M's 3-2

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PLAYOFFS

WC W-L GB
NYY-BOS loser 31-14
Seattle 27-19 On pace for 95 wins
LAA 26-21 -1.5 to Sea
Orcs 25-22 -2.5
TB 22-23 Doesn't count when you're under .500

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Q.  Is Dr. D worried by the M's Pythagorean splits?  They've scored +209 runs and allowed -204, which suggests a record more like 24-22 than 27-19.

A.  In this case, not so much.  For several reasons.  

(1) They are #4 of 30 teams in OPS+, and that's not just a cherrypicked stat.  They've got a near-elite lineup.  They are #16 of 30 teams in xFIP; their staff overall (including the Stars Paxton, Marco and Diaz as well as the scrubs) is average-mediocre.

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Fizzlers - Bottom Half, 5.19.18

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ROBINSON CANO

Somebody once said, even if you got a million, you don't got it to spare, know whatuhmean?  Robby didn't have $12M to spare, that's for sure, but he's handling the situation with great class and dignity.

I'm a guy who thinks that society judges steroids much too harshly.  From a legal standpoint, I don't mind their enforcing their rule.  From a moral standpoint, this isn't a violation that makes my top ten, as to complaints about pro athletes.

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Sizzlers - Top Half 5.19.18

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JAMES PAXTON

IceX threw out the question, 

Zeus’ amazing games are when he can punch out batters at will. Was today his standard game?

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"Amazing games."  Honestly, if Paxton is working briskly, executing both his fastball (ANYwhere in the zone) and one of his offspeed pitches (LOW in the zone)?  Then what you are seeing is a game-within-the-game as to whether he can get to 2 strikes.

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Fizzlers - Top Half, 5.19.18

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From a very healthy list of candidates, we'll pick out a few of our fave whipping boys:

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THE KING

From my point of view, the 1st inning Friday was a perfect example of the frustrations that Dr. D -- and Scott Servais and Jerry Dipoto -- have been talking about.

Time and again he'd go 1-1 on a hitter and then fling a fastball somewhere in the direction of the low-away corner - and miss by two feet.  It's an echo chamber I'm running here, or a tape loop, or pick your metaphor for lousy writing.  But it all adds up to the same thing:  Felix wanting garbage swings instead of crisp one-hop grounders smacked at his (very capable) infielders.

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One-offs

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MIKE LEAKE

Malcontent's view of the situation is as follows:

(1) Leake's cutter is best used sparingly, as a strikeout pitch.

(2) Probably Leake was so impressed with his 2017 cutter results that he scrapped his 2-seam sinking fastball (which he didn't like anyway) in favor of it.

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Cano's Suspension

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Dr. DL headed out to the ballpark Tuesday night.  (The DL part is more a Cruz-type day to day than a Cano-type see ya next year type).  Picture if you will his Mariner emotional investment banking around the Matterhorn curves at runaway velocity.  No joke, my hopes in the M's fortunes took at least 6-8 turns in an hour tonight :- )

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SAG 1 The M's had lost the ballgame late when he left.  Are they ever going to string a few victories together, maybe get a couple of games ahead in his WC thingie?  Probly not  (just talking about the way I'm feeeeeling)

JAG 2 His wife texted him to turn on the radio.  Uhhhhh?  Tied in the 9th?  (we're all quite familiar with the leap our hearts take in this kinda dealio)

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Mariners 9, Tigers 5

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After the maddening G-1 loss, Dr. D checked the box score fearfully.  Then the cowardly Dr. D remembered that his fearfully was just a flinch-fully, since this is a very good team we're talking about, for the first time in about 15 years.  Lo and behold, it turned out that the '18 M's had scored a Big Red Machine style 9-5 split of the DH.  James Paxton looms on deck.

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