Seattle Sports Insider

M's 1, Astros 2

GAMEFLOW

Lance McCullers came out breathing Smaug-fire in the first three innings. In fact Krueger compaed his curve to Nolan Ryank's mid high 80's curve, and against a located 94 MPH there's another three innings you're not going to do anyhing.

Reminded you of the first 2 Mariners games ever played, where Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana pole-axed the expansion M's by 2-0 and 7-0 or somesuch. The M's won the third and my dad shrugged, "well, the Angels have two pichers."

...

Iwakuma was on his game too, however, and he allowed only strange off-field HR. After the first three innings, we had a 1-0 playoff game tension.

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M's Lose a Battle, Win a War

THE FABRIC OF BASEBALL HISTORY IS WRITTEN ON CY YOUNG CLOTH, Dept.

There were a lot of things you liked about the M's 0-3 loss. The only thing to dislike was that Dallas Keuchel was unhittable. To turn a phrase against myself: the AL West better hope that was just a 12-for-16 shooting night by square beard.

It's one thing to have an invisible breaking pitch, like Keuchel's disappearing changeup. Which was, I think, as good or better than Felix' changeup on his best day. But it's another thing when your fastball location is ALSO nicking the black whenever you want.

Jered Weaver used to be as frustrating as that when he was at his best. Jamie Moyer had the same control but was less AGGRAVATING; Jamie would move the pinpointed fastball around, jam people, go outside, pound the knees. Jered would just hit the low-away black time and again. Keuchel did that and then he started getting that Tom Glavine pitch even off the plate. It just has an arrogant feel to it that burns the lining of Dr. D's soul. GRRRRRRRRRR

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M's vs Astros, Game 1

SSI WORST WAGER TALLY SO FAR

WORST WAGER: you can't get any worse of a bet than this dude; the sooner they pull the plug the better, regardless of any lucky QS in April: -6 = Taro, Dr. D, Seattle Sports, KingCorran, Nathan H (unless he's also "Seattle Sports .. "), SABRMatt.

JUST MIGHT SURPRISE, DON'T BE SO HASSSSTY: +5 = Malcontent the Minority Whip, with Billy Zoom, Sherminator, Jerry Dipoto and Electrokraken.

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M's Go to War

SWEET LOU

Coming from the Yankees, Lou used to grouse that the Mariners never "brought north the club they wanted to go to war with." This year we're rolling. With one notable roster exception, the M's are ready to throw hands. No, the bullpen isn't a weakness in the broad sense; they've got a super-closer and some arms behind that. It may not be the 1997 Orioles but it's not a weakness as such. Now, if we're talking weaknesses:

HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED

In his last TV start just now, threw like an MLB(TM) Innings Eater. Granted, his strikeout total was 0. Dr. D has grave doubts about the total being noticeably different at the end of the year. But in this one, he did take full advantage of the Rockies' disinterest in the game, filled the strike zone with 4 Innings Eater(TM) pitches, and THREW A SHUTOUT TAKE THAT DR. D YOU HACK.

You could actually visualize him using a 14-second pace and making rushed hitters bang one-hop shots at Kyle Seager for five innings.

So Dr. D racked his brain for other RHP's with 89 fastballs, 4 pitches, and high walk rates who did good. ... OK, so none exist. Well, Ismael Valdez existed. That's the last guy like Gallardo we remember who survived a season with that kind of approach ... Valdez was a star in the mid-90's, lost his fastball and stuff, and went like 10-12, 4.50 a couple years. Hmmm... Mark Portugal? Carl Pavano ... no, Pavano didn't walk guys.

Anyway, with Gallardo's majestic 3-inning triumph the other day, we'll re-tally the votes as to "he just might surprise you:"

-3 = Taro, Dr. D, Seattle Sports ... versus

+6 = Billy Zoom, Moe Dawg, Sherminator, Jerry Dipoto and please remind me the other two. (Krakin' and ... )

Voting open until HWMNBN's first start.

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M's Make their Move towards being a Bat-First Ballclub

1,000 RUNS

There was a paper airplane flown in from the bleachers with a suggestion written on it in felt-tip marker: 1,000 RUNS! Which you might take as meaning (a) 1,000 runs or (b) best offense in baseball. 1,000 runs is a very lofty goal; only one team since 1950 has done it, that being Lofty's 1999 Indians which had Alomar, Manny and Thome in the MOTO. Still, that team won 97 games despite a dead-on mediocre pitching staff.

That 1999 Indians team didn't even have Joey Belle; what it did have was the older Travis Fryman, and Harold Baines, and Einar Diaz, holding up their ends (about 80 OPS+) to not ruin what the first six were doing. Do you like our chances to do that too? From Leonydas - Zuumball - ZoomByYa?

In terms of things turning out well for the 2017 Mariners... Dr. D and Matt have already Best Bet-ted the Maniger. Also like what we see from Dyson; surprisingly good swings on lefties. Segura looks totally legit. Valencia, guess we'll trust dee poet. Zuumball, will be interesting to see. Your choice would be?

Think I'd have to go with Maniger. Like we sez, the lad seems to do EVERY thing right.

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Scraping the Sides of the Mayo Jar

BOB DUTTON KNOWS 6 THINGS we might have liked to know when we started this thing a month ago. One of which is, Felix seems willing to throw pitches suited to his new incarnation. From that reporter, at least.

Jean Segura plays shortstop good. ... Apparently 30 days ago, the consensus was that Segura had been moved off short more because he was age 26, than out of any real desire to help the ballclub. Nope. Segura can pick it.

WIN NOW means that if you're having trouble hitting easy pitches one week out, you can go have trouble hitting easy pitches in AAA.

And "If Mitch Haniger bats .260+ with 20 homers and 70+ RBI, then suddenly, that lineup is as good as any around."

OF ALL THE THINGS ANDREW KITE is most fearful of, number one is the Mariners' rotation. He doesn't specify, but he's got a "soggy" feeling about these five. Some Denizens agree. You know what we ought to do about shtick like Drew Smyly pulling up lame: we oughta "layer" the depth.

Speaking of which, right now the most likely pitcher for game 4 is ---- > Drew Smyly. That could change. Point is, Smyly hasn't been MRI'ed with a rotator cuff. The (first) MRI found nuttin'.

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Byte Sized Nuthin

HISASHI IWAKUMA

The Mariners spent the day not wanting to be there. Dr. D spent the night, not wanting to type. Ryan Rowland-Smith waved off Iwakuma's walks (and velocity) as "a low-energy situation." Mike Zunino chuckled it off as a mechanical thing, like balance, and that Iwakuma would get it squared away.

Dr. D's worry factor: 0. Well, if Our Local NPB Star tops out at 85 on day two, then my worry factor will exceed 0. I don't expect that it will.

So as far as this morning's coffee goes, like they used to say in NFL Street, how about a Big Helpin A NOTHIN'.

CLAYTON KERSHAW

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Just What the Mainframe has Wanted to See

KING FELIKKKKs

For 2 innings, it coulda been an Ultra Quality Start from 2015:

Explosive lower half drop and drive (as Hyphen pointed out)
Crisp fastball -- acceptable depth, late bite, nice location and touch
Best yakker he's ever had
Dry spitter had the late drop. Not 2014 maybe but I'll go with 2015
Pitch sequences maybe not epic, but certainly TOR

This comes on the heels of two other good games. The last one? Blowers said he was sitting behind home plate, watching Felix spin curves and spitters, and the universal agreement was "even at 90-91, he's one of the game's stoppers." Not that it's the gospel truth that Felix will remain a Cy contender, but --- > Dr. D has always believed that with Felix' offspeed stuff, he'll figure SOMEthing out.

The game before that (check me) was the WBC.

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Talks and Groks, 3.28.17

HIT THAT LIKE BUTTON Dept.

We sez, if you'll throw a line or two in the comments, we'll try to be as daily as possible. That way, we both get to read baseball with our morning java. Dr. D maybe wasn't much in the mood, but this thread is here 'cause you did hit the like button. So, you have only yourselves to blame for the following inane shtick. That, and we wanted to change the subject off His Heebie-Jeebie'ness.

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Gallardo on 3.27.17

WE CAN STILL BE FRIENDS, Dept.

We watched the first 9 pitches, shut the TV off, and sat down to vent in this article. So there's all kinds of chance that the following could be off track.

....

AND --- > If you think Gallardo deserves a chance, and he gets nuked until he glows, it is ZERO reflection on your baseball judgment, fellow Denizen. During the season, we ain't going to gloat and we ain't going to rub it in. If the mushroom cloud occurs on schedule, that is. If Game 5 is blown to the Angels by 11-0, we'll probably just let the pitching pass without comment. It's at that point for me.

Seriously, we all get some of them wrong and some of them right. If Gallardo gives us some Quality Starts, I won't feel weird. Like, Brandon Maurer RP, Smoak, Ackley etc etc were bad calls on my part. Craig Wright said, this is an industry where if you get 60% right, you lead the field. Hopefully there will be counters in the comments even to this sordid hit piece. ;- ) If you are undeterred by today's box score, good on you!

Malcontent's article is sound, data-driven, and remains a valuable "Case For." Nothing against that guest post for sure. Keep it comin'.

....

Dr. D watched 2 hitters in a spring training game. Slop happens. If you want to retain hope here, just treat the below as a comedy article.

Okay, you've had your warning. Stretch and do a little cardio before you read an SSI hit piece. Or you'll pull something. The +3 -5 type voting on Gallardo is hereby suspended, unless you amigos want us to keep it going.

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