Talk about the weakest way to lose a 1-0 ballgame. Stumbling off a mound? That's how Jamie Moyer's going to lose this beauty of a start? Especially when you consider that it had been nearly ten years since his last balk?

Boy, the Mariners sure are finding all sorts of new ways to lose ball-games this season, aren't they?

Of course, if they had just hit a home run, it would've been a 1-1 tie and who knows where it would've gone from there. However, that would require a home run, and that sure aint happening with this bunch of jokers.

While listening to the ball game on the radio, I became aware of some contests and sponserships that the Mariners do during their radio broadcast of games. One is the 'Taco del Mar Home Run Inning' in which one "lucky" fan submits the inning of a game in which they think a Mariner would hit a home run. Everytime I hear Rick Rizz read the fan's name on the air I think to myself, "You fool! You really think the Mariners will hit a home run in this inning!?!?!" Then I laugh uproariously to myself. Sometimes I wonder how I would fill out such an entry slip to the Taco del Mar contest- would it be possible to write that I don't think a Mariner will hit a home run in any inning of any upcoming game? Or could I be more specific, and say, like, "I find it highly doubtful that Adrian Beltre will hit a home run in this Sunday's game versus the Angels." If Beltre were to be homerless, would that get me a taco?

Also, I have to fel sorry for the kids at Zion's Prep Academy in Seattle. According to the radio braodcasts, the Mariners contribute a certain amount- $100 I believe- to the Academy for each home run hit. Upon making that announcement, Rick or Ron or Dave or whoever thanks the M's for helping out the community. One problem though: the Mariners never hit any freakin' home runs! It's a wonder that Zions Prep Academy isn't bankrupt yet!

Anyways, how did Beltre do? Admist the flailing bats of the Mariners versus Scott Kazmir and the Tampa bay Devil Rays (11 strikeouts for the D-rays in total) it's no surprise that Beltre went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. His last out, however, was the toughest. In the ninth inning, Raul Ibanez hit a lead-off double, only to have Sexson and Everett follow with strike-outs. Beltre smacked the first pitch down the third base line, and with the rise in Niehaus's voice I thought Bad Bad Beltre had turned into Bad-Ass Beltre and tied the game up. Nope. Third baseman Julio Lugo smothered the ball and threw Beltre out.

Sigh.

Random musings on the game: According to the AP recap, Jamie Moyer "yelled a one-word admonishment at himself" after committing the balk. I wonder what that "one word admonishment" was? My guess: "Kittens!".... What kind of name is Kazmir? You gotta admit, that's a pretty cool name. It makes me wish that starting pitchers could have theme music play similar to batters stepping up, just so we could've heard Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" being blasted from the Safeco Field's sound system. Or at least have a touch of the mighty Zep riff play every time one of the announcers said his name, similar to how the horses reacted to every mention of Frau Blucher's name in "Young Frankenstein".... Speaking of personalized theme music, I just realized that Willie "Ute" Bloomquist's song is Nirvana's "In Bloom." That's really fucking cool.

See ya in Anaheim, let's hoping the M's can take two of three from the reeling Angels again. I'm going to be realistic and say they take one of three this weekend....