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.
Five games. Five clutch situations. Five different heroes. Holy moley, it's tough out here it be a Mariners fan.
After scoring the winning run in Monday night's game, Willie Bloomquist continued his unlikely heroic ways by knocking in Jose Vidro in the thirteenth inning on a soft single to right. Vidro, squat body and compact legs and all, chugged around third and bowled over Chicago Cubs catcher Michael Barrett to score the go-ahead run. After an intentional walk to Ichiro Suzuki, pinch-hitter lined a single off first baseman Derek Lee's glove allowing Yuniesky Betancourt to score, completing the scoring in the Mariners' 5-3 victory.
Since June 1, Willie Bloomquist has gone 10-for-24 to raise his average 100 points to .267. Adrian Beltre, meanwhile, who had to be pulled from his last night's game as the wrist he rolled a couple weeks back was flaring up on him, has gone 3-for-21 in June, lowering his batting average to .266, below Bloomquist's. Not sure if that means Bloomquist may be seeing more playing time, if not at Beltre's expense then who else would take a seat for Willie to get some extra playing time. Or if it merely means that Bloomquist is a hot commodity off the bench, and deep down inside he's truly a National League player, and the reason why he's been the epitome of mediocrity while playing with the Mariners is that he's simply in the wrong league.
The Cubs got of to a hot start, tagging Jarrod Washburn hard in the first inning as Angel Pagan knocked in Alfonso Soriano with a double, and Derek Lee singled in Pagan for a early 2-0 Cubs lead. Just when it seemed that the Mariners were going to get blown out of the water in this game, Rich Hill balked Kenji Johjima in the second, and Jose Guillen tied the game up with a home run in the third. The two runs were all that Washburn was going to allow against the Cubs, as he ended up with a quality start, allowing just two runs in six innings. Normally, that would've been handy to provide the bullpen with some rest, but with seven innings left to go once again the Mariners' bullpen was extensively used, as six pitchers were used by Hargrove to throw seven innings of one-run game. But, no matter, the fifth consecutive win was in the books, thanks to none other than Willie Bloomquist.
Miguel Batista takes the mound for the Mariners in today's game, holding a career 2-2 record and a 6.27 ERA in 47 innings versus the Cubs. However, most of the Cubs that have given Batista trouble in the past are no longer with the team, as current Cubs Alfonso Soriano (2-for-19), Aramis Ramirez (2-for-14) and Derek Lee (4-for-16) have struggled against Miguel. Sean Marshall is making his career debut against the Mariners, and as he's been having an excellent season- with 2.08 both on the road and at the friendly confines of Wrigly Field- I'm going to have to give him and the Cubs a nod in this match-up. It could turn out that the Mariners' offense will fluster the young pitcher, but I'm siding with Chicago on this one, as they'll triumph by a score of 6-2.
After scoring the winning run in Monday night's game, Willie Bloomquist continued his unlikely heroic ways by knocking in Jose Vidro in the thirteenth inning on a soft single to right. Vidro, squat body and compact legs and all, chugged around third and bowled over Chicago Cubs catcher Michael Barrett to score the go-ahead run. After an intentional walk to Ichiro Suzuki, pinch-hitter lined a single off first baseman Derek Lee's glove allowing Yuniesky Betancourt to score, completing the scoring in the Mariners' 5-3 victory.
Since June 1, Willie Bloomquist has gone 10-for-24 to raise his average 100 points to .267. Adrian Beltre, meanwhile, who had to be pulled from his last night's game as the wrist he rolled a couple weeks back was flaring up on him, has gone 3-for-21 in June, lowering his batting average to .266, below Bloomquist's. Not sure if that means Bloomquist may be seeing more playing time, if not at Beltre's expense then who else would take a seat for Willie to get some extra playing time. Or if it merely means that Bloomquist is a hot commodity off the bench, and deep down inside he's truly a National League player, and the reason why he's been the epitome of mediocrity while playing with the Mariners is that he's simply in the wrong league.
The Cubs got of to a hot start, tagging Jarrod Washburn hard in the first inning as Angel Pagan knocked in Alfonso Soriano with a double, and Derek Lee singled in Pagan for a early 2-0 Cubs lead. Just when it seemed that the Mariners were going to get blown out of the water in this game, Rich Hill balked Kenji Johjima in the second, and Jose Guillen tied the game up with a home run in the third. The two runs were all that Washburn was going to allow against the Cubs, as he ended up with a quality start, allowing just two runs in six innings. Normally, that would've been handy to provide the bullpen with some rest, but with seven innings left to go once again the Mariners' bullpen was extensively used, as six pitchers were used by Hargrove to throw seven innings of one-run game. But, no matter, the fifth consecutive win was in the books, thanks to none other than Willie Bloomquist.
Miguel Batista takes the mound for the Mariners in today's game, holding a career 2-2 record and a 6.27 ERA in 47 innings versus the Cubs. However, most of the Cubs that have given Batista trouble in the past are no longer with the team, as current Cubs Alfonso Soriano (2-for-19), Aramis Ramirez (2-for-14) and Derek Lee (4-for-16) have struggled against Miguel. Sean Marshall is making his career debut against the Mariners, and as he's been having an excellent season- with 2.08 both on the road and at the friendly confines of Wrigly Field- I'm going to have to give him and the Cubs a nod in this match-up. It could turn out that the Mariners' offense will fluster the young pitcher, but I'm siding with Chicago on this one, as they'll triumph by a score of 6-2.
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