I’m starting to think if we just murder the entire team and fill it with cast-offs and Rainiers, the Mariners might finally win the World Series!
(that was only for humor, please don’t murder the entire team)
We’re in the middle of the world’s best – yet dumbest – road trip: three whole games, from Seattle to Oakland and back again. Considering all the travel the M’s have had to do – to such exotic locales like Minnesota, Kansas City, Cleveland, Toronto, Detroit, Minnesota again, et cetera – it’s actually kind of cool they only have a couple of 2-hour flights to deal with this week.
Anyway, yesterday Dee Gordon went on the DL. Over the weekend, Nelson Cruz was hit on the elbow and he was missing from last night’s game (hoping to play tonight, but we’ll see). Then, during the game, Mitch Haniger was also hit by a pitch and had to leave. It’s a forearm bruise and not a tumor fracture, so we’re all hoping he’ll be back soon; but nevertheless he’s set to miss a few days at least. And, if all that wasn’t enough, as Jean Segura slid head-first into home to score the winning run, he bashed into the catcher and fucked up his shoulder, so HE could also be missing some time and/or be sent on the DL. Ain’t that some fucked up shit?
39 year old Jayson Werth was pulled from last night’s Rainiers game, so he figures to play for Haniger for at least a few days. He hasn’t exactly been tearing it up down in Tacoma – hitting .193 with 4 homers and 5 doubles in 24 games – but I guess you could say he’s been better of late – hitting 3 of those homers and 4 of those doubles since May 14th. I don’t know how much faith I want to put into those numbers, but maybe it means he’s starting to get his timing back? Not for nothing, but he really hasn’t been good since 2014, so just because you’ve heard of the name doesn’t mean you should get your hopes up.
As for last night’s game, what a hum-dinger! (yeah, I didn’t watch it)
Mike Leake pitched around a couple of jams and got into the 7th inning having given up only the 2 runs. Mike Zunino jacked a game-tying 2-run homer in the top of the 7th off of Trevor Cahill to eventually send this thing into extras. Pazos and Vincent did their jobs (Vincent getting the win with his 1.1 innings of work), the aforementioned Segura scored from first on a Guillermo Heredia double, and Edwin Diaz had no trouble locking down his 16th save in the bottom of the 10th. Just a gritty, grind-it-out, hardscrabble, come-from-behind Mariners-type victory!
Today, the A’s have a AAA call-up (who has apparently struggled mightily against the M’s) facing off with Marco Gonzales. I’m loath to say this – because I know it’s going to bite me in the ass – but I actually feel sort of confident about tonight’s game! There’s no quit in this team! Of course, the prospect of having Andrew Romine and Gordon Beckham in the same lineup gives me the willies, so get well soon Jean Segura and Dee Gordon!