Takeaway
Another bullpen blow-up paved the way for another loss, this time a 6-3 defeat in 10 innings. The Mariners dropped their third game in a row and their sixth in eight tries. The big news came afterward, when manager Lloyd McClendon said veteran closer Fernando Rodney was designated for assignment and Danny Farquhar was sent back to Triple-A.
Essential moment
In the 10th, Farquhar, who came on after struggling closer Carson Smith blew a two-run lead in the ninth to tie at 3, served up a walk to Chicago DH Avisail Garcia with the bases loaded, bringing in the go-ahead run.
Pitchers
LHP Vidal Nuno spent most of time in Seattle in the bullpen. On Saturday he was victimized by it. In his fourth start of the season, the veteran left-hander went a season-best 6.2 innings, allowing five hits and just one run – a second-inning solo home run from rookie Trayce Thompson, younger brother of former WSU basketball star and Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson.
That would have been enough to earn Nuno his first win of the season on most teams. But Smith blew a save opportunity for the third time this month.. Over the first two games of the Chicago series, the Seattle bullpen has allowed 12 runs in 6.1 innings while walking nine and allowing 11 hits in 29 ABs (.379).
Hitters
DH Nelson Cruz continues to pile up the numbers, having reached base for the 32nd consecutive game while compiling his league-best 149th hit of the season. LF Franklin Gutierrez did the most damage, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. His two-run double in the sixth gave Seattle its first lead, at 2-1
Words
“No surprise. I know when you’re not doing your job. I’ve been waiting for it . . . I think I’ll get another chance (somewhere). I feel like I’m supposed to pitch again in my career” — Fernando Rodney.
Noteworthy
The Mariners will bring up from Tacoma Roenis Elias and move him to the bullpen, along with Logan Kensing, 33 . . . McClendon spent a lot of time discussing his bullpen even before Saturday’s meltdown. McClendon said he’s unwilling to put his top relievers – namely, Carson Smith and Tom Wilhelmsen – into a game in which the Mariners are trailing. “I learned a long time ago, you cannot be afraid to lose a game in order to win three or four down the road,” McClendon said. “That’s just not smart baseball; in fact, it’s dumb.” McClendon, speaking well before Smith blew another save, added that his young closer was thrown into the role too early in his career. “When you lose your closer, like we lose our closer (struggling veteran Fernando Rodney), guys get over-exposed. Carson’s been over-exposed,” McClendon said. “Is he getting better? Yes, he’s getting better. Was he ready for this role? No, he wasn’t ready for this role.” . . . Mariners RF Mark Trumbo was a late scratch due to a sore left knee.
Next
If baseball trends are really a thing, expect a close game at Safeco Field on Sunday afternoon. Seattle will send RHP Taijuan Walker to the mound. Games are usually close when he starts. Five of the past six starts from Walker (8-7, 4.60 ERA) have been decided by two runs or fewer – and that’s about the only thing predictable when he’s on the mound. Chicago will counter with another lefty starter, the fourth Seattle will have faced in as many games, in John Denks (6-10, 4.61 ERA) in the series finale.
14 Comments
So Lloyd McMuffin thinks using his best relievers when they’re down 1 run is dumb, but continuing to run Fernando Slocum out there with a small lead or a tie isnt? Watching sideways hat BLOW GAME AFTER GAME is DUMB! Thankfully he has been released so Lloyd can’t continue to show everybody how damn smart he is.
So after Trader Jack Z did the right thing & moved JA Happless, they would have you believe it left a gaping hole in the pitching staff, which I bought into because I had totally forgot about Elias, who they had bizarrely exiled to AAA. So tell me now why wasn’t Elias taking the starts for Happless & Nuno in the bullpen? Remember, the M’s had to burn the pen in his first few starts because he wasn’t ready to start. So they have a starter in AAA ready to start, but they don’t use him, instead they wear out the bullpen & blow tons of games. These guys are a bunch of idiots. And yes I know the ERA of Elias was nearing Princess Felix territory at 7, but that tends to happen when being jerked around. So what’s next, Miller or that awful Lomo are converted to catcher? 2016 with Z & Lloyd will be a real treat indeed.
You read Lloyd’s comments wrong. The way it is written, it’s very easy to put the emphASis on the wrong syllABul, so to speak. I had to read it a few times to undertsand his drift. I believe he said he learned to play to win.
Lloyd . like every manager under the reign of Howard Lincoln, has had to play unbder the idiotic leadership model and idiotic execution of the CEO duties that a community should be able to expect from their community sponsored MLB franchise– the one the community is leasing the stadium to. Lincoln has gotten rif of all authentic baseball people– those independent minded street savvy types that he apparently abhors. Lloyd is stuck with the trickle down idiocy that beginbs with Lincoln– period. It’s rubber stamped by the ownership group, broadly ( no one dares to challenge The Howard, after all– he IS making them rich beyond their worth). His Howardship hires the GM and that pact of solidarity trumps any smart baseball input– and generally brooks no contradictpry in[put whatsoever. lloyd, like all the others under His Howardsship, has to make the choice: stand up for you know to be ‘best baseball’ and lose your job for “insubordination” as His Howardswhip calls the talk of peoiple smarter than he, or go-along/get-along with their Low-A level idiocy in the realm of baseball decisions and micro-managing.
Don’t blame Lloyd. Nor Eric. Nor Darrin, nor Don nor Jim, nor John nor Mike nor Bob. All were befuddled and abused by the reign of incompetence from above: we never got to see what any of them might do if their GM and ownership didn’t impregnate their tenure with the haunting Howardship spirits of intrusive incompetence. At least Eric and Hargrove and Lou had the chance to quit before The Howard could preempt their tenure with smarmy dismissal.
Put blame where blame resides. NOBODY succeeds in baseball under His Howardship– you can look it up.
Did Wedge quit or get canned? I can’t remember, I liked him though. Too bad he has been blacklisted for blasting the M’s & telling it like it is. Hargrove was also a good baseball man, a proven winner & Melvin has had success in 2 places since leaving. So they actually have had good people in place, unfortunately Howie has ruined everything. And yes I agree, the public funded Safeco & the M’s should be ashamed for the way they have treated the fans. They are the poster child of exactly why the public should never pay for their new buildings. The M’s are a disgrace.
The M’s run differential (-98) now nearly doubles the second worst in the league, the team they play today. Chicago is -53. It was a bad omen in April and May when they struggled with everyone. They could not put teams away. Even when things were going pretty good they seemed always in danger of losing. In that regard they are the opposite of the 2001 team, a team that even when things were going bad seemed to be dangerous and about to turn it around and win. Hard to say there isn’t such a thing as team chemistry. Unless everyone in ’01 really was afraid of Lou. But it’s hard to believe fear produced those 116 wins.
One clue to the Mariners 2015 debacle that all of us missed: Lomo in Spanish is ‘pork tenderloin’. Just saw it in my Rick Steve’s book on Barcelona. Man, we just have to pay more attention.
Logan Morrison is such an unbelievably awful baseball player. Just another scrub that Trader Jack Z just had to have. This team is so short on talent it’s unreal….. Thanks Jack. Can’t wait for 2016.
I wonder if McClendon was forced to play Rodney? If not, then he essentially doomed the season and lost many games by continuing to play him. McClendon will be fired as well. Otherwise I generally like his player decisions, but with Rodney, a blind spot. How much of Rodney’s contract must M’s eat?
Rodney is STILL owed an unbelievable $1.5 mil, must be nice……. so let’s say Lloyd WAS forced to pitch sideways hat in close games, which is not beyond the realm of possibility with this awful organization, we won’t find out until later…… Eric Wedge style.
Divish said as much in his Sunday column… that Rodney was kept on in spite of Lloyd’s wishes by “the powers that be”.
Be WHAT is my question.
Lincoln is such a putz.
So other than the M’s being the most clueless organization ever, why NOW release the yellow bearded scrub? Why not May? It was obvious to everyone except those dopes that he was done & was killing the season. I wish they would have kept him around & allowed him to continue blowing games. It was comical at this point with the outcomes predictable right down to the pitch since May.
Probably Z and Howard thinking they’re being decisive and wise in all things baseball, and that they’ll win the confidence of the fans is why they DFA’d him now.
I’d guess that Light from Smart Baseball Thinking went by here about about 2 years ago– that how far out of touch the FO remains.
What’s sad is the fans will still show up 25,000 strong despite a pitifully awful baseball team on display, because M’s fans are so used to losing that they’ll settle for gimmicks such as the Princess Court, bobbleheads, absurd no-hitter celebrations, fireworks after the M’s get pounded, Edgars Cantina, & all the other silliness instead of winning baseball games.
Well at last that Bow & Arrow crap is by by. The next one to go should be that fat bald headed stooge Fat Jack!
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