Texas (16-12) @ Seattle (13-16)

TTown · Post #1 » by **TTown** » Mon May 2, 2011 4:58 pm

Alexi Ogando (3-0, 2.30) vs. Erik Bedard (1-4, 5.96)
CJ Wilson (3-1, 3.35) vs. Michael Pineda (4-1, 2.01)
Colby Lewis (2-3, 5.70) vs. Jason Vargas (1-2, 5.45)

I was hoping we'd miss Ogando, but what can you do. Bedard was fantastic in Detroit, and in truth wasn't bad the start before (also against Detroit, at Safeco). Hopefully he's turning the corner.

Bay_Areas_Finest · Post #2 » by **Bay_Areas_Finest** » Mon May 2, 2011 5:44 pm

Pretty important series here early on. Don't know what to think. I could see us sweep. I could see Texas sweep. I could see either team taking 2 of 3.

Just gotta hope for the best.

Post #3 » by **Bulltalk** » Mon May 2, 2011 8:28 pm

I'd take 2 out of 3 in a heartbeat.

Post #4 » by **Sweezo** » Wed May 4, 2011 5:52 am

Well, we've got the first one under our belt. Watching Smoak develop and continue to deliver is just a treat. Bedard's also starting to find his groove, along with Cust. As shocking as it sounds Cust has the 2nd highest OBP on the team despite batting only .205. If he just simply hits for a decent average, he can likely be an effective DH even if his power numbers stay relatively low.

TTown · Post #5 » by **TTown** » Wed May 4, 2011 6:41 am

As long as he's hitting, I'd like to keep Kennedy in the lineup as much as possible, too.

Pineda tomorrow! It's weird feeling... hopeful, as a Mariner fan.

Bay_Areas_Finest · Post #6 » by **Bay_Areas_Finest** » Wed May 4, 2011 12:57 pm

I had a bad feeling about the game after we could pad on some runs with runners on 1st and 3rd with no outs in the 8th. So glad League came through.

Big win. HUGE win. My girlfriend kept telling me that I was so nervous that it was making her nervous. I really wanted to take that first game, haha.

Lets go Pineda!!

Bay_Areas_Finest · Post #7 » by **Bay_Areas_Finest** » Wed May 4, 2011 2:48 pm

Nickname for Justin Smoak --> "The Smoak Monster" ?

I like it.

TTown · Post #8 » by **TTown** » Wed May 4, 2011 5:32 pm

L O S T

Post #9 » by **Sweezo** » Thu May 5, 2011 12:15 am

Not only is Pineda starting, now Cruz joins Josh Hamilton on the bench due to injury. That's quite a bit of punch missing from that lineup. Is this the first team that will be facing Pineda for the second time?

TTown wrote:As long as he's hitting, I'd like to keep Kennedy in the lineup as much as possible, too.

Pineda tomorrow! It's weird feeling... hopeful, as a Mariner fan.

Kennedy's alright, but I like Rodriguez. He has a little bit of power and I'm curious to see what he can offer. Kennedy and Wilson are more or less known quantities, while Rodriguez isn't.

Bay_Areas_Finest · Post #10 » by **Bay_Areas_Finest** » Thu May 5, 2011 3:21 am

Gutierrez needs to hurry up and come back. I'm sick and tired of seeing Michael Saunders strike out and choke with RISP. Christ. He sucks.

Saunders-Ryan are the worst back-to-back hitters of all-time.

Post #11 » by **Sweezo** » Thu May 5, 2011 4:31 am

Chris Ray finally gets in a game, and promptly pitches poorly while giving up a run. Get well soon, Aardsma. We need to get this clown off the roster.

Bay_Areas_Finest wrote:Gutierrez needs to hurry up and come back. I'm sick and tired of seeing Michael Saunders strike out and choke with RISP. Christ. He sucks.

Saunders-Ryan are the worst back-to-back hitters of all-time.

Saunders has over 500 plate appearances with the Mariners so far, so the "it's a small sample size" argument is becoming less and less valid. His career line is .212/.280/.335, and if you should me clips of at bats from his three seasons and asked me which season the at bat was from I don't think I'd be able to tell.

For all the talk of needing time or how he's been working on his swing, the last three seasons have been fairly similar statistically. Once Guti comes back, Saunders has to go to AAA. Either he goes down there and starts to figure it out, or he doesn't and I don't have to really care any more.

Bay_Areas_Finest · Post #12 » by **Bay_Areas_Finest** » Fri May 6, 2011 4:39 am

SMOAK MONSTER!

How about Brandon League though? My God; His splitter has been absolutely filthy. Completely unhittable. What a start to the year for him. Can we really remove him from that closer role when Aardsma comes back? I wouldn't.

Big series win. Needed this one.

TTown · Post #13 » by **TTown** » Fri May 6, 2011 4:41 am

M's take the rubber match 3-1, win the series.

Fact: We just won two series against potential division winners without getting wins in games started by Felix or Pineda. Kudos to Vargas, Bedard, and Fister are in order.

Fact: Smoak went 3/4 with a HR tonight, the man-crush continues to grow.

Post #14 » by **Sweezo** » Fri May 6, 2011 5:11 am

Another big win! And another series under our belts! Up next...the team with the worst win percentage in baseball comes to town.

Bay_Areas_Finest wrote:SMOAK MONSTER!

How about Brandon League though? My God; His splitter has been absolutely filthy. Completely unhittable. What a start to the year for him. Can we really remove him from that closer role when Aardsma comes back? I wouldn't.

Big series win. Needed this one.

Even Aardsma seems to realize League's on fire right now and may stick in the closer role for awhile:

With Brandon League recording saves in his first eight save opportunities and the relievers having pitched well as a group, there's no need for Aardsma to push his recovery and risk feeling worse than he does.

Aardsma said he felt tightness in his forearm after his second game with the Rainiers, and the arm didn't get any better during outings last week at Salt Lake and Reno.

"It's one of those things that crept up a little bit," Aardsma said. "It wasn't too bad and then it got a little tighter and tighter. We're being real cautious with it and it's getting better every day."

He made one thing clear: When he is ready to rejoin the Mariners, he'll need to earn his role and doesn't expect to return immediately to the closer job.

"It would not be smart," he said. "I have to pitch against big-league hitters and show that I can get guys out. I have to show that I can take a role in the bullpen. Brandon's doing a heck of a job."

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/may/04/mariners-notebook-aardsma-staying-patient-in/