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.
With the 7-4 victory over the Red Sox on Friday, I thought the emotional high of taking two of three from the Angels would indeed carry over and that the M's had a chance to take the weekend series from the Red Sox. With a three-run home-run by Yuniesky (MVP) Betancourt, plus two hits by Adam Jones in his season debut for the big-league club- plus a game-turning eluding of Boston first-baseman's Kevin Youkilis tag just before Yuni's home-run- Friday's game was the highlight of the weekend. Of course, that's what's to be expected when the Red Sox had Daisuke Matsuzaka and Josh Beckett lined up to start Saturday and Sunday.
For anyone who still may think that the Mariners are a playoff-team, consider that the M's matched Dice-K and Beckett with Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista. Horacio Ramirez started for the M's on Friday night, and despite allowing ten runs in four innings, somehow managed to avoid giving up any big hits to Boston's potent offense and kept the M's in the game long enough to come out ahead. The fact remains that with a pitching staff as the current M's have, they would be three-and-out in the first round playoff series, an uncomfortable truth the M's would find out if they do, indeed, catch the Indians or the Angels for a playoff spot. As if the glaring need for a dominating starter to lead this staff isn't any more obvious. Hopefully, the front office is aware of what their most pressing off-season need is.
Still, a 6-4 homestand is always a positive outcome, even if the M's did drop the last two games. But not everybody had a positive outcome. Richie Sexson, for example, went 2-for-25 on the homestand, concluding it with a incredibly anemic .080 average. To no surprise, he took a spot on the bench the last two games versus the Red Sox, which the M's dropped. I'm not saying there's no connection, it's just an interesting coincidence. Jose Guillen voiced his unhappiness when it was announced that Adam Jones was being promoted to the big club. Jones' presence creates a competition for playing time with Raul Ibanez, Jose Vidro, Ben Broussard, and Richie Sexson, all who have been mainstays in the line-up throughout the season. And with Sexson taking the long-awaited spot on the bench, it appears he's the first victim of the playing time crunch. And who would have thought that the absence of an .080 average could, actually, have a negative impact on the team's chemistry?
Beltre hit safely eight of the ten games at Safeco, with five extra base hits including two home-runs. Ichiro, to no surprise, batted .318 over the past ten games. But Yuniesky was the hitting star for the M's, batting over .400 over the homestand, with three of his seven season home-runs. The best thing about the homestand is that the M's concluded it a half-game out of the wild-card, even if the team they're in pursuit turned from the Cleveland Indians to the Detroit Tigers, as the surging Indians passed the slumping Tigers in the American League central.
The M's take their game on the road for the first stop at Camden Yards this season, after taking four from six so far this season from the Orioles in Seattle. Jeff Weaver takes the mound for the M's in tomorrow's night game, holding solid if not spectacular numbers against the O's in his career (3-4 record, 4.11 ERA in 50 innings). For Jeff to be successful and pick up his third (!!!) victory of the season, he has the keep the ball away from Ramon Hernandez (.351) and Miguel Tejada (.393) who both have hit Weaver hard in 65 combined at-bats, with ten extra-base hits between the two of them.
In the match-up of one-time successful pitchers with their better days behind them, Steve Trachsel takes the mound for the O's. One year ago Trachsel was winning 15 games for a New York Mets team that came a game away from the World Series. Now Trachsel is a memeber of the Orioles' rotation, which is the closest that major league baseball gets to being in limbo. In his four career appearances against the M's, Trachsel has dropped all four, allowing 17 runs in 19 innings. Trachsel hasn't won a game in nearly two months, since beating the Rockies last June. Beltre has enjoyed success against Trachsel, with a .318 average and 1.000 OPS in 22 at-bats, while Jose Guillen has a .300 average and .883 OPS in 20 at-bats. Hopefully those two will step up for the other Mariner batter with extensive National League experience against Trachsel, Jose Vidro, who carries a .211 average in 38 career at-bats versus Trachsel.
The M's will put an end to their short losing streak in tomorrow night's game. I'm not saying that Weaver will shut the Orioles down to pick up the victory, or that Jones will be in the line-up disturbing team chemistry, but when the dust is settled the M's will be on top, 6-3.
For anyone who still may think that the Mariners are a playoff-team, consider that the M's matched Dice-K and Beckett with Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista. Horacio Ramirez started for the M's on Friday night, and despite allowing ten runs in four innings, somehow managed to avoid giving up any big hits to Boston's potent offense and kept the M's in the game long enough to come out ahead. The fact remains that with a pitching staff as the current M's have, they would be three-and-out in the first round playoff series, an uncomfortable truth the M's would find out if they do, indeed, catch the Indians or the Angels for a playoff spot. As if the glaring need for a dominating starter to lead this staff isn't any more obvious. Hopefully, the front office is aware of what their most pressing off-season need is.
Still, a 6-4 homestand is always a positive outcome, even if the M's did drop the last two games. But not everybody had a positive outcome. Richie Sexson, for example, went 2-for-25 on the homestand, concluding it with a incredibly anemic .080 average. To no surprise, he took a spot on the bench the last two games versus the Red Sox, which the M's dropped. I'm not saying there's no connection, it's just an interesting coincidence. Jose Guillen voiced his unhappiness when it was announced that Adam Jones was being promoted to the big club. Jones' presence creates a competition for playing time with Raul Ibanez, Jose Vidro, Ben Broussard, and Richie Sexson, all who have been mainstays in the line-up throughout the season. And with Sexson taking the long-awaited spot on the bench, it appears he's the first victim of the playing time crunch. And who would have thought that the absence of an .080 average could, actually, have a negative impact on the team's chemistry?
Beltre hit safely eight of the ten games at Safeco, with five extra base hits including two home-runs. Ichiro, to no surprise, batted .318 over the past ten games. But Yuniesky was the hitting star for the M's, batting over .400 over the homestand, with three of his seven season home-runs. The best thing about the homestand is that the M's concluded it a half-game out of the wild-card, even if the team they're in pursuit turned from the Cleveland Indians to the Detroit Tigers, as the surging Indians passed the slumping Tigers in the American League central.
The M's take their game on the road for the first stop at Camden Yards this season, after taking four from six so far this season from the Orioles in Seattle. Jeff Weaver takes the mound for the M's in tomorrow's night game, holding solid if not spectacular numbers against the O's in his career (3-4 record, 4.11 ERA in 50 innings). For Jeff to be successful and pick up his third (!!!) victory of the season, he has the keep the ball away from Ramon Hernandez (.351) and Miguel Tejada (.393) who both have hit Weaver hard in 65 combined at-bats, with ten extra-base hits between the two of them.
In the match-up of one-time successful pitchers with their better days behind them, Steve Trachsel takes the mound for the O's. One year ago Trachsel was winning 15 games for a New York Mets team that came a game away from the World Series. Now Trachsel is a memeber of the Orioles' rotation, which is the closest that major league baseball gets to being in limbo. In his four career appearances against the M's, Trachsel has dropped all four, allowing 17 runs in 19 innings. Trachsel hasn't won a game in nearly two months, since beating the Rockies last June. Beltre has enjoyed success against Trachsel, with a .318 average and 1.000 OPS in 22 at-bats, while Jose Guillen has a .300 average and .883 OPS in 20 at-bats. Hopefully those two will step up for the other Mariner batter with extensive National League experience against Trachsel, Jose Vidro, who carries a .211 average in 38 career at-bats versus Trachsel.
The M's will put an end to their short losing streak in tomorrow night's game. I'm not saying that Weaver will shut the Orioles down to pick up the victory, or that Jones will be in the line-up disturbing team chemistry, but when the dust is settled the M's will be on top, 6-3.
0 Responses to “6-4 homestand, what awaits on the road?”
Leave a Reply