Welcome Back, Kuma!
from the Mariners game notes . . .
AS YOU KNOW…Hisashi Iwakuma is making his 50th career start today, and boasts a 2.66 ERA
in his fi rst 49 GS (93 ER, 314.2 IP), but…DID YOU KNOW?…that his ERA places him in very select company?…since 1969, only 6 pitchers have had better ERA’s through their fi rst 49 starts:
Vida Blue, OAK (2.04 ERA)
Orel Hershiser, LAD (2.18)
Dwight Gooden, NYM (2.27)
Ron Guidry, NYY (2.48)
Alejandro Pena, LAD (2.62)
David Cone, NYM (2.66)
Great to see the comeback (from 0-2)
More than a bit disconcerting to see a 9-2 lead evaporate
A win, is a win, is a win (and maybe Lloyd need to get tossed more often!) 🙂
ON THE MOUND
The long awaited return of Kuma to the mound for the Mariners is finally over . . .
Back from the fluke injury of a “finger sprain” that occurred back before Spring Training, the M’s starter who finished third in AL CY Young voting last season wasn’t super sharp but, considering he only had ONE rehab start and NO Spring Training, it was good to see him give then the innings they needed (especially after last night’s extra-innings affair) . . . .
SIX.TWO innings ~ SIX hits ~ FOUR earned runs ~ ONE walk ~ THREE strikeouts
“This guy can roll out of bed an throw strikes.” — Bill Krueger
} Dominic gave up ONE of those FOUR earned runs for Kuma when an inherited runner scored after Dominic promptly gave up a homer in relief of Kuma and was unable to record an out (also gave up a another run) before being replaced by Joe who recorded an out via a caught stealing
} Once again, Yourvis seemed determined to “hit all the columns”, as he allowed a single, double, triple, HBP and a walk that resulted in another TWO runs scored 😦
} ‘Nando to the rescue! He got Altuve to fly out with the bases-loaded for the last out of the 8th and then, never one to shy from drama (much to Mariners fans chagrin!) he hit a batter to lead off the 9th but then went 1-2-3 to record his seventh save.
AT THE PLATE
~ Justin had the first hit off Keuchel, a TWO out double in the 2nd
~ Stefen scored the first run off Keuchel, after a triple, he scamperd home from Robbie’s single in the 6th
The batters REALLY had fun in the 7th . . .
~ Mike took a bases-loaded walk (his FIRST of the season and the FOURTH consecutive walk of the inning!) that tied the game at 2-2
~ They added TWO RBI singles (Stefen and Robbie), TWO doubles (Michael and Kyle) and a TWO-run homer by Justin to score a total of EIGHT runs in the inning and go up 9-2
~ every batter (except Corey who had an o’fer 5 day) scored a run
~ Mike, Stefen, Robbie and Justin combined for EIGHT hits ~ SEVEN RBI ~ FIVE runs
IN THE FIELD
* Kyle with great, diving play on a smash liner for the second out of the 2nd
* Brad with a nice, ranging play for the third out in the 3rd
* Nifty double play, Brad-to-Robbie-to-Justin in the 4th
tweets of the game . . .
https://twitter.com/SteveSandmeyer/status/462738563767869440
Compass Rosy 