Miranda vs Musgrove: Cool Groks
a continued losing streak would be illogical

.

The MLB.com one-page snippet on tonight's ballgame.  The batter-pitchup matchups don't exist but

1) Miranda is perfectly fine as #4 starter provided?  The 2-3 deep flies in the game don't go over the wall.  Here's the ultimate synergy situation with three CF's and a big cold park.  (My friends had to leave Monday's game early because of the weather.)

2) Musgrove is a promising sinker/slider guy in the good sense.  His sinker looks harder than usual to barrel up and he mixes his slider effectively.  Also he has the benefit of novelty.  In a super loose sense you could think of them as their Povse, if Max Povse had a dozen pretty good starts in the majors.

3) That said, the 2 Astros SP's we miss this series are Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers.  Dr. D has it on good authority this is a positive thing.

...

Brent Stecker commits to the idea that the M's bats might have thawed beginning Sunday.  That is what it looked like to us in the Shout Box Monday too.  A quick reminder that Cruz and Seager are not one year wonders crashing back to earth based on scouting reports that booked them.

...

Bob Dutton points out that if Robinson Cano had been hurt worse by that HBP in the ankle, and with Jean Segura gone, then Carlos Ruiz would have been our last remaining infielder.  After him, Dan Altavilla maybe?  Nah, we assume Valencia 3B, Motter SS, Seager 2B, catcher plays 1B.  No, not the Servais guy.  The active guy.

I hadn't thought a that.  Mebbe Moe Dawg was right about needing Freeman up here instead of Heredia, if you're going a 3-man bench.   Meanwhile both Scrabble and Scribner had 1+ inning each, total, going into Monday and that doesn't even count Overton as the tailender who could take the ball for 4-5 innings any time if we weren't so into the pitching side of the matchups.  Siiiggghhhhh.

...

The Sporting News is considerably more willing to talk about James Paxton as BEING one of the game's hot young SP's than the local writers are.  :: smiles ::  Dr. D wishes he knew what was going on back channel.  It's not big thing, but it's also not entirely explained by "wanting to keep the pressure off" K-Pax.  Just idly curious whether it's because Paxton was Zduriencik's baby, or what.

But of course as K-Pax keeps stopping losing streaks, and countering gutpunches like Sunday's with his own majestic lockdowns, that will all be history in about a month.  Even Dr. D continues to marvel about the importance of momentum in the dugout during a SINGLE game.  A couple of Mariners said Monday night, as they often do, that "the confidence in the dugout" skyrocketed after Boomstick's RBI single.  Say what?  You believe in a game or don't, based on a pivot play?  That's what they tell you.  Consistently.

Logical, then, that a Randy Johnson* changes a club's self-belief on a more macro level.

...

Wishiker had an interesting comment about Paxton's uniqueness.  Hadn't especially thought of it, but he developed his foshball (89 MPH hard slider) as a survival pitch, and now that the curve ball is there he's got a weird 3rd weapon.  Maybe there IS nobody recent who looks like Paxton.

Zeus is again more than 2 MPH faster than the #2 lefty in the AL, Chris Sale.  And he looks like he's having a catch with his kid.

...

Jeff Sullivan with an epic 14-gif tribute to The Trout At Bat.  http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/lets-watch-felix-hernandez-and-mike-trout...  

...

Nelson Cruz said it was one pitch Sunday that gave him the gift again.  This makes sense.  If I'm out of practice in chess, I'll flail for 50 hours trying to find "it" and then it is exactly one move that brings the "Oh, that's right.  That's how you do it."

Here's to several more RBI from Boomstick this year.

Stay cool,

jemanji

...

*I know, I know, Paxton does not = The Big Unit.  You think I was brought to town on a turnip truck.

Blog: 

Comments

1

There's a day off in 2 days, which is day 11 since O'Malley went on the 10 day?  If you can't wait out Segura then it's Freeman, Taylor, Shank or Beckham requiring a 40-man move.

Leonys have strained gluts?  He's been kicking our butts.  Ok, easy target but he's not been as bad as the Silva I feared would have been.  1 black hole on offense isn't the same as 1 in the rotation.  Especially when they are that good defensively.  Still...

Time for a trade yet?  Someone from spots 26-40 so that another infielder can be added for the few days needed.  It's hard to vote the weakest link off the island at times like these.  I don't see an easy answer.  

Peterson is the most versatile on the 40-man that's not on the 25 or DL.  So he's the easy 3 day answer I guess?  Reward the .384 opening week OPS.  Not that anyone has a really good OPS in Tacoma.

Vogelbach at .785 is decent but he doesn't help versatility much.  Except by freeing up Valencia to cover other positions while Motter is stuck at SS.  Then hope Motter stays on the field as long as needed.  Depends how Segura feels when he wakes up whether any of it is necessary yet. 

But the 3 man bench idea shouldn't outlast this homestand in my opinion. 

2

Didn't we have a comment thread a while back in which we examined the first couple weeks of games, and said... oh yeah, that's where a long pen might actually make short-term sense? Time's a ticking, and that rationale will expire soon. I'm betting the move isn't far off.

3

Boog Powell needs to be re-instated from the suspended list today... so with the injuries piling up in Seattle, I would expect a few moves today.

Per Roster Resources, Fien has an option left... which seems odd to me, but??? He could be going down for an Freeman.

Not sure who goes off the 40 man, maybe the new pick up for the Tacoma pen Evan Marshall or maybe it is Fien??? We should know shortly.

4

Probably before the end of the homestand.  Steve Cishek should follow a week or 2 after, and Shae Simmons a week or 2 after that, and all 3 are on the 40-Man.  So the reinforcements are close to ready already.  I'm about ready to see Fien march off into the sunset already, but if he can be stashed for an emergency, I suppose that's fine.

5

I think Simmons is a longer project...he keeps having setbacks.

And Zych just got mulched in AAA rehab inning...hopefully he can sharpen up quickly...need to get guys like Fien and Vincent off the team.

6

It's German, man. The second vowel does the talking!

Sincerely,

Chris Siems*

*a totally disinterested party who in no way gets his name mispronounced all the time.

7

Listen, my name is German too...no one ever gets Souders correct.  Souders...as in ow...as in the sound you'll make if you don't get it right. :)

9

looking for early career comparables to Paxton's season opening pair.  What struck me was that the comparables were better at 1 year younger because it was a pair of complete games.  It's nearly impossible for Paxton to equal randy because they era is just different.  The bullpens are better anyway.  When did Randy have a bullpen half this good behind him?  Lou was likely to stay with his hoss and they same goes for those before him.  It made sense.   Consequently Paxton will often have 1-2 innings less in starts and that adds up.

10

I meant in his time in Seattle which obviously wasn't his entire career.  He had better bullpens at times after. 

11

Had a fantastic outing yesterday in his first start repeating Low A. 5.2 innings 9 Ks 0 BB. I think I like Wells potential better than about any SP in our system aside from maybe Povse who is more likely to reach his. Wells could be another shiny toy to peddle away sooner than later, much like Gohara. Hopefully the return for Nick won't be two broken things like it was for Luiz :( 

Speaking of Gohara he dazzled in his High A debut K'ing 7 over 5 shutout innings while hitting 99. It will be bittersweet watching him develop into a workhorse Ace for ATL a few years from now. At least I have a large pile of Gohara autographed RC to console myself with :)

http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/luiz-gohara-shows-frontline...

12

Wells even over Neidert? He just finished 6 1-hit innings with 8Ks for his first win this year.   No free passes. At 20.4 he's only the 9th youngest in his league.

13

There are a couple factors why. When somewhat close (age, velocity, etc...) I'll always choose 1) the taller pitcher and 2) always, ALWAYS the LHP over the RHP.

Wells still might have room to add velocity, or at least more muscle to maintain it longer. The ceiling looks a good deal higher if Wells polishes it all up and follows a Daniel Norris type progression. Or maybe Wells and Norris both continue to be too wild to be SP. Neidert a better % chance of being an effective MLB pitcher, but in this instance I just have a good gut feeling about Wells sneaking up on us.

14

Another 6 innings tonight, 2 hits, 1 BB, 5 K's, 0 runs. 90 pitches/54 strikes.  He was 6 innings, 1 hit, 2 BB and 7 K's, 93 pitches/58 strikes in his first start.  Not sure if he's getting better or worse!  :)

Bullpen gave up 6 in the 7th to blow his W, however.

2-game total: 12 innings, 3 hits, 3 BB, 12 K, 0 runs:  0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP.  That'll do.

I think we're seeing a guy who has learned to miss the plate, barely miss it, when he wants to.

He'll pitch in The Show this year.

Povse is on the mound tomorrow.  He's good, too.

So is Neidert.

Young arms galore, but I'm an Andrew Moore man.

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