Mariners Roll

Millwood went 6.1 innings and Wilhelmsen picked up his 13th save of the season.

Royals (41-58)

Gordon LF

Escobar SS

Moustakas 3B

Butler DH

Betancourt 2B

Pena C

Francoeur RF

Hosmer 1B

Dyson CF

Bruce Chen (7-8, 5.54)

Mariners (45-57)

Ackley 2B

Wells RF

  Saunders CF

Montero DH

Seager 3B

  Olivo C

Carp 1B

  Robinson LF

Ryan SS

Millwood (3-8, 4.13)

The Mariners are now 14-15 when I attend

Attendance:  32,111

Time:  2:42

Mariners Cruise to 6-1 Victory

Jaso got us on the board in the first with a three run shot to right field, and that was all we needed as we added two more in the 2nd and a solo homer launched by Carp 396 feet in the 6th inning.

Royals (41-57)

Gordon LF

Escobar SS

Cain CF

Butler DH

Moustakas 3B

Perez C

Francoeur RF

Hosmer 1B

Getz 2B

Guthrie (0-1, 9.0)

Mariners (44-57)

Ackley 2B

Saunders CF

Montero DH

Jaso C

Seager 3B

Wells CF

Carp 1B

Peguero RF

Ryan SS

Beavan (5-6, 5.54)

The Mariners are now 13-15

Attendance:  14,953

Time:  2:30

Sun Double

My first day game of the year, I generally don't like going to them because they take up the whole day!  But, it was a mild enough time.  We were sheltered from the heat by the sound and shade.

Royals 61-86

Gordon LF

Cabrera CF

Butler DH

Hosmer 1B

Francoeur RF

Navarro 3B

Pena C

Getz 2B

Escobar SS

Teaford P

Mariners 61-84

Ichiro Rf

Ryan SS

Ackley 2B

Carp LF

Smoak 1B

Olivo C

Wells CF

Bard C

Liddi 3B

Vasquez P

Teaford made his first ML start and lasted 5 innings... he only had 73 pitches but they had him on a pitch count, no doubt, 'cause he was rolling along.  He ended his day by striking out three batters in the 5th, and sandwiching a BB in there.  He had 3 total hits, 1 walk, and 1 WP with 5 Ks, and picked up the 2-1 win.

It was more fine pitching and offensive ineptitude as the Mariners scored just 1 run on 6 hits.  The most exciting moment of the game was when Rookie Steve Delabar made his ML Debut in the 9th inning.  Just a few months ago he was a substitute pitcher and in Class A.  Only baseball can provide you feel good stories like that.  He threw a perfect inning, striking out the last two batters.

As I say a lot, there is always something interesting that happens at every game.  Today was the sun double that the Royals hit in the 3rd inning to left.  Gordon hit a ball that Carp couldn't find.  It was a pivotal moment of the game as Escobar scored the first run of the game and Vasquez had been cruising along.  When half of your run total comes from a ball lost in the sky, you have to call yourself fortunate, and for the Mariners unlucky.

Went to Hit It Here Cafe, food was pretty good
Mariners are now 16-19 when I attend.
Att: 20,951

Pineda Goes Eight

Royals (60-86)

Gordon, LF

Cabrera, CF

Butler, DH

Hosmer, 1B

Francoeur, RF

Moustakas, 3B

Perez, C

Getz, 2B

Escobar, SS

Paulino (2-10, 4.60)

Mariners (61-83)

Ichiro, RF

Ryan, SS

Ackley, 2B

Carp, LF

Smoak, 1B

Kennedy, DH

Olivo, C

Seager, 3B

Saunders, CF

Pineda (9-9, 3.74)

Pineda went a season high 8 innings, but the first inning did him in.  He only had 14 pitches, and it lasted around 4 minutes... but the three runs the Royals quickly scored were all they needed as the Royals won 4-2.  Gordon lead off with a double to right, advanced to third on a groundout, then scored easily on a fielder's choice by Butler.  Hosmer then hit a two run homer to left field and just like that it was 3-0 before the Mariners were up.  Pineda pretty much sailed the rest of the way, scattering a few hits.  Like most good pitchers, the first inning was the key.  Felix has learned how to stay focused a lot better now, Pineda will too.  Hard to remember that this is still his first year.  He has a lot of promise.  So it was another quality start, for naught.

The only offensive highlights for the home team were two homers by Smoak and Carp (2nd and 4th innings).  They Mariners struck out 16 times and only had two hits, the solo shots.  They got on base two other times via a walk and an error but only had 29 total at bats, two above the minimum. Such a shame, another team and Pineda probably would have at least escaped with a no-decision instead of his 10th loss of the year.

On a funny note, when I went down to my seats at about 20 minutes before the game started a woman said she had reported my backpack to the ushers because I had left it unattended.  What a paranoid woman!  I told her that I've been doing this since I was a kid and that a lot of people do it.  I went up to tell the ushers in case they had called security and they all rolled their eyes and laughed about it.

Torta and Fries
Att: 17,884
16-18 when I attend

Smoak, Ichiro, and Vargas Deliver

Justin Smoak knocked his first home run in 48 games and the Mariners won 4-1 as we held one of the League's best hitting offenses to just five hits.  Kansas City's 1-3 hitters all came into the game batting exactly .300.

KC Royals (60-84)

Gordon LF

Cabrera CF

Butler DH

Hosmer 1B

Francoeur RF

Moustakas 3B

Giavotella 2B

Perez C

Escobar SS

Hochevar P

Mariners (59-83)

Ichiro RF

Ryan SS

Ackley 2B

Carp LF

Smoak 1B

Kennedy DH

Seager 3B

Robinson CF

Giminez C

Vargas P

After struggling in the second half of the season, the "old" Vargas showed up tonight, and it was nice to see.  He ended up lasting 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 4 hits.  He retired the lineup in order in the first inning, then... in the second Francoeur hit a one out triple that got past Carp after he made a diving attempt at the fast sinking ball.  It should have been a double.  Vargas got out of the jam by inducing a fielder's choice from Moustakas with a sharp grounder to Ackley, who immediately threw the ball to Giminez.  There was a collision at home, but Giminez held on and Francoeur was out!  At that point we were up 1-0.

Ichiro led off the Mariners' offense by taking the first pitch 386 feet into the right field stands.  It was his 36th lead off homer of his career, and passed Bobby Bonds for 6th on the all-time list.  For a guy who flat out refuses to do anything but single, I guess that's a pretty amazing stat.  He now has 94 ML homers so 38% of all of his homers are lead off.

The game remained 1-0 until the 6th inning, when the Royals tied up the ballgame.  Cabrera got a one out bunt single (first pitch), then stole second and scored on a single to center.  The tie was short lived, as in the bottom of the sixth the Mariners went ahead for good thanks to a leadoff 4 pitch walk to Ackley, and a Smoak two run homer.  It was nice to see, as he has had a tough year with the death of his father and several injuries.  Hopefully he can have a good couple of weeks to finish off the season, right on through to Spring next year.

We added an insurance run in the 7th.  Ichiro got a two out single, stole second and third base, then scored when Ryan reached on an error by the shortstop.

League came on in the 9th to nail down his 34th save, but not before our defense put the tying run at the plate.  Moustakas reached on a single that ricocheted off League and ended in "no man's land" between Smoak and League.  Then, on what was going to be a sure out by Ryan to end the ballgame, he was unable to get a hold of the ball and committed the error.  Perez then hit a ground ball to Ryan, who tossed to Ackley for the Fielder's Choice.  And that was the ballgame.


Pizza
16-17 when I attend
Att: 14,377