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.
Rule #1 in facing the Tampa Bay Devil Rays when Scott Kazmir is pitching for them: You just don't spot them a 4-0 lead in the first inning. You just don't do it.
But that's exactly what Horacio Ramirez did yesterday, when he lasted all of four batters- tying the second-shortest start in Mariner history- allowing three singles an a walk before being relieved by Jorge Campillo, who allowed a two-run single immediately to Delmon Young, thus closing the doors on Horacio's latest atrocious outing. Horror Arm's final line? Try 0.0 innings, three hits, four runs, all earned, one walk and, of course, no strikeouts.
According to the AP story, Horacio was shocked- shocked!- three hours after game-time that he was been pulled so quickly. Someobody should inform Horacio that the M's fighting to their last gasp for a playoff spot, with a non-existent margin of error. Starts that are more expected from a pitcher called up from single-A just isn't going to cut it. Horacio needs to be DFA'd- immediately.
The 4-0 lead was all Kazmir needed, as he once again tightened the screws on the M's line-up. Over six innings, Kazmir allowed three hits while striking out 11. It may have been a situation of the M's batters dialing it in, flailing away at any offering as they had gotten blown out of the game so early. But I don't want to take away anything from Kazmir, who is an obviously talented left-hander who has been nothing short of dominant against the Mariners in his career. Kazmir's shaping up to replace Pedro Martinez as the M's nemesis- Pedro won his first 13 decisions against the Mariners before finally losing to Seattle as a member of the Met's rotation in 2006.
I had said it was going to be an ugly game, and the beginning made me leery of a long, torturous evening at Safeco. Yet somehow the Devil Rays ended up only winning by a 6-2 final score. Perhaps more than anything the reason why the D-Rays weren't able to run away with the ballgame was due to the relief effort by Jorge Campillo, the ERA leader for the M's AAA-team in Tacoma who was called up a week ago to replace the disastrous train wreck in the M's bullpen that was Rick White. In his third outing on the season, Campillo pitching four innings of gritty relief, allowing seven hits and two walks, but only allowing an RBI double to Johnny Gomes in the third inning.
Other than Campillo keeping the Devil Rays in check, the Mariners lacked any highlights, besides Raul Ibanez hit alead-off home-run in the ninth inning. Beltre went hitless in three innings as his average dropped to .279. Both Ichiro and Jose Vidro picked up singles in four at-bats, as their average dropped to .350 and .319 respectively.
Ichiro and Vidro can look towards improving their averages against Tampa Bay starter Any Sonnastine in this afternoon's game. The left-hander has had an erratic first season so far in the majors, alternating eight innings of two-hit ball against the Yankees with allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings against the Orioles. As this his first appearance against the M's, don't expect the Marienrs to rack up seven runs against him, but then again they have played left-handers very well this season with a 24-12 record against left-handed pitchers. Vidro has a huge split against lefties, .350 to .308 versus right-handers. So perhaps we can expect a happy medium of Sonnastine's extremes in today's start.
And the M's have Jarrod Washburn going for them in today's start, who has been nothing short of dominating against the D-Rays in his career. Jarrod has won ten of twelve decisions against the D-Rays, with a 2.53 ERA over 92.2 innings in 14 starts. Carlos Pena is the only current Devil Ray to have hit a home-run off Washburn, but otherwise the other Devil Ray batters have been able to muster nothing against Washburn's offerings. I think that Washburn, despite a 1-7 record in his last eight decisions, will have a start similar to his last one against the Devil Rays- allowing two runs in 6.1 innings last May- to come out on top. The M's will win this one today, I'm calling it by a 7-4 score. Then again, it might just be 5-4, with the M's scoring the winning run in their final at-bat.
But that's exactly what Horacio Ramirez did yesterday, when he lasted all of four batters- tying the second-shortest start in Mariner history- allowing three singles an a walk before being relieved by Jorge Campillo, who allowed a two-run single immediately to Delmon Young, thus closing the doors on Horacio's latest atrocious outing. Horror Arm's final line? Try 0.0 innings, three hits, four runs, all earned, one walk and, of course, no strikeouts.
According to the AP story, Horacio was shocked- shocked!- three hours after game-time that he was been pulled so quickly. Someobody should inform Horacio that the M's fighting to their last gasp for a playoff spot, with a non-existent margin of error. Starts that are more expected from a pitcher called up from single-A just isn't going to cut it. Horacio needs to be DFA'd- immediately.
The 4-0 lead was all Kazmir needed, as he once again tightened the screws on the M's line-up. Over six innings, Kazmir allowed three hits while striking out 11. It may have been a situation of the M's batters dialing it in, flailing away at any offering as they had gotten blown out of the game so early. But I don't want to take away anything from Kazmir, who is an obviously talented left-hander who has been nothing short of dominant against the Mariners in his career. Kazmir's shaping up to replace Pedro Martinez as the M's nemesis- Pedro won his first 13 decisions against the Mariners before finally losing to Seattle as a member of the Met's rotation in 2006.
I had said it was going to be an ugly game, and the beginning made me leery of a long, torturous evening at Safeco. Yet somehow the Devil Rays ended up only winning by a 6-2 final score. Perhaps more than anything the reason why the D-Rays weren't able to run away with the ballgame was due to the relief effort by Jorge Campillo, the ERA leader for the M's AAA-team in Tacoma who was called up a week ago to replace the disastrous train wreck in the M's bullpen that was Rick White. In his third outing on the season, Campillo pitching four innings of gritty relief, allowing seven hits and two walks, but only allowing an RBI double to Johnny Gomes in the third inning.
Other than Campillo keeping the Devil Rays in check, the Mariners lacked any highlights, besides Raul Ibanez hit alead-off home-run in the ninth inning. Beltre went hitless in three innings as his average dropped to .279. Both Ichiro and Jose Vidro picked up singles in four at-bats, as their average dropped to .350 and .319 respectively.
Ichiro and Vidro can look towards improving their averages against Tampa Bay starter Any Sonnastine in this afternoon's game. The left-hander has had an erratic first season so far in the majors, alternating eight innings of two-hit ball against the Yankees with allowing seven runs in 3.2 innings against the Orioles. As this his first appearance against the M's, don't expect the Marienrs to rack up seven runs against him, but then again they have played left-handers very well this season with a 24-12 record against left-handed pitchers. Vidro has a huge split against lefties, .350 to .308 versus right-handers. So perhaps we can expect a happy medium of Sonnastine's extremes in today's start.
And the M's have Jarrod Washburn going for them in today's start, who has been nothing short of dominating against the D-Rays in his career. Jarrod has won ten of twelve decisions against the D-Rays, with a 2.53 ERA over 92.2 innings in 14 starts. Carlos Pena is the only current Devil Ray to have hit a home-run off Washburn, but otherwise the other Devil Ray batters have been able to muster nothing against Washburn's offerings. I think that Washburn, despite a 1-7 record in his last eight decisions, will have a start similar to his last one against the Devil Rays- allowing two runs in 6.1 innings last May- to come out on top. The M's will win this one today, I'm calling it by a 7-4 score. Then again, it might just be 5-4, with the M's scoring the winning run in their final at-bat.
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