Big Fun, Dept.
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The least trite thing you could do, at this particular moment, is to ask what is good. We're sure that other blogs are giving you everything else. Okay, then... reasons to buy a ticket Friday, to take a sip of lemon water as it were, and to take a bite of spaghetti tasting it freshly?
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The 2012 Oakland A's, who won the division ahead of Texas and Oakland, had a 9-game losing streak in late May. It took them to 22-30 ... and they didn't start winning immediately after that, either. They parlayed their record into a 26-35 on June 10, and they were still well under .500 as the All-Star break approached.
162 games is a long time. It's a cliche, and it's also a relevant point. Memphis was down 18 in the 3rd quarter in game two, and they didn't sit down and calculate their chances of winning. They ignored their calculators and played ball.
That's what the M's, and M's fans, should do. Take focus off the standings, and put focus on the Texas series. It's a cliche: it's also the Zen thing to do. You are in control of exactly one thing: what you pay attention to. The world turns on the fact that [what is in your mind at this moment] is 100% free will. You can use that.
I was told about a Buddhist monk (yes, really) who set himself on fire, burned to death, and didn't move while doing so. Personally, I did not achieve motionlessness during the last six games. But the Buddhist had nominally more practice than I've had.
... Obviously the 4-game conflagration in Cleveland left the M's in triage, and they barely rolled over while the Angels administered the mercy impalement. What the patient M's fan is waiting for, is a winning streak, a hot roll. It's not like this team doesn't have talent.
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Looking around the AL ... personally, I'll grant Texas the division at this point, but am not overwhelmed with the other teams in the division; either could finish under .500.
Supposing that Boston is for real ... you've still got openings. Either Detroit or Cleveland, probably Cleveland, looks likely to win fewer than 90 games. Baltimore of course was a Pythagorean fluke last year. As to the Wild Card being out of reach, if the M's start winning, get to +10 over .500, they'll be in it. Wayyyy too early to panic. It's May, not July.
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CAN the M's get it rolling?
They had a team meeting after the game; the last one followed a horrible performance in Houston and kicked off an excellent stretch of winning 5.5 series from 6. They've got talent. The games against the Angels, those pretty clearly WERE a state-of-mind issue. As an M's fan, I'm thinking, bring a new state-of-mind Friday and let's go.
Let's just suppose that they could poach a win with Safeco Joe on Friday; then they've got their two Cy Young aces in the two games after that. Maybe Felix and Iwakuma could muscle 2-1, 3-2 wins against the Rangers.
After that there is San Diego, running their 85 ERA+ and ... well, you've got to see their rotation to believe it. They are #15 in the NL in pitching strikeouts and #15 in the NL in pitching walks. But after you get past that, their pitching stats get ugly.
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I agree with you guys, that with the day off it would be a great time to infuse two new players and with them, a type of re-boot. If I called up Nick Franklin, he'd be in there. He doesn't have to get on base twice in order to lift a few eyebrows and instill a sense of danger in the current dugout.
The other spot where Dr. D would Bring It, instanter, would be that #5 SP slot. There are times when a 27/5 control ratio is misleading, and one of those times is when you are giving up TWO TIMES as many homers as constitute "gopheritis." For me, Aaron Harang has outlived his usefulness; I'd rather invest the time in James Paxton (13 K and 1 BB his last two starts) or even, failing that, Hector Noesi or Blake Beavan.
It says "to be determined" on the M's site where Aaron Harang's start should be. Wonder if that's intentional.
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Nick Franklin had two hits on Wednesday, has an OBP of .448 on the season, and has 29 walks against 19 strikeouts. Any friend of 29 BB's and 19 K's is a friend of Dr. D's. That EYE ratio itself is more than reason enough for us to quietly begin infiltrating the air ducts at Safeco.
PCL pitchers are too smart to throw him a strike. AL pitchers would be unsuspecting, as they were against Alvin Davis in 1984, when Mr. Mariner opened his career by slugging .700 in his first couple of months. Nobody knew he could hit.
;- )
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