Mariners Score! Mariners Win!

See what happens when you score some runs guys, you can actually win the damn game!

Oakland (36-38)

Weeks 2B

Hicks 1B

Reddick RF

Cespedes CF

Inge 3B

Smith LF

Gomes DH

Norris C

Pennington SS

Blackley (1-2, 3.15)

Mariners (31-44)

Ichiro DH

Gutierrez CF

Seager 3B

Montero C

Smoak 1B

Saunders LF

Wells RF

Ackley 2B

Ryan SS

Vargas (7-7, 4.66)

Jason Vargas pitched a good game after his last few outings in which he was rocked with homers.  He actually struck out 5 in a row at one point (1st-2nd), and had a career high matching 10 strikesouts.  Matching the 10 strikeouts of Ramirez yesterday, it is the first time since 1999 Mariners pitchers have had back-to-back 10 K starts!  Oakland got runners on in the 3rd and 4th who were erased by double plays.  In the 5th he sandwiched a walk between striking out the side, and gave up another walk in the 6th.  But, at that point the Mariners were up 2-0 and Vargas was able to work out of issues each time.  In the 7th, he wasn't so lucky.  He gave up a monster homer (424 feet) into the Mariners bullpen by Cespedes.  Vargas then gave up a two out double to Smith and was pulled for League.  He then proceeded to fuck it up for Vargas and give up two consecutive singles to tie the ballgame.

Oakland had Travis Blackley on the mound, former Mariner.  It was interesting to see him again, and he had a wicked pickoff move, catching Wells in the 5th.  He lasted 7 innings.  In the 8th inning Wells lead off with a one strike single to left for Wells.  He then stole second base as Ackley was wrung up, and then scored on a Ryan single for the final run of the game.  Ryan himself stole second on a 2-1 pitch to Ichiro, which caused Oakland to intentionally walk him to face Guti and Seager, both who flew out.  But the one run was all we needed as Wilhelmsen came in to nail down the save.

It was nice to see the Mariners come through in the 8th inning with some clutch hitting.  Hell, I'm just excited that they scored more than 1 or 2 runs! 

The Mariners are now 9-12 when I attend
Attendance: 12,411 - tied for 3rd fewest ever with 4-19-11
Time of Game: 2:45

Rookie Ramirez Runs into Support Problems

Erasmo Ramirez went a strong 8 innings pitched, striking out 10. He made one mistake, giving up just a solo homer.  Unfortunately the Mariners offense was shutout for the 2nd straight game.

Oakland (35-38)

Crisp CF

Weeks 2B

Reddick RF

Cespedes DH

Smith LF

Inge 3B

Moss 1B

Suzuki C

Pennington SS

Milone (7-4, 4.13)

Mariners(31-43)

Ichiro RF

Gutierrez CF

Seager 3B

Montero DH

Smoak 1B

Saunders LF

Olivo C

Ryan SS

Ramirez (0-1, 5.40)

The lone run of the ballgame occurred in the 2nd inning when Seth Smith took the first pitch he saw of the game into deep center field, an estimated 418 feet.  Ramirez struck out the side in both the 1st and 7th innings, 10 total, and gave up a mere TWO hits.  Yep, 8 innings of 1 run 2 hit ball and he picks up the loss.

Meanwhile, the Mariners had two hits alone in the 1st inning,  7 total, but ground into 2 double plays and couldn't take advantage of the scattered opportunities.  This script is getting a little old.  SCORE SOME DAMN RUNS!!!

The Mariners are now 8-12 when I attend
Attendance: 17,101
Time of Game: 2:18

The Roof closed in the top of the 7th inning

Noesi and Montero Shine

I have attended four shutouts in a row at Safeco Field, thankfully today was the first time the Mariners had won in that span.  Today's final score was the reverse of yesterday's, as we won 4-0.  The stars of the game were traded for in the Pineda trade. 

Athletics (4-4)

Weeks 2B

Crisp LF

Reddick RF

Cespedes CF

Smith DH

Suzuki C

Barton 1B

Donaldson 3B

Pennington SS

Milone (1-0, 0.00)

Mariners (4-5)

Figgins CF

Ackley 2B

Ichiro RF

Smoak 1B

Montero C

Liddi 3B

Olivo DH

Wells LF

Ryan SS

Noesi (0-1, 21.00)

It was the first time we got to see Noesi, I had no idea what to expect as he was shelled in his first start in Texas.  He was very effective and induced a ton of popups.  Ackley alone had four of the nine. The only major trouble he got in was in the 8th inning.  He was at 88 pitches through 7 and at the rate he was going I thought he had a possibility of a complete game.  He retired the first two batters of the 8th, but then Pennington got a single up the middle and Weeks launched a double to right center.  We were lucky that it bounced over the fence for a ground rule double, 'cause Pennington was already around third ready to score.  Noesi then induced Crisp to pop up on the next pitch, and he stranded the runners on second and third.  Fantastic first outing at home, I was very impressed.  League came in to finish off the game in the 9th.

Milone faced only 1 batter above the minimum through 5 innings, that was Montero's 2nd inning full count rocket of a home run to deep center, estimated at 415 feet.  It was literally a line drive, I thought it was going to hit off the top of the wall for a double but it kept carrying.  It was his first home run as a Mariner.  That was all of our offense until the sixth inning.  There was a questionable call in the 4th in which Ichiro hit a solid stroke just past first base.  Barton was able to deflect it, but it hit the first base umpire so instead of going to the wall Barton was able to snatch it and throw to Milone covering first.  Wedge came out to argue, pointing animatedly.  It was bang bang, huge boos came from the concourse after the replay on TV, but according to twitter he was out. 

In the sixth inning we broke out for three more runs.  We loaded the bases with 1 out via a Ryan single, Figgins double, and Ackley walk.  Ichiro, not surprisingly, popped out.  So the bases were loaded with two out for the "meat" of our lineup.  Smoak has been struggling but he patiently worked a walk for his third RBI of the year.  Then, Montero came through again with a double down the right field line, it dropped right in front of our section and cleared the bases... except Smoak was thrown out at home (9-3-2) so we only got two runs on the play.  The collision at home was a little scary at first, as Smoak seemed to take some time getting up.  But he played the rest of the game so he must be okay.  Montero was the hero, his final line: 3 AB, R, 2B, HR, 3RBI

Montero quietly has an 8 game hitting streak.  I guess he has done so because they had all been singles prior to tonight.  Also, he caught his second game of the year.  We have won both games, and unlike Olivo he has done a decent job blocking pitches.  The kid is only 22, I can see Montero moving to being the starting catcher if he continues to make progress.  The Athletics did steal a base on him in the third, but the more repetitions he gets the better he will be.  Of course, he won't be one of the top notch defensive catchers out there, but his better than average offense will offset that.  Your DH should not be a 22 year old.  

I would like the add that the Saturday curse is officially broken!  Last year I attended 9 games on Saturday and we won none of them!

The Mariners are now 1-1 when I attend, 5-5 overall.
Attendance: 21,071
Time of Game: 2:29

Mariners Disappoint in 2012 Home Opener

Opening Day is full of optimism and excitement.  I look forward to new additions to the food, ballpark, and to seeing old friends.  I love singing Take Me Out to the Ballgame and counting down from 10 at the home plate entrance before they open the gates.  I love the brass band that tours the concourse, bringing that "old time" feel.  I had reason to be excited this year, as we were 4-4 on our road trip and our offense had showed some signs of life.  Well, it didn't tonight as we lost 4-0.

Athletics (3-4)

Weeks 2B

Crisp LF

Reddick RF

Cespedes CF

Smith DH

Suzuki C

Barton 1B

Donaldson 3B

Pennington SS

Colon (1-1, 5.89)

Mariners (4-4)

Figgins LF

Ackley 2B

Suzuki RF

Smoak 1B

Seager 3B

Montero DH

Saunders CF

Olivo C

Ryan SS

Hernandez (1-0, 4.40)

Unfortunately the best part of the ballgame was in the first inning and prior to that with the traditional Opening Day ceremonies.  The team trotted out on a red carpet, they had the annual "run around the bases" by a make a wish kid.  The most exciting was Mike Cameron threw out the first pitch and it was announced that he signed a contract earlier in the day so that he could retire as Mariner.  What a class act.  After he left years ago, I bought a t-shirt on sale and pulled it out of my drawer.  I'd never worn it!  It was a little big, but had to sport my Cammy attire.  There was also a nice tribute to Greg Halman before the game.  Such a loss.

Felix looked fired up in the first inning, striking out the first two batters he faced.  The rest of the game, he got into a few jams but as he learned a couple of years ago he held fast and kept us in the ballgame.  As was often the case last year, his offense failed him.  In the second inning, he struck out Cespedes from Cuba (already has hit 3 homers against us this year), then gave up his first hit to Smith who was doubled up as Suzuki ground into a 6-4-3 DP.  In the third inning the ballgame was pretty much decided.  Felix gave up three hits, walked one, and gave up his two runs before escaping.  The next inning, Oakland loaded the bases with 1 out via a double, walk, and single. But, he got out of trouble again.  It was unfortunate that we couldn't muster any sort of offense against Colon. 

Because of the way the weird opening in Japan has gone... this was the third time we've faced Colon already this year.  The first time in Japan we sucked, he lasted 8 innings of 1 run, 3 hit ball in a 4-1 loss. The second time in Oakland we roughed him up on our way to an 8-7 victory: 4.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R.  This year is was yet again 3 measly hits in 7 innings.  It started out with getting two runners on in the first, which made me think that we had a chance today with the way that Felix looked in the first.  But we scattered our three hits and was never able to get any offense going.  Really frustrating, so the last three games I have attended the Mariners have been shut out.

A positive, Ichiro is now out of the lead off spot.  Unfortunately they have him in at the third spot... but really I can't see anyone filling that role for now.  Singles hitters should be down at the bottom of the order, not in the meat of your lineup.  Another positive, my new seats on the aisle in row 7 look to be great seats!  There were a lot of people walking up and down, but hopefully that will die down with smaller crowds.

Olivo had another passed ball in the 8th.  Appalling.  It led to us being down 3-0 instead of 2-0.  But it didn't matter, I guess, since we couldn't score.

The announced attendance was 46,026 but there were noticeably empty patches in the outfield and 300 level.  Could this be due to the fact their credit card processing system was offline most of the game?  I doubt it.  More likely someone swooped in at the last minute to purchase tickets to make it seem sold out, or people decided not to go.

I got the new brisket sandwich, which was $9.75, cheaper than last year, but absolutely disgusting.  It was cold, the meat was of poor quality, and it was much less tasty than last year.  I will not be getting it again.  They did add sweet potato fries, though, so that should be interesting. 

All in all, a disappointing and frustrating night.  1 down, 80 more to go!

The Mariners are 0-1 when I attend.

Mariners Blanked to End Year

I couldn't wait to get out of their fast enough, it is really frustrating.  Yesterday was bad, but today we only managed TWO measly hits the entire game.  TWO.  We also had 3 walks, but 11 strikeouts.  It feels like the players couldn't wait for the season to end fast enough so they could go fishing.

Athletics (73-88)

Crisp CF

Taylor LF

Weeks 2B

Willingham DH

Sizemore 3B

Carter 1B

Miller RF

Powell C

Rosales SS

Gonzalez (15-12, 3.25)

Mariners (67-94)

Ichiro RF

Robinson CF

Ackley 2B

Smoak 1B

Carp LF

Kennedy DH

Liddi 3B

Seager SS

Giminez C

Vasquez (1-5, 8.89)

I'm not going to talk much about the game. The Athletics scored the lone runs of the game via a 2 run homer to right center by Miller.  Vasquez never impressed me, I would be surprised if he makes the club next year.  And that was the ballgame... even though we were only down 2 runs it just wasn't going to happen today.  Horrible way to end the season, being shut out the final two games.  20,173 hard core baseball fans were there for the final one this year.

Ichiro failed to get above 200 hits for the first time in his ML career, ending 184, a .272 BA, and a pathetic .310 OBP.  He is now 37 and his numbers will continue to decline.  He's only got one more year on the contract and then it is sayonara and we can finally get a real lead off hitter. 

It was a tough first year without Dave Niehaus.  But we're getting younger, we've got a new Manager in Eric Wedge that I believe is competent, and some exciting players to watch.  Ackley is going to be solid.  Pineda is young, if he develops a third pitch he'll be locked in the two spot for years.  Carp, did he finally have a breakthrough after years in the Minors?  Will Smoak match his potential?  So many questions, and after a sometimes frustrating year I am optimistic about 2012.  We're definitely turning this franchise around, you can see it.

Here's to next year!!

A Stinker

That's the best way I can sum it up.  We just stunk.  Total blowout, our offense was inept and only managed 4 hits as we lost 7-0.  Beavan, who had been doing pretty well lately, was not sharp.

Athletics (72-88)

Weeks 2B

Crisp CF

Matsui LF

Willingham DH

Dejesus RF

Sizemore 3B

Suzuki C

Allen 1B

Sogard SS

Cahill (11-14, 4.31)

Mariners (67-93)

Ichiro RF

Rodriguez SS

Ackley DH

Carp LF

Smoak 1B

Olivo C

Seager 2B

Liddi 3B

Saunders CF

Beavan (5-5, 3.82)

Beavan ended up going exactly 5 innings, giving up eight hits and all seven runs.  It started in the first with a 3 Run BOMB by Willingham to deep left field.  The Mariners threatened in the 1st inning with back to back singles by Ichiro and Rodriguez, but Ackley struck out and Carp ground to second for a double play.  Beavan gave up two more runs in each of the third and fifth innings.  The 5th inning runs were thanks to another homer, this time by Sizemore.  The only other possible scoring opportunity by the Mariners was in the 7th inning with runners on 1st and 2nd with one out, but the runners were stranded.  The Mariners had 4 hits, 1 BB, 8 K, and 4 LOB.  I'm hoping that we will end the season on a positive note tomorrow, with some signs of offense.

Att: 18,600

Vargas is Stellar in Final Start.

Fantastic pitching by both starters, as Mariners won 4-2 in front of 17,057 fans.  There was a little excitement in the 5th inning as Carter hit the roof with a foul ball!!!!!  This is a rare occurrence, occurring only two other times that I can recall.

Athletics (72-87)

Weeks 2B

Crisp CF

Matsui DH

Willingham LF

Sizemore 3B

Suzuki C

Carter 1B

Taylor RF

Rosales SS

McCarthy (9-8, 3.26)

Mariners (66-93)

Ichiro RF

Rodriguez SS

Ackley 2B

Carp DH

Smoak 1B

Olivo C

Robinson LF

Liddi 3B

Saunders CF

Vargas (9-13, 4.38)

The Mariners scored all of their runs via the long ball.  Olivo got a solo shot in the 5th to tie up the ballgame.  Then, in the 6th, Smoak launched a 3 run homer 403 feet to right center, scoring Ackley and Carp with 2 outs.  I'm hoping that Ackley, Carp, and Smoak will be producing like that for the Mariners for the next decade.  Smoak has had a tough year with the passing of his father, and injuries.  I'm hoping next year he's healthy, and finally proves that we made the right trade for Cliff Lee.  Olivo is now the all-time leader in single season home runs for a Mariners catcher with 19.  If only he could actually catch the damn ball. 

I was a little pissed that they pulled Vargas after 8 innings.  He got his career high 10th strikeout in the 8th. Vargas only had 105 pitches, and it was his final start of the year.  They way he was cruising, I don't think an extra 12 pitches would have put him in imminent danger of injuring himself.  Plus, League struggled and practically blew the save.  He gave up 2 hits and a run before getting Suzuki to ground to short for the final out.  My heart started racing for a few minutes, thinking that League was going to ruin the night.  But he pulled it out, and Vargas got a much deserved 10th win of the year.  The lone run he gave up was in the top of the first, after that it was smooth sailing.

I guess McCarthy deserves some praise as well... he had a complete game.

The Mariners are now 18-21 when I attend.

"Infield Triple"

I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of the reasons I love baseball is that you always see something different at the ballpark.  Tonight was a wacky game!  With King Felix on the mound in front of 22,576 we saw a play that we will probably never see again.  Well, possibly... but it happens very rarely.

Athletics 

Weeks 2B

Crisp CF

Matsui LF

Willingham DH

Sweeney RF

Jackson 1B

Suzuki C

Sogard SS

Sizemore 3B

Harden P

Mariners

Ichiro RF

Ryan SS

Ackley 2B

Carp DH

Kennedy 3B

Olivo C

Smoak 1B

Wells LF

Gutierrez CF

Hernandez P

In the bottom of the first inning, Brendan Ryan, with 1 out, hit a chopper to third and was safe at first on the throw.  Don't know how it happened, but for some reason many Athletics missed their assignment.  The 2nd baseman had gone to back up at first, but nobody was anywhere near 2nd base so Ryan took off for second.  As this was happening their third baseman ran to 2nd to take a throw, which never came... and nobody backed up third!  Ryan took off for third!!!  He slid in safely and may have singledhandidly won this game, 'cause after a walk by Ackley Carp hit a 2 RBI 2B and we had spotted Felix two runs in the 1st.  We never trailed the rest of the game.

In the third inning Ackley knocked yet another triple... this time it was "ground rule" triple as a fan reached over and picked up the ball.  Ackley was already turning at 2nd so the umpire awarded Ackley third instead of calling it a ground rule double.  The fan was dressed up exactly like Ichiro and was escorted from the seat.  A lot of twitter and fan buzzing, and "Fake Ichiro" wasn't booted from the stadium.  He did a couple of interviews, more than the real Ichiro will ever do!

Wells gave us insurance with a 2 run shot in the 6th , his first homer with us after arriving in the Fister trade. It turns out we needed it as the Athletics added a Sizemore 2 run homer of their own in the 7th.  It was to straightaway center and surprised a lot of people.  He hit it solid.  And Felix's day was over.  He had another solid outing, 6.1 IP with 9K, 2R, 5 H, and 3 BB.

Then there was more weirdness in the 8th inning as the A's loaded the bases with 1 out. Kurt Suzuki, who had given us huge problems over the years, ended up striking out on a pitch that hit him!  We got out of the inning a batter later... and that was pretty much the ballgame.  We ended up halving the score from yesterday at 4-2 being the final score.

Ate Ginger Chicken Veggie Noodles and my mom joined me for most of the game.  She left in the top of the 7th. 

This is the first time we've won 2 in a row since July 4/5.  The Mariners improved to 12-13 when I attend.  We go for the sweep tomorrow!

Undefeated in August

I know, I know... this was the first game of the month.  BUT we cruised to an 8-4 victory thanks to a bases clearing triple by Ackley in the 5 run 2nd inning.  '

Oakland Athletics (49-59)

Weeks 2B
Crisp CF
Matsui DH
Willingham LF
Sweeney RF
Jackson 1B
Pennington SS
Suzuki C
Sizemore 3B

Cahill P

Mariners (45-62)

Ichiro RF
Ryan SS
Ackley 2B
Carp DH
Kennedy 1B
Olivo C
Wells LF
Figgins 3B
Gutierrez CF

However, the game may have been decided in the 1st as Beaven loaded the bases on three straight singles, weird singles, with nobody out.  But he got out of the jam and that was pretty much the only trouble he got into until the 7th.  The first hit was a ricochet off his leg followed by a line drive right over Ryan into center, who was going to 2nd to cover Weeks.  Weeks advanced to 3rd and then Matsui, batting .528 on a 9 game hitting streak, hit to 3B that ended up a single as Figgins tried to tag Weeks.  Stupid choice, Matsui is slow and would have been out.  So, the bases were loaded.  But then rookie pitcher Beavan got the next two batters and called strikes and Jackson ended the inning by flying out to Wells.  If they score there, who knows what happens the rest of the game goes.

We knocked out 16 hits.  Our first was in the first inning, a double by ryan to right field.  In the 2nd inning, after the A's went in order, is when we did our damage.  Olivo flied to center on the first pitch, then Wells, on his first pitch, got a broken bat single right past their 3rd baseman.  It was followed by a Figgins bloop single to left, then a Guti double to right that scored Wells.  Ichiro loaded the bases via a fielder's choice as he hit a chopper right to 3B.  Figgins was looked back to the base and Sizemore couldn't get Ichiro in time on the throw.  Unlike the Athletics in the first, we were able to punch through with the bases juiced.  Ryan picked up an RBI with his single to left and the bases were still loaded.

Which brought up Ackley, coming into the game batting .305 with 5 homers and 20 RBI.  The best hitter on our team since he came up.  The dude is ridiculously good.  He's the best in the majors right now at batting with two strikes, and he didn't disappoint tonight.  On a 1-2 count he lined to RF, but the ball bounced in front of Sweeney and over his glove as he was trying to dive for the ball.  It went all the way to the wall and Ackley had a 3RBI triple.  It is already his 5th triple of the year.  Carp and Kennedy both grounded out to end the inning, but when all the damage was over we had 9 batters, 5 runs, and 5 hits.

We traded Fister and Pauley away on Saturday to Detroit for the new Casper Wells (in the lineup for his second game) as well as Charlie Furbush (P) and a couple of minor leaguers.  We also were able to trade Bedard to Boston on Sunday!  I am sad to see Fister go, I really liked him.  Underrated guy, consistent... his only issue was lack of run support.  Wells ended up getting 2 singles, a run, and was hit by a pitch in his final at-bat.

Figgins was pinch hit for in the 3rd, lots of speculation but it turned out hit hurt his hip flexor diving back to third in the 2nd.  Smoak pinch hit for him in the 3rd and ended up going 2/3 with a walk and two runs scored.  Ended up being a good night on his supposed night off.  Pretty much everyone in our lineup had a good day, only Kennedy failed to reach base.

Ichiro 1-5, R, RBI
Ryan 3-5, 2B, R, RBI
Ackley 2-4, 3B, 3B, BB, R, 3RBI
Carp 1-4, BB,
Kennedy 0-5
Olivo 3-5, RBI
Wells, 2-4, R, HBP
Figgins 1-1, R
Smoak 2-3, 2B, BB, 2R
Gutierrez 1-4, 2B, R, RBI

We added three more runs in three separate innings.  In the 4th Ackley got a double and scored on an Olivo single.  And, in the 5th and 7th Smoak led off each inning with a hit (single and then double) and scored on a wild pitch and soft bloop single by Ichiro.

The attendance was 23.335.  I ate Garlic Chicken and scored the game. The Mariners improved to 11-13 when I attend!

Weary and Exhausted

The title says it all... I'm weary and exhausted after three days straight of Mariners baseball. Or maybe I'm just that way because they were crushed today? It wasn't a very good game. We just didn't play well.

If only Saunders had caught that ball in the third (Guti, we need you back) we would have gotten out of the jam tied! If only... if only. Instead they scored three in the fourth and then five in the 6th. Vargas ran into trouble again and then Lueke came on and sucked as usual. We lost 9-1. I don't have anything more to say about the game, I'm just tired.

I had garlic chicken and fries ($9.75). The weather was beautiful, there were over 25,000 fans... but that's pretty much all I have to say. Oh, it was Military Appreciation night and they did God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch, which pissed me off. Sports should be religion free as they are public entities meant to represent a region.

Anyway, looking forward to a break, I can't imagine how the beat reporters feel, and they have to travel with them! It is such a grind. I torture myself, but I still love it. I went to 4 out of the 7 games this homestand... that makes it 8 out of 13. If I keep that rate up I'll go to 50 games. Don't think I can keep up this pace, it puts a toll on your body. Sleep patterns, eating patterns, excercise patterns have all changed! Six game roadtrip coming up, and I'm looking forward to it.

The Mariners are now 4-4 when I attend and dropped to 8-14 on the year.

He is GOOD!

I like him, I really like him! Pineda was on the mound again tonight, the second time I've seen him in person. Seeing as how he's a rookie, you expect him to have a troubled outing now and then. 4 starts in and we haven't seen it yet. Sure he's run into a few bad innings here and there, but like all good pitchers he bounces back and makes the adjustments as needed. We saw this again in the second inning when he threw 30 pitches yet got out of the jam after walking the first two batters by striking out the next two and then getting a groundout to first. Then Pineda sat for a long time while the Mariners scored three runs in the 5th... so he had some issues in the top of the 6th but made it through. He now has a quality start in all of his games this year. A quality start is at least six innings with 3 earned runs or less. Still waiting for him to blow up...

As you can see from the picture I had a Gyro ($6.50). This is the first game of the year I scored. I went to Kinko's earlier and made some copies. It was a good game to score, only a few issues with the scoreboard failing to turn over statistics fast enough There were great plays turned in by Figgins in the 4th (sliding catch of a foul ball) and 8th (line drive). Kennedy had another couple of quality defensive plays including throwing out Kouzmanoff at home in the 5th inning, at that point the game was still 1-0. When you have pitchers sharp and dealing, same goes the defense. Both pitching and defense have been outstanding the last two games, and we've had just as much offense as we've needed!

Kennedy continues his hot streak. He led off the 2nd with a single and scored. Then in the 5th he had a 2 RBI single after we had loaded the bases on a single and three straight walks (Cust had walked in a run previous to Kennedy). So Kennedy went 2-4 with 2 RBI and 1 Run scored. Cust's bases loaded walk was his fourth of the season! He has 7 RBI total on the season and 4 have come via a bases loaded walk!

It got a little dicey in the 9th inning... Wright came in and loaded the bases with two consecutive singles and a walk after striking out the first batter. He'd been pretty much lights out this year (his last two appearances he needed only 2 pitches total). So we was pulled and in came Brandon League. The dude scares me, it seemed every time last year he had inherited runners he would have troubles. Well, with the tying run at the plate he picked up his 5th save of the year after inducing pinch hitter Conor Jackson to ground into a game ending double play. Until he proves otherwise on a consistent basis I will always have heart palpitations when he comes in to the game with runners on.

We're now 8-13 on the season and the Mariners are 4-3 when I attend! We've had two shutout wins in a row.

Oh, and since it was Earth Day we all got to take home another bag of dirt!

This is Why I Love Baseball!

I know I've said it before, you never know what you're going to see at the ballpark on any given day and often will see something that has never happened. A few days ago, it was the first ball to hit the Safeco roof. Lately, it has been record breaking attendance (tonight third lowest ever with 12,770). Tonight we saw two firsts, a couple of OUTSTANDING defensive plays, a great pitching performance by King Felix, and a 1-0 win. I am so glad I taped this game 'cause I want to watch everything over again.

With the roof closed, Felix started off the game retiring the first eight batters he faced, then giving up a solid single in the third. He had a season high 8 ks against the Oakland A's... who believe it or not have scored fewer runs this year than the inept Mariners. He went 7.2 innings and got into a little trouble so Wedge brought in Wright, who has been LIGHTS OUT so far this year. He only needed one pitch to end the inning. League came in for a nail biting 9th and we pulled out the win. Everyone went home happy, and it was a quick game.

The defensive plays, a line drive snag above Figgins' head doubled off runner at first in the seventh... wow. Then later in the inning an amazing snag by Brendan Ryan at SS who somehow managed to get it off and Kennedy stretched out to snag the ball.

We got our lone run in the 4th when Kennedy, our 1B today, hit a solo shot. Smoak is on the bereavement list... his father passed away at the age of 54 from cancer. Truly sad for the young man, I wish him the best and hope he comes back soon. It seems like every year someone on the team loses a member of their family. That's just part of baseball, I guess, because of the long season and many many months they are away from family. It must be tough. But, Kennedy made several great defensive plays and he has pretty much done whatever Wedge has asked him to do (which is what is supposed to happen). He's been a pleasant surprise.

Let's get to the firsts... after Felix gave up his first hit he attempted to pick off the runner but threw the ball away, he was lucky in that the ball somehow ended up behind the tarp. Never before had we lost a ball in the tarp! So instead of the runner ending up on third (or scoring) he ending up on second! Another first, Carlo Peguero got his first ML hit with an infield hit in the third... he was then subsequently picked off two pitches later. Oops. Regardless, congrats on the milestone.

Interesting note... the Mariners have scored three runs the last two games after their 13 run outburst on Tuesday. Whenever we score that many runs I always say "save some for tomorrow!" Well, we lost 3-2 yesterday... today we only got 1 run but it was all we needed. It doesn't matter how much you score as long as you get the win!

My sister and her family were at the game today, one of her kids was at her first game! They gave me a ticket so I could join them in the terrace club, where they now have $8 credit on each ticket to go toward concessions. They also have special food you can't get anywhere else, like pasta and baked potatoes. I decided on a baked potato ($7.75) which was really good! My sister got nachos and was in heaven! I think they changed the concourse floor, although they may have changed it last year. I don't think I went to one game in the terrace club last year! Anyway, we ate together and then I wanted to go down to my seats to get closer to Felix. After three innings of fighting to see around the tall people in front of me, I decided to go back up to the terrace club. I actually had a better view of Felix, with no obstructions. I was able to see the tarp play unfold right in front of me, and didn't miss a single play as I walked around the concourse with no problem. Like I've said, I kind of like the small crowds, easy to get around! The kids an her husband left around then, and my sister and I enjoyed the rest of the game (after she helped the kids to the car and missed the only run of the game). We got a rice krispie treat and some mini chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Best game of the year so far? Possibly! Ranks right up there with the Pineda outing. Speaking of which, tomorrow is Pineda day!

They are now back to .500 with me in attendance, at 3-3!