Tag Archives: Cano

When it rains, it pours . . .

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First, the M’s not only lose their first road series (vs. Tiger) and lose Robbie due to a broken hand (hit by a pitch on the 13th)

but then, on the 15th comes the extremely disappointing news that Robbie has been suspended . . .

It was going to be bad enough to do without Robbie for 4-6 weeks because of injury.

Now, not only does the team have to do without him for much longer but, the reason could have a larger, different impact on the team. Truly one of the biggest challenges the organization has had in many years. It will be interesting to see if the team is able to pull together and if Scott and Jerry can pull the right strings in order to get the right pieces, shuffle the field, respectively to ensure all bases are covered for the rest of the season.

Mar/April in the books | 16-11

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Well, so much for my regular posting 😦

(my current commute, along with planning my daughter’s wedding – which we are hosting this September – makes for very little time to actually watch/listen to the games, let alone blog about them)

Hard to believe a month of games is already in the books!

  • March 1-1
  • April 15-10
  • 16-11 overall and 2nd in the ALW
  • one postponement (@MIN)

Team Leaders | offense . . . 

  • HR: Haniger (10)
  • 3B: 1 each – Haniger, Gamel, Segura, Gordon
  • 2B: Segura (9)
  • Hits: Gordon, Segura (tied at 34)
  • AVG: Cano (.313)
  • AVG w/RISP: Segura (.500)
  • SB: Gordon (10)
  • BB: Cano (17)
  • K: Haniger (26)
  • played in all 27 games thus far: Cano, Haniger, Gordon, Segura, Seager

Team Leaders | pitching . . . 

  • ERA-starter: Gonzales (5.02)
  • IP-starter: Leake (33.1)
  • K-starter: Paxton (44)
  • WHIP-starter: Felix (1.29)
  • ERA-pen: Diaz (0.63
  • IP-pen: Diaz (14.1)
  • K-pen: Diaz (27)
  • WHIP-pen: Diaz (0.63)

NOTE: Starters Mike and Felix each had ONE really bad game, James and Marcos each had TWO bad games and Erasmo has struggled in both of his TWO starts so far . . . hopefully, everyone can continue to stay healthy and get in the groove soon! The bullpen on the other hand – with a few exceptions has been great and Edwin has been other-worldly 🙂

Good tweets . . .

M*A*S*H

injuries seem to have subsided ~ knock on wood!

  • Zu was out to start the season but, has been back since the 20th
  • Lost Nellie for a couple of weeks early but, he came back with a bang!
  • Ryon was also out for a chunk of time but has a hit in every game since returning on the 26th (including THREE homers! in the last TWO games!)
  • the pitching has been healthy – just needs to be more effective 😉

 

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 . . . 

https://twitter.com/SteveSandmeyer/status/979561135706959872

 

my photos of the game  . . .

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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 . . . 

https://twitter.com/SteveSandmeyer/status/762140479316078592

 

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 . . .

g105 | a night of firsts . . .

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Mariners 5 | Red Sox 4

firsts

Guillermo Heredia notched his FIRST major league RBI via his FIRST major league hit (a single to LF) and his FIRST major league run scored (via Robbie’s homer)

Edwin Diaz recorded his FIRST career save in his FIRST appearance as closer (he allowed ONE hit but, ended up striking out the side)

ON the MOUND
Lost in all the drama was Wade’s quality start . . . 
SIX innings ~ FIVE hits ~ THREE earned runs ~ ONE walk ~ FIVE strikeouts

Donn went TWO full, giving up ONE run on a sac fly to Ortiz

Welcome to the closer role, dear Edwin . . .
He struck out the side (walking ONE) on a total of SEVENTEEN pitches, TEN for strikes to earn his FIRST career save (as Steve C takes a breather from the closer role)

AT the PLATE
Well, not much happening in innings ONE thru SEVEN but . . .
How ’bout that EIGHTH inning?!?!?

  • Zu leads off with a homer
  • Leonys, Luis ad Guillermo all single – and Price is chased on Guillermo’s FIRST major league hit resulting in his FIRST major league RBI
  • After Seth strikes out – Robbie hits a THREE-run shot to give the M’s a 5-4 lead (and Guillermo’s FIRST major league run scored) they would not relinquish

IN the FIELD

Nothing too out of the ordinary on either side and also, NO DP’s the entire game

tweets of the game . . . 

g97 | ‘t was a hit parade north of the border ~ whoa Nellie!

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Mariners 14 | Blue Jays 5

hit parade

NINETEEN hits!!!

ON the MOUND

Kuma not super sharp but, with some nice adjustments and ending with a quality start . . . 
SIX innings ~ FOUR hits ~ TWO earned runs ~ THREE walks ~ THREE strikeouts

Wade L w/his first career save and in the process gives the pen a rest . . .
THREE innings ~ FOUR hits ~ THREE earned runs ~ ZERO walks ~ TWO strikeouts

AT the PLATE

  • Every starter had at least ONE hit
  • SEVEN starters had multiple hits (including Nori, Robbie and Shawn w/THREE each)
  • Whoa, Nellie ~ TWO hits + BOTH homers + ONE a grand salami = SEVEN RBI
  • Kyle also with a homer (of the TWO run variety)

IN the FIELD

  • No DP’s turned (FOUR turned against them but, TWO of those scored runs)
  • A couple nice catches in the OF (including a nice throw by Nori that almost nailed a runner)

tweets of the game . . . 

g90-92 | Who’s your daddy?

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Awesome outing from Kuma in the middle-game they won (and Steve earned his 22nd save) but, little else to write home about in this series 😦

Mariners 3 | Astros 7

Mariners 1 | Astros 0

Mariners 1 | Astros 8

tweets of the series . . .