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.
So it ended up being a pitcher's duel after all, and it was a lethal combination of a dominating Felix Hernandez plus two RBIs from Jose Guillen that did the Rangers in by a 4-2 score.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Guillen got the Mariners' night started with a solo home-run to left-field. And with two outs in the seventh and Ichiro at second base, Guillen lined an RBI base-hit to right-field to knock in Ichiro and complete the M's scoring for the evening. Guillen showed his aggressive nature on the basepaths as well today, as he attempted to stretch that seventh-inning single into a double and got thrown out at second for the final out. Plus, earleir in the game Guillen went to thirdfrom first on a single by Raul Ibanez that Ranger left-fielder Frank Catalanatto allowed to drop in front of him. With his performance this evening, Guillen is now hitting .340 against the Rangers this year, with three home-runs and a .969 OPS in 17 games.
As if Jose couldn't make a stronger case to be re-signed to a contract extension by beating up a divisional rival! Of course, as Geoff Baker points out on his Seattle Times blog, all of the leverage for any contract talks has now fallen into Jose's corner. With Jermaine Dye re-upping with the White Sox, meaning that Guillen will be the only free-agent corner outfielder to hit the market this off-season, and he'll be looking for a contract similar to Eric Byrne's recenly signed three-year $30 million deal.
Felix was on top of his game as well, settling down for his first dominating start at Ameriquest Field. After allowing a lead-off single, Felix retired the next fourteen consecutive Ranger batters, including four straight strikeouts at one point. After seven dominating innings in which he allowed three hits and two runs (both on David Murphy's ballpark-assisted line-drive home-run in the fifth that briefly tied the game 2-2) while striking out seven, Felix was pulled from the game despite tossing just 84 pitches. Although the evening down in Texas was not nearly as muggy as it appeared to be last night- with rivets of sweat seeping down poor Kameron Loe- one can only assume that the Texas heat was the rationale for pulling Felix after during such a dominating start. Luckily, George Sherrill, Brandon Morrow, and J.J. Putz combined to toss three-innings of scoreless, one-hit baseball to preserve The King's 10th win on the season.
Ichiro picked up anotehr three-hit night, his second consecutive and fourth in his last six games to take the batting title lead. Adrian Beltre doubled twice to extend his hitting streak to a season-high eight games, but still have of the 16-game streak he had at the end of last season. Beltre's batting average now stands at .282.
That average stands to get even higher and the streak continued when Beltre faces Rangers' right-hander Jamey Wright in tomorrow's game. Beltre has tattooed Wright for a .391 average in 23 at-bats, with two extra-base hits for a 1.065 OPS. In fact, when Wright last faced the M's as a member of the Giants' rotation last season, he allowed a home-run to Beltre in a 5-1 loss. Beltre, Ichiro, and Yuniesky Betancourt got multiple hits in that game. Wright has dropped both of his career decisions against the M's and has given up the same amount of walks as strikeouts (10) in 20 innings. Could the M's bats repeat themselves against Wright tomorrow?
Then again, the Mariners are going to have to survive an outing on the mound from Horacio Ramirez. Horacio + Ameriquest Field = shielded eyes. In his only start at Ameriquest, Horacio wasn't even able to make it through five innings as he allowed eleven hits and eight runs. Is anybody really surprised? Granted, he allowed just one earned run in six innings in his last outing against the Rangers, but that's only because four unearned Ranger runs crossed the plate. Horacio hasn't allowed less than three earned runs in his last six starts- don't look for that streak to end tomorrow. Although no longer a regualr in the Rangers line-up, don't be surprised to see Sammy Sosa get thestart at DH tomorrow night, as Sosa enjoys a .455 average in 11 at-bats against Ramirez. Brad Wilkerson and Marlon Byrd have also homered against the ex-Brave starter as well.
So it's going to be ugly tomorrow. And though I've been picking the Rangers and the M's continue to come out on top, I'm going to tempt fate by picking the M's to win tomorrow. But it won't be pretty, For those fantasy baseball players, make sure you have your Mariner and Ranger batters in the line-up as the balls will fly and the runs will be scored. But I think the M's will come out on top, 13-11.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Guillen got the Mariners' night started with a solo home-run to left-field. And with two outs in the seventh and Ichiro at second base, Guillen lined an RBI base-hit to right-field to knock in Ichiro and complete the M's scoring for the evening. Guillen showed his aggressive nature on the basepaths as well today, as he attempted to stretch that seventh-inning single into a double and got thrown out at second for the final out. Plus, earleir in the game Guillen went to thirdfrom first on a single by Raul Ibanez that Ranger left-fielder Frank Catalanatto allowed to drop in front of him. With his performance this evening, Guillen is now hitting .340 against the Rangers this year, with three home-runs and a .969 OPS in 17 games.
As if Jose couldn't make a stronger case to be re-signed to a contract extension by beating up a divisional rival! Of course, as Geoff Baker points out on his Seattle Times blog, all of the leverage for any contract talks has now fallen into Jose's corner. With Jermaine Dye re-upping with the White Sox, meaning that Guillen will be the only free-agent corner outfielder to hit the market this off-season, and he'll be looking for a contract similar to Eric Byrne's recenly signed three-year $30 million deal.
Felix was on top of his game as well, settling down for his first dominating start at Ameriquest Field. After allowing a lead-off single, Felix retired the next fourteen consecutive Ranger batters, including four straight strikeouts at one point. After seven dominating innings in which he allowed three hits and two runs (both on David Murphy's ballpark-assisted line-drive home-run in the fifth that briefly tied the game 2-2) while striking out seven, Felix was pulled from the game despite tossing just 84 pitches. Although the evening down in Texas was not nearly as muggy as it appeared to be last night- with rivets of sweat seeping down poor Kameron Loe- one can only assume that the Texas heat was the rationale for pulling Felix after during such a dominating start. Luckily, George Sherrill, Brandon Morrow, and J.J. Putz combined to toss three-innings of scoreless, one-hit baseball to preserve The King's 10th win on the season.
Ichiro picked up anotehr three-hit night, his second consecutive and fourth in his last six games to take the batting title lead. Adrian Beltre doubled twice to extend his hitting streak to a season-high eight games, but still have of the 16-game streak he had at the end of last season. Beltre's batting average now stands at .282.
That average stands to get even higher and the streak continued when Beltre faces Rangers' right-hander Jamey Wright in tomorrow's game. Beltre has tattooed Wright for a .391 average in 23 at-bats, with two extra-base hits for a 1.065 OPS. In fact, when Wright last faced the M's as a member of the Giants' rotation last season, he allowed a home-run to Beltre in a 5-1 loss. Beltre, Ichiro, and Yuniesky Betancourt got multiple hits in that game. Wright has dropped both of his career decisions against the M's and has given up the same amount of walks as strikeouts (10) in 20 innings. Could the M's bats repeat themselves against Wright tomorrow?
Then again, the Mariners are going to have to survive an outing on the mound from Horacio Ramirez. Horacio + Ameriquest Field = shielded eyes. In his only start at Ameriquest, Horacio wasn't even able to make it through five innings as he allowed eleven hits and eight runs. Is anybody really surprised? Granted, he allowed just one earned run in six innings in his last outing against the Rangers, but that's only because four unearned Ranger runs crossed the plate. Horacio hasn't allowed less than three earned runs in his last six starts- don't look for that streak to end tomorrow. Although no longer a regualr in the Rangers line-up, don't be surprised to see Sammy Sosa get thestart at DH tomorrow night, as Sosa enjoys a .455 average in 11 at-bats against Ramirez. Brad Wilkerson and Marlon Byrd have also homered against the ex-Brave starter as well.
So it's going to be ugly tomorrow. And though I've been picking the Rangers and the M's continue to come out on top, I'm going to tempt fate by picking the M's to win tomorrow. But it won't be pretty, For those fantasy baseball players, make sure you have your Mariner and Ranger batters in the line-up as the balls will fly and the runs will be scored. But I think the M's will come out on top, 13-11.
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