Category Archives: GameDay

hs1 | short but sweet homestand = series win!

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Yes, we will take TWO out of THREE every time! (and all ONE-RUN games, at that!)

2 out of 3

 

Mariners 2 | Indians 1

Mariners 5 | Indians 6

Mariners 5 | Indians 4

 

 

 

(covered Opening Day in  previous post )

Each of the second and third game saw the M’s earn FIVE runs (one short of a win in one game and just enough to win the other). So, in the two games combined, they had EIGHTEEN hits, FIVE doubles, THREE homers and FIVE walks . . . very decent production.

Mitch is on F I R E !!!

I know, it’s only three games but, still . . . fun to see him leading the majors in BA/OBP/OPS/SLG  🙂 especially since I picked him to be the best “new-comer” last season and he was off to a great start but, then got hurt (a couple times 😦 )

Speaking of injuries . . .

oh, Nellie! a homer in each of the first TWO games and then some freak accident, turning his ankle stepping into the dugout 😦

I-chi-ro!

spectacular wall-climbing catch on Saturday: Ichiro’s robbery

On the MOUND

  • James had a bit of a blip on Saturday (OK – giving up a grand slam in the first inning is not how anyone draws it out) but, he’s allowed a mulligan or two if he can just stay HEALTHY this season (please! please! please!).
  • Mike Leake had a nice > quality start in Sunday’s game: SEVEN innings – FIVE hits – TWO earned runs – THREE walks – FOUR strikeouts
  • Overall, the BULLY was pretty great. As mentioned, Eddie’s save on Thursday was a bit of an adventure but, Sunday’s was a gem: 1-2-3 SIT!!! The pen followed up James’ short and not so sweet outing with FOUR.ONE innings of HITLESS, SCORELESS ball!

So, really seems that it all comes down to health . . .

  • Seems like the new guys (Gordon, Healy, Marjama) really have a chance to contribute.
  • Kyle off to a slow start (but, then, you can pretty much draw up his season in PEN – slow start but great defense and in the end .260 w/25 homers.
  • As mention, Mitch is hot and Robbie’s not far behind, Segura should be steady.
  • Get well soon, Nellie and Zu!
  • And, of course the arms . . . please protect the arms!

Next up – short 2-game series w/the Giants in SanFran and then the Twins home-opener (another Thursday/Saturday/Sunday series) then off to Kansas City for three).

Go M’s!

 

g1 | Home again . . .

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Surprise, surprise!

Compass Rosy is still around 😉

I’ve definitely been a bad fan by letting too many distractions get in the way of focusing on the Mariners this late Winter/early Spring – but, no more! I”m going to do my best to keep up with our “boys of summer” this season. My commute now requires a ferry ride and does not allow for my to watch complete games on TV (let alone attend in person without special arrangements – like I made in order to attend this one) since I have to arise at 4am every weekday to catch the first boat off the island. But, will do my best to stay engaged and provide thoughts and observations as we go along in 2018 . . .

WELCOME BACK BASEBALL 🙂

Great to be back at Safeco Field for actual Opening Day . . .

I’ve never missed a home opener at Safeco Field – and not about to start now, no matter where I live! Interesting that this is only the second time in the past ten seasons that the M’s actually opened the season at home!

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Firsts for the First Game . . .

  • Win – FELIX
  • Save – EDWIN
  • Strike Out – FELIX
  • Hit – ROBBIE
  • Walk – DEE
  • Double – MITCH
  • Homer – NELLIE
  • RBI – NELLIE

 

 

 

And then there were the  firsts in the first inning . . . 

Robbie had the first M’s hit on the first pitch he saw, followed by Nellie who hit it out with no doubt on the first pitch to him.

With the M’s leading 2-1, a bit of frustrating drama in the top of the ninth . . .

Eddie’s first save was anything but boring: he struck out the first batter; then hit the second batter, who later advanced on a balk AND stole 3B; then he hit the third batter; then he struck out the next two.

In between . . .

Felix: 5.1 innings, TWO hits, TWO walks, FOUR K’s

Bullpen: despite Edwin’s drama, that ended well, they are looking good – combined for 3.2 innings, THREE hits (all off Nick) ONE run (Nick) and FOUR K’s

Skipper praised Mike (Marjama – not Mike Zu, who was scratched shortly before the game with an oblique strain 😦 ). Given the unusual circumstances – only his sixth MLB start and the first opening day start of his career, plus getting hit on the hand early in the game. He was able to navigate well through Felix’s innings and the barrage of bullpen guys.

Other notable items . . .

  • Mitch is batting 1.000 🙂
  • Felix looks ready
  • Eddie’s drama and Nick’s rough outing, the bullpen looks solid
  • Ichiro is more than a bit rusty . . .
  • Dee might need a few games to adjust to Safeco’s huge outfield 😉

Safeco Field record for attendance for a regular season game: 41,497

tweets of the game . . . 

 

my photos of the game  . . .

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sweeep!!! | Rangers at Safeco

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This series had a little of everything and every way to win: a squeaker, a blow-out and a walk-off 🙂  . . .

Mariners 2 | Rangers 1  Felix wins his first game in ’17 (a squeaker, of course)

Mariners 5 | Rangers 0  Paxton was AWE.SOME!!! Motter (aka: Motter Pop!) making his mark in Segura’s stead 🙂

Mariners 8 | Rangers 7  Kuma didn’t have it today – thankfully, the bully did! And, how ’bout that Mitch Haniger?!? He got ’em back in it with a THREE-run jack, kept ’em in it by robbin’ one at the wall . . . fantastic!!! And, the new found speed showed up in the 9th (Dyson with a lead-off infield hit, a steal and scored the tying run 🙂

Great series  . . . nice to get on a roll, let’s keep rolling on past the Fish!!!

 

 

halo sweep | heart-breaker finale

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The bats FINALLY came alive in the finale and just when we thought we’d see one of the final “firsts” (a starters ‘W’) the bullpen totally imploded . . .

a 9-3 lead in the 9th turned into a nightmarish 10-9 loss

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Mariners 9 | Angels 10

the positives thus far:

  • 3 for 8 w/RISP (after 1 for 7, and 1 for 6 in the first two games
  • Robbie breaking out: homer, double, FIVE rbi
  • Mitch leading the M’s in homers (THREE) and runs (EIGHT)
  • Gene leading the Ms in average (.333), hits (TEN) and steals (THREE)
  • Felix seems to have no residual issues with the groin, decent outing yesterday
  • Kuma starting out well (despite too many walks) and his lack of a W on Sunday was not his fault

the negatives thus far:

  • until today, the bats were cold as ice
  • the bullpen has given up runs in FOUR of the SEVEN games so far

Time for the boys to head home, time to stack up some WINS!!!

See you tomorrow @Mariners 🙂

g110 | sweet sweeep!

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Mariners 3 | Angels 1

3 brooms

ON the MOUND
James was awesome – pitching into the 9th and, but for getting hit on the elbow by a come-backer, would likely have recorded only the second complete game by a Mariners pitcher this season. Fingers crossed that it’s just a bruise . . .
EIGHT.ONE innings ~ FIVE hits ~ ONE run ~ ZERO earned runs ~ ONE walk ~ SIX strikeouts

Bartender walked one but, got the last two outs.

AT the PLATE
Only SEVEN total hits . . .

  • none for extra bases
  • all scoring in the 4th (2 singles and a sac-fly)
  • TWO of the hits were milestones (Mike Freeman’s first and second major league hits and the second resulted in his first major league RBI)

IN the FIELD
Shawn had a fielding error and the M’s didn’t turn a DP (had one turned against them)

tweets of the game . . . 

g109 | THREE in the 1st? so what!

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Every year, I’m so captivated by the Opening Day ceremony, there’s always a point where I realize. “wow, we still get to watch a baseball game!”. That realization was ten-fold tonight, as Griffey’s Number Retirement Ceremony was the ceremony to end all ceremonies (see post dedicated to that here )

Mariners 8 | Angels 6

trout

OK, how weird was that?!?
Trout w/ a THREE-run home run for the second straight game . . .
but, M’s made it moot 🙂

ON the MOUND
Unlike Felix the previous night, Tai (just off the DL) wasn’t able to get deep . . .
He failed to strike out at least one batter for the first time in his career and FOUR of the SEVEN hits he allowed were for extra-bases.
FOUR innings ~ SEVEN hits ~ SIX earned run ~ TWO walks ~ ZERO walks

But, Yay, for the Bully!

Cody, Drew, Tom and Eddy combined for FIVE scoreless innings . . .

  • Cody especially impressive, going TWO.TWO, allowing only TWO hits, NO walks
  • w/the weird way they score wins, Drew gets it, despite only facing ONE batter
  • Tom looked great, striking out TWO of the THREE batters he faced
  • Eddy earned his FOURTH save (though he’s slackin’ – didn’t K a batter 😉 )

AT the PLATE
TEN total hits including THREE homers and TWO doubles . . .

  • great to see Guti getting going – triple short of the cycle!
  • Guillermo’s FIRST major league homer
  • and, the big blast by, of course, Shawn O’Malley 🙂

(btw ~ I really did say “Do it for Jr!” Right before Shawn hit the homer to take the lead 🙂 )

IN the FIELD

Sparkling DEE tonight! Including THREE double-plays and TWO of the home run heros each turn around and make GREAT plays in the field the next half inning . . .

  • Guillermo w/ a nice running grab in left and a throw to double the runner off 1B
  • Shawn with a great snare and a “I don’t know how he did that” cross-body throw to get the runner at 1B (after which, a spontaneous chant of “Shawn O’Malley!” broke out)

tweets of the game . . . 

 

g108 | Felix scuffles in the 1st but, the King takes over till the 8th

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Mariners 6 | Angels 4

rebound

Very strange start to this game (both for me and for the team) . . .

I arrived at the ballpark realizing I’d forgotten my portable phone charger so, I spent the first TWO innings near The Pen, at the ‘charging station’ watching a nearby TV and listening to the Halos broadcast via At Bat. Trout hit the THREE-run homer just as I plugged in (and, of course the Halos announcers were giddy – little did they know what would happen in the bottom of the inning 😉 )

ON the MOUND
Yes, that 1st inning was exasperating (Trout just seems to have Felix’s number) . . .
But, was SO good to see Felix dial it in and go a full EIGHT (something he had yet to do this season) and, ultimately, get the win . . .
EIGHT innings ~ THREE hits ~ FOUR earned runs ~ THREE walks ~ SIX strikeouts

Eddy gets his THIRD save in style ~ THREE up/THREE down ~ all K’s

AT the PLATE
FOURTEEN hits ~ only ONE for extra-bases ~ Zu’s THREE-run bomb in the 1st

  • Kyle the only starter w/o a hit
  • Nori and Adam both had THREE hits
  • Seth and Leonys both had TWO hits
  • only a total of THREE strikeouts

IN the FIELD
* error by Adam but, an OF assist by Seth to get the lead-runner in the 5th
* around-the-horn double-play (Kyle-Robbie-Adam) to end the 7th

tweets of the game . . .