M's 2, 102-W Indians and Kluber, 1
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.... for the best game recaps, take off and cruise the 'net. For the Crunch on why the game played out 2-1, check SSI's posts and comments threads. This morning Dr. D can only heat the pot up, for others, though; the Denizens will have to fill the pot with the potatoes. Got other stuff goin' on. So just the whitest parts of the chicken breast to start:
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EDWIN DIAZ
As Bill Krueger pointed out, the day will come when Eddie can go 0-1 with a fastball on the black. When that day comes, it's lights out. That'll do for us too. When Diaz can routinely paint an 0-1 advantage, we'll relish a long long series of victory celebration type saves.
Until that day comes, you get the 1992 Randy Johnson: a kid who will pitch himself into trouble and who will pitch himself out of trouble. In his defense:
1) A 1-run lead is a Tough Save sabermetrically; against the middle of the Indians' lineup it's ... well ... something you couldn't do, brother.
2) Eddie's Three Big Mistakes: two HBP's that only just barely narrowly by the skin of their teeth by a whisker almost didn't touch Encarnacion and Chisenhall, and a "balk" (a pause too short) that might not have been called.
3) Despite these, Eddie saved the game. He can close for my ballclub any time.
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SIX DIFFERENT M'S PITCHERS
Is six different chances to catch a pitcher on an off night. It is NOT as if the Seattle Mariners have five different RP's with K's over 10+ and BB's of 1.37; they traded that man to the A's for the man playing in front of Dan Vogelbach. If you HAD five dominant guys and those guys had BB rates of 1+, then sure, go a hitter at a time.
Servais brought in Dan Altavilla in the 6th to throw 3 pitches and, completely out of gas, Altavilla hit the showers to be replaced by Scrabble who threw 1 pitch and yakked on the mound at the finish line of his own marathon stint.
Nick Vincent followed and that was the guy with the off night; Dr. D disliked the location of Vincent's pitches. The point is, when you bring in a RP and he is throwing really well, you should let him roll.
The M's won't do that because somebody read it on a blog; they're still run by "checks and balances" and a huge committee. Servais will go a hitter at a time and we will go white knuckle.
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BOOMSTICK BABY
The Ms offense gives them a puncher's chance. I read it on the net ...
Earl loved to get an offense that could hit the 3-run homer. Then you get up against a Corey Kluber and you can beat even him. ... oh, speaking of 170 PX
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MARJAMA's PAJAMA's
Servais said that Zunino felt just a slight pull in his last few swings and the doc said that with the off day Friday, 48 hours was ---- > the better part of valor. He sounded sincere. So until Dr. D hears different, he will take Scott Servais at his word and believe that the M's were mostly just being careful.
In the meantime, Mike Marjama took a hit to the hand by EDWIN ENCARNACION OF ALL PEOPLE and then spent the rest of the night taking fastballs to the mitt. I'll remember that pain-tolerance space opera all the rest of my born days.
If he'd had to come out, no, they wouldn't have handed Servais the catcher's gear for one last run; Zunino would have come in to catch only, and then stand at the plate like Eddie Gaedel (which see) for a bunch of called strikeouts.
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DEE GORDON'S NIGHT
In the 7th, a high pop fell into No Man's Land between the SS, LF, and CF, with Ichiro running especially hard after the ball. The pop looked awkward, it was handled awkwardly by Segura and Gordon, and it landed awkwardly.
Actually it wasn't really No Man's Land, because StatCast gave it a 93% catch probability for Gordon. So, that's one he's got to make up. First game in CF in front of 47,000 and either Segura couldn't hear Gordon call him off, or he simply didn't.
Gordon had a hit, a walk, and a base stolen that Segura fouled off. Ten degrees off subject: would you believe the M's out-hit the Indians on the night? 6-5.
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KING FELIX IN A WORD
Was the same pitcher as last year. Exactly. Do not doubt me on this. Exactly.
Well, there was one difference and it was pleasant. His changeup was -5 MPH to his fastball rather than -3. I thought he was throwing his slider all night but no, it was his changeup, separated more neatly from his sinker.
Which, last year his xFIP was 4.03, that being #51 in the AL and NL, right in a cluster with Leake and Bumgarner and Clevenger and Arrieta. There are worse things than being the 25th-best pitcher in the American League ... such as being Christian Bergman, and such as being the M's 40th-best pitcher. Dr. D will take 190 innings rather than 87 of that, and laugh all the way to Felix' $27M bank. Because ...
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THE PENNANT RACE IN A WORD
It is James Paxton that needs to rain lightning, and for 27-30 starts. He does that, the M's have a chance. To beat even Houston. One sports book has the M's with a 10% chance to beat the Astros (!!) and win the AL West. Even Baseball Prospectus has us a clear 2nd in the division, with a 7% shot at the division over Houston and a 28% chance to be in the playoffs.
Hey, Paxton wins the Cy, this offense is big time. And Jerry Dipoto has done very nicely for himself in the 3-4 starters. The SP's could line up 110-110-110 behind Paxton and the offense could lead the AL.
It could. Just like Mitch Haniger could rake three pro hits against Corey Kluber and just like Mitch Haniger could post 4-5 WAR.
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A 102-WIN TEAM ON A GREAT NIGHT
There was a play somewhere in the game ... Haniger had doubled again, that is hit safely again, and then Mike Marjama ripped a clean single up the middle to up it to 3-0 and the M's never looked back...
Except a blur named Francisco Lindor warped in out of lightspeed, sno-coned the single, whirled, and impossibly fired Marjama out at first. No insurance run for you, kiddies.
The Indians have SUCH a great team. And they played SO great on Opening Night. They just didn't have enough to beat the Seattle Mariners.
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My favorite moment of the game: Diaz threw a back-foot slider to Lonnie Chisenhall and it just grazed the uniform. The Indians were desperately in the dugout, on the phone, calling upstairs to see if they should challenge.
They did challenge, and did win, but in that TV image you could see an entire Cleveland organization bringing its every last artillery stick to bear against the presumptuous, upstart Seattle Mariners, and you could see the panic the tension in that dugout as they ranged the fire.
I loved it, man.
The Indians played SO great. Just not quite great enough, huh? Better luck against Zeus, babes.
Be Afraid,
Dr D