Tag Archives: Vargas

g146 | hey look, runs!

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Mariners 8 | Rangers 6

The offense had a bit of a break out…
*they scored early – Saunders’ single in the first drove in Guti
*they scored often – Ackley lead-off homer in the 3rd and then a walk and four singles = 5 more runs
*they broke a tie – Smoak’s solo shot in the 8th
*they added on – Smoak’s single drove in Kawasaki (pinch running for Jaso) for an insurance run

Jason had to battle his entire outing…
but, despite walking the bases loaded in the 3rd, he allowed only one run through five. Then came the 6th – and good old Mike Napoli – a 3-run homer got the Rangers to within two and got after Jason got the next out, he would be lifted in favor of Shawn Kelley who would get the third out. Though Kelley and Luetge combined to give up the tying runs.

The rest of the pen was great…
Kinney, Furbush and Wilhelmsen went 2 innings giving up TWO hits and NO walks
Oh, and The Bartender simply recorded his 27th save by getting FOUR outs

Brendan Ryan with another WebGem 🙂

Seager and Saunders have been having a great road trip and great to see Smoak coming through vs. his old team.

A win tomorrow = a series win and a “season series” TIE (M’s currently 7-8 vs. Texas)

g141 | swept asunder

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Mariners 2 | Athletics 4

So, I took a break from baseball today to watch the Seahawks opener (an exciting, but disappointing game as they had victory in their grasp and just could not hold on)

Looks like the M’s saw some opportunities wasted as well…
plenty of hits, including a double, a triple and a homer – but only 1-10 w/RISP

Good to see Jason with his second straight quality outing, after struggling a couple times -finish strong!

Off they now go in an easterly direction…
the first of 3 in Toronto will start Tuesday and then 3 in Texas

dog days…

g136 | Fenway NW a thing of the past?

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Mariners 4 | Red Sox 1

Congrats to Jason Vargas!
this win brings his victory total to 14 – a total not reached by a Mariner lefty (or, for that matter, any M’s pitcher not named Felix Hernandez) since 2003 (Jamie Moyer)

7IP – 6H – 1ER – ZERO BB – 5K
 
Elaine Thompson | AP

The Sox took the early lead on a Dustin Pedroia double (the ONLY extra base hit of the game) and a Cody Ross single. Buchholz was in command through the first three but, in the 4th, the wheels came off a bit and the M’s singled (3x) ’em to death, along with getting HBP, taking advantage of an error and getting a sac-fly. That would be IT and that would be ENOUGH.

g131 | uuu-GLEE

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Mariners 0 | Twins 10

For a change, I’m glad I wasn’t able to see this one… blech!

I guess they were bound to lose to a sub .500 team at some point…
hadn’t done so since 7/18 (KC) and, in fact, the M’s had gone 19-1 since the ASB vs. losing teams.

Jason didn’t have it.
The bullpen didn’t have it.
The bats didn’t have it.

Their stater was great.
Their bullpen was great.
Their bats were great.

Glad there’s an early game tomorrow so they don’t have to taste/wear this one too long.

g121 | 9th inning wins are fun (especially in person!)

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Mariners 3 | Twins 2

Kind of an odd game – but certainly a fun one to be at!
lots of hits, from both sides, but not a lot of runs for either.

Vargas didn’t have it all working but, he hung in and settled for the ND…
scattering 8 hits and allowing only 2 runs

Lots of mixin’ and matchin’ with the bullpen – but in the end, they got it done.

Great to see…
the THREE hits from Ackley
the DOUBLE and the HOMER from Smoak
the TWO hits and TWO runs from Saunders

Otto Greule Jr. | Getty Images

And, the TWELFTH game-winning hit fo the season!
(and yes, Eric returned the favor!)

John Froschauer | AP

g116 | Viva la Vargas and Montero Mash ~ what a battery!

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Mariners 4 | Angels 1

Lots to love ’bout Jason’s performance today…
-EFFICIENT – only 96 pitches to get through 8.1 innings
-EFFECTIVE – at one point, retired 13 in-a-row and faced the minimum in FIVE innings
-the only negative “EFF” was in the 3rd when he loaded the bases on scattered singles but got out of it via a strikeout of Kendrick.

And then there was the other side of the battery who provided most of the O…
Jesus with not ONE but TWO homers!
Good for THREE of the FOUR runs!
AND off a right-hander AND, not just your average rightie, we’re talkin’ Jared freaking Weaver!
In fact, TWELVE of Jesus’s last THIRTEEN hits have been off righties. Pro-gress.

Reed Saxon | AP

A bit of a switch-er-roo in the bottom of the SIXTH…
when one of the patented “Carp stretches” – that always looks painful – actually was. Figgy pinch hit for Mike (and got a hit!) and then stayed in the game at 3B, Seager moved to 2B and Ackley shifted to 1B. Later, Chone hit an RBI triple scoring Jaso (who had walked) to give the M’s the 4-1 lead that would hold up for Jason’s THIRTEENTH victory and the “new daddy” Bartender’s SIXTEENTH save.

KEY dp in the 8th…
even with the defensive switch – Seager to Ryan to Ackley

g111 | tough birds

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Mariners 1 | Orioles 3

So here’s the deal…
The M’s had a great thing going at home vs a weak KC and a struggling Toronto. Then they get to NY and split the first two, as expected, with CC and Felix dominating their respective starts. It was the third game that was a toss-up going in and, unfortunately for the M’s, they weren’t up to even their snuff, with Brendan Ryan out due to being hit on the elbow in the previous game and Mike Carp out for paternity. It really affected the defense (which had to shift significantly) and the offense, as Carp and, believe it or not Ryan, are two of the M’s hottest hitters of late. Anyway, they were on a bit of a role when they were all in their roles but, clearly when sh*t happens, depth is an issue. Carp was back (apparently just under the wire) for this game, Ryan was still out…..Waiver wire???

Back to the game at hand, which I didn’t get to see and barely got to listen to…

Viva La Vargas! 
Yes, he gave up yet another home run (something he is apparently very good at this season) BUT, he also pitched EIGHT full innings only giving up THREE runs in the band-box that is Camden Yards. Good on ya, July Pitcher of the Month, way to keep ’em in it.

The offense on the other hand, was less than steller vs. exM farmhand Tillman…
they managed SEVEN hits but, only ONE for extra bases (Thames double) and ONE run (RBI single by Kawasaki that scored Thames) and not until the EGHTH inning.

~ good Mune: the RBI single and the TWO hits that finally put him over the mendoza line (leaving Figgy as the sole batter mired below it)
~ bad Mune: lost a high pop-up in the sky(?) and tried, but was unsuccessful, in taking second on that RBI single

I did hear this catch live..

Gail Burton | AP

Mike Carp relishing fatherhood

“We were hoping she’d hold out for Anaheim or some stretch when I was on the West Coast,” Carp said. “But she wanted to come and there was no stopping her. I got in about 10 o’clock at night and there was no greater feeling in the world. There she was. She’s mine. She’s a sweetheart already. She’s precious.”

This, that and the other on an off-day…

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Congratulations to Jason Vargas….

Pitcher of the Month for July!!!

M*A*S*H update…
~ Charlie Furbush is making progress coming back from a strained tri-cep muscle. He should be making a AAA appearance or two soon and hopefully be back in the M’s bullpen shortly after.
~ Guti continues to have issues since his was hit by the wild pick-off throw back in late June (I remember it because while Felix was throwing an absolute GEM at Safeco Field vs. the Red Sox, I was at Cheney Stadium watching Danny Hultzen’s AAA Tacoma debut vs. Jamie Moyer and the Las Vegas 51’s). Anyway, apparently Guti has been experiencing headaches but they seem unrelated to the concussion and may stem from an inner ear issue. No timetable has been set for his return.

Streaking M’s???
SEVEN in-a-row and 14-6 since the All Star Break – gotta start sometime, somewhere…

and lookie here…
Felix + Vargas + Beavan = 11-0 in July
first time since 2001 that three Mariners starters combined for at least ten wins with no losses in one month. Can you say right track?!?

g106 | Jason stayed. Jason won.

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Mariners 7 | Blue Jays 2

I, for one, breathed a sigh of relief when the trade deadline passed and Jason Vargas was still a Mariner. He hasn’t been a model of consistency and, many point out his home/road splits (though he did pitch very well, and win, his last three road starts) but, he’s proven very durable and the M’s are going to need someone along with Felix as they start to bring up their young guns in the next couple of years.

Prior to the game, it was announced that Stephen Pryor and Carter Capps were called up from Tacoma to replace the traded ones: Brandon League and Steve Delabar. Then, to make room for the newly acquired Eric Thames, Carlos Peguero was optioned to Tacoma.

Dustin – first pitch – in the seats!

Lookie here!
a POSITIVE run differential!!!

Jason started well … striking out the side.
And finished even better … locking down his 12th victory and marking first time a Mariner pitcher has posted FIVE wins in any one month since Felix did it in 2009

How ’bout Brendan Ryan? on May 2nd his average was at .125. Tonight, he got a beer shower for the Herculean effort it took to finally surpass the Mendoza line. Some extremely encouraging stats…

  • 44 of last 84 runs the M’s have scored have come in the first two innings
  • Felix and Jason have combined to go 8-0 with a 1.83 ERA in July
  • over the last 13 games, M’s starters have combined to go 9-1 w/ a 1.69 ERA and 12 QS

g101 | the mendozas hits Mendoza

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Mariners 4 | Royals 1

The bottom of the order ~all hitting under .200 coming into the game tonight~ produced well…
Carp, Olivo, Peguero and Ryan combined for SEVEN hits, FOUR rbi, TWO runs.

Also good to see Ackley coming around…
TWO hits (including a double) and TWO walks. Something tells me he is  t h i s  close to breaking out.

Billy Butler’s double in the 4th was the only hit surrendered by Jason Vargas.
Billy Butler’s double in the 9th was the Royals only other hit of the game.

Vargas was great (was it his last start as a Mariner???)
Jason walked THREE but only gave up the ONE run and struck out FIVE
He certainly did nothing to damage his potential trade value. Though I fall in the “keep Vargas” camp – there has to be another veteran starter, besides Felix, going forward, at least until all the young arms settle in. While Jason has had his road homer woes, he has also proven to be very durable and is obviously a perfect fit for Safeco Field.

courtesy ESPN.com