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.
Well, you can't when them all. But I'll be happy if the Mariners continue to keep winning 56% of the time.
The final score in last night's ball-game, 11-3, was indicative of the fact that Horacio Ramirez started for the M's, delivering a typical "Horror Arm" outing as he dropped his first decision of the season at home, allowing nine hits and six runs over five innings. Ramirez has now allowed 28 earned runs over his last 24.2 innings. The most I can say about him is that I miss Rafael Soriano.
Raul Ibanez also picked up the start in left field last night, which may have had some effect on the final score. Granted, he didn't receive any official errors, but with the number of balls that found its way into the left-field corner, it appeared that the Twins knew to take advantage of the M's achille's heal and pepper the ball into that part of the ball-park. Granted, Raul did drive in one of the M's three runs, but he could always do that in the line-up as the DH, and deny the opposing team the weakest defender to hit the ball to, a main portion of the strategy to beat the M's.
Jose Vidro was the other hitting star for the M's last night, with two RBI singles, his fourth multi-hit game in his past six games. I've been critical of Jose all year, mainly because I thought the M's gave up too much in Chris Snelling and Emiliano Fruto. But considering the constantly-injured Snelling is now filling a DL slot for the Athletics and that Fruto has a 1.15 BB-to-SO rate down in the minors, I think the M's got a pretty good return for their DH. Sure, Vidro's presence in the DH slot forces Raul on the field, making the M's a weaker team defensively, and perhaps Vidro should fill in more at second base to replace the struggling Jose Lopez. But one thing is for sure- with a .980 OPS since the All-Star break, Vidro's bat needs to stay in the line-up every day in some capacity.
Most credit for the Twins victory last night has to be given to their starter, Matt Garza, who has ben a top prospect in the Twins' system as he shot through it in a rocket-style race to the big leagues. In his first career start, Garza pitched seven innings and allowed three runs, keeping the M's off balance with high 70s/ low 80s breaking pitches and a fastball that clocked in the mid-90s. Garza has been very effective in limiting the damage by opposing teams so far this season. the M's three runs were the most that have been tallied against the Twins in Garza's eight starts. He's undoubtedly a top talent, and with Francisco Liriano accompanying Garza and Santana in the rotation next year, the Twins may very well have the best 1-2-3 starters in the league, if not in all of baseball.
The M's face another Twins prospect tonight in Scott Baker, who admittedly has a lower cahce in the eyes of the Twins' organization than he used to. Baker has a low walk rate- just 20 in 92.2 innings, or roughly two per game- and being constantly around the strike zone has given Baker trouble in the past, as batters have routinely smacked Baker around. This season, however, he has seemed to found a solution to those problems, with opponents hitting sixty points lower and slugging 130 points lower than in 2006. Regardless, Baker allowed six runs in 5.1 innings in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels, which came after 16 innings of one-run ball in his two preceding starts. Baker lost his only decision against the M's, allowing ten hits and five runs in a 8-2 pasting the M's gave him in the Metrodome last May. The M's talled 19 hits that game, with four Mariner batters racking up three-hit ball-games, and Ichiro wasn't one of them. Adrian Beltre, however was, while Richie Sexson and Kenji Johjima hit home-runs. Can a similar pasting be in store tonight?
Jarrod Washburn takes the hill for the M's tongiht, and considering his 5-4 career record and 3.69 ERA over 78 innings against the Twins, he might be able to pitch himself into position to pick up his first win since the Fourth of July, having gone 0-3 with three no decisions since then. However, the last time Washburn faced the Twins last May, he allowed eight hits and four runs as the Twins eked out a 6-5 victory. The Twins offense won a war of attrition against M's pitching in that game, picking up 13 hits, all but three were singles. However, Washburn has done an incredible job of minimizing the Twins' big bats, with Torii Hunter hitting just .179 in 28 at-bats against Jarrod, while Rondell White has been limited to a .250 average (including a homer and 3 RBIs) in 16 at-bats.
Still, runs will be scored in tonight's game. I do not have confidence in either starting pitcher to limit the other team, and do believe the game will be decided by the teams' bullpens. Both teams have really strong teams, with the M's- who have perhaps the best in baseball- having a slight advantage, so I'm calling them to return to the win column tonight, beating the Twins by a 9-7 score...
The final score in last night's ball-game, 11-3, was indicative of the fact that Horacio Ramirez started for the M's, delivering a typical "Horror Arm" outing as he dropped his first decision of the season at home, allowing nine hits and six runs over five innings. Ramirez has now allowed 28 earned runs over his last 24.2 innings. The most I can say about him is that I miss Rafael Soriano.
Raul Ibanez also picked up the start in left field last night, which may have had some effect on the final score. Granted, he didn't receive any official errors, but with the number of balls that found its way into the left-field corner, it appeared that the Twins knew to take advantage of the M's achille's heal and pepper the ball into that part of the ball-park. Granted, Raul did drive in one of the M's three runs, but he could always do that in the line-up as the DH, and deny the opposing team the weakest defender to hit the ball to, a main portion of the strategy to beat the M's.
Jose Vidro was the other hitting star for the M's last night, with two RBI singles, his fourth multi-hit game in his past six games. I've been critical of Jose all year, mainly because I thought the M's gave up too much in Chris Snelling and Emiliano Fruto. But considering the constantly-injured Snelling is now filling a DL slot for the Athletics and that Fruto has a 1.15 BB-to-SO rate down in the minors, I think the M's got a pretty good return for their DH. Sure, Vidro's presence in the DH slot forces Raul on the field, making the M's a weaker team defensively, and perhaps Vidro should fill in more at second base to replace the struggling Jose Lopez. But one thing is for sure- with a .980 OPS since the All-Star break, Vidro's bat needs to stay in the line-up every day in some capacity.
Most credit for the Twins victory last night has to be given to their starter, Matt Garza, who has ben a top prospect in the Twins' system as he shot through it in a rocket-style race to the big leagues. In his first career start, Garza pitched seven innings and allowed three runs, keeping the M's off balance with high 70s/ low 80s breaking pitches and a fastball that clocked in the mid-90s. Garza has been very effective in limiting the damage by opposing teams so far this season. the M's three runs were the most that have been tallied against the Twins in Garza's eight starts. He's undoubtedly a top talent, and with Francisco Liriano accompanying Garza and Santana in the rotation next year, the Twins may very well have the best 1-2-3 starters in the league, if not in all of baseball.
The M's face another Twins prospect tonight in Scott Baker, who admittedly has a lower cahce in the eyes of the Twins' organization than he used to. Baker has a low walk rate- just 20 in 92.2 innings, or roughly two per game- and being constantly around the strike zone has given Baker trouble in the past, as batters have routinely smacked Baker around. This season, however, he has seemed to found a solution to those problems, with opponents hitting sixty points lower and slugging 130 points lower than in 2006. Regardless, Baker allowed six runs in 5.1 innings in his last start against the Los Angeles Angels, which came after 16 innings of one-run ball in his two preceding starts. Baker lost his only decision against the M's, allowing ten hits and five runs in a 8-2 pasting the M's gave him in the Metrodome last May. The M's talled 19 hits that game, with four Mariner batters racking up three-hit ball-games, and Ichiro wasn't one of them. Adrian Beltre, however was, while Richie Sexson and Kenji Johjima hit home-runs. Can a similar pasting be in store tonight?
Jarrod Washburn takes the hill for the M's tongiht, and considering his 5-4 career record and 3.69 ERA over 78 innings against the Twins, he might be able to pitch himself into position to pick up his first win since the Fourth of July, having gone 0-3 with three no decisions since then. However, the last time Washburn faced the Twins last May, he allowed eight hits and four runs as the Twins eked out a 6-5 victory. The Twins offense won a war of attrition against M's pitching in that game, picking up 13 hits, all but three were singles. However, Washburn has done an incredible job of minimizing the Twins' big bats, with Torii Hunter hitting just .179 in 28 at-bats against Jarrod, while Rondell White has been limited to a .250 average (including a homer and 3 RBIs) in 16 at-bats.
Still, runs will be scored in tonight's game. I do not have confidence in either starting pitcher to limit the other team, and do believe the game will be decided by the teams' bullpens. Both teams have really strong teams, with the M's- who have perhaps the best in baseball- having a slight advantage, so I'm calling them to return to the win column tonight, beating the Twins by a 9-7 score...
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