ALDS eve . . .

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What a truly amazing weekend!

There were, just in case you’ve been under a rock, a couple little baseball games played in Toronto . . .

On Friday, what more could you ask for but a SHUTOUT?!?
An absolutely DOMINANT pitching performance by Luis Castillo: 7.1 IP-6H-0R-0BB-5Ks
And, Andres Munoz put the cherry on top with 1.2 walk-less/scoreless innings of his own.
As for the offense, they did more than enough, scoring early and often. J-Rod was HBP –twice!– and scored both times: first IN the 1st, on a double by Geno and then in the 5th on a force out by Geno. And, there was -of course!- a Cal home run: a two-run variety that put the M’s up three runs in the 1st and they wouldn’t look back.
The defense was crisp and clean – just like it should be in October!
It featured one DP (Geno-Adam-France), some good to great OF catches and holding runners.
Anyhoo – it was just really swell 🙂

And then came Saturday . . .

Likely the most improbable playoff win in decades. Hard to find the words to describe how unbelievable this game was (though I’m sure Blue Jays fans would easily find a few rather quickly 😉 )

Robbie was great! in the 1st inning – in which he retired the side in order and then, it was all way down hill from there. He exited in the bottom of the 5th to be replaced by Brash (one of the few relievers, along w/Munoz and Kirby (yes, Kirby!) who performed well).
The M’s wouldn’t score until the 5th inning (and then it was only one run – sac fly by Jarred to score Adam). By the end of the 5th, they were down 8-1 – and then, the magic happened. Three consecutive singles (Ty, Geno, Cal) in the 6th basically ran the Jays starter and their reliever promptly gave up a run on a bases loaded wild pitch and then a THREE-run homer to Carlos – and suddenly, 8-5 wasn’t looking so bad. Thought the Jays would get one right back so, it was 9-5 headed to the 8th – and the M’s magic was far from depleted – they would score FOUR more runs to TIE THE GAME AT NINE!!! (a Cal single to score Geno; JP double with the bases loaded scored Cal, Mitch and Adam). And then we would see more mystical, magical M’s – Adam would hit a double down the right field line (incidentally on the 26th Anniversary of Gar’s double down the left field line 😉 ) to break the tie and George would come in the the bottom of the 9th to recored his first major league save (posting a groundout, walk, strikeout, line out) after which jubilation would ensue on the field and in the locker room 🙂

Now, the M’s head to Houston, where we hope they will pose a problem 🙂
While I’m BEYOND excited that the M’s are in the ALDS, I’m beyond FRUSTRATED with the scheduling by MLB – both of the games in Houston this week are scheduled for a 12:37pm PT first pitch – I happen to have a 3-day, all day training class for work from Tue-Thu . . . argh!!! After an entire season of not being able to watch games because Dish no longer carries RootSports, they are finally aired on a Channel that Dish provides and I can’t watch live.
So, for the first time ever, I’m going to attempt to stay uninformed about a sporting event so that I can watch the recording as if it were live and truly not know the result until the last pitch of the recording.

Here we go into the long time uncharted territory that is Mariners playoff baseball. After what we have seen this past weekend – ANYTHING is possible.

Go M’s

counting the minutes, after counting the years . . .

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In just about 90 minutes . . .

after years, and years, and years of watching nearly every pitch (some years, many in person) and documenting (in one way or another) every regular season game, I – and Mariners fans everywhere – are finally about to be rewarded again with postseason baseball.

While my viewing and documenting has waned over the past several seasons, it’s not been for lack of interest or passion but, more of circumstance. Moving to an island has a lot to do with that – at first, the ferry schedule and my very long commute made it difficult to watch, let alone document or attend. Then, last October, my TV provider dropped RootSports so, this was a “radio only” season for me – which I actually quite enjoyed.

I was lucky enough to attend several games this season – all with my dad ❤
Unfortunately, that magical Friday night on the last day of September wasn’t one of them.
But, I was listening when, with two outs in the bottom of the 9th and the game tied at one, Cal Raleigh hit a 3-2 pitch off the windows of the Hit it Here Cafe at T-Mobile Park to drench Mariners fans in the sparkling excitement of possibility that is postseason baseball after 21 years of drought. I’m not sure that the hit has an official name yet but, undoubtedly it ranks with “the Double” that sent the M’s to their very first postseason. And, just as Dave’s call of Edgar’s historical hit, Rick’s call of Cal’s homer will be forever etched in M’s fans’ memories.

I may be tempting fate, as baseball fans tend to superstition but, I did purchase a few postseason tickets – as not even the ferry schedule will stop me from attending at least one if they come back home. As I was exiting the ballpark after the last regular season game I attended on Sunday, October 2nd, I very cognizant that it was not a given I would have to wait at least six months to return . . .

Never has uncertainty been so welcome.

Go M’s

sweeet!!!

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M’s 4 | Y’s 3

The day started out cloudy, stormy even – Seattle Sports Radio lost a transformer to a lightening strike! As I made my way via ferry, freeway and link light rail to meet my Dad at the Glove, it was one of those days that had me thanking the powers that be at the time of the stadium project that opted for a retractable roof. But, apparently, well before the first pitch they had it on good authority it would be safe to “pop the lid” and the roof slid back to expose the green grass and clay-colored diamond dirt to the elements.

The game, much like the day, started out a bit bleak – maybe a slight hangover from the thirteen-inning fan-tab-ulous marathon that was the the night before that the M’s won 1-0 (and to which I listened intently on the radio). No score through five innings: the Y’s had two singles, four walks; the M’s had one walk. And then came little Sam Haggerty ‘popping the top of the game’ by homering in the 6th, breaking the scoreless tie and breathing life into BOTH teams. The top and bottom of the 7th saw each team score THREE runs – a score that would hold (Ty singled, Mitch singled him home, Carlos homered he and Mitch home). Diego and Paul retired their respective sides in order in the 8th and 9th – it was truly a thing of beauty.

SO. MUCH. FUN. to beat the Yankees 🙂

And, the M’s did just that – taking the series 2-1 and the season series 4-2 (first time since 2002 that the M’s have taken the season series). #SeaUsRise

And, the only thing that made this even sweeter – is that it was attended with my Dad ❤

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lookie! a hit w/the bases loaded!

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Mariners 6 | Angels 3

boxscore

M’s are second worst in the MLB in BA w/the bases loaded (only the D-backs are worse)

Moot point today though, as Jesse unloads w/three ducks on the pond and gets the M’s well on their way to what would be a 6-3 victory vs the Hated Halos 🙂

I got a video but, for some reason it won’t load so, here’s the M’s . . .

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching . . .

  • Quality start for Marco – who posted SEVEN K’s in his SIX innings of work
  • And the bullpen was OUTSTANDING! Munoz, Murfee, Sewald posted THREE hitless frames and adding another FOUR K’s

And, besides the salami, the bats did just enough . . .

  • THREE doubles (Geno, Ty and Sam)
  • FIVE walks (two of which scored)

Always fun to be in attendance, even more so w/a win ❤

ch,ch,chiiiily game w/a heart-warming outcome

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on a chilly, drizzly July afternoon, the pitching warmed us up . . .

  • Robbie K’d TWELVE in his SEVEN innings and the only run he allowed was a solo shot to the third (and last) batter he faced in the 7th.
  • The bullpen of Munoz and Sewald added FOUR more
this sign was used A LOT today!

Only “O” was in JuliO!
His first pitch homer was the 12th in M’s history (9 by Ichrio!) and his RBI double in the 6th scored Dylan.

Always fun to attend w/my Dad ❤

June Recap

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of fantastic performances, brawling bedlam, road warriors and inching toward .500 . . .

  • June overall: 16-13
  • home: 6-9
  • road: 10-4
  • one-run: 7-4
  • 5 straight wins from June 21-25

ON the MOUND

  • June staff: 3.32ERA (5th in AL)
  • Relievers: ERA: 3.34, holding batters to a .184 average (2nd in AL)

Standout Arms

  • Robbie: 2-1 w/a 2.19ERA (37IP-37K-13BB) – he went SEVEN innings w/ONE run or less THREE times
  • Logan: 3-1 w/a 3.28ERA (35.2IP-32K-8BB) – the M’s were 5-1 in games he started in June

AT the PLATE

  • Slash line (.225/.316/.378/.693) went down across the board from April and May
  • Runs (113) and RBI (105) went up slightly

Standout Bats

  • Julio won AL Rookie of the Month (again!!) he posted .280/.361/542 w/TWENTY-TWO runs, SEVEN doubles, SEVEN homers, SIXTEEN RBI, TEN BB, FIVE for FIVE in SB
  • Jesse posted .277/.424/.892 w/ELEVEN runs, FOUR homers, FOURTEEN RBI and his TWENTY-THREE walks led the majors
  • Cal posted .250/.337/.588 w/TEN runs, SEVEN doubles, ONE triple, SIX homers, FOURTEEN RBI and TEN BB
  • Ty had his June cut short, placed on the DL June 25th but, to that point had been among the top 2Bmen w/.316BA, TEN homers, FORTY-FIVE RBI – and finished SECOND in All Star voting
  • Back-to-Back-to-Back Homers on June 21st in Oakland: Julio-Jesse-Eugenio (4th time in franchise history – THREE of those vs the A’s)

just a little dust up vs the Hated Halos . . .

Mariners seemed set up by Angels, put into no-win situation by umps

Suspensions

  • Jesse 7 games, reduced to 6 (will start w/Padres series)
  • JP 5 games, reduced to 4 (will serve all FOUR vs A’s)
  • Julio 2 games – TBD

M*A*S*H*

  • Kyle Lewis 7-day DL
  • Ty France 10-day DL
  • Tayor Trammell 10-day DL
  • Luis Torrens 10-day DL
  • Casey Sadler 60-day DL
  • Mitch Hanigar 60-day DL
  • Evan White 60-day DL
  • Tom Murphy 60-day DL

rt3 – oy. | NewYork, Toronto, Boston

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Started out OK in Tampa Bay – taking the series 2-1 but, it was all downhill from there . .
series loss in Toronto and SWEPT away in Boston.
‘t will be a bit difficult to focus on the positive – or, maybe it will be easy, as there is little of it 😦

TAMPA BAY
THREE 1-run games and the M’s took TWO

  • Marco w/a QS and the W in game ONE
  • Jesse w/a THREE-run homer in game TWO
  • Bats heated up to the tune of SIXTEEN hits in game THREE, including . . .
    -FOUR doubles (Abraham, Adam, Ty, Jesse)
    -TWO homers (Julio, Cal)

TORONTO
A bit of everything . . .

  • Not much was working in the FIRST game: only FOUR hits, ONE double (Jesse); Chris did an admirable job, posting a QS w/SEVEN K’s but, the bullpen fell apart.
  • In the SECOND game a GREAT start by Logan (7IP-6H-3ER-2BB-9K) went to waste, as SIX hits yielded ZERO runs
  • Finally, in the THIRD game, the offense woke up pounding out TEN hits, including THREE homers (Abraham, Ty and Cal) and Marco posted another QS for the WIN

BOSTON
Hey! The M’s scored a total of 18 runs in FOUR games (4.5/game)
(unfortunately, the Red Sox scored a total of THIRTY-THREE runs in the same FOUR games)

  • game one: TEN hits, SIX runs (including doubles by Eugenio, Ty and homers by Dylan, Julio) should win it but, another rough outing for the youngster (George) and an even rougher performance by the bullpen, t’was not to be
  • game two: despite the still/recent torrid bats of Ty, Eugenio and Abraham and the decent start by Robbie (not so decent bullpen) – ya just can’t win it in Fenway w/THREE runs
  • game three: bats a bit better w/TWELVE hits, THREE doubles (JP, Mike, Julio) yielded FIVE runs but, despite the game being tied at FIVE for the majority of the game – the bp (Drew) gave up a triple and a single and what was the winning run, in the 8th
  • game four: ANOTHER nice start by Logan wasted – the M’s trailed the majority of the game, Eugenio homered to tie it in the 9th, Adam hit an RBI single to take the lead in extras – but, Munoz would give up a w/o GRAND SLAM in the bottom of the 10th

hs2 | Rays, Phillies

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The good news is. . .
they weren’t swept in either series (and TWO of the losses were by ONE run)
The bad news is . . .
they were only able to salvage one win in each series (and BOTH were by ONE run)

To focus on the positive vs Tampa Bay . . .

  • Jarred blasted his first pinch hit homer
  • Sewald hadn’t allowed a base runner in SIX innings (till this series)
  • Julio bagged his first big league triple
  • Adam and Jesse each recorded their homers as Mariners
  • Most promising of all – with friends and family in attendance at T-Mobile Park, George Kirby’s ML debut on Mother’s Day was a thing of beauty: 6IP-4H-0ER-0BB-7K

The only game worth noting in the Phillies series was the second one where . . .

  • Robbie retired the first TWELVE batters he faced and got the win: 5.2IP-2H-2ER-2BB-10K
  • the bats got going with ELEVEN hits; multi-hit games from Adam, Ty Eugenio and Luis

And, in other Seattle sports news . . .

Congrats to the Sounders!!!

And, THIS will be an interesting start to the Seahawks season . . .

I was trying to focus on the positive but, have to mention some really disappointing news re: Mitch 😦

Now it’s off to NY, Toronto and Boston – time to set the road on fire!!!