GAME: Angels (55-70, 4th, AL West, -17.5 GB) at Mariners (58-62, 3rd, AL West, -14.5 GB). GAME #: 129. SERIES: 3rd of 3 games. MEETING: 16th (Angels lead 8-7). WHEN: Sunday, 1:10 p.m., Safeco Field. STREAKS: Mariners L 2; Angels W 2. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network
Based on the torrents of optimism that spewed out of spring training, the Mariners were hopeful — in fact, confident — that they would be able to play .500 or above this season and show significant progress coming off an 11th consecutive season of no playoffs. Obviously, it hasn’t happened. The Mariners are going to have their hands full trying to match last year’s 75-87 record.
Seattle enters Sunday’s series-ender with the Angels with at 59-69 after 128 games. Last year after 128, the Mariners were 61-67. That’s not a lot of difference, but it certainly isn’t progress. It means the Mariners are going to have to play well above .500 the rest of the way in order to match last year.
After Sunday, the Mariners will have 10 series left, 32 games. More than half are against playoff contenders, including Texas (6), Tampa Bay (3), St. Louis (3), Detroit (4) and Oakland (3). Three more are against Angels, who beat the Mariners 5-1 Saturday night.
The Mariners play seven others against Kansas City, a team Seattle has yet to face. That leaves seven against lowly Houston. The Mariners 7-5 against the Astros, hardly noteworthy considering the Astros probably won’t finish with 50 wins. The Mariners likely have to win all seven against Houston in order to match last year’s record.
The Mariners will entrust the ball to Aaron Harang Sunday. This, as Wilson Mizner might have said, makes coffee nervous. Harang is 0-3 with a 10.03 in three starts against the Halos this season and 0-4, 6.84 in six career outings.
Jered Weaver hasn’t pitched anywhere close to his former All-Star self and will enter Sunday having allowed 13 earned runs in his last 11 innings. But he’s 12-8 against the Mariners. A closer look:
SUNDAY’S PROBABLES
MARINERS: RHP Aaron Harang (5-10, 5.49 ERA, 1.30 WHIP)
The 35-year-old Harang, a San Diego native in his 12th major league season and first with Seattle, will make his 22nd start and fourth against the Angels. Harang has allowed one or fewer runs while pitching at least 5.0 innings three times in his last six starts. In his last outing, against the A’s, he pitched seven innings of one-run ball, giving up five hits, walking one and striking out three.
- LAST START: Aug. 19 at Oakland, lost 2-1; 1 earned run on 5 hits in 7.0 innings; 3 strikeouts, 1 walk, 0 home runs, 97 pitches, 63 for strikes.
- LAST VS. ANGELS: June 17 at Anaheim, lost 11-3; 1 earned run on 11 hits in 5.0 innings; 4 strikeouts, 0 walks, 1 home run, 87 pitches, 57 for strikes.
- CAREER VS. ANGELS: 0-4, 6.84 ERA in 6 starts covering 26.1 innings; 16 strikeouts, 9 walks, 7 home runs, 2.12 WHIP.
- AT SAFECO FIELD: 5-6, 4.05 ERA in 15 starts covering 86.2 innings; 61 strikeouts, 22 walks, 10 home runs, 11.05 WHIP.
- LOVES TO FACE: Chris Iannetta (2-for-11, .182), Howie Kendrick (2-for-9, .222), Mark Trumbo (3-for-13, .231).
- HATES TO FACE: Josh Hamilton (5-for-7, .714), Mike Trout (6-for-12, .500), Peter Bourjos (3-for-7, .429).
- CURRENT ANGELS VS. HARANG: 57-for-163, .350 BA, 22 strikeouts, 13 walks, 11 home runs, .387 on-base percentage.
ANGELS: RHP Jered Weaver (7-7, 3.62 ERA, 1.19 WHIP)
The 30-year-old Weaver, in his eighth major league season, all with the Angels, will make his 19th start and second against the Mariners. Since finding a rhythm in late June, the former All-Star has hit a bit of a speed bump.
- LAST START: Aug. 19 vs. Cleveland, lost 5-2; 4 earned runs on 8 hits in 6.0 innings; 5 strikeouts, 2 walks, 1 home run, 100 pitches, 69 for strikes.
- LAST VS. MARINERS: July 13, lost 6-0; 4 earned runs on 9 hits in 5.2 innings; 3 strikeouts, 0 walks, 1 home run, 107 pitches, 68 for strikes.
- CAREER VS. MARINERS: 12-8, 3.32 ERA in 26 starts covering 165.1 innings; 121 strikeouts, 39 walks, 18 home runs, 1.22 WHIP.
- AT SAFECO FIELD: 5-7, 4.70 ERA in 14 starts covering 82.1 innings; 58 strikeouts, 22 walks, 12 home runs, 1.47 WHIP.
- LOVE TO FACE: Nick Franklin (0-for-3, .000), Brendan Ryan (2-for-15, .133), Endy Chavez (3-for-17, .176).
- HATES TO FACE: Kendrys Morales (2-for-3, .667), Raul Ibanez (15-for-33, .455), Michael Saunders (6-for-18, .333).
- CURRENT MARINERS VS. WEAVER: 56-for-198, .283 BA, 43 strikeouts, 19 walks, 12 home runs, .349 on-base percentage.
MARINERS STATS / NOTES
- CURRENT HOME STAND: Three vs. L.A. Angels (Friday-Sunday), three vs. Texas (Monday-Wednesday). The home stand begins a series of 20 games in 20 days. Following the home stand, the Mariners play four at Houston and four at Kansas City before returning to Safeco Field Sept. 6. The Mariners do not have a day off until Sept. 12.
- The Mariners broke a 16.0-inning scoreless streak Saturday night when Nick Franklin singled in the seventh inning.
- Erasmo Ramirez (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season Saturday despite recording his second straight quality start. Ramirez’s ERA has fallen from 7.25 to 5.44 in his last four outings.
- Brad Miller extended his hitting streak to a career-high five games Saturday by going 2-for-5. It marked Miller’s 19th multi-hit game of the season.
- Endy Chavez (3-for-4) matched his season high with three hits.
- Kendrys Morales has hit into 19 double plays this season, second most in the American League.
UPCOMING PROBABLES
| Date | Day | Opp. | Probable Pitchers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8/25 | Sun | vs. LAA | RHP Aaron Harang (5-10) vs. RHP Jered Weaver (7-7) |
| 8/26 | Mon | vs. Tex | LHP Joe Saunders (10-12) vs. LHP Travis Blackley (1-1) |
| 8/27 | Tue | vs. Tex | RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (12-6) vs. LHP Derek Holland (9-6) |
| 8/28 | Wed | vs. Tex | RHP Felix Hernandez (12-7) vs. LHP Martin Perez (7-3) |
3 Comments
Instead of going after free agents like Hamilton I’d like to see the M’s go after some hard core pitching like Weaver. He’s having an off year because he’s pitching hurt IMO. Doesn’t help when Hamilton and Pujols aren’t living up to their expectations either. Put him in Safeco Field, despite moving in the fences, might benefit him.
“The Mariners are going to have their hands full trying to match last year’s 75-87 record.”
“Seattle enters Sunday’s series-ender with the Angels with at 59-69 after 128 games.”
“It means the Mariners are going to have to play well above .500 the rest of the way in order to match last year.”
If the M’s played .500 ball their last 34 games, they would finish at 76-86, or one game better than last year. They don’t need to “play well above .500 the rest of the way in order to match last year.” Going 16-18 over the last 34 games would match last year’s record.
Who writes this crap? If you want any credibility at all, at least learn to do basic math.
“Based on the torrents of optimism that spewed out of spring training, the Mariners were hopeful — in fact, confident — that they would be able to play .500 or above this season and show significant progress coming off an 11th consecutive season of no playoffs. ”
Nobody in the national media expected the M’s to be any good this season. Look at the predictions after spring training and before the season began — virtually all national publications and sports media picked the M’s to finish 4th in their division. Only the M’s and some Seattle homer writers thought the M’s would be any better this year than last year.