Two years into a five-year, $64 million contract, Adrian Beltre has produced a .262 average, 44 home runs, and 176 RBIs. However, after the All Star break in 2006, Beltre slugged .552 with a whopping 18 home runs. Does this strong second half bode well for a turn-around in 2007, or will Mariners fans have to deal with 'A-Drain' once again? This blog intends to follow the 2007 season for Adrian Beltre, and the Seattle Mariners, and promises to hold no punches.
Somehow my math was wrong. I could've sworn that if the Mariners took two of three from the Padres this weekend they'd end the series at .500. Oh well, a game below heading into a series against the struggling Diamondbacks- who have lost 17 of their past 20 games- is well enough. The controversey surrounding former Diamondbacks pitcher Jason Grimsley admitting to using HGH- human growth hormone- has dogged the team, leading to not only a tiff between the team's franchise player and the front office, but has also helped the D-Backs slide from first to last place in the NL West.
Perfect. Just what the Mariners need.
The Mariners won the last two games of the weekend series against the Padres in convincing fashion, as they continue to prove that any Padres pitcher not named Jake Peavy is nothing more than a glorified batting practice pitcher against them. The two games were decided by similar scores, 9-5 on Saturday and 9-4 today, with a similar late-inning offensive explosion occuring. In both games combined, the Mariners scored nine runs in the last three innings.
That's what a team has to do to win ballgames- especially when your closer comes in and gives up four straight singles to knock in a run, before proceeding to strike out the side to finish the game out. Remember that game "Mercy" in which you twist your opponent's wrist until they scream out for mercy? That's not how you play winning baseball. You have to continue piling on the runs, and you can't let up. Two outs, late innings, fantastic bullpen by the Padres- it doesn't matter. The Mariners came, piled up some runs, and leave town winning two of three. And looking pretty tough while they're doing it, as well. The M's would have the NL West locked up easy.
In continuing fashion, both Beltre and Sexson hit well in the M's two wins, combining on a 19-6-8-2 line, for an average of .421, and slugged .842 with two doubles and two home runs. Much of that, of course, is due to Sexson's 5-for-5 performance today, setting a career high in hits in a game, and hitting two home runs to boot! According to the Seattle Mariners official site, this ties the team record for most hits in a game. However, Raul Ibanez rapped out six hits in a game versus the Angels is September 2004, so here's a word to the official Mariners website- update your shite all ready! Sheesh!
(It should be pointed out that Meche started that game against the Angels. Despite the fact the Mariners were beating up the Angels' pitching, it still took Gil 105 pitches to make it through 5.2 innings. Nice to know some things in life are truly consistent.)
It's been pointed out many times on this blog that when Sexson & Beltre hit, the Mariners win. Intrigued by this trend, I looked at how well Big Richie and AB fare in games the M's win compared with their losses. Expecting them to do better in games they win- as I'm sure that split could be found on any player on the team- Richie and Adrian combine to hit just .256 and slug .469 in Mariners wins. Fairly underwhelming numbers. But when you compare that to their performance in Mariners' losses- combining to hit .196 and slug .278- it shows the huge discrepancy in the prodcution of the big bats in the Mariners' line-up.
Much of the huge gulf in this split can be attributed to Richie, who is absolutely horrid in Mariners' losses. In those losses, Richie has batted 138 times, with 23 hits, four runs, and a measly three RBIs. He's hit nine doubles and nary a home run- not one! Compared with knocking in 50 runners on 39 hits in Mariners' wins, Sexson's slugging percentgae drops from a robust .614 to a measly .232. Beltre's slugging percentage, by comparison, only suffers a 70-point drop from .395 in wins to .326 in losses. I know what you're thinking and, yes, Beltre's slugging percentage sucks no matter how you view it.
Not content with his average being at .250 any longer, Beltre went 1-for-5 today to drop it to .249, his only hit being an eighth inning RBI single. Sexson, however, raised his average 14 points with his five-hit performance, from .211 to .225. And, in case you wondering, Sexson now has more five-hit games on the year than Ichiro does.
So, now the Mariners are off to the desert to take on the D-Backs. As pointed out earlier, the D-Backs are ripe for the picking and the M's should have no problem finally reaching the .500 plateau. Even the unhittable Brandon Webb, who had started the season off so well, has dropped down to mortal status as of late, losing his last three decisions and giving up 15 runs in his last 27 innings. Even the triple-digit heat should be no problem for the Mariners, as in six games at Phoenix in franchise history, the M's haven taking three.
So bring on the D-Backs!
Perfect. Just what the Mariners need.
The Mariners won the last two games of the weekend series against the Padres in convincing fashion, as they continue to prove that any Padres pitcher not named Jake Peavy is nothing more than a glorified batting practice pitcher against them. The two games were decided by similar scores, 9-5 on Saturday and 9-4 today, with a similar late-inning offensive explosion occuring. In both games combined, the Mariners scored nine runs in the last three innings.
That's what a team has to do to win ballgames- especially when your closer comes in and gives up four straight singles to knock in a run, before proceeding to strike out the side to finish the game out. Remember that game "Mercy" in which you twist your opponent's wrist until they scream out for mercy? That's not how you play winning baseball. You have to continue piling on the runs, and you can't let up. Two outs, late innings, fantastic bullpen by the Padres- it doesn't matter. The Mariners came, piled up some runs, and leave town winning two of three. And looking pretty tough while they're doing it, as well. The M's would have the NL West locked up easy.
In continuing fashion, both Beltre and Sexson hit well in the M's two wins, combining on a 19-6-8-2 line, for an average of .421, and slugged .842 with two doubles and two home runs. Much of that, of course, is due to Sexson's 5-for-5 performance today, setting a career high in hits in a game, and hitting two home runs to boot! According to the Seattle Mariners official site, this ties the team record for most hits in a game. However, Raul Ibanez rapped out six hits in a game versus the Angels is September 2004, so here's a word to the official Mariners website- update your shite all ready! Sheesh!
(It should be pointed out that Meche started that game against the Angels. Despite the fact the Mariners were beating up the Angels' pitching, it still took Gil 105 pitches to make it through 5.2 innings. Nice to know some things in life are truly consistent.)
It's been pointed out many times on this blog that when Sexson & Beltre hit, the Mariners win. Intrigued by this trend, I looked at how well Big Richie and AB fare in games the M's win compared with their losses. Expecting them to do better in games they win- as I'm sure that split could be found on any player on the team- Richie and Adrian combine to hit just .256 and slug .469 in Mariners wins. Fairly underwhelming numbers. But when you compare that to their performance in Mariners' losses- combining to hit .196 and slug .278- it shows the huge discrepancy in the prodcution of the big bats in the Mariners' line-up.
Much of the huge gulf in this split can be attributed to Richie, who is absolutely horrid in Mariners' losses. In those losses, Richie has batted 138 times, with 23 hits, four runs, and a measly three RBIs. He's hit nine doubles and nary a home run- not one! Compared with knocking in 50 runners on 39 hits in Mariners' wins, Sexson's slugging percentgae drops from a robust .614 to a measly .232. Beltre's slugging percentage, by comparison, only suffers a 70-point drop from .395 in wins to .326 in losses. I know what you're thinking and, yes, Beltre's slugging percentage sucks no matter how you view it.
Not content with his average being at .250 any longer, Beltre went 1-for-5 today to drop it to .249, his only hit being an eighth inning RBI single. Sexson, however, raised his average 14 points with his five-hit performance, from .211 to .225. And, in case you wondering, Sexson now has more five-hit games on the year than Ichiro does.
So, now the Mariners are off to the desert to take on the D-Backs. As pointed out earlier, the D-Backs are ripe for the picking and the M's should have no problem finally reaching the .500 plateau. Even the unhittable Brandon Webb, who had started the season off so well, has dropped down to mortal status as of late, losing his last three decisions and giving up 15 runs in his last 27 innings. Even the triple-digit heat should be no problem for the Mariners, as in six games at Phoenix in franchise history, the M's haven taking three.
So bring on the D-Backs!
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