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.
For the first time this year, the Mariners took the first game of a road series, beating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 4-1 in last night's ballgame. Over a third of the year has passed, and the Mariners are finally able to potentially sweep a series on the road.
This now means that although the Mariners have won seven of their last nine, they are still five games below .500. The Mariners' recent play has proved nothing else except that they are merely a bad team, rather than a god-awful one. It doesn't hurt playing three straight opponents that are below .500- the Royals, Twins, and now the Angels. Depending on how the A's, currently at .500, fare in the rest of their series versus the Yankees, there is a very good chance the Mariners may not see another sub-.500 team until the end of July, when they face Colorado in interleague play.
For the Mariners to have any stake in this season, they needed to win ballgames during this current stretch. They are, and as such you can't rule them out quite yet.
Adrian Beltre went 1-for-3 to bring his average back up to .231. (If he ever makes it to .240, we'll have a big celebration here at BBB!) The Mariners' win yesterday is more due to the Angels ineffectual offense than anything else. Jarrod Washburn put up one of his strongest starts of the season against his old team- 6 innings, 1 walk, 1 earned run, four strikeouts. An outing like that usually can't guarantee him a win. Instead, last night's tough luck pitcher was Kelvim Escobar who gave up 2 earned runs in eight innings, an error by Vladimir Guererro doing Kelvim in for his fifth loss in a row. But I can't say I'm complainin'.
The Mariners try to make it two in a row tonight versus the tough John Lackey, who's 4-3 record bears no reflection of the quality of pitching he's done so far this season. (In fact, it could be said that Lackey is attempting to do his best impression of Jarrod Washburn 2005 season, in which Jarrod went 8-8 but a had a 3.29 ERA in 29 starts for the Angels.) Lackey is coming off his eighth quality start, keeping the Indians in check on two hits over 7 innings in a 14-2 triumph, has a 3.06 ERA, replaced Gil Meche at #10 in the AL in strikeouts with 61, and leads the league in batting average allowed (.207). Still, ESPN has him projected to finish the year at 11-8 due to the lack of bats in the Angels' line-up.
Speaking of Mr. Meche, he allowed one run over seven innings in his last start. Of course, that was against the Royals. This year, Meche has been god-awful on the road, posting a 6.82 ERA, which includes a start last May in which Meche gave up 4 runs in 5.1 innings versus the Angels- and won. The Angels have been rough on Meche throughout his career, as Meche has given up 13 home runs over 77 innings in 13 career starts versus the Halos.
Although Lackey has slightly better numbers, he only carries a 5-7 career record versus the M's, who have hit .288 off him. Adrian Beltre, in fact, has hit one of his few American League home runs off of Lackey.
So, in trying to gauge how tonight's game will turn out, it's hard to tell. It could just as easily be a slugfest just as much as a pitcher's duel. Given the state of these offenses, however, I doubt the former. Considering Meche's problems on the road, I have a gut feeling that he'll be just what the Angels' bats need, and they'll batter him around for a 7-1 victory as Adrian Beltre goes 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and a deep fly-out to center.
Perhaps if I say it, the opposite will happen. Meche will throw a no-hitter, and AB will actually hit three home runs!
This now means that although the Mariners have won seven of their last nine, they are still five games below .500. The Mariners' recent play has proved nothing else except that they are merely a bad team, rather than a god-awful one. It doesn't hurt playing three straight opponents that are below .500- the Royals, Twins, and now the Angels. Depending on how the A's, currently at .500, fare in the rest of their series versus the Yankees, there is a very good chance the Mariners may not see another sub-.500 team until the end of July, when they face Colorado in interleague play.
For the Mariners to have any stake in this season, they needed to win ballgames during this current stretch. They are, and as such you can't rule them out quite yet.
Adrian Beltre went 1-for-3 to bring his average back up to .231. (If he ever makes it to .240, we'll have a big celebration here at BBB!) The Mariners' win yesterday is more due to the Angels ineffectual offense than anything else. Jarrod Washburn put up one of his strongest starts of the season against his old team- 6 innings, 1 walk, 1 earned run, four strikeouts. An outing like that usually can't guarantee him a win. Instead, last night's tough luck pitcher was Kelvim Escobar who gave up 2 earned runs in eight innings, an error by Vladimir Guererro doing Kelvim in for his fifth loss in a row. But I can't say I'm complainin'.
The Mariners try to make it two in a row tonight versus the tough John Lackey, who's 4-3 record bears no reflection of the quality of pitching he's done so far this season. (In fact, it could be said that Lackey is attempting to do his best impression of Jarrod Washburn 2005 season, in which Jarrod went 8-8 but a had a 3.29 ERA in 29 starts for the Angels.) Lackey is coming off his eighth quality start, keeping the Indians in check on two hits over 7 innings in a 14-2 triumph, has a 3.06 ERA, replaced Gil Meche at #10 in the AL in strikeouts with 61, and leads the league in batting average allowed (.207). Still, ESPN has him projected to finish the year at 11-8 due to the lack of bats in the Angels' line-up.
Speaking of Mr. Meche, he allowed one run over seven innings in his last start. Of course, that was against the Royals. This year, Meche has been god-awful on the road, posting a 6.82 ERA, which includes a start last May in which Meche gave up 4 runs in 5.1 innings versus the Angels- and won. The Angels have been rough on Meche throughout his career, as Meche has given up 13 home runs over 77 innings in 13 career starts versus the Halos.
Although Lackey has slightly better numbers, he only carries a 5-7 career record versus the M's, who have hit .288 off him. Adrian Beltre, in fact, has hit one of his few American League home runs off of Lackey.
So, in trying to gauge how tonight's game will turn out, it's hard to tell. It could just as easily be a slugfest just as much as a pitcher's duel. Given the state of these offenses, however, I doubt the former. Considering Meche's problems on the road, I have a gut feeling that he'll be just what the Angels' bats need, and they'll batter him around for a 7-1 victory as Adrian Beltre goes 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and a deep fly-out to center.
Perhaps if I say it, the opposite will happen. Meche will throw a no-hitter, and AB will actually hit three home runs!
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