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THE SPIRIT WAS WILLING, THE COMMAND WAS WEAK, Dept.

Back in the day at Boeing, we heard that they tested airplane windshields by firing 600-MPH chickens at them.  Previously euthanized, we'd like to assume.  The chicken cannon may be an apocryphal story; Chase De Jong's outing was not.  No such pre-euthanasia luck applies for 23-year-old control artists who can't control anything.

You could see the seeds of an Aaron Sele-type attack, at least if you were rooting for the kid.  He threw a 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock curve ball with excellent late break and deception, so much so that --- > the first four or five he maneuvered into the strike zone were high ...and yet the Jays' subs still froze.

Of course, "the first 4-5 curves for strikes" were actual curves #11-15.  De Jong ran 3-ball counts on about half of the hitters the first four innings.  Considering that he was outmanned approximately Poland vs Blitzkrieg 1939, he battled gamely.  Nice makeup.

SOOOooooo... every pitcher whatsoever, he's going to have an A game and a B game.  This was a B- game for De Jong and the modern game is not forgiving to guys with short stuff who are behind 3-and-0.  Neither is Dr. D forgiving of Dipoto and Servais, because they had signalled 3 IP, 3 IP, 3 IP type setups through the Cheney Carousel.  

If they'd yanked De Jong in time, we'd only have lost 4-2.  Remember on Friday, chaps.  If Bergman gets you through three or four innings, count your money and push back from the table.

As it was, Chase De Jong shuffled off the field, hanging his head worse than Picasso's "Old Guitarist."  Don't do the kid any favors, Scott.

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BOOMSTICK 427 FEET TO CF

How exactly do you achieve a launch velocity of 111 MPH without getting the bat head out in front?  Moe doesn't even do that off the tee with his 454 and a golf ball.  (I don't THINK.)  So how?  I dunno, but I do know this.  Over the last 3-and-a-half years, that being 2014-17:

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Mike Trout has been the best hitter in the AL.  Then there have been four guys tied for second place:  Miggy, Boomstick, Josh Donaldson* and David Ortiz.  We couldn't have HAD a better cleanup hitter, couldn't get one now, and Boomstick makes exactly 50% of Miguel Cabrera's salary.  PLUS!! Like Edgar, probably BECAUSE of Edgar, he doesn't complain about doing it from DH.  Chew on that, Tigerfeebs.

On that same 2014-17 Fangraphs chart for wRC+ (about the same thing as OPS+), Robinson Cano has clocked in at #12 in the league and Kyle Seager at a lofty #19 in the league.  The New York Yankees (!) have zero players in the top 20 on that list; we got three.  Pity the fools once we get Maniger back.

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MIKE FREEMAN

Robinson Cano pulled a quad from steaming around the bases all day Wednesday; we fully expected Motter to slide over to 2B and Heredia to move into the OF.  When the M's bailed out De Jong with a slick DP in the first, Seager to Freeman to Valencia, we unnerstood.  With rookies giving up rifle shots all over the park, it's nice to have veteran gloves on the infield skin.  You Go Moe.

Still and all, Jerry Dipoto has this phrase "lengthen the lineup," right?  With Freeman at 2B, and Dyson at CF, and whoever at C, we had 5.5 hitters instead of 7.5.  It seemed like an every-other-inning shot at scoring.  Don't do that again, Robby.

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MOTTER #2 IN LAUNCH VELO 

Whistled a deep ball to LF that had maybe an .800 chance of going for 2-to-5 bases.  Steve Pearce made StatCast by converting his 20% chance of getting back to it.  He remains #2 among Mariners, behind only Boomstick, in average launch velocity at 92.0.  He must have upped that figure on Thursday.

Motter also drew a walk later, meeting his Joe DiMaggio Quota on the day.  (Joltin' Joe used to say if he did two good things a day at the plate, he'd had a good day.)  I flat out DIG the kid's GAME.  His field-level attitude (cheerfully adaptable) matches his swing (cheerfully attackable) matches his glove (cheerfully whateveryousay skip) matches his upside (cheerfully open-ended).  Your basic standard-issue DREAM backup infielder.

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MISSION:  2 of 3

Come home WITH your .500 shields or ON them, you guys.  They're missing Donaldson, Martin, Tulowitzki, Morales and *Encarnacion.  What, are you going to throw a series to the Rainiers next?

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BABVA,

Dr D