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.
The old adage is that pitching wins ball games. If that is true, then expect to see the Padres sitting atop the standings in the NL West at the end of the season. Over the past few seasons, the organization has done an incredible job and not only shaping pitchers but generating incredible results from these young arms. Last season, the Padres finished tied for second in the NL in quality starts, which compensated for an offense that splits half its time in Petco Park, thus helping the team to 88 victories and a second consecutive division title.
The rotation was anchored by Jake Peavy, who despite a sub-.500 record at 11-14, he led the National League in SO/9 IP with 9.56 as he finished second in the league with 215 strikeouts. As strong as those numbers might be, Peavy is off to an even stronger beginning to this season, so far leading the NL in ERA (1.64), strikeouts (71), and SO/9 IP (10.59). Luckily, the Mariners will miss Peavy in this series.
The pitching staff also included veteran Woody Williams (12-5, 3.64) and promising youngster Clay Hensley (11-12, 3.71). The relief corps includes perhaps the best closer in the league in Trevor Hoffmann, perhaps the best setup man in Scott Linebrink, as well as Cla Meredith (who tossed 33.2 scoreless innings, setting a team record, and led all NL pitchers who had at least 50 innings with a 1.07 ERA and a .170 batting average against). To this embarrassment of riches, the Padres coaxed David Wells (231 career wins) and signed future Hall-of-Famer Greg Maddux (336 career victories) to a free-agent contract.
Yesterday, I wrote that Chris Young may be the best pitcher on the staff. That's a pretty strong statement, considering that Peavy is a perennial Cy Young candidate as long as he stays healthy. But the Texas Rangers cast-off showed flashes of dominance last season, including two back-to-back performances of eight-inning performances, in which he allowed just three hits and no runs. So far this season, Young has all ready had four outings in which he allowed one run or less, with the fourth coming last night in a 8-1 victory over the Mariners, in which Young allowed just seven baserunners in 6.2 innings. The only run generated by Ichiro's speed on the basepaths, as he stole second and third in the third inning to score on Jose Vidro's broken bat blooper.
Miguel Batista allowed just one earned run in his 6.2 innings, but Beltre's error in the fourth allowed three unearned runs to score. The Padres roughed up Chris Reitsma for four runs in the eighth to complete the scoring, as Reitsma got in touch with the horrible 2006-version of himself for an evening. Besides his error, 1-for-4 at the plate, collecting just one of the ten singles the Mariners were able to generate off the Padres' pitching. The nadir of the Mariners' offense on Friday was Richie Sexson's 0-for-4 night, with three strikeouts and five men left on base. Richie voiced his frustration after the game, pointing out the patently obvious: "There is no excuse for the way I'm leaving guys on base. I played horrible."
And thus, the Mariners drop back again below .500. They have done a pretty good job of minimizing the losses, but now they have reached their first three-game losing streak since the third week of April.
To stop the losing streak at four depends on which pitcher takes the mound for the M's in this evening's ballgame: will it be capable and at times dominating Horacio Ramirez, who carries a 1.45 home ERA split this season and a 1.45 in his three victories this season, including six innings of one-run ball versus the Yankees last weekend. Or will it be his alter ego, Horror-Arm, who carries a 13.17 ERA in his other three starts? From his days in the NL, Ramirez has a history of being roughed up by the Padres, as he has a career 6.35 ERA over 17 innings in three starts against them. The worst offender is Khalil Greene, who Ramirez should walk in every at-bat in tonight's game. In both of his career at-bats facing Ramirez, Greene has hit a home-run and knocked in six runners. Mike Cameron has also roughed up Ramirez pretty bad, going 3-for-5 with a home run in a small sample size.
Ramirez's 6.40 ERA on the season is an exact double of his opponent on the mound this evening, the legendary Greg Maddux's 3.20. With a pitching staff as deep as the Padres', it's almost unfair that San Diego was able to spirit Maddux away from the Dodgers as on off-season free-agent signing. Maddux has a 31-7 SO-to-BB ratio so far this season, and is coming off a complete game one-run performance against the Cincinnati Reds last Monday. If there is anything going for the Mariners in this evening's match-up it's that Maddux has lost his only outing against the M's, even though he only allowed two runs in seven innings. Jose Vidro has enjoyed success against Maddux from his NL days, with a .318 average in 44 at-bats, while Beltre has a .269 average in 26 at-bats with a home-run. To the surprise of nobody, however, Maddux has dominated Richie Sexson, holding him to one hit in thirteen at-abts with six strikeouts. Considering the mess Sexson is currently in, expect Maddux to continue his dominance in this evening's game.
I predict Horacio will have a good, but not great, outing and the Mariners' bats to continue to struggle against the Padres' pitching. Final: 5-1, Padres. The Padres could very well reverse the 5-1 record the M's had against San Diego last season.
The rotation was anchored by Jake Peavy, who despite a sub-.500 record at 11-14, he led the National League in SO/9 IP with 9.56 as he finished second in the league with 215 strikeouts. As strong as those numbers might be, Peavy is off to an even stronger beginning to this season, so far leading the NL in ERA (1.64), strikeouts (71), and SO/9 IP (10.59). Luckily, the Mariners will miss Peavy in this series.
The pitching staff also included veteran Woody Williams (12-5, 3.64) and promising youngster Clay Hensley (11-12, 3.71). The relief corps includes perhaps the best closer in the league in Trevor Hoffmann, perhaps the best setup man in Scott Linebrink, as well as Cla Meredith (who tossed 33.2 scoreless innings, setting a team record, and led all NL pitchers who had at least 50 innings with a 1.07 ERA and a .170 batting average against). To this embarrassment of riches, the Padres coaxed David Wells (231 career wins) and signed future Hall-of-Famer Greg Maddux (336 career victories) to a free-agent contract.
Yesterday, I wrote that Chris Young may be the best pitcher on the staff. That's a pretty strong statement, considering that Peavy is a perennial Cy Young candidate as long as he stays healthy. But the Texas Rangers cast-off showed flashes of dominance last season, including two back-to-back performances of eight-inning performances, in which he allowed just three hits and no runs. So far this season, Young has all ready had four outings in which he allowed one run or less, with the fourth coming last night in a 8-1 victory over the Mariners, in which Young allowed just seven baserunners in 6.2 innings. The only run generated by Ichiro's speed on the basepaths, as he stole second and third in the third inning to score on Jose Vidro's broken bat blooper.
Miguel Batista allowed just one earned run in his 6.2 innings, but Beltre's error in the fourth allowed three unearned runs to score. The Padres roughed up Chris Reitsma for four runs in the eighth to complete the scoring, as Reitsma got in touch with the horrible 2006-version of himself for an evening. Besides his error, 1-for-4 at the plate, collecting just one of the ten singles the Mariners were able to generate off the Padres' pitching. The nadir of the Mariners' offense on Friday was Richie Sexson's 0-for-4 night, with three strikeouts and five men left on base. Richie voiced his frustration after the game, pointing out the patently obvious: "There is no excuse for the way I'm leaving guys on base. I played horrible."
And thus, the Mariners drop back again below .500. They have done a pretty good job of minimizing the losses, but now they have reached their first three-game losing streak since the third week of April.
To stop the losing streak at four depends on which pitcher takes the mound for the M's in this evening's ballgame: will it be capable and at times dominating Horacio Ramirez, who carries a 1.45 home ERA split this season and a 1.45 in his three victories this season, including six innings of one-run ball versus the Yankees last weekend. Or will it be his alter ego, Horror-Arm, who carries a 13.17 ERA in his other three starts? From his days in the NL, Ramirez has a history of being roughed up by the Padres, as he has a career 6.35 ERA over 17 innings in three starts against them. The worst offender is Khalil Greene, who Ramirez should walk in every at-bat in tonight's game. In both of his career at-bats facing Ramirez, Greene has hit a home-run and knocked in six runners. Mike Cameron has also roughed up Ramirez pretty bad, going 3-for-5 with a home run in a small sample size.
Ramirez's 6.40 ERA on the season is an exact double of his opponent on the mound this evening, the legendary Greg Maddux's 3.20. With a pitching staff as deep as the Padres', it's almost unfair that San Diego was able to spirit Maddux away from the Dodgers as on off-season free-agent signing. Maddux has a 31-7 SO-to-BB ratio so far this season, and is coming off a complete game one-run performance against the Cincinnati Reds last Monday. If there is anything going for the Mariners in this evening's match-up it's that Maddux has lost his only outing against the M's, even though he only allowed two runs in seven innings. Jose Vidro has enjoyed success against Maddux from his NL days, with a .318 average in 44 at-bats, while Beltre has a .269 average in 26 at-bats with a home-run. To the surprise of nobody, however, Maddux has dominated Richie Sexson, holding him to one hit in thirteen at-abts with six strikeouts. Considering the mess Sexson is currently in, expect Maddux to continue his dominance in this evening's game.
I predict Horacio will have a good, but not great, outing and the Mariners' bats to continue to struggle against the Padres' pitching. Final: 5-1, Padres. The Padres could very well reverse the 5-1 record the M's had against San Diego last season.
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