=== Alex Liddi ===

In the 2nd, J.P. Arencibia knocked a sharp single into left field.  Except a 240-lb. meat loaf hurled itself airborne, picked the ball off like Petr Cech, and threw. him. out.  A vintage Brooks Robinson play.

Watching Liddi move around out there, watching his savvy around the base, I started to get a sick feeling about dogging him earlier.  That's okay.  If I start to drown, I'll step on G-Money's head and get a couple of precious extra breaths.

 ................

=== Jesus Montero ===

Wants to hit first, hit for power second.  Dr. D is choked with admiration.  Start the round with your 3-iron, and go to the driver only after you feel like you're ready for it.

As time goes on, Montero will feel for how hard he has to swing to clear the fence.  He'll anticipate pitches a little better, will feel the game coming to him better, and he'll just put another biscuit on it.

B'lee DAT.

........

Don' be bustin' him for the home run trot.  You never saw big leaguers making fun of Babe Ruth black-and-white video, clear the bases with a Sultan Swat and then tippy-toe around the bases real fast, arms high?  The Bambino trot is mass kewl, man.  

Smoak's 3-run homer yesterday was the M's first 3-run shot of the year (!) and tonight we get a grand slam.

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=== M's Homers ===

Four games ago, it seemed like the M's were lacking power.  Now they have four guys on pace for about 30 home runs:  Montero, Smoak, Saunders, and Liddi.  They've got 18 homers in 21 games, good for a 139-dinger pace.  They had a measly 109 last year and 101 the year before.  

With a little work, they could have a mediocre HR total.

.

=== M's Bench ===

Malcontent sez,

Is what I envisioned when I said bring on 3 catchers, with Chone Figgins and Kyle Seager and Munenori Kawasaki and Casper Wells, the bench should be emptied down to one (in-case-of-emergency) guy in virtually every game, some players are better runners, some are better hitters and some are better defensively.

Also, Wedge finally took advantage of his unequaled ability to call a LOOGY at any time. We have the ability to manage an AL team like an NL team, it's a tiny advantage, but for any chance to compete this year we need every one.

That'll do for us too.  There are very few things, in sports anyway ... that give Dr. D more aesthetic pleasure than a great bench, efficiently deployed.  I like the infinite feel of the variations.

You'd noticed that Casper Wells (.286 / .348 / .478) isn't swinging like he just got his eye socket crushed?  That Jaso is slugging .692 in his first few AB's, and that Kyle Seager is nominally a bench player at the moment?

Wedge was axed about Seager.  He'll play and play a lot, sez Sgt. Wedge.  Hey, if it's a clean 12-to-make-9 rotation, I am super keen-o with that.

.

=== Charlie Furbush ===

Everything about his max-effort delivery seemed ... self-defeating.  When he was a starter.

Now that he's a reliever, everything about his max-effort delivery seems ... so Dontrelle Willis.  When Furbush was a starter, they had time to stalk those centered pitches that showed up every now and then.  Now that it's him against you, one time, he's "effectively wild."

I wouldn't bet anything that I was afraid to lose that --- > Furbush doesn't become the next 10K reliever in the American League.  And he could give the M's a Scot Shields-type 100 innings per.

With Furbush, you're not talking about a Delabar, Luetge type rookie situation.  Furbush has 12 starts in the bigs, has been up and down, has been a big leaguer in Detroit and Seattle ... if he can throw strikes, he could be ready to go.  And strikes weren't the problemo.  Centered pitches were.  ... when he started, that is.

.

=== M's Bullpen ===

Two weeks ago, it looked like the M's had absolutely zero behind Capt. Insano and SrFrBoi43.  Now it looks like Furbush is becoming a go-to guy, and it looks like Lucas Luetge is about ready to get lefties.

.

=== Pennant Race ===

Taijuan Walker with a 6-IP shutout again tonight:  everything was a strikeout or a ground ball, a combo which is unpossible.  The scouts are simply swooning away with the vapors .... Look.  19 years old is how old Felix was.  And lots of guys.  19 is too young for the big leagues only in the demented mind of a procedure-bound dogma fiend.  We mean it in a good way.  

Noesi and Millwood have ERA+'s of like 50.  The kids' 7th years are banked already.  What is the blinkin' holdup?  Wouldn't a pennant race be fun?

.

They're all sizzlers t'nite,

Dr D