M's 4, Rangers 3
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THE STATE OF THE M'S IN 7 BULLET POINTS
1 Sitting on an OPS+ of 112, and facing the Rangers' easiest pitcher, M's fans settled in for 8 runs by the ballclub and 3 hits by Ben Gamel. (True, the M's have only scored 8+ runs in 6 of the last 13 games, but they're still *THIS* close to 5.00 runs per game. In Safeco.)
We setted in for 8. What we got was zero runners past first base for, oh, two three hours real time. "Fate of the Furious" made thirty, forty million bucks during the time it took the Mariners to get a runner into scoring position. Tell me that's not microcosmic.
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2 With a 3-0 lead, the Rangers walked ten or twelve Mariners in the 7th to throw away their win. Takeaway: the Mariners play in an easy division. (With one exception.) They're now within a series, -2.5 games, of the playoffs, behind ... Minnesota.
From here, let's play two! Preferably with the Phillies, who have lost 8 of 10. Then preferably a 4-gamer with the worst team in the American League, which as you knew would be the Blue Jays.
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3 But that's the M's thing, letting pitchers throw bad pitches. If the pitchers are gonna. The Mariners' hitters are #5 out of 30 offensive lineups in the esoteric stat OOZ%, also known as fishing. And half of what garbage swings the ballclub has taken we can safely blame on Leonys Martin, who has graduated to slow infield rollers at Tacoma.
But maybe the Mariners are good because they've whittled their position players down to the best 10-11 in the organization. That's kind of cheap, but it makes the stats look good.
Also, note in passing while we talk about Heredia and Gamel. It so happens Dipoto and Servais have installed their culture. Meanwhile the two quintessential Zduriencik batters, Mark Trumbo and Brad Miller, are OPS'ing 63 and batting .198, respectively. Getting a new approach at the plate was approximately as easy as a liver transplant. But we'll take our chances with the new 27.0% fish rate, thanks Jack.
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4 We no sooner noticed at SSI that the M's have 5 good relievers than --- > Scott Servais paraded exactly these relievers through the OF wall turnstile. (The night before, Gaylerd sat in the booth chuckling likably about his 300+ complete games. Admirable, and the current career leader Sabathia has 38 complete games. True, in 1976 you weren't limited to a 2% chance of victory if behind by 3-1 in the sixth; they let you have a fair chance to come from behind and win. It was a better game that way.)
The Mariners' "new" lockdown relief aces throttled the Rangers like Rambo taking down a water anaconda in a 1980's mugfest. No, honestly, Vincent-Scrabble-Diaz struck out 5 men in the last two innings. Vincent's appearance was the goriest. Why hitters cannot SEE Nick Vincent's pitches -- even in day games! -- I don't get, but I like it. You?
Maybe Billy Zoom will be kind enough to explain what the optical illusion is all about with Nick Vincent.
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5 Kyle Seager showed his true colors, which are to hit the glory shot winning the homestand, and then stare blankly into the camera like Tim Duncan.
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6 Sudden Jean Segura had two hits and a walk, this on a day where Andrew Cashner was untouchable. SABRMatt solemnly swears that Sudden is perfectly capable of batting .370. How they're going to get him out .630 is what we'd prefer Matt explain to us.
This guy is a shortstop. Then again, so is Corey Seager. Let's keep track which one wins.
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7 Your comment below.
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Enjoy,
Dr D