SLOPS TO ICHIRO for the dropped fly ball that cost Bedard two runs and seven pitches.  Coincidentally, the Mariners lost by two runs.

The ball was a low liner that hit him waist high, and he just had it go off his glove.  ... Ichiro also overran a groundball base hit, having it tick off his glove and get behind him.  

That's about five such plays in his last 50 games, compared to none :- ) his first 1,500.  I'm not worried, but am intellectually curious what is going on.

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PROPS TO BEDARD for throwing as well as he did under strange circumstances -- the 1927 Yankees, the dropped balls behind him, the umpire making several annoying ball calls in HUGE situations.

Erik Bedard always does exactly the same thing when something bad happens on the field:  he takes four seconds to stare blankly, and then he re-sets on the mound and throws a great pitch.  

... Bedard threw very well, but there's an asterisk:  for some reason, batters are fouling off his curve ball more than they should.   And there was a long drive caught in CF that could have made his line look genuinely ugly.

But Erik Bedard is a Grade A starting pitcher, end of story.  So is Jon Lester, who gave up 3 homers to Texas on Opening Day, and Lackey and Buchholz aren't shabby either.  Texas is just unstoppable at the moment.

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PROPS AND SLOPS TO THE 3-4-5 HITTERS, which we isolated out, here.  Looks to me like Justin Smoak might very well be a cleanup hitter this year.

One interesting thing:  Smoak Smashd two loooonnnnng doubles upon which Jack Cust did not score.  Both times it was pretty painful, and the M's are going to be playing close games.  It's a problemo.

On the other hand, an HR behind Jack Cust and a turtle-BB is an ideal outcome.  Is Smoak going to be hitting doubles or HR's?  The mainframe freezes up when we ask it this question...

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SLOPS TO THE 4th and 5th INNINGS - both times, the M's got runners on 2B and 3B, nobody out ... and scored only one run.

They tried to execute.  Holland stopped them.  ... Milton Bradley desperately wanted to drive Ichiro in from 3B, but Holland simply struck him out.

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SLOPS TO THE DOUBLES which didn't score runners -- Smoak's mortar shot off the deep CF wall would have easily scored Edgar Martinez.  I'm talking about Edgar coming out of retirement today.  

Amazing that Jack Cust played OF for the A's.   It just shows to go ya:  no* real-life problem can be reduced to one variable.

Ichiro doubled with Jack Wilson on second, and Wilson also didn't score -- Wilson went 2B to 3B on the double, and didn't fall down or get immolated by ants or anything.  

I'd like to know how many times a year that happens.  One base on a double, not immolation by ants.  Well, come to think of it, I'd like to know the ants thing even more.

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SLOPS TO THE HR RATE - only two homers in four games is worrying.

I don't say "a clear sign the M's won't play well."  Simply that we'll all feel better after a few dingers.

An AL ballclub has to hit 120 homers -- 3 in every 4 games -- no matter how good its OBP or its All-Star table setters.

Watch the M's HR's per game.  It's gotta move from 0.5, up to --- > 0.8 at least.

Don't panic.  The M's are 9th in the AL in homers.  We're talking four games.

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PROPS TO THE HUSTLE BOARD, which had the pitch count at:

• Seattle 139
• Texas 152

The Mariners are getting real good pitch counts even in their losses.  Sounds good to me.  Get 180-110 pitch counts in your wins, and 140-140 in your losses.  :- )   I'll take it.

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PROPS TO HAVING A BIG THREE.  I'm counting my Felix chickens before they hatch, so I figure if Michael Pineda wins tonight, we win the series.

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See you at the ballpark, er, hi-def screen,

Dr D