PROPS TO BRENDAN RYAN whose sac fly in the 2nd was 1) critical, and 2) technically admirable. That was a real tough jam pitch on which to get the ball in the air -- Ryan got it deep enough for Jack Cust.
Though his stats aren't there yet - he's what, 2-for-18? - I like the way he's hitting. And his EYE is 3:2 early, which is much better than, say, 0:6 as is Ryan Langerhans'.
.
SLOPS TO JACK WILSON'S ERRORS in the 2nd, which were the ballgame -- Felix woulda cruised through 8 and we'd a won, prob'ly.
At shortstop he made 16-18 errors a year, too. Wilson's great, and I don't really buy that his new position was the problem. He just dropped an easy catch and then threw a ball away. I'm not blaming the position.
Would like to know if he got yanked. ... if so, would love to see Luis Rodriguez. Or even Adam Kennedy, who's a surprisingly tough AB.
It's not that it would make the offense better than it has been; Wilson has hit .353. But it would make the offense better than it would be.
.
PROPS TO JACK CUST, who, weirdly, may have the ability to hit the ball through the shift. His BABIP last year was .350 or .389, depending on where you look. Last couple games he's been at it again.
.
SLOPS TO THE PITCHES ICHIRO IS GETTING; they're pitching around him to get to Figgins.
You can't make any short-term adjustments, because batting 2nd is part of Figgins' veteran entitlement. You can do the same thing Eric Wedge is doing: --- > sit on your backside hoping that Figgins gets the bat going as soon as possible.
.
PROPS TO ERIC WEDGE for giving Michael Saunders a fair shot. I unsay my complaints about Langerhans on Opening Day :- )
Hopefully Saunders' chance carries through until he gets a few righties.
.
PROPS TO ADRIAN BELTRE, who is providing us the benefit of his swings-and-misses at pitches outside the strike zone. Feels awfully good when it benefits our side. Fair's fair.
.
SLOPS TO THE LOSING STREAK. I've got a little trick at times like this: I change the subject. My recreation, until Friday 7:00 pm, will not involve baseball.
Ballplayers have to live with their results. I don't. :- ) For 51 hours, I'm moving to an alternate reality in which baseball doesn't exist, but basketball and good movies and good friends do. Then, suddenly, I'll move back to the reality in which baseball exists.
See you Friday, Eric!
.
PROPS TO THE SCHEDULE, which now gives us a series of games not involving the Texas Rangers in their ballpark.
Six rawhide-tough games, and they didn't quite go our way. We, and Boston, will carry on. It doesn't change the fact that we both got Big Threes and lineups that will go to war.
.
The M's might be 4-and-2 with Luke French, Carlos Silva, Yuniesky Betancourt and Jose Vidro ... or they might be 2-and-4 with Justin Smoak, Michael Pineda and Miguel Olivo.
I'll take the ballclub that is climbing the ladder.
.
Cheerio,
Dr D