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.
Ninth-inning wins are fun! Can the M's win other ways now?
Published 9/14/2007 by true_slicky | E-mail this post
For the third-straight game, the M's won it in the bottom of the ninth. This time, it was Jose Guillen's doing as he hit a deep drive to right-fielder Delmyn Young with noo uts and the bases loaded, as Ichiro trotted home with the game-winning run in the 2-1 victory. It was Guillen's turn to take the hero mantle away from Yuniesky Betancourt, who scored the winning run last night and knocked it in the night before. And after two nights of having Guillen running out of the dug-out and pounding on him in celebration, tonight was Yuni's turn to be the first out and return the pounding to Guillen.
The M's remained in pace for whatever possible playoff spot may conceptually await them, as the Yankees surpassed a five-run deficit to top Boston 8-7. So the M's continue to be five and a half games out, with 16 to go.
The name of the game tonight was pitching, as it was indeed one of the toughest pitching match-ups so far this season. Felix was on the mound, facing Jamie Shields who could arguably be referred to as the Devil Rays' "ace." Felix pitched brilliantly, striking out eight in 7.2 innings, with only a mistake slider stroked by infielder Jorge Velandia marring his evening. Shields nearly matched Felix on the evening, just giving up one run on four hits over eight innings. However, the M's were able to string together three singles off Gary Glover in the ninth inning before Guillen's sacrifice fly, and that's all she wrote.
Beltre went 1-for-4 to keep his average at .280, and has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games. Jose Vidro picked up two hits, and Ichiro finished the game 1-for-4 as well to finish the night with a .351 average, six points behind league-leader Magglio Ordonez's .357 average.
Undoubtedly, ninth-inning wins are a whole lot of fun, but eventually you gotta say enough is enough. When are the M's going to jump out to an early lead and sail to any easy victory? Why does every win need to be so scratched-out and hard-fought?
Don't look for things to get any easier in tomorrow's game. Electric left-hander Scott Kazmir deserves to be referred to as the Devil Rays' "ace" in his own right, and if anything could cpnceivably share that title with Shields. And Scott looooves facing the M's, holding them to a 1.93 ERA over 23 innings and a 2-0 record in four starts. One of Kazmir's most memorable starts was a 1-0 shutout of the M's last May at Safeco, won when Jamie Moyer's cleat got caught on the mound, forcing a balk. Kazmir won his last start against Boston 1-0, shutting down the Red Sox' potent line-up by striking out ten over seven innings. And while the M's line-up may be pretty good from the seventh inning on, if you were to match the two line-ups next to each other I might have to go with Boston's. No Mariner batter has hit Kazmir well, with Raul owning the only home-run off Scott, in seven at-bats.
And the M's are going to counter with Horacio Ramirez, who somehow wasn't DFA'd after his last start. Sigh. As if it mattered, HoRam has a 1-0 record and 5.19 ERA against the Devil Rays over 8.2 innings in two starts. Of course, Horacio has been absolutely horrendous in his last three starts, allowing 12 runs over 13 innings. But this current Devil Ray line-up is full of hitters getting their first look at HoRam. Which means they'll have no problem tattooing his offerings all over Safeco.
I'm not optimistic for tomorrow. Residents of the Puget Sound may want to go explore their favortie hiking trail or spend the day relaxing by Lake Washington, because it's going to be U-G-L-Y at the corner of 1st Avenue and Edgar Martinez drive tomorrow. Final score: 10-1, Devil Rays.
The M's remained in pace for whatever possible playoff spot may conceptually await them, as the Yankees surpassed a five-run deficit to top Boston 8-7. So the M's continue to be five and a half games out, with 16 to go.
The name of the game tonight was pitching, as it was indeed one of the toughest pitching match-ups so far this season. Felix was on the mound, facing Jamie Shields who could arguably be referred to as the Devil Rays' "ace." Felix pitched brilliantly, striking out eight in 7.2 innings, with only a mistake slider stroked by infielder Jorge Velandia marring his evening. Shields nearly matched Felix on the evening, just giving up one run on four hits over eight innings. However, the M's were able to string together three singles off Gary Glover in the ninth inning before Guillen's sacrifice fly, and that's all she wrote.
Beltre went 1-for-4 to keep his average at .280, and has hit safely in nine of his last 11 games. Jose Vidro picked up two hits, and Ichiro finished the game 1-for-4 as well to finish the night with a .351 average, six points behind league-leader Magglio Ordonez's .357 average.
Undoubtedly, ninth-inning wins are a whole lot of fun, but eventually you gotta say enough is enough. When are the M's going to jump out to an early lead and sail to any easy victory? Why does every win need to be so scratched-out and hard-fought?
Don't look for things to get any easier in tomorrow's game. Electric left-hander Scott Kazmir deserves to be referred to as the Devil Rays' "ace" in his own right, and if anything could cpnceivably share that title with Shields. And Scott looooves facing the M's, holding them to a 1.93 ERA over 23 innings and a 2-0 record in four starts. One of Kazmir's most memorable starts was a 1-0 shutout of the M's last May at Safeco, won when Jamie Moyer's cleat got caught on the mound, forcing a balk. Kazmir won his last start against Boston 1-0, shutting down the Red Sox' potent line-up by striking out ten over seven innings. And while the M's line-up may be pretty good from the seventh inning on, if you were to match the two line-ups next to each other I might have to go with Boston's. No Mariner batter has hit Kazmir well, with Raul owning the only home-run off Scott, in seven at-bats.
And the M's are going to counter with Horacio Ramirez, who somehow wasn't DFA'd after his last start. Sigh. As if it mattered, HoRam has a 1-0 record and 5.19 ERA against the Devil Rays over 8.2 innings in two starts. Of course, Horacio has been absolutely horrendous in his last three starts, allowing 12 runs over 13 innings. But this current Devil Ray line-up is full of hitters getting their first look at HoRam. Which means they'll have no problem tattooing his offerings all over Safeco.
I'm not optimistic for tomorrow. Residents of the Puget Sound may want to go explore their favortie hiking trail or spend the day relaxing by Lake Washington, because it's going to be U-G-L-Y at the corner of 1st Avenue and Edgar Martinez drive tomorrow. Final score: 10-1, Devil Rays.
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