League Blows the Game, Smoak Heats Up

I really thought we had this game... until League entered.  I have never felt safe with League, and sure enough he turned a 4-3 lead into a 6-4 loss on Ackley Bobblehead Night.

Angels (21-25)

Trout CF

Izturis 2B

Pujols 1B

Morales DH

Trumbo RF

Callaspo 3B

Aybar SS

Calhoun LF

Hester C

Santana (2-6, 4.22)

Mariners (21-26)

Saunders CF

Liddi 3B

Ichiro RF

Seager 2B

Smoak 1B

Jaso DH

Montero C

Carp LF

Kawasaki SS

Beavan (2-4, 4.46)

The Mariners had ample opportunity to put this game out of reach early, but just couldn't get it done.  We only scored 1 run in the first after loading the bases with one out (via a leadoff single and walks by Liddi and Seager).  Smoak got a fielder's choice RBI.  It looked like Seager was actually safe at second, the shortstop was clearly off the base but the ump made the call he made.  It should have been bases still loaded with only one out. So, Jaso walked to load the bases again, but Montero ended the inning with a groundout.  So it was 1-0 after the first inning, a good team would have at least two, possibly three, runs.  Unfortunately we have a horrible number three hitter in Ichiro.  He isn't a threat for a big homer or solid double with runners on.  The experiment needs to stop, I'm so sick of his rally killers.

We got our second run in the third after a leadoff double by Ichiro and one out RBI single by Smoak.  It was his second RBI of the game.  Then Jaso walked.  BUT another rally died as Montero hit into a 6-4-3 double play.  We finished our scoring in the fifth inning.  Seager hit a double to right field, and then Smoak took a 0-1 pitch into the right field stands to put us up 4-0.  He drove in all of our runs tonight, and is definitely showing signs that he is breaking out.

Beavan pitched another solid game, he tends to quietly go out there and do his thing but runs into an inning where he runs into an issue.  With our offense, it usually means the difference in the game.  Beavan's bad inning tonight was the sixth, when Pujols delivered a monster 3 run homer to center that was estimated at 410 feet.  Pujols came into the game batting only .225 with 5 homers and 22 rbi.  If you recall, he signed a huge contract this offseason after leaving his original team, St. Louis. 

So the score remained until a nightmare of a ninth inning, in which League gave up a first pitch single to Trumbo.  Bourjos came in to pinch run, that dude is fast!  Callaspo then worked a walk, and on an 0-1 pitch Aybar hit a bad sacrifice bunt back to League.  Instead of going for the sure out at 1st, League decided to try and get speedy Bourjos with a force at third base.  Yep, didn't happen.  Instead he threw it away, the tying run scored and the had runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out.  Aybar was then intentionally walked to load the bases and force an out on any base.  Pinch hitter Kendrick then laced his first pitch right up the middle to score the final two runs of the game.  The boo birds came out.  If Trout hadn't ground into a double play for the first outs of the inning, who knows how much more damage they would have racked up.

Needless to say it was a disappointing and frustrating night.  I don't ever want to see League in a save situation again.  I'm not buying it, nobody is buying it anymore.  We should have traded him when we had the chance last year.

The Mariners are now 6-7 when I attend
Attendance: 23,517
Time of Game: 2:52