Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
May 13, 2008
Run Fest

I wonder if how many Mariners fans had their heads explode last night. Seattle gets off to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first with Erik Bedard on the mound. Bedard only lasted two innings, however, as the Rangers scored six runs against him to take a 6-5 lead. Seattle tied it at six in the sixth, but the Rangers scored four times in the seventh. Seattle answered with two in the eighth but the Rangers came right back with two in the bottom of the inning. Finally, Seattle scored four in the ninth, three on a two-out, three run home by Johjima, his first of the year.

Texas won it in the bottom of the tenth on a walk off shot by Ramon Vazquez.

Lookout Landing lost all hope:

I've suspected for a little while now that the season is already over, but I couldn't be sure if I really believed it, or if I was just trying to talk myself out of getting any more hurt. I needed a test. I needed something to happen that would truly reveal whether I still harbored any hope for the team, or if - in early May - I was already going through the motions.

Today I was granted that test. Today I saw the Mariners storm out to a huge early lead, blow it, fight back, blow it again in unthinkable fashion, stage an impossible last-second comeback, and then lose on a walk-off bomb by a utility player. Short of playing the Red Sox or there being another brawl, I couldn't have asked for more drama. This was exactly the game I needed to watch in order to find out what I believe in my heart of hearts.

Turns out that, yeah, just as I thought. No hope.

USS Mariner agrees:

That was a crappy way to lose, but here's the nice part of knowing the season's already over - looking past the wins and losses isn't that hard, and there are other things of interest to look for.

One of those has to be Wladimir Balentien. He hit his fourth home run of the season last night, and he has just 46 at bats on the year. For his short major league career, he's knocked out five homers in 49 at bats, or about 1 every ten at bats. That rate will generate 50 to 60 homers over a full season. He hasn't figured out how to draw a walk or get many hits other than homers, but if he maintains a slugging percentage in the mid .500s, the walks will come as pitchers start fearing him in game situations.


Posted by David Pinto at 08:26 AM | Games | TrackBack (0)
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