2003 World Series MVP and the 2007 ALCS MVP.
After winning 20 games in 2007, Beckett has produced just one big year, 2009, when he finished 17-6, 3.86. Last year, Beckett went 13-7, 2.89.
- 2012: Beckett alternated wins and losses in April, won three of his five decisions in May, and has yet to win in June. He has pitched into the seventh inning in nine of his 12 starts, and probably had his best game May 15 when he befuddled the Mariners at Fenway Park.
- LAST START: June 11 at Miami, lost to the Marlins 4-1; allowed four earned runs on six hits over 6.0 innings; struck out five, walked one; threw 97 pitches, 67 for strikes.
- LAST VS. SEATTLE: May 15 at Fenway Park, won 5-0; allowed four hits over 7.0 innings and struck out nine, including Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak and Michael Saunders twice each.
- CAREER VS. MARINERS: 7-2, 3.03 ERA in in 10 starts, covering 65.1 innings; 67 strikeouts to 15 walks; 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings; seven home runs.
- AT SAFECO FIELD: 2-1, 3.33 ERA in three games, all starts, covering 24.1 innings; 25 strikeouts to nine walks; 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings (third-highest total at any major league park); three home runs.
- LOVES TO FACE: John Jaso (0-for-9, .000 BA), Justin Smoak (0-for-8, .000 BA), Miguel Olivo (0-for-3, .000 BA).
- HATES TO FACE: Dustin Ackley (4-for-9, .444 BA), Michael Saunders (2-for-5, .400 BA), Chone Figgins (8-for-26, .308 BA).
- CURRENT MARINERS VS. BECKETT: 31-for-128, .242 BA, four home runs, 41 strikeouts.
LAST GAME
Red Sox 5, Mariners 0
AT SEATTLE (June 29): Aaron Cook threw a two-hitter in the finest performance of his career, Will Middlebrooks , Cody Ross and Daniel Nava all hit solo homers in the fifth inning, and the Red Sox blanked the Mariners 5-0. Seattle starter Hector Noesi allowed a career-high four home runs and became the first pitcher in the majors to reach 10 losses. Seattle’s only hit off Cook through seven innings was an infield single by Ichiro.
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road | Last 10 | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers | 49 | 29 | .628 | — | 26-14 | 23-15 | 8-2 | Won 4 |
| Angels | 43 | 34 | .558 | 5.5 | 22-17 | 21-17 | 7-3 | Lost 1 |
| Athletics | 37 | 41 | .474 | 12.0 | 19-19 | 18-22 | 5-5 | Lost 2 |
| Mariners | 33 | 46 | .418 | 16.5 | 14-22 | 19-24 | 4-6 | Lost 1 |
MARINERS / STATS NOTES
- CURRENT HOME STAND: Three vs. Oakland Athletics, four vs. Boston Red Sox Thursday-Sunday, three vs. Baltimore Orioles Monday-Wednesday.
- MARINERS VS. RED SOX: Mariners are 159-216 all-time vs. the Red Sox, including 35-30 at Safeco Field. Mariners lost the 2011 series and haven’t won a season series from the Red Sox since 2009. Seattle has never swept the Red Sox in a four-game series, nor has Boston swept in one. The Mariners last took a three-game series from the Red Sox at Safeco in 2007.
- HOME STAND PROMOTIONS: SATURDAY — Former Mariners pitcher Mark Langston will throw out the first pitch as part of the Mariners season-long 35th anniversary celebration; Viva Las Vargas Night First 10,000 fans pick up the ultimate Viva Las Vargas accessory, a pair of Elvis-style sunglasses as the sights and sounds of Vegas envelop Safeco Field. Mariners Care Silent Auction; SUNDAY — Drawstring Backpack Day presented by MLB Network (first 20,000 fans). Kids Run the Bases (Following the game, all youngsters 14 and under); Senior Special Day Fans 60 and over receive $5 off select View Level seats or $10 off select Main Level seats; MONDAY (July 2) — BECU Family Night; TUESDAY (July 3) — Kings Court in session; Katie Flood, 2012 NCAA 1,500-meter champion from UW, ceremonial first pitch; Military Special Night (Military personnel receive $5 off select View Level seats or $10 off select Main Level seats); WEDNESDAY (July 4) — Grand Slam Family Package Day (ticket, hot dog and Pepsi for $15 per person for families of 4-12; Military Special Day; Senior Special Day.
- LOG: Mariners held to no runs Friday and held to three or fewer runs for the sixth game in a row and 42nd time this season, most in the American League and second most in the majors (San Diego, 48) . . . Seattle starter Hector Noesi (2-10) not only surrendered four home runs, the defeat was Noesi’s seventh in a row . . . After Seattle’s 10th shutout of the season, including its fourth in June, manager Erick Wedge teed off on his ball club: “We were horrible tonight. We stunk up the joint. Nothing more to say. An 81-pitch complete game, not to take anything away from that guy (Aaron Cook), but we can’t make it that easy for him. Just brutal.” . . . Seattle is batting .197 in 36 home games and has totaled five runs in the first five games of this home stand . . . The Mariners Friday placed OF Franklin Gutierrez on the seven-day disabled list and recalled RHP Steve Delabar from AAA Tacoma. Gutierrez left Thursday’s game against Boston after being struck on the side of the head with an errant pickoff throw. Delabar is making his third stint with the Mariners in 2012.
- SEASON SUMMARY: Series Record: Won 10, Split 0, Lost 15 . . . Sweeps: 2; Swept: 4. . . . Longest Win Streak: 4 (April 24-27, May 18-21); Longest Losing Streak: 7 (April 28-May 4) . . . Vs. AL East: 3-11; vs. AL Central: 9-11; vs. AL West: 13-14; vs. LAA: 2-5; vs. Oak: 6-4; vs. Tex: 5-5; vs. NL West: 8-10; vs. Interleague: 8-10 . . . Biggest Lead: 1.0, April 7; Farthest Behind: 16.5, June 29 . . . Most Runs Scored: 21, May 30 at Texas (21-8); Most Runs Allowed: 11, April 9 at Texas . . . Walk-Off Wins: 3, May 7, first since Sept. 14, 2011 vs. New York, and first via a sacrifice fly (John Jaso) since Sept. 14, 2007 vs. Tampa Bay (Jose Guillen); June 17 vs. San Francisco (Justin Smoak ninth-inning single); June 28 vs. Boston (Jaso ph ninth-inning single) . . . Walk-Off Losses: 1, May 17, at Cleveland, Carlos Santana bases-loaded single off League in 11th . . . Times Opponent Shut out: 5; Times Shut out by Opponent: 10; Comeback Wins: 7; Largest Comeback: 3; Blown Leads: 21; Largest Comeback: 3.
- BATTING: Mariners rank 11th (AL) in runs (312), 12th in hits (622), ninth in doubles (124), ninth in triples (11) and 10th in home runs (69) . . . Rank 12th in batting average (.234), 14th in on-base percentage (.295), 13th in slugging (.366) and 13th in OPS (.662) . . . batting 145-for-608 (.238) with runners in scoring position after going 0-for-0 Friday . . . out-homered 94-69 . . . left 490 men on base, opponents 479 . . . scored 312 runs, opponents 336 . . . scored 160 of 312 runs in the first four innings . . . Mariners 26-11 when scoring 4+ runs . . . Batting Average: Ichiro, .272; Hits: Ichiro, 87; Runs: Dustin Ackley, 41; Home Runs: Justin Smoak, 11; RBIs: Kyle Seager, 46 . . . Batted around six times: April 7 at Oakland (4th inning), April 9 at Texas (1st), April 17 vs. Cleveland (4th), May 29 at Texas (8th), May 30 at Texas (2nd and 3rd).
- BATTING EXTRA: Longest Hitting Streak: Dustin Ackley, 13 games, May 3-17 . . . Four-Hit Games: Ichiro, March 28 vs. Oakland; Justin Smoak, April 17 vs. Cleveland; Jesus Montero, May 1 at Tampa; Kyle Seager, May 30 at Texas; Michael Saunders, June 2, at Chicago; Ichiro, June 19 at Arizona; Franklin Gutierrez, June 22 at San Diego . . . Grand Slams: Michael Saunders, April 27 at Toronto; Alex Liddi, May 23 vs. Texas . . . Back-To-Back Home Runs: Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, 3rd inning, May 20, at Colorado.
- PITCHING: Mariners 10th in ERA (4.14), sixth in hits allowed (654), ninth in runs allowed (342), 12th in home runs allowed (94), eighth in walks (227) and sixth in strikeouts (579) . . . Games: Tom Wilhelmsen, 35; Starts: Jason Vargas 17; Wins: Vargas 7; ERA: Felix Hernandez 3.09; Complete Games: Kevin Milwood 1; Hernandez 1; Shutouts: Millwood 1; Hernandez 1; Saves: League 9 . . . Nominal closer Brandon League is 0-4 with nine saves and four blown saves . . . Mariners starters have recorded 10 games with at least 8.0 IP . . . Tom Wilhelmsen has not allowed a run in his last 15.2 innings over 13 appearances.
- ICHIRO (1–for-4 Friday) has 776 multi-hit games, which ranks fourth among active players, and No. 1 since his debut in 2001. Ichiro’s 48 games with four or more hits leads all active players . . . Three-hit game June 22 marked the 229th of his major league career . . . Ranks T93 on career hits list (2,515) and needs two to tie No. 92 Hall of Famer Joe Morgan (2,517) . . . Has 37 leadoff home runs, No. 6 all time; needs one to tie Jimmy Rollins for No. 5 . . . Has recorded 99 outfield assists. Only Jeff Francouer, with 100, has more . . . With 99 career home runs, needs one to become the 12th Mariner with 100. Breakdown: 97 as a leadoff hitter, one batting second, one batting third.
- ODDS/ENDS: Mariners have one more bobblehead night: July 28 (Dan Wilson and Randy Johnson).
- DEBUTS: Munenori Kawasaki (April 7), Lucas Luetge (April 7), Erasmo Ramirez (April 9), Hisashi Iwakuma (April 20), Stephen Pryor (June 2).
- DISABLED LIST: George Sherrill (60-day, April 13, strained flexor bundle), Adam Moore (15-day, March 28, fractured wrist), Mike Carp (15-day, June 13, inflamed right elbow); Franklin Gutierrez (7-day, June 29, concussion).
- EX-MARINERS VS. CURRENT MARINERS: April 19, Jack Hannahan, Indians, 2-run single in ninth off Brandon League in Tribe’s 2-1 win; April 28, Brandon Morrow, Blue Jays, one earned run over 7.0 innings in 7-0 win; May 11, Raul Ibanez, Yankees, 3-run homer off Felix Hernandez in 6-2 win; May 12, Raul Ibanez, Yankees, solo homer off Hector Noesi in 6-2 win; May 15, David Ortiz, Red Sox, solo homer off Blake Beaven in 5-0 Red Sox win; May 16, Shin-Soo Choo (3), Asdrubal Cabrera (2) and Jose Lopez (1) combined for 6 hits in 9-3 Cleveland win; May 17, Casey Kotchman (2), Cabrera (2), Jose Lopez (1), Choo (1) had six of Cleveland’s 10 hits, plus 5 RBIs, in a 6-5 win.
2012 RECORDS / MILESTONES
- April 24: Catcher Miguel Olivo matched the franchise record when he was charged with three passed balls in a 7-4 win at Detroit. Jerry Narron let three balls get by him Oct. 4, 1980, and Jeff Clement did likewise Aug. 10, 2008 (Clement was catching knuckleballer R.A. Dickey).
- April 27: Michael Saunders joined Donnie Scott (April 29, 1985) and Jimmy Presley (April 8, 1986) as the only Mariners to hit two home runs in a game in the ninth inning or later (solo homer in the 9th, grand slam in the 10th).
- April 30: When both Miguel Olivo and Jesus Montero homered, it marked the first time in franchise history that two players had homered in the same game as a catcher.
- May 2: Ichiro set a club record for most putouts by a right fielder in a nine-inning game, registering 10 in a 5-4 loss at Tampa.
- May 3: The Mariners featured a lineup at Tampa Bay that included seven left- handed hitters and two switch-hitters. It marked only the third time in club history that the Mariners used an all left-sided lineup. Others: Aug. 13, 1983 at California and Aug. 9, 1983 at Oakland.
- May 5: Combined one-hitter by Felix Hernandez and Steve Delabar vs. Minnesota was the 13th in Mariners history. Ten have been thrown by one pitcher, three combined. Most recent combined: Michael Pineda, Jeff Gray and Brandon League vs. Tampa, July 30, 2011. Most recent by one pitcher: Jarrod Washburn, July 6, 2009.
- May 9: When John Jaso batted leadoff against Detroit, it marked the first time since 1978 that a catcher had hit first for the Marines (Bob Stinson). Oddly, lefty Jaso led off against Tiger lefty Drew Smyly.
- May 8: Kevin Millwood’s 2-0 shutout marked his first in nearly nine years. He did not surrender his first hit until there were two outs in the sixth. Millwood’s gem marked only the fourth time in 1,440 games at Coors Field that an opposing pitcher held the Rockies to two hits or less while shutting them out. Millwood’s complete game also was the first by a Mariner in 2012.
- May 27: The pinch-hit grand slam allowed by Felix Hernandez to Alberto Callaspo marked just the sixth against the Mariners in 35 years, and the first since May 6, 1988 when Pat Sheridan of Detroit hit one off Mike Jackson.
- May 30: Mariners defeated Texas 21-8, just the third time in franchise history they have scored 20 or more runs in a game. The Mariners, with 20 hits, became the first team since 1880 to score 20 runs in a game in the same season it also go perfect-oed.
- June 8: Kevin Millwood and five relievers collaborated for the 10th combined no-hitter in major league history in a 1-0 win over the Dodgers at Safeco Field. Millwood (6.0), Charlie Furbush (0.2), Stephen Pryor (0.1), Lucas Luetge (0.1), Brandon League (0.2), and Tom Wilhelmsen (1.0) tied the MLB record for most pitchers used in a no-hitter (Houston vs. the Yankees June 11, 2003). It marked the third no-hitter in Mariners history.
- June 18: Aaron Hill of Arizona hit for the cycle in the Diamondbacks’ 7-1 win over the Mariners. Hill singled in the first (Hector Noesi), tripled in the third (Noesi), doubled in the fifth (Noesi) and homered in the seventh (Shawn Kelley).
- June 19: Ichiro reached 2,500 hits (first-inning single) in the fourth-fewest games in major league history during a 12-9 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks. His 2,500th hit came in his 1,817th game. Al Simmons had 2,500 hits in 1,784 games, Ty Cobb in 1,790 and George Sisler in 1,808 . . . When Kyle Seager and Brendan Ryan both hit three-run homers in the fifth inning, it marked the first time since July 30, 2003 vs. Detroit that the Mariners had a pair of three-run bombs in the same inning. In that July 30, 2003 game, John Olerud hit a three-run homer and Randy Winn a grand slam in the first inning.
MARINERS WON-LOSS BREAKDOWN
| Rec. | Home | Road | Day | Night | vs. RHP | vs. LHP | Hit HR | No HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33-46 | 14-22 | 19-24 | 8-15 | 24-33 | 22-34 | 11-12 | 22-21 | 9-25 |
MARINERS BATTING PROFILE
| Avg. | Home | Road | R | HR | OBP | SLG | OPS | RISP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .234 | .197 | .259 | 312 | 69 | .295 | .366 | .662 | .238 |
MARINERS PITCHING PROFILE
| Rec. | ERA | IP | R | ER | HR | BA | OBP | SLG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33-45 | 4.13 | 690.2 | 337 | 316 | 90 | .248 | .312 | .405 |
PROBABLE PITCHERS
| Date | Day | Opp. | Probable Pitchers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6/30 | Sat | vs. Bos | Erasmo Ramirez (0-2, 4.18) vs. Josh Beckett (4-7, 4.17) |
| 7/1 | Sun | vs. Bos | Jason Vargas (7-7, 4.74) vs. Felix Doubront (8-4, 4.54) |
MARINERS 2012 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
March (1-1)
| Gm.# | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3/28 | at Oak | W, 3-1 | 1-0 | W: Wilhelmsen (1-0); L: Carignan (0-1) |
| 2 | 3/29 | at Oak | L, 4-1 | 1-1 | W: Colon (1-0); L: Kelley (0-1) |
April (10-12)
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 4/6 | at Oak | W, 7-3 | 2-1 | W: Vargas (1-0); L: McCarthy (0-1) |
| 4 | 4/7 | at Oak | W, 8-7 | 3-1 | W: Hernandez (1-0); L: Colon (1-1) |
| 5 | 4/9 | at Tex | L, 11-5 | 3-2 | W: Darvish (1-0); L: Noesi (0-1) |
| 6 | 4/10 | at Tex | L, 1-0 | 3-3 | W: Feliz (1-0); L: Beavan (0-1) |
| 7 | 4/11 | at Tex | W, 4-3 | 4-3 | W: Luetge (1-0); L: Nathan (0-2) |
| 8 | 4/12 | at Tex | L, 5-3 | 4-4 | W: Holland (1-0); L: Vargas (1-1 |
| 9 | 4/13 | vs Oak | L, 4-0 | 4-5 | W: Colon (2-1); L: Hernandez (1-1) |
| 10 | 4/14 | vs. Oak | W, 4-0 | 5-5 | W: Noesi (1-1); L: Milone (1-1) |
| 11 | 4/15 | vs. Oak | W, 5-3 | 6-5 | W: Beavan (1-1); L: Godfrey (0-2) |
| 12 | 4/17 | vs. Cle | L, 9-8 | 6-6 | W: Perez (0-1); L: Furbush (0-1) |
| 13 | 4/18 | vs. Cle | W, 4-1 | 7-6 | W: Vargas (2-1); L: Lowe (2-1) |
| 14 | 4/19 | vs. Cle | L, 2-1 | 7-7 | W: Tomlin (1-1); L: League (0-1) |
| 15 | 4/20 | vs. CWS | L, 7-3 | 7-8 | W: Sale (2-1); L: Noesi (1-2) |
| 16 | 4/21 | vs. CWS | L, 4-0 | 7-9 | W: Humber (1-0); Beavan (1-2) |
| 17 | 4/22 | vs. CWS | L, 7-4 | 7-10 | W: Danks (2-2); L: Millwood (0-1) |
| 18 | 4/24 | at Det | W, 7-4 | 8-10 | W: Vargas (3-1); L: Scherzer (1-2) |
| 19 | 4/25 | at Det | W, 9-1 | 9-10 | W: Fernandez (2-1); L: Wilk (0-3) |
| 20 | 4/26 | at Det | W, 5-4 | 10-10 | W: Furbush (1-1); L: Porcello (1-2) |
| 21 | 4/27 | at Tor | W, 9-5 | 11-10 | W: Furbush (2-1); L: Perez (2-1) |
| 22 | 4/28 | at Tor | L, 7-0 | 11-11 | W: Morrow (2-1); L: Millwood (0-2) |
| 23 | 4/29 | at Tor | L, 7-2 | 11-12 | W: Alvarez (1-2); L: Vargas (3-2) |
| 24 | 4/30 | at TB | L, 3-2 | 11-13 | W: Howell (1-0); L: League (0-2) |
May (12-17)
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | 5/1 | at TB | L, 3-1 | 11-14 | W: Moore (1-1); L: Noesi (1-3) |
| 26 | 5/2 | at TB | L, 5-4 | 11-15 | W: Shields (5-0); L: Beavan (1-3) |
| 27 | 5/3 | at TB | L, 4-3 | 11-16 | W: Niemann (2-3); L: Millwood (0-3) |
| 28 | 5/4 | vs. Min | L, 3-2 | 11-17 | W: Pavano (2-2); L: Wilhelmsen (1-1) |
| 29 | 5/5 | vs. Min | W, 7-0 | 12-17 | W: Hernandez (3-1); L: Marquis (2-1) |
| 30 | 5/6 | vs. Min | W, 5-2 | 13-17 | W: Noesi (2-3): L: Blackburn (0-4) |
| 31 | 5/7 | vs. Det | W, 3-2 | 14-17 | W: Delabar (1-0); L: Dotel (1-1) |
| 32 | 5/8 | vs. Det | L, 6-4 | 14-18 | W: Verlander (3-1); L: Millwood (0-4) |
| 33 | 5/9 | vs. Det | W, 2-1 | 15-18 | W: Vargas (4-2); L: Putkoen (0-1) |
| 34 | 5/11 | at NYY | L, 6-2 | 15-19 | W: Kuroda (3-4); L: Hernandez (3-2) |
| 35 | 5/12 | at NYY | L, 6-2 | 15-20 | W: Hughes (3-4); L: Noesi (2-4) |
| 36 | 5/13 | at NYY | W, 6-2 | 16-20 | W: Millwood (1-4); L: Pettitte (0-1) |
| 37 | 5/14 | at Bos | L, 6-1 | 16-21 | L: Lester (2-3); L: Vargas (4-3) |
| 38 | 5/15 | at Bos | L, 5-0 | 16-22 | W: Beckett (3-4); L: Beavan (1-4) |
| 39 | 5/16 | at Cle | L, 9-3 | 16-23 | W: Jimenez (4-3): L: Hernandez (3-3) |
| 40 | 5/17 | at Cle | L, 6-5 | 16-24 | W: Smith (4-1); L: League (0-3) |
| 41 | 5/18 | at Col | W, 4-0 | 17-24 | W: Millwood (2-4); L: White (0-3) |
| 42 | 5/19 | at Col | W, 10-3 | 18-24 | W: Vargas (5-3); L: Friedrich (1-1) |
| 43 | 5/20 | at Col | W, 6-4 | 19-24 | W: Beavan (2-4); L: Guthrie (2-2) |
| 44 | 5/21 | vs. Tex | W, 6-1 | 20-24 | W: Hernandez (4-3); L: Darvish (6-2) |
| 45 | 5/22 | vs. Tex | L, 3-1 | 20-25 | W: Harrison (5-3): L: Noesi (2-5) |
| 46 | 5/23 | vs. Tex | W, 5-3 | 21-25 | W: Millwood (3-4); L: Feldman (0-2) |
| 47 | 5/24 | vs. LAA | L, 3-0 | 21-26 | W: Haren (2-5); L: Vargas (5-4) |
| 48 | 5/25 | vs. LAA | L, 6-4 | 21-27 | W: Isringhausen (1-0); L: League (0-4) |
| 49 | 5/26 | vs. LAA | L, 5-3 | 21-28 | W: Williams (5-2); L: Hernandez (4-4) |
| 50 | 5/27 | vs. LAA | L, 4-2 | 21-29 | W: Wilson (5-4); L: Noesi (2-6) |
| 51 | 5/28 | at Tex | L, 4-2 | 21-30 | W: Harrison (6-3); L: Delabar (1-1) |
| 52 | 5/29 | at Tex | W, 10-3 | 22-30 | W: Vargas (6-4); L: Feldman (0-3) |
| 53 | 5/30 | at Tex | W, 21-8 | 23-30 | W: Beaven (3-4); L: Holland (4-4) |
June (10-16)
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 6/1 | at CWS | L, 7-4 | 23-31 | W: Jesse Crain (1-0); L: Shawn Kelly (0-2) |
| 55 | 6/2 | at CWS | W, 10-8 | 24-31 | W: Wilhelmsen (2-1); L: Reed (0-1) |
| 56 | 6/3 | at CWS | L, 4-2 | 24-32 | W: Sale (7-2); L: Millwood (3-5) |
| 57 | 6/4 | at LAA | W, 8-6 | 25-32 | W: Vargas (7-4); L: Santana (2-7) |
| 58 | 6/5 | at LAA | L, 6-1 | 25-33 | W: Richards (1-0); L: Beavan (3-5) |
| 59 | 6/6 | at LAA | W, 8-6 | 26-33 | W: Kelley (1-2); L: Williams (6-3) |
| 60 | 6/8 | vs. LAD | W, 1-0 | 27-33 | W: Pryor (1-0); L: Elbert (0-1) |
| 61 | 6/9 | vs. LAD | L, 8-3 | -27-34 | W: Kershaw (5-3): L: Vargas (7-5) |
| 62 | 6/10 | vs. LAD | L, 8-2 | 27-35 | W: Billingsley (4-4); L: Beavan (3-6) |
| 63 | 6/12 | vs. SDP | L, 5-4 | 27-36 | W: Richard (3-7); L: Hernandez (4-5) |
| 64 | 6/13 | vs. SDP | L, 1-0 | 27-37 | W: Marquis (3-5); L: Noesi (2-7) |
| 65 | 6/14 | vs. SDP | L, 6-2 | 27-38 | W: Volquez (3-6); L: Ramirez (0-1) |
| 66 | 6/15 | vs. SF | L, 4-2 | 27-39 | W: Vogelsong (6-2); L: Vargas (7-6) |
| 67 | 6/16 | vs. SF | W, 7-4 | 28-39 | W: Iwakuma (1-0); L: Lincecum (2-8) |
| 68 | 6/17 | vs. SF | W, 2-1 | 29-39 | W: Wilhelmsen (3-1); L: Romo (2-1) |
| 69 | 6/18 | at AZ | L, 7-1 | 29-40 | W: Miley (8-3); L: Noesi (2-8) |
| 70 | 6/19 | at AZ | W, 12-9 | 30-40 | W: Furbush (3-1); L: Putz (1-4) |
| 71 | 6/20 | at AZ | L, 14-10 | 30-41 | W: Cahill (6-5): L: Vargas (7-7) |
| 72 | 6/22 | at SDP | L, 9-5 | 30-42 | W: Richard (5-7); L: Millwood (3-6) |
| 73 | 6/23 | at SDP | W, 5-1 | 31-42 | W: Fernandez (5-5); L: Marquis (3-7) |
| 74 | 6/24 | at SDP | L, 2-0 | 31-43 | W: Volquez (4-7); L: Noesi (2-9) |
| 75 | 6/25 | vs. Oak | L, 1-0 | 31-44 | W: Milone (8-5); L: Ramirez (0-2) |
| 76 | 6/26 | vs. Oak | W, 3-2 | 32-44 | W: Furbush (4-1); L: Miller (2-1) |
| 77 | 6/27 | vs. Oak | L, 2-1 | 32-45 | W: Parker (4-3); L: Iwakuma (1-1) |
| 78 | 6/28 | vs. Bos | W, 1-0 | 33-45 | W: Hernandez (6-5); L: Atchison (2-1) |
| 79 | 6/29 | vs. Bos | L, 5-0 | 33-46 | W: Cook (2-1); L: Noesi (2-10) |
| 80 | 6/30 | vs. Bos | — | — | — |
July
| Gm. # | Date | Opp. | W/L | Rec. | Win / Loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | 7/1 | vs. Bos | — | — | — |
| 82 | 7/2 | vs. Bal | — | — | — |
| 83 | 7/3 | vs. Bal | — | — | — |
| 84 | 7/6 | at Oak | — | — | — |
| 85 | 7/7 | at Oak | — | — | — |
| 86 | 7/8 | at Oak | — | — | — |
| 87 | 7/13 | vs. Tex | — | — | — |
| 88 | 7/14 | vs. Tex | — | — | — |
| 89 | 7/15 | vs. Tex | — | — | — |
| 90 | 7/16 | at KC | — | — | — |
| 91 | 7/17 | at KC | — | — | — |
| 92 | 7/18 | at KC | — | — | — |
| 93 | 7/19 | at KC | — | — | — |
| 94 | 7/20 | at TB | — | — | — |
| 95 | 7/21 | at TB | — | — | — |
| 96 | 7/22 | at TB | — | — | — |
| 97 | 7/23 | vs. NYY | — | — | — |
| 98 | 7/24 | vs. NYY | — | — | — |
| 99 | 7/25 | vs. NYY | — | — | — |
| 100 | 7/26 | vs. KC | — | — | — |
| 101 | 7/27 | vs. KC | — | — | — |
| 102 | 7/28 | vs. KC | — | — | — |
| 103 | 7/29 | vs. KC | — | — | — |
| 104 | 7/30 | vs. Tor | — | — | — |
| 105 | 7/31 | vs. Tor | — | — | — |
18 Comments
We’re all getting “tired of watching this,” Wedgie, but at least you’re getting paid to watch it. Imagine if you actually had to buy a ticket and all you had to look forward to were the hydro races on the scoreboard and someone in a moose costume riding an ATV on the warning track? Good times!
Fatigue has definitely set in. Red Sox are always big draws, but 20,000 Thursday and 23,000 Friday are further strong evidence that the bond has been broken.
The thing is, Art, I still believe there’s a lot of upside to this current collection of players. I think the pitching staff, when healthy, is a strong point that should only improve with Hultzen, Walker and Paxton (BTW, why couldn’t Furbush get the start tomorrow instead of Iwakuma?…Charlie’s been lights-out), Montero may become a solid MLB DH (Zunino is probably the C of the future), you’ve got 3/4s of what could be a pretty good infield in Seager, Ackley and Smoak (don’t know why Triunfel is so highly-regarded that Franklin’s playing out of position in Tacoma, though) and there’s some talent in the OF with Wells, Saunders and even Trayvon Robinson if he can improve on tracking balls. I’ve always liked Peguero and Johermyn Chavez could develop into a power hitter. In other words, the cupboard is not bare.
I know I’ve been one of the loudest voices on these boards preaching patience but, boy, has our patience ever been tried this year!
We’re all getting “tired of watching this,” Wedgie, but at least you’re getting paid to watch it. Imagine if you actually had to buy a ticket and all you had to look forward to were the hydro races on the scoreboard and someone in a moose costume riding an ATV on the warning track? Good times!
Fatigue has definitely set in. Red Sox are always big draws, but 20,000 Thursday and 23,000 Friday are further strong evidence that the bond has been broken.
The thing is, Art, I still believe there’s a lot of upside to this current collection of players. I think the pitching staff, when healthy, is a strong point that should only improve with Hultzen, Walker and Paxton (BTW, why couldn’t Furbush get the start tomorrow instead of Iwakuma?…Charlie’s been lights-out), Montero may become a solid MLB DH (Zunino is probably the C of the future), you’ve got 3/4s of what could be a pretty good infield in Seager, Ackley and Smoak (don’t know why Triunfel is so highly-regarded that Franklin’s playing out of position in Tacoma, though) and there’s some talent in the OF with Wells, Saunders and even Trayvon Robinson if he can improve on tracking balls. I’ve always liked Peguero and Johermyn Chavez could develop into a power hitter. In other words, the cupboard is not bare.
I know I’ve been one of the loudest voices on these boards preaching patience but, boy, has our patience ever been tried this year!
We don’t have to watch it. Of course there goes ticket sales and TV viewing percentages which will, if it hasn’t already place the team in the red. We’ve seen this before in the Seahawks and more recently the Sonics. Of course both owners wanted new palaces paid for mostly with taxpayer money and although the Mariners have theirs it’s always the fans the owners blame and then like the small minded brats they are threaten or actually move the team by virtue of sale to out of town crooks with no regard for those who supported it for years during good and bad. As a northwest fan I have learned to be disinterested in our local teams, not due to the lack of championships, but simply that they are non competitive year after year and continue to make or fail to make moves to improve the team; please see Doug Fisster and (although time will tell) the Pineda trade that broke up potentially the most talented 1-2-3 staff in the majors. I’m still a fan of the game, but if overpriced ice cream tastes like baking soda I’ll switch brands or stop buying the product until it improves. Here’s to football season!
Old Goat, something tells me you’re still interested in the local teams if you care enough to write — and hail the coming football seasons. It helps to avoid sweeping generalities over all the teams. There’s plenty enough to pick apart the Mariners right now.
We don’t have to watch it. Of course there goes ticket sales and TV viewing percentages which will, if it hasn’t already place the team in the red. We’ve seen this before in the Seahawks and more recently the Sonics. Of course both owners wanted new palaces paid for mostly with taxpayer money and although the Mariners have theirs it’s always the fans the owners blame and then like the small minded brats they are threaten or actually move the team by virtue of sale to out of town crooks with no regard for those who supported it for years during good and bad. As a northwest fan I have learned to be disinterested in our local teams, not due to the lack of championships, but simply that they are non competitive year after year and continue to make or fail to make moves to improve the team; please see Doug Fisster and (although time will tell) the Pineda trade that broke up potentially the most talented 1-2-3 staff in the majors. I’m still a fan of the game, but if overpriced ice cream tastes like baking soda I’ll switch brands or stop buying the product until it improves. Here’s to football season!
Old Goat, something tells me you’re still interested in the local teams if you care enough to write — and hail the coming football seasons. It helps to avoid sweeping generalities over all the teams. There’s plenty enough to pick apart the Mariners right now.
hey Art, I’m with Wedge, I’m tired of it too. It’s hard to tell from the outside looking in, but how much coaching, training and mentoring is going on with this coaching staff? Without (much?) veteran leadership, it’s up to the coaches to guide the youngsters. But where’s the fine tuning and adjustments (game-to-game, within the game, mechanical analysis & problem solving, mental energy & focus training) coming from? Is it really being worked on behind the scenes and the players are just a bunch of luddites? The biggest improvements are Saunders – who got his training elsewhere and Seager. Where’s the corrections in Smoak’s swing (slow, hands very high, bat tucked behind head, long arc), Montero’s pitch recognition (guess what Jesus – 2 strikes on you – here comes the junk low and away), Ackley’s approach and interest/ability? to hit opposite field, etc., etc.
As much as I love the game and the Ms, it’s getting hard to spend much more $ or time watching this team. If there were visible signs of improvement, it’d be one thing, but they seem to be regressing, especially at home (a whole other topic that’s gotta be more mental than physical).
Anyway, always appreciate your insights.
hey Art, I’m with Wedge, I’m tired of it too. It’s hard to tell from the outside looking in, but how much coaching, training and mentoring is going on with this coaching staff? Without (much?) veteran leadership, it’s up to the coaches to guide the youngsters. But where’s the fine tuning and adjustments (game-to-game, within the game, mechanical analysis & problem solving, mental energy & focus training) coming from? Is it really being worked on behind the scenes and the players are just a bunch of luddites? The biggest improvements are Saunders – who got his training elsewhere and Seager. Where’s the corrections in Smoak’s swing (slow, hands very high, bat tucked behind head, long arc), Montero’s pitch recognition (guess what Jesus – 2 strikes on you – here comes the junk low and away), Ackley’s approach and interest/ability? to hit opposite field, etc., etc.
As much as I love the game and the Ms, it’s getting hard to spend much more $ or time watching this team. If there were visible signs of improvement, it’d be one thing, but they seem to be regressing, especially at home (a whole other topic that’s gotta be more mental than physical).
Anyway, always appreciate your insights.
And I don’t see much hope or help coming from below. The AAA franchise is struggling as bad as the big guys. If the starter does well, the pen blows it, if the pitchers do a reasonable job, the offense doesn’t match. Very few close wins. It often seems they can only win blow-outs.
And I don’t see much hope or help coming from below. The AAA franchise is struggling as bad as the big guys. If the starter does well, the pen blows it, if the pitchers do a reasonable job, the offense doesn’t match. Very few close wins. It often seems they can only win blow-outs.
At least there weren’t any of those dancing groundskeepers the last time I went. Of course we lost that game (Dodgers 8, Ms 2). But yeah, it looks bad; none of the kids seem to be panning out, but upon closer inspection, there is still hope for the future. ‘Smoak and Mirrors’ is a lost cause, but Montero has potential, and he’s only 22, and Ackley seems to have his head on straight and could improve under better circumstances (ie if the whole team improves), and Seager looks okay. Of course now the starting pitching is falling apart; last year the pitching was okay, but it looks like that might need fixing as well.
I have two real gripes: one, it is hard to look around at other teams that have good players and good pitchers and see them rise up and contend once in a while, while we stay stubbornly stuck in last place, with 100 losses an annual possibility. And two, it’s just really boring to watch such a feckless offensive team. It’s not just the lack of scoring; it’s also the way they approach at-bats, hacking and flailing at any old junk the pitcher decides to toss up there. It’s just . . . why would anyone pay to see that?
I’m tempted to tirade about that $*&# flex pricing system as well, but that would be three gripes. Okay, here goes, I’m angry about this: the Dodgers-Ms Sunday game was very expensive ($195 for five tickets, including two kids 10 and 12 who got no discounts), and they said the bleachers were sold out, but we saw lots of empty seats there. To me, that is an insult, to overcharge for such a lame team. By contrast, I bought five tickets to Citi Field in New York on May 6 this year, also a Sunday day game, and the man at the ticket window had all kinds of offers, with free hot dogs and cokes and half-price tickets for the kids, and the total for the five of us was $105. In New York!
I believe that the only cure is new ownership, and I can’t wait for the door to hit Lincoln and Armstrong on their way out, though heaven knows when that will happen.
At least there weren’t any of those dancing groundskeepers the last time I went. Of course we lost that game (Dodgers 8, Ms 2). But yeah, it looks bad; none of the kids seem to be panning out, but upon closer inspection, there is still hope for the future. ‘Smoak and Mirrors’ is a lost cause, but Montero has potential, and he’s only 22, and Ackley seems to have his head on straight and could improve under better circumstances (ie if the whole team improves), and Seager looks okay. Of course now the starting pitching is falling apart; last year the pitching was okay, but it looks like that might need fixing as well.
I have two real gripes: one, it is hard to look around at other teams that have good players and good pitchers and see them rise up and contend once in a while, while we stay stubbornly stuck in last place, with 100 losses an annual possibility. And two, it’s just really boring to watch such a feckless offensive team. It’s not just the lack of scoring; it’s also the way they approach at-bats, hacking and flailing at any old junk the pitcher decides to toss up there. It’s just . . . why would anyone pay to see that?
I’m tempted to tirade about that $*&# flex pricing system as well, but that would be three gripes. Okay, here goes, I’m angry about this: the Dodgers-Ms Sunday game was very expensive ($195 for five tickets, including two kids 10 and 12 who got no discounts), and they said the bleachers were sold out, but we saw lots of empty seats there. To me, that is an insult, to overcharge for such a lame team. By contrast, I bought five tickets to Citi Field in New York on May 6 this year, also a Sunday day game, and the man at the ticket window had all kinds of offers, with free hot dogs and cokes and half-price tickets for the kids, and the total for the five of us was $105. In New York!
I believe that the only cure is new ownership, and I can’t wait for the door to hit Lincoln and Armstrong on their way out, though heaven knows when that will happen.
For years M’s pitchers complained on how the Kingdome was a hitter’s park. The club even moved back the fences when Smulyan was owner. The M’s still set records for offense afterwards. Now some players think their home field favors pitchers too much.
Baseball is the only sport where the parks have leeway in their design. Football, basketball, soccer, it’s all the same. At some point I wonder if MLB will make all parks more uniform with one other? (I highly doubt it though)
For years M’s pitchers complained on how the Kingdome was a hitter’s park. The club even moved back the fences when Smulyan was owner. The M’s still set records for offense afterwards. Now some players think their home field favors pitchers too much.
Baseball is the only sport where the parks have leeway in their design. Football, basketball, soccer, it’s all the same. At some point I wonder if MLB will make all parks more uniform with one other? (I highly doubt it though)