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.
Enough with the ninth-inning grand slams all ready!
Published 8/16/2007 by true_slicky | E-mail this post
For the second game in the past week, a grand slam was hit by the Mariners' opponent in the ninth inning. The first one was allowed by J.J. Putz against the Chicago White Sox last weekend, as Putz ended up with a four-run save in a 7-6 M's victory. The next one came last night as Torii Hunter came up to the plate for the second time in the ballgame with the bases loaded (both times after intentional walks to Mariner-killer Joe Mauer) in the ninth inning and rather than knocking an RBI single as he did the first time up, in he deposited the ball over the fence against the usually steady Sean Green, who allowed his most runs on the season and saw his ERA tick up by 60 points, in yesterday's 6-1 Minnesota win.
This blew up an other-wise tightly-played contest. Contrary to it being a slugfest with both teams tagging the other starting pitcher for a number of runs, Scott Baker nad Jarrod Washburn, allowing a solo home-run a piece for a 1-1 tie through seven innings. Then came the eighth inning RBI knock by Torii. And then the complete fiasco in the ninth.
What is most eyebrow-raising about the ninth-inning slams in the span of five days is that all season the M's bullpen has been the team's strength. It may very well be the best bullpen in the league, and if it's success was cut in half, then the idea that the M's would have the third-best record in baseball would be laughable. So as the season gets whittled down to the last six weeks, and the dog days of summer set in, it's a little worrisome for the bullpen- especially for Putz- to be allowing such late-inning heroics to the other side.
Washburn pitched well enough to lose- two runs, one earned, over seven innings- but came winless for the seventh time since the Fourth of July. Scott Baker, contrary to getting lit up as he did in his first career outing against the M's, had no problem figuing out the Mariners' line-up, allowing ten runners over 6.2 innings, getting into jams in the second, third, and seventh innings but escaped unscathed. Raul Ibanez's solo home-run (his sixth in his past nine games, do you think he's responding ot the pressure from Adam Jones's call-up?) in the sixth inning was all the offense that the M's could muster against Baker. Ichiro slappeda couple of singles, but that was all, as Adrian Beltre wnt 0-for-4 to have his average drop to .267.
Despite dropping two of their first three games on this homestand, the M's are still in a statistical dead heat for the top of the Wild Card standings, tied with the Yankees as both Cleveland Detroit lurk a game behind. The White Sox roll into Safeco on Friday and the M's should easily repeat what they did last weekend, take two of three, and perhaps even hit a ninth-inning grand slam of their own. Consider it payback time....
This blew up an other-wise tightly-played contest. Contrary to it being a slugfest with both teams tagging the other starting pitcher for a number of runs, Scott Baker nad Jarrod Washburn, allowing a solo home-run a piece for a 1-1 tie through seven innings. Then came the eighth inning RBI knock by Torii. And then the complete fiasco in the ninth.
What is most eyebrow-raising about the ninth-inning slams in the span of five days is that all season the M's bullpen has been the team's strength. It may very well be the best bullpen in the league, and if it's success was cut in half, then the idea that the M's would have the third-best record in baseball would be laughable. So as the season gets whittled down to the last six weeks, and the dog days of summer set in, it's a little worrisome for the bullpen- especially for Putz- to be allowing such late-inning heroics to the other side.
Washburn pitched well enough to lose- two runs, one earned, over seven innings- but came winless for the seventh time since the Fourth of July. Scott Baker, contrary to getting lit up as he did in his first career outing against the M's, had no problem figuing out the Mariners' line-up, allowing ten runners over 6.2 innings, getting into jams in the second, third, and seventh innings but escaped unscathed. Raul Ibanez's solo home-run (his sixth in his past nine games, do you think he's responding ot the pressure from Adam Jones's call-up?) in the sixth inning was all the offense that the M's could muster against Baker. Ichiro slappeda couple of singles, but that was all, as Adrian Beltre wnt 0-for-4 to have his average drop to .267.
Despite dropping two of their first three games on this homestand, the M's are still in a statistical dead heat for the top of the Wild Card standings, tied with the Yankees as both Cleveland Detroit lurk a game behind. The White Sox roll into Safeco on Friday and the M's should easily repeat what they did last weekend, take two of three, and perhaps even hit a ninth-inning grand slam of their own. Consider it payback time....
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