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.
Well, one team had to lose. Unfortunately it was the Mariners, who dropped the opening game of the three-game series to the Los Angeles Angels, 8-4.
Two things did in the Mariners in last night's ballgame: bad luck with runners on base, and the "pitching" of Miguel Batista. The M's were able to put runners on against Angels starter Joe Saunders, but were unable to do anything afterwards. Saunders, the only pitcher in major league baseball who is an alum from Virginia Tech, had a gritty performance in last night's game to honor the shootings of last week's tragedy in his own special way. Regardless, a little bit of luck and a whole lot of Vladimir Guerrero helped him out as well. In both the second and third innings, hard-hit line drives were caught, leading to doubling Mariner runners off base and snuffing any potential offensive threats. Belter himself snuffed out the potential for putting up any runs in the first inning when after a one-out single, he got thrown out attempting to steal second for the final out of the inning with Raul Ibanez at the plate. Vlad did his thing at the plate, contributing a 3-for-5 day with two runs and a solo home run in his first game after being hit by a Josh Beckett pitch on Monday. If only he could've stayed in the dugout for a few more games...
Meanwhile, Miguel Batista was doing his darnedest to ensure the game was officially out of reach at the earliest possibility. Batista's final line read 10 hits and six runs over six innings, and it appeared that Batista's offerings to the Angels' line-up was as tough to figure out as Scooby-Doo mystery. The break-down of the six runs allowed by Batista is the following: four runs given up with two outs and no runners on, the other two from solo home-runs leading off the inning. After six innings, the Angels had scored the same amount of runs (six) as they had in their preceding six games. What other type of results is expected when you sign such obvious dreck as Miguel Batista to an off-season free-agent contract?
The loss of Felix Hernandez glaringly reveals the ineptitude of the Mariners' rotation. With Jarrod Washburn now as the team's "ace" any earlier optimism I had for the team is all but vanished. I stated that the hopes of this team lies directly on the fortunes of Felix. And without The King taking the mound every fifth day, the chance to nip any potential losing streaks in the bud become doubtful, which explains, in part, the four-game dive the M's currently find themselves.
The Mariners face Bartolo Colon in tonight's game, the first start of the season for the Angels' big man who is returning from the DL after rehabbing his surgically repaired right shoulder. Even if Colon isn't %100 in tonights' game, little would it matter as Bartolo has a history of dominating the M's ,with a career 10-8 record in 22 career starts, including a four-hit 4-0 shut-out over the M's last July 5. Beltre, however, has enjoyed success against Colon- in 26 career at-bats, Beltre has hit .308 with three home-runs, for a slugging percentage of .731. Ichiro Suzuki, with three home runs in 44 at-bats, and Raul Ibanez, hitting .350 in 40 at-bats, have also enjoyed success against Colon, so there is a potential for some offensive fireworks against the big man in today's game, though I find it doubtful as in the Mariners' recent history, whenever the team hits rut they seem to get stuck in it for a long stretch of games.
On the other hand, Horacio Ramirez takes the mound for the Mariners, and M's fans can keep their fingers crossed that his outing may be a combination of his most recent outing versus the Rangers (one earned run allowed in six innings) with his only career start versus the Angels (two earned runs allowed in eight innings). Ramirez has had good success in nullifying the bat of Orlando Cabrera, who has only three hits in eighteen at-bats, but the two hits that Vladimir Guerrero has against Ramirez are home runs, accounting for the two runs scored against him by the Angels.
Its tempting to give the nod in the pitching match-up to the Mariners. In his first start from an extended absence of pitching in the major leagues, Bartolo Colon may be rusty, allowing some of his pitches to get away from him or exhibiting poor command of the strike zone. However, as I stated in my prediction of yesterday's ball game regarding the Angels, the M's have to break off their doldrums before I can confidently pick them to come out on top. So in tonight's game, I pick the Angels to succeed, 7-2.
Two things did in the Mariners in last night's ballgame: bad luck with runners on base, and the "pitching" of Miguel Batista. The M's were able to put runners on against Angels starter Joe Saunders, but were unable to do anything afterwards. Saunders, the only pitcher in major league baseball who is an alum from Virginia Tech, had a gritty performance in last night's game to honor the shootings of last week's tragedy in his own special way. Regardless, a little bit of luck and a whole lot of Vladimir Guerrero helped him out as well. In both the second and third innings, hard-hit line drives were caught, leading to doubling Mariner runners off base and snuffing any potential offensive threats. Belter himself snuffed out the potential for putting up any runs in the first inning when after a one-out single, he got thrown out attempting to steal second for the final out of the inning with Raul Ibanez at the plate. Vlad did his thing at the plate, contributing a 3-for-5 day with two runs and a solo home run in his first game after being hit by a Josh Beckett pitch on Monday. If only he could've stayed in the dugout for a few more games...
Meanwhile, Miguel Batista was doing his darnedest to ensure the game was officially out of reach at the earliest possibility. Batista's final line read 10 hits and six runs over six innings, and it appeared that Batista's offerings to the Angels' line-up was as tough to figure out as Scooby-Doo mystery. The break-down of the six runs allowed by Batista is the following: four runs given up with two outs and no runners on, the other two from solo home-runs leading off the inning. After six innings, the Angels had scored the same amount of runs (six) as they had in their preceding six games. What other type of results is expected when you sign such obvious dreck as Miguel Batista to an off-season free-agent contract?
The loss of Felix Hernandez glaringly reveals the ineptitude of the Mariners' rotation. With Jarrod Washburn now as the team's "ace" any earlier optimism I had for the team is all but vanished. I stated that the hopes of this team lies directly on the fortunes of Felix. And without The King taking the mound every fifth day, the chance to nip any potential losing streaks in the bud become doubtful, which explains, in part, the four-game dive the M's currently find themselves.
The Mariners face Bartolo Colon in tonight's game, the first start of the season for the Angels' big man who is returning from the DL after rehabbing his surgically repaired right shoulder. Even if Colon isn't %100 in tonights' game, little would it matter as Bartolo has a history of dominating the M's ,with a career 10-8 record in 22 career starts, including a four-hit 4-0 shut-out over the M's last July 5. Beltre, however, has enjoyed success against Colon- in 26 career at-bats, Beltre has hit .308 with three home-runs, for a slugging percentage of .731. Ichiro Suzuki, with three home runs in 44 at-bats, and Raul Ibanez, hitting .350 in 40 at-bats, have also enjoyed success against Colon, so there is a potential for some offensive fireworks against the big man in today's game, though I find it doubtful as in the Mariners' recent history, whenever the team hits rut they seem to get stuck in it for a long stretch of games.
On the other hand, Horacio Ramirez takes the mound for the Mariners, and M's fans can keep their fingers crossed that his outing may be a combination of his most recent outing versus the Rangers (one earned run allowed in six innings) with his only career start versus the Angels (two earned runs allowed in eight innings). Ramirez has had good success in nullifying the bat of Orlando Cabrera, who has only three hits in eighteen at-bats, but the two hits that Vladimir Guerrero has against Ramirez are home runs, accounting for the two runs scored against him by the Angels.
Its tempting to give the nod in the pitching match-up to the Mariners. In his first start from an extended absence of pitching in the major leagues, Bartolo Colon may be rusty, allowing some of his pitches to get away from him or exhibiting poor command of the strike zone. However, as I stated in my prediction of yesterday's ball game regarding the Angels, the M's have to break off their doldrums before I can confidently pick them to come out on top. So in tonight's game, I pick the Angels to succeed, 7-2.
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