Firing Mickey Hatcher was a desperate move the slumping Los Angeles Angels had to make (Yahoo! Sports)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

A new hitting coach may or may not wake up Albert Pujols, but L.A. had to try something with a season slipping away.

Mariners turn to Noesi after loss

Source: MLB.com by Josh Liebeskind

Hector Noesi will take the mound for the Mariners as they try for the split of a short, two-game series in Cleveland on Thursday. He will face Indians right-hander Zach McAllister.

Is the Mariners King Felix getting squeezed out of run support?

Source: NWSportsBeat.com by Insider Steve

The numbers say otherwise

The subject of Felix Hernandez and the lack of run support the Seattle Mariners are giving him is such an interesting subject of conversation because of the preconceived notions that are attached to them.

Preconceived notions? Absolutely!

Before you start asking, I already know.

Since the beginning of 2009, the Mariners offense has only given Hernandez 2 or less runs in 39 starts (22% of his starts since 2009), and while it does seem like an awfully high number of starts, you have to consider that Hernandez made 108 starts in that time frame.

Felix could use these two in their prime's right about now.

Moreover, Hernandez received 3 or more runs per start in the other 69 starts (64% of his starts) during the same time frame.  That’s 9 starts shy of being double the amount of starts in which Felix has received more run support than not.

An interesting side note about those 39 starts (36% of his starts); there are 15 games (14% of his starts) in which Felix Hernandez was hit hard or failed to get out of the 5th inning.

Hernandez gave up 63 runs in those 15 games (4.2 RPG) which leaves a total of 24 starts (out of 108 -22%) in which the offense failed to back up a Hernandez start in which he pitched lights-out.

This is why there is a preconceived notion

Because regardless of the total lack of offense the Mariners have had over the last two seasons (513 and 556 runs scored in 2010-11),  it’s just an excuse. Felix Hernandez has still been able to receive ample runs to win the majority of his games in the innings per start he has averaged.

• 2009 – 33 starts, 238.2 IP (7.2 IP per start), 66 ER (2 RPS) – offense scored – 148 runs (4.5 runs per start)
• 2010 – 34 starts, 249.2 IP (8 IP per start), 63 ER (1.8 RPS) – offense scored – 104 runs (3 runs per start)
• 2011 – 33 starts, 233.2 IP (7 IP per start), 90 ER (2.7 RPS) – offense scored – 120 runs (3.6 runs per start)
• 2012 – 8 starts, 59 IP (8 IP per start), 15 ER (1.8 RPS) – offense scored – 32 runs (4 runs per start)

Looking at these numbers, two things should jump out at you

#1. Felix Hernandez is a dominant pitcher (despite only receiving 3 runs per start in 2010, Felix Hernandez won the American League Cy Young Award with a 13-12 record).

Is Felix getting squeezed out of run support? (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)

#2. The offense has given Hernandez 3.7 runs per start since 2009. Considering Hernandez is only giving up 2 runs per start over the same time period, his average game is a 4-2 win while pitching 8 innings per start.

Those numbers should be good enough to win more than 50% of  his starts. So why isn’t his win total an high as it should be?. Remember those 39 starts in which the offense gave Hernandez 2 runs or less?

For 15 of those starts Hernandez just didn’t have his stuff.

That accounts for 15 of his 33 losses or 45% percent of his losses. The remaining 24 games (or 22% of his starts) were littered with no-decisions or situations in which the bullpen couldn’t hold a lead or flat out blew a Hernandez win.

That’s the reality of the situation

Only in 22% of the starts that Hernandez has made since 2009 was there an actual lack of run support.

That’s a big contradiction to what we have perceived or what we’ve been told.

In actuality, Hernandez has been given enough runs  to win in 64% of the games in which he has pitched in.

There is no doubt the offense has been terrible. We know that to be true but again, despite the horrible numbers, the Mariners lineup has given Felix 3.7 runs per start.

Of course it’s not the 9.2 runs per game Derek Holland received or the 8.8 runs runs per game Rick Porcello had in 2011, but the 4 runs per game might as well be 9 runs of  support considering everything that has been stacked against Hernandez since 2009.

CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THE SEATTLE MARINERS CLUBHOUSE AT NWSB!

---

© Insider Steve for North West Sports Beat, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |

Follow NWSB on Twitter or join US on Facebook for real-time updates OR... | Share This on Twitter | Share NWSportsBeat.com on Facebook

Post tags: American League, American League West, Cy Young Award, Derek Holland, Felix Hernandez, Happy Felix Day, Insider Steve, M's, Major League Baseball, Mariners blog, mariners pitching, Mariners Roster, Mariners stats, Rick Porcello, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Mariners Blog, Seattle Mariners News, Seattle Mariners Notebook

Seattle Mariners Play The Cleveland Of Baseball Games

Source: Lookout Landing by Jeff Sullivan

I've never actually been to Cleveland, myself. Looking at a map, I can't recall ever being anywhere particularly close to Cleveland. I have spent a weekend in Rochester, which is closer to Cleveland than I am right now, and probably just about as dreary, but I have no personal experience in Cleveland to speak of. All I have are people's jokes and stereotypes, and here I am playing off of those jokes and stereotypes because today's baseball game didn't leave me with anything better. People have told me that Cleveland is shitty, and today's baseball game was shitty, so, voila, intro magic. Oh, Ms. Jeff was just in Indianapolis, and my impression of Indianapolis isn't a whole lot different from my impression of Cleveland. But,

Mariners-Indians Preview (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Cleveland Indians are showing why they have the potential to be a solid offensive club.

AL Capsules (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) Jeremy Hellickson pitched six solid innings, Luke Scott had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat Boston 2-1 on Wednesday night, snapping the Red Sox's five-game winning streak.

Ackley's homer can't save Felix

Source: MLB.com by Greg Johns

Over the years, the Mariners have been hit by snow, rain -- even an earthquake last season -- in their various visits to Progressive Field. But Wednesday, they merely got hit by the Indians, who steamrolled Felix Hernandez en route to a 9-3 victory.

Mariners hope to maintain success against NL

Source: MLB.com by Greg Johns

The Mariners are excited to start Interleague Play as they have the sixth-best record in the Major Leagues in crossover games. Last season, Seattle went 9-9 against the National League.

Moyer leads Rockies past Diamondbacks 6-1 (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

DENVER (AP) Jamie Moyer handcuffed the Arizona Diamondbacks at the plate and in the field, pitching neatly into the seventh and driving in two runs with an infield single in Colorado's 6-1 win Wednesday night.

Felix Hernandez gets K.O.'d by slugging Indians in early innings en route to 9-3 loss

Source: The Seattle Times

Haven't seen Felix Hernandez get lit up like this since...since...I have no idea when, actually, but it probably involved a trip to Texas back before he became the guy we know today. Back when he was still a talented-but-raw kid prone to listening to blogger advice about throwing too many fastballs etc.

That was a lifetime ago, but I'll tell you what, I had a bad feeling about this start from the get-go. Yeah, I know, I'm saying it now and that doesn't really count. But hear me out. Two years ago, when Hernandez was on his way to the Cy Young Award and steamrolling everything in his path, he got lit up here in Cleveland and took the loss. It would be the final whupping he took that year.

The year before, he got beat here as well.

Something about this place. Anyhow, tonight was the worst and he was done just 3 2/3 innings and 103 pitches into a 9-3 loss. He allowed eight runs -- six earned -- while giving up 10 hits, hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch. I asked him post-game if he could remember a night like this.

"It's been a while, man,'' he said. "It's been a while since I had a game like that.''

Read more...

It’s Time Umpires Are Held Acountable

Source: SoDo Mojo by Bryant Bartlett

 

I crave justice.

I’m sure everyone has there own … [visit site to read more]

16-23, Chart

Source: Lookout Landing by Jeff Sullivan

Biggest Contribution: Dustin Ackley, +18.1%
Biggest Suckfest: Felix Hernandez, -31.3%
Most Important AB: Ackley homer, +14.7%
Most Important Pitch: Kipnis double, -9.5%
Total Contribution by Pitcher(s): -31.8%
Total Contribution by Lineup: -21.1%
Total Contribution by Opposition: +2.9%
(What is this chart?)

Indians pound Mariners' Hernandez in 9-3 win (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

CLEVELAND (AP) Ubaldo Jimenez overcame a shaky start to get the win and the Cleveland Indians pounded out a season-best five doubles to beat the Seattle Mariners 9-3 Wednesday night.

Life Without Figgins

Source: SoDo Mojo by Joel Condreay

It has only been less than two weeks since Eric Wedge finally gave up on Chone Figgins. The entire city of Seattle breathed a sigh of relief knowing that they would no longer have to watch him and his sub-Mendoza line batting average every night. … [visit site to read more]

Carp scratched with stiff right shoulder

Source: MLB.com

Mariners left fielder Mike Carp was a late scratch from Wednesday's series opener against the Indians due to stiffness in his right shoulder that cropped up during pregame work.

Liddi earns a start at third base vs. Indians

Source: MLB.com

True to his word from a day earlier, manager Eric Wedge got Alex Liddi in the lineup Wednesday for a rare start against a right-handed pitcher. Liddi has primarily platooned against lefties in the first month, but the skipper said he's intent on getting the rookie more playing time.

Saunders moves up in Mariners' lineup

Source: MLB.com

In 200 career starts prior to Wednesday, Michael Saunders had never hit higher than fifth in a Major League lineup. But manager Eric Wedge penciled the young center fielder in second in the opening game of a two-game set against the Indians in his ongoing search for top-of-the-order answers.

Mariners try to find some offense in Cleveland

Source: The Seattle Times

Felix Hernandez is on the mound tonight, so the Mariners might not fall behind early this time. But they'll eventually have to figure out how to score. Only 11 runs in five games on the trip -- six in one contest and five in the other four. Not surprisingly, they've won just once.

5/16: Open Game Thread

Source: Lookout Landing by Jeff Sullivan

Dustin Ackley, 2B Shin-soo Choo, RF Michael Saunders, CF Jason Kipnis, 2B Ichiro Suzuki, RF Asdrubal Cabrera, SS Jesus Montero, C Travis Hafner, DH Kyle Seager, DH Carlos Santana, C Justin Smoak, 1B Michael Brantley, CF Alex Liddi, 3B Johnny Damon, LF Chone Figgins, LF Casey Kotchman, 1B Brendan Ryan, SS Jose Lopez, 3B

Felix Hernandez #34 / Pitcher / Seattle Mariners

Height: 6-3

Weight: 230

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Apr 08, 1986

Ubaldo

Game 39, Mariners at Indians

Source: U.S.S. Mariner by Dave

Hernandez vs Jimenez, 4:05 pm.

Happy Felix Day!

Saunders moves up… you know what, screw it. The line-up doesn’t matter. All this time being spent talking about batting order is just a giant waste of time. Batting order has a very small impact on a team’s performance over the course of the season. It just isn’t worth all this attention.

Ackley, 2B
Saunders, CF
Ichiro, RF
Montero, C
Seager, DH
Smoak, 1B
Liddi, 3B
Figgins, LF
Ryan, SS

-- This post came from: U.S.S. Mariner, and is copyright by the authors. This RSS feed is intended for the personal use of readers and not, for instance, spam blogs.

Game 39, Mariners at Indians

Michael Saunders gets a crack at No. 2 spot for Mariners tonight

Source: The Seattle Times

We've had a late scratch, with Mike Carp being pulled from tonights lineup and Chone Figgins inserted for him in left field. No word yet on why.

Michael Saunders isn't quite what many people envision as a No. 2 hitter. But then again, this isn't quite your typical major league lineup the Mariners keep trotting out.

So, for tonight at least, it's Saunders who gets to hold down the No. 2 spot in the order.

It's something he has experience at, albeit in the minors. But hey, if the team plans to play Alex Liddi at shortstop sometime soon, why not give Saunders a try batting second?

"Ever since 2007 in the Cal League and up, I hit extensively in the two-hole,'' Saunders said. "I've done it before.''

And he doesn't plan any change in approach.

"I'm not turning into a guy who's going to see 10 pitches,'' he said. "I'm going to stay with my approach.''

It's been an up-and-down year for Saunders at times. He's batting .226 for the season, but is 5-for-18 the past week and 3-for-10 more recently.

"I'm going through a stretch right now where I know I'm not getting any extra-base hits,'' he said. "But I'm still getting some singles and drawing some walks.''

Saunders has a .305 on-base percentage and .409 slugging percentage overall.

He isn't quite what manager Eric Wedge envisions in a prototypical leadoff hitter. But right now, his options are limited.

Seattle Mariners: 5 Solutions to Jump Start Sputtering Offense

Source: Bleacher Report

With the season approaching its one-quarter mark and the Seattle Mariners finding themselves once again in last place one can't help but break out some comparisons to the 2011 team.

Both teams were enjoying nearly identical records at this point in the season. Both teams' batting averages hover around a dismal .235.

It goes without saying that Manager Eric Wedge's job is probably one of the toughest in sports. With a bunch of inconsistent and somewhat streaky rookies and grossly underperforming veterans, Wedge has little control over what actually goes on the field.

It's a narrow tightrope to walk between making lineup and roster decisions while not frustrating the team. If Wedge loses the clubhouse, he's as good as home.

But for now, the plummeting M's still have potential to work with to save an offense that admittedly we didn't have high expectations for coming into the season. Also a lot of secret hope that Ichiro might revive his career or that Justin Smoak might make this a breakout season.

Begin Slideshow

Seattle Mariners: 5 Solutions to Jumpstart Sputtering Offense

Source: Bleacher Report

With the season approaching its one-quarter mark and the Seattle Mariners finding themselves once again in last place one can't help but break out some comparisons to the 2011 team.

Both teams were enjoying nearly identical records at this point in the season. Both teams' batting averages hover around a dismal .235.

It goes without saying that Manager Eric Wedge's job is probably one of the toughest in sports. With a bunch of inconsistent and somewhat streaky rookies and grossly underperforming veterans, Wedge has little control over what actually goes on the field.

It's a narrow tightrope to walk between making lineup and roster decisions while not frustrating the team. If Wedge loses the clubhouse, he's as good as home.

But for now, the plummeting M's still have potential to work with to save an offense that admittedly we didn't have high expectations for coming into the season. Also a lot of secret hope that Ichiro might revive his career or that Justin Smoak might make this a breakout season.

Begin Slideshow

How The Mariners Would React

Source: Lookout Landing by Jeff Sullivan

Tuesday night, there was an incident in Toronto you've probably heard about between Brett Lawrie and Bill Miller. Brett Lawrie is a baseball player, and Bill Miller is a baseball umpire, and not Bill Mueller, who was a baseball player. You can read about it here, and I'm linking myself because I play dirty on the Internet. The short of it: Lawrie took a 3-and-1 pitch in the ninth that was probably a ball, but it was called a strike. Then Lawrie took a 3-and-2 pitch that was probably a ball, but it was called a strike. Upset beyond control, Lawrie lost it and slammed his batting helmet by Miller's feet. The helmet

Don’t Do That…

Source: SoDo Mojo by Bryant Bartlett

News and notes…For those of you who have suggested moving Kyle Seager to short in order to see more of Alex Liddi, don’t hold your breath. Wedge once more today said that Seager was not an option at short. Not a surprise. What was a … [visit site to read more]

Miami Marlins at Atlanta Braves Highlight MLB Schedule for May 17, 2012 (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The 2012 MLB regular season is well underway with a full month of baseball already in the books. It is still a long road to October baseball but paths are already starting to take shape and many surprises have already occurred along the way. The beginning of the year brings promise but at this point in the season anything can still happen.

Mariners Seek Revenge Against Indians

Source: Lookout Landing by Matthew

MARINERS (16-22) Δ Ms INDIANS (20-16) EDGE HITTING (wOBA) -33.1 (29th) -7.9 0.1 (11th) Cleveland FIELDING 18.0 (2nd) 1.6 9.6 (9th) Seattle ROTATION (tRA) 9.8 (11th) -3.1 -5.2 (22nd) Seattle BULLPEN (tRA) -8.3 (27th) 0.6 -4.0 (23rd) Cleveland OVERALL(RAA) -13.6 (20th) -8.8 0.5 (15th) CLEVELAND Explainer

The Mariners hosted the Indians

Playing with numbers

Source: The Seattle Times

Plenty of discussion taking place about Seattle's ongoing offensive woes and what can be done about them. Just for a change of pace, I thought I'd play a little game with all of you involving sets of numbers pertaining to weighted on-base average (wOBA).

Player A: .425, .409, .381, .386, .317

Player B: .322, .319, .309, .257

In each case, the final number is an example of "one of these things is not like the others" and seemingly came out of nowhere as a dropoff after steady performance with the three prior figures.

Player A in this case is Edgar Martinez and the numbers represent the final four seasons of his career from 2001 on the left through 2004.

Player B is Ichiro and the numbers represent his totals with runners in scoring position the last four seasons of his career from 2008 on the left through to this current season.

Both players had outstanding careers worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. Each established excellence over a sustained period of roughly a decade. In both cases, there was no indication the prior year of the dropoff that was to come.

Martinez, as we all know, spent the entire season watching his numbers dropoff solidify in 2004, then called it a career. He was done.

Ichiro has only had 39 at-bats with RSIP this year, so we don't know whether these low numbers will solidify or not. What we do know, though, from looking at Martinez's numbers, is that even a career track record of success is no guarantee a player -- even one worthy of Hall of Fame consideration -- will be able to recapture his past success. Not once he reaches an age where skills of all players have been shown to decine rapidly across-the-board. Even for players whose ability to defy the pull of age has been celebrated to that point. We all get old.

And when you're running a baseball team, one that costs $80 million and up to put on the field, you can't just say "ho-hum" take a nap and see how it all pans out at the end of the year. When you're running a Major League Baseball team, you worry about whether the decline is real, how many wins it might cost your team and whether that cushy six-or-seven-figure jobs of your will be on-the-line if you make the wrong call.

We'll get into Ichiro's RISP numbers versus his regular ones in another post. Don't want to clutter this one up. But year, that's another thing anyone running a team will have to weight and decide whether there is a bearing.

Let's play one more game with numbers.

Read more...

Seattle Mariners: 5 Prospects Who Shouldn't Be Called Up Yet This Season

Source: Bleacher Report

For the Seattle Mariners, the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

After playing through an eventful and at times entertaining April schedule, the Mariners seem to be fighting some leftover demons from last year, especially at the plate. 

In losing four of five contests to the Yankees and Red Sox on their current road trip, the M's now head to Cleveland in hopes of righting the ship by sending Felix Hernandez to the mound.  

While it would seem to be the perfect time to send "King Felix" in to stop the bleeding, one has to imagine that many Mariners fans are wondering whether management would consider bringing up a few of the more promising youngsters in the organization.

Two weeks ago, I put together a short list of players the team will probably consider bringing up before the end of the season.  I thought it might be worthwhile at this time to make a list of players the team should avoid calling up in 2012. 

Here are five prospects the Mariners may be tempted to bring to Seattle this year for their first taste of big league action, but would be best off leaving in the minors to develop. 

Begin Slideshow

Seattle Mariners: 5 Moves the M's Must Make to Reach the Postseason

Source: Bleacher Report

2012 is off to a rocky start for the Seattle Mariners. At 16-22, they currently sit in last place in the American League West, 7.5 games behind the seemingly unbeatable Texas Rangers. 

On the bright side, the M's still have 124 games to turn things around and get into the playoffs, but it certainly won't happen unless some changes are made.

Here are five moves the Seattle Mariners must make in order to reach the postseason.

Begin Slideshow

Bryce Harper Joins Home Run Club. A Fan's Look at Baseball's Top Teenage Sluggers (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Washington outfielder Bryce Harper hit his first Major League home run Monday, May 14, 2012, against San Diego at Nationals Park.

Series Preview: Mariners Limp to Cleveland… And It’s Farther Than They Thought

Source: SoDo Mojo by Harrison Crow

 

I’m away at a … [visit site to read more]

Beaned in Boston, Mariners head to Cleveland

Source: Mariners Insider

RED SOX 5, MARINERS 0: Seattle held to 4 hits, frustrated by hard-hit outs | BOSTON – The box score was no kinder to the Seattle Mariners than the Boston Red Sox were Tuesday. It showed four hits, all singles, and no runs for Seattle in Boston’s 5-0 victory – the fifth time this season the Mariners have been shut out, the 15th time they’d scored two runs or fewer.

Brendan Ryan not ready for prime time

Source: Mariners Insider

MARINERS NOTEBOOK: Shortstop leaps into action to get some camera time on a day off – but all for naught | BOSTON – Brendan Ryan didn’t start at shortstop Tuesday – Munenori Kawasaki did – which meant Ryan had time to turn his attention to other things before the game.

M's hit it hard – right at 'em

Source: Mariners Insider

RED SOX 5, MARINERS 0: Seattle held to 4 hits, frustrated by hard-hit outs | BOSTON – The box score was no kinder to the Seattle Mariners than the Boston Red Sox were Tuesday.

Ryan not ready for prime time

Source: Mariners Insider

MARINERS NOTEBOOK: Shortstop leaps into action to get some camera time on a day off – but all for naught | BOSTON – Brendan Ryan didn’t start at shortstop Tuesday – Munenori Kawasaki did – which meant Ryan had time to turn his attention to other things before the game.

Gimme a hat; I'll get M's going

Source: Mariners Insider

As I was studying the Seattle Mariners’ lineup before their Tuesday afternoon game in Boston, I had two thoughts:

Mariners vs. Indians In Cleveland: Pitching, series preview, analysis & predictions

Source: NWSportsBeat.com by Danny Ferguson

Burn on, big river, burn on…

May 14 – 15

Have I got you singing “Cleveland city of light city of magic” yet?

The Seattle Mariners (16-22) are half way through their road trip with a 1-4 record having lost 2 of three against New York and being swept in their only visit to Fenway park this season.

Game 1: Matchup | Preview

Pitching match ups:

The Mariners will have another two game stint against Eric Wedge’s former club the Cleveland Indians (20-16) who are currently in the lead of the A.L. Central division.

Pitching match ups: Game 39: LHP – Ubaldo Jimenez vs. RHP – Felix Hernandez

Ubaldo is a former All Star for his commanding performance in 2009 where he won 19 games for the Colorado Rockies.  He was brought over in a trade to the Indians mid way through the 2011 Season.  In his time with the tribe he has an ERA of 5.13, showing that changing leagues has been difficult on him.

• Jimenez’s best outing was his first of the season in which he pitched 7 innings of one hit ball.  His team still managed to lose 7-4 against Toronto.  Since then his game ERA has not been under 4.00
• Only four of the Mariners batters have ever faced Jimenez: Chone Figgins .333, Miguel Olivo 1.000, Brendan Ryan .125, and Ichiro Suzuki .200

Felix wasn’t as sharp as normal in New York, but he is still off to a great start for the season with an ERA of only 2.29

• Career against Cleveland: 5-3 with a 2.49 ERA
• Felix has 58 Strike Outs in 59 innings so far this season

Game 40: RHP – Zach McAllister vs. RHP – Hector Noesi

McAllister is still technically a rookie though he did pitch 4 games in 2011.  He is 1-1 in his 6 starts with a 4.15 ERA

• McAllister faced Seattle in one of his 4 starts in 2011 and it was by far his worst outing. He pitched 3.1 innings giving up 10 runs.  That gave him an ERA of 21.60
• Current M’s batters are hitting .500 against McAllister. HA!

This is a stark contrast in sending Felix to the mound one night and Noesi the next.  Noesi is 0-3 with a 8.27 ERA on the road for the M’s.

• Current line: 2-4 / 6.32 ERA / 13 BB / 22 SO / 1.30 WHIP

Mariners vs. Indians Series Preview from Progressive Field

Indians Vs. Mariners Series Predictions

Game 1:

The Mariners are so spotty at the moment that predictions are so difficult.

There are also a lot of players that are struggling that really shouldn’t be.  One wonders what the health of the organization as a whole is, if there is a methodical error that causes mental hardships.

Oh well Felix seem to be immune. Prediction:  Win (Mariners 4 – Indians 2)

Game 2:

Noesi stinks. Prediction: Loss (Mariners 2 – Indians 6)

More News

After the series in Cleveland the Mariners have three games at Colorado in interleague play. Ichiro Suzuki was the only Seattle player with more than one hit, singling twice in game 2 vs. Boston.

The Mariners fell to 1-4 on a 10-game road trip and were shut out for the fifth time this season. Blake Beavan (1-4) went four innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks.

CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THE SEATTLE MARINERS CLUBHOUSE AT NWSB!

---

© Danny Ferguson for North West Sports Beat, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |

Follow NWSB on Twitter or join US on Facebook for real-time updates OR... | Share This on Twitter | Share NWSportsBeat.com on Facebook

Post tags: Brendan Ryan, Chone Figgins, Cleveland, Cleveland Indians, Eric Wedge, Felix Hernandez, Hector Noesi, Ichiro Suzuki, Justin Smoak, Mariners blog, Mariners Predictions, Mariners vs. Indians, Michael Saunders, Miguel Olivo, MLB Series Preview, Seattle Mariners Blog, Seattle vs. Cleveland, Series picks, Ubaldo Jimenez, Zach McAllister

Seattle Mariners fantasy baseball stats & breakdown – Week 6

Source: NWSportsBeat.com by Brandon Choate

Who’s hot, who’s not?

The Seattle Mariners did a flip flop this week, playing the Tigers in Seattle and travelling to New York to take on the Bronx Bombers. Seattle took 2 of 3 from Detroit before giving away 2 of 3 to the Yankees.

With that being said, the Mariners are warming up slightly as a team. Power numbers are becoming more frequent and players are showing that being behind in games doesn’t faze them.

Justin Smoak was particularly hot this week, but only for the weekend.

He went 6 for 12 in the series against the Yankees, with 1 run and 2 RBIs on a homerun. Because of his terrible showing this season, I can’t even put him on my list so I listed him here in my introduction.

It’s an honorable mention of sorts, and one I was scared Smoak wouldn’t earn all year.

Let’s see who makes the list this week.

Who’s Hot

Kyle Seager – INF

Kyle Seager stayed productive, posting another .300+ average again this week. He played in 5 games this week, hitting safely in 4 of them. If he keeps this up, he will give the Mariners more than enough supporting evidence for getting rid of Chone Figgins for good.

This week’s stat line: 5 for 18, 1 Run, 3 RBIs with 2 doubles and a stolen base.

Jason Vargas- SP

Jason Vargas continues to be solid for the Mariners, conducting another Felix-like performance this week. He may be the #2 starter on the Mariners, but he is leading the team in wins (4) and is better than a lot of teams’ #1 pitchers right now.

This week’s stat line: 8 innings pitched giving up 5 hits, 1 run and striking out 6.

Keep An Eye On

Jason Vargas continued to be solid this week

Jesus Montero – C/DH

Jesus Montero had a below average week. Although his numbers aren’t looking up, he is showing extreme potential that bodes well for the future of this franchise. He has proven he can step up when needed so far and could top this list in the near future if he starts producing more.

This week’s stat line: 3 for 21, 2 Runs, 2 RBIs with a double and a home run.

Dustin Ackley – 2B

Many people criticize Dustin Ackley right now for his slow start. He isn’t blowing anyone out of the water, but he is slowly improving. This week he made good contact at the plate and made the best of a pressuring situation.

This week’s state line: 6 for 20, 3 runs, 1 RBI with a double.

Who’s Cold

Chone Figgins – Util

There is not much I can say about Chone Figgins without breaking fundamental rules of fandom. He has literally batted himself out of the lineup every day and the vast majority of fans would gladly accept a jug of Gatorade or Sunflower seeds as payment from other teams interested in Figgins.

This week’s stat line: 0 for 1. Bye bye Figgins.

Brendan Ryan – SS

Brendan Ryan remains a fan favorite in Seattle and I’m starting to question why. He’s got great personality, but his ability at the plate has not been there for a single instance this season. He’s quickly falling out of favor and could be subject to demotion or waiver fodder if he doesn’t turn it around quickly.

Many people are calling for others to take over the position, with a big push for bringing up stellar prospect Nick Franklin.

Had it not been for Ryan’s defense, he may not still be in a Mariners uniform.

This week’s stat line: 2 for 18, 3 Runs, 1 RBI.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE MARINERS BLOG IN OUR CLUBHOUSE TODAY AT NWSB!

---

© Brandon Choate for North West Sports Beat, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |

Follow NWSB on Twitter or join US on Facebook for real-time updates OR... | Share This on Twitter | Share NWSportsBeat.com on Facebook

Post tags: Brendan Ryan, Chone Figgins, Dustin Ackley, fantasy baseball, Fantasy Baseball stats, Fantasy sleepers, Hector Noesi, Jason Vargas, Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, Kyle Seager, Major League Baseball, Mariners, Mariners blog, Mariners fantasy baseball, Mariners stats, Michael Saunders, MLB Stats, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Mariners Blog

State of the Mariners – weekly notebook | May 14th

Source: NWSportsBeat.com by Danny Ferguson

Mixed Results

Welcome to the seventh edition of the State of the Seattle Mariners update for the 2012 regular season.  In these weekly updates you will find all the information and news regarding the Seattle Mariners Baseball Franchise.

Upcoming Match Ups

The M’s take the train ride from New York to Boston to take on the Red Sox for a 2 game set then slowly head west stopping in Cleveland for 2 games before finishing up in Denver with a 3 game set against the Rockies.

Recent Results

The M’s went 4-3 for the week.

May 6 – 5-2 Win against Minnesota
May 7 – 3-2 Win against Detroit
May 8 – 4-6 Loss to Detroit
May 9 – 2-1 Win against Detroit
May 11 – 2-6 Loss to New York
May 12 – 2-6 Loss to New York
May 13 – 6-2 Win against New York

The Mariners are now 16-20 for the season, which puts them a half game over the Angles in third place in the A.L. West Division.

The Good News

Mike Carp. Although Carp showed good stuff last season, his return was shrouded in uncertainty as his timing seemed off all spring and through his rehab.  Although he is only hitting .147 in his 34 at bats, he has shown some much needed pop hitting 3 home runs (although only 2 official ones).

Seattle Mariners Weekly Notebook - May 15th

Justin Smoak. Smoak hit .500 going 6/12 in the series against New York.

It is great to see the M’s first base power hitting switch hitter actually show some power.

The Bad News

Not enough runs. The M’s hitters have accumulated 452 bases so far in the season, but only 135 of those have reached the most important base. The M’s need to start converting those base runners into runs.

Nonperforming Veterans.

The most seasoned players on the Seattle roster have delivered the most disappointing performances.

While it isn’t as bad as the Jack Cust – Milton Bradley scenario from a year ago here is the reality; Miguel Olivo, Franklin Gutierrez and George Sherrill are all on the DL.

Brendan Ryan may as well be swinging a toothpick, and Chone Figgins is the most overpaid pinch runner in the league, and all this while Ichiro leads the team in hitting into double plays.

Roster Moves / Trades

Nothing new happening this week for the big league club.

Ichiro may be moving out of the #3 spot soon

Injury Report

Franklin Gutierrez is recovering slowly adding a heel injury on top of the torn shoulder ligament that put him on the DL.

However he and Miguel Olivo are progressing and will be hoping for jobs by the time they get back.

M’s in the Community

The Mariners took part in a drug prevention education day making surprise appearances at local schools.

Gossip

Eric Wedge hinted at the possibility of moving Ichiro in the order yet again.  It seems no one is safe from Wedge’s reforms.

Division News

The Angels are starting to heat up, If the Mariners want a chance at a respectable finish they had better do the same.

What’s on tap this week?

Date	vs	Last Meeting
5/16/12	@CLE	L 1-2 4/19/12
5/17/12	@CLE	L 1-2 4/19/12
5/18/12	@COL	W 7-2 4/4/12
5/19/12	@COL	W 7-2 4/4/12
5/20/12	@COL	W 7-2 4/4/12

CLICK HERE CHECK OUT THE SEATTLE MARINERS CLUBHOUSE AT NWSB!

---

© Danny Ferguson for North West Sports Beat, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |

Follow NWSB on Twitter or join US on Facebook for real-time updates OR... | Share This on Twitter | Share NWSportsBeat.com on Facebook

Post tags: Brendan Ryan, Chone Figgins, Franklin Gutierrez, George Sherill, Ichiro, Jack Cust, Justin Smoak, Kyle Seager, M's, Mariners, Mariners blog, Mariners recap, Mariners Rumors, Mariners updates, Miguel Olivo, Mike Carp, Milton Bradley, MLB, Safeco Field, seattle, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Mariners Blog

Beckett's stellar outing could help quiet critics (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

For those less inclined to lose their minds over some beer, chicken, and golf -- the perfect Saturday for many of us -- perhaps the time has arrived to admit that Josh Beckett has actually pitched pretty well this year.

AL Capsules (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

TORONTO (AP) Blue Jays third baseman Brett Lawrie slammed his batting helmet to the ground and it ricocheted into plate umpire Bill Miller as the ninth inning turned nasty Tuesday in Toronto's 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

Mariners looking for hope in some harder-hit balls, but still need to finish a lot better than they have

Source: The Seattle Times

When you're going as woefully as the Mariners have on offense for most of this trip and for a good part of the season, you start to look for signs of hope. A handful of them saw something things today that they hope will lead to better things.

For now, it's just another four-hit day. One run scored in two games at Fenway Park.

The Mariners track a bunch of stuff during games and one of them is the number of "hard hit" balls. Mariners manager Eric Wedge counted nine or 10 of them today and hopes that they lead to something.

"Anytime we did have a good opportunity, we just didn't find a hole,'' he said. "We still had some poor ABs from a few guys and we've got to do a better job of that. I think we have four or five guys heading in the right direction. What we need to do is get the other four or five heading in the right direction with them.''

And that's been the problem. As I mentioned today on my Talkin' Baseball segment on Sports Radio 950 KJR, the Mariners have had some positive individual signs from hitters so far. This looks like an offense with better individual pieces than we saw in 2010 and 2011 and I alluded to it just last week when discussing the offense.

But overall, there is just too much sputtering. Too little ability to string together hits and keep rallies going.

You can hit balls hard, yes, and they may even add up to nine or 10 over nine innings. But not every hard hit ball in a game is going to fall in. They just never do. And even if six or seven fall in for hits, you're going to need more than that over nine innings if you want to score more than a couple of runs without some big homer involved.

Justin Smoak nearly went deep in today's second inning. Had his ball been ruled fair, I think it's possible it might have changed the momentum in the game, maybe led to Josh Beckett getting rattled a bit. Who knows?

"From my view, right down the line, it went right over the pole,'' Smoak said.

Close, but no cigar. And after that, the Mariners really didn't do anything until the fourth inning when they were already down 1-0. They whiffed six times the first two frames and nine times by the fifth. In fact, the first five innings, their only hits were an infield single by Dustin Ackley and a flair by Ichiro that dropped in front of the center fielder.

Yeah, there were a few hard-hit balls, but it wasn't exactly a firestorm of them.

Things changed later on in the game.

Read more...

Mariners-Indians Preview (The Associated Press)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

The Seattle Mariners' offense has been stagnant recently, much like the last time Felix Hernandez took the mound against the Cleveland Indians.

Seattle Mariners Successfully Play Entire Baseball Game

Source: Lookout Landing by Jeff Sullivan

Think about all of the things you have to do. Maybe you have to schedule or re-schedule an appointment. Maybe you have to respond to a very long personal email. Maybe you have to complete a presentation or compose a ten-page paper or write a long blog post about a Seattle Mariners baseball game. Whether it's physical or not, you have a to-do list with things still left to do, and to some degree it stresses you out. You would feel better if you had gotten more done by now.

One trick to getting more done in less time is to become more active and efficient. Most people don't do this. Another trick to getting more done in less time is to add a bunch of routine shit to the to-do list you do every day already so you can evaluate the

Beavan lacks pinpoint command, M's get blanked

Source: MLB.com by Greg Johns

Blake Beavan prides himself on being an innings eater who gives his team consistent quality starts, but the young right-hander could only get through four frames on Tuesday as the Red Sox rolled to a 5-0 victory behind Josh Beckett for a quick sweep of the two-game series.

Beckett rebounds with strong outing in Red Sox victory (The SportsXchange)

Source: Yahoo! Sports

BOSTON -- Josh Beckett had a few reasons to be happy.