The low-on-fumes Mariners continued their march to another 90-loss season Monday, losing to the Detroit Tigers in a blah 4-2 tilt at Comerica Park. Seattle won nine of its previous 11 at Comerica, but couldn’t generate enough offense to overcome the AL Central leaders, who put the contest out of Seattle’s reach with two runs in the sixth and another in the seventh.
Seattle fell to 66-84 and needs to finish 7-5 over the final 12 to avoid 90 losses. The Mariners, who have three left in this series, have lost seven of their last eight and 11 of 15 in September. The Mariners also lost three of the four games on this 10-game road trip, scoring nine runs in four games.
The killer stat Monday: They went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left eight stranded.
The Tigers led 1-0, gave up Abraham Almonte’s second homer of the season in the third, added two in the sixth and held on behind Jose Veras and Joaquin Benoit for their 87th victory.
“The league won’t have a chance to make adjustments to him this year because there isn’t time, but he’s been impressive in the short amount of time he’s been here,” Seattle manager Eric Wedge said of Almonte, who went 2-for-4.
The Tigers took that 1-0 when Torii Hunter, who singled, came around to score on Joe Saunders’ wild pitch. The Mariners tied it in the third on Almonte’s blast, but Detroit tallied two in the sixth on back-to-back RBI singles by Victor Martinez and Omar Infante.
Hunter’s RBI single in the seventh gave Detroit a 4-1 margin, which Seattle cut to 4-2 in the eighth on an RBI single by Justin Smoak that scored Raul Ibanez.
ARMS: Starter Joe Saunders allowed three earned runs on seven hits in 5.2 innings with three strikeouts and a walk. He took the loss, falling to 11-15 (5.16) . . . Seattle used two relievers, Tom Wilhelmsen allowing Detroit’s final run.
BATS: The Mariners, who struck out 10 times against Detroit starter Rick Porcello, produced seven hits, including two by Almonte and a pair each by Smoak and Raul Ibanez . . . Almonte has hits in 12 of 13 games since his MLB debut and has reached base in all 13 . . . Catcher Mike Zunino had a sour night, going 0-for-3 for three strikeouts. He’s batting .216 . . . Nick Franklin got the start at second, went 0-for-3 and is hitting .214.
QUOTES: “I felt like we put up some good at-bats, but we didn’t put up a big hit to take advantage of it. Hitting with runners in scoring position, we just weren’t able to do that. It was a good game, we had our opportunities” — Wedge
NOTES: After Felix Hernandez threw a bullpen session Monday, the Mariners determined that their ace won’t pitch at least until the weekend in Anaheim when Seattle faces the Angels. The Mariners said Hernandez needs to throw another bullpen session Thursday. Hernandez suffered a strained oblique muscle in his left side Sept. 2 . . . Shortstop Brad Miller sat out his second straight game Monday nursing a sore hamstring . . . Raul Ibanez Monday was named Seattle’s nominee for the annual Roberto Clemente award, which goes to a player who best represents the game of baseball through positive contributions on and off the field, including sportsmanship and community involvement.
NEXT: The series continues Tuesday with a 4:15 p.m., PT first pitch. RHP Brandon Maurer (4-8, 7.18) will pitch for Seattle opposite RHP Anibal Sanchez (14-7, 2.50), the AL ERA leader. Following the Detroit series, the Mariners move to Anaheim for three against the Angels that will close out the road schedule. Seattle next plays at Safeco Field Sept. 23 against Kansas City.
9 Comments
Slow motion train wreck. So unbelievable you have to peek through your fingers to see if it really is THAT bad. It is.
I dreamt the coconut twins were dragged feet first around Safeco by the Moose driving his ATV. They kept saying “Hot Seat, Hot Seat”.
the moose is cooked
When is dumb and dumber going to be held accountable? I have so much distain for those two worthless braindead morons! They know NOTHING about the game of baseball. Not only should those fools be fired they should be ran out of town and be barred from any baseball for the rest of there miserable lives. They have done nothing to make the game of baseball better for this region. NOTHING!!! Lincoln is the biggest liar of them all. I cant stand a liar. That LIAR stood in front of the podium about 5 yrs ago and bald faced LIED to the fanbase when he said we all are on the hot seat. WHAT A FRIGGIN LIAR! If he spoke the truth the two faced liar would have been fired two yrs ago. That statement alone should be enought not to believe one single LYING word that comes from his forked tongue! He said it and he still has the job. HE IS A LYING SNAKE OIL SALESMEN! His side kid Armstrong also crawls on his belly! Time to slay the two headed lying serpent.
Out of all the disheartening Seattle Mariner seasons, this one has to be the most oddly galling. A lopsided rotation – made so for a couple of (once again) veteran bats that never really panned out – actually performed well enough to win a lot more games than they did. Instead, an epically bitter cocktail of poor clutch hitting cruelly topped off with the most walk-off losses in recent memory has relegated a ball club with at least .500 talent to once again circle the drain. Or get spat out.
Hey, our first round draft pick is looking safe. We don’t want any dumb winning streak ruining that. I read something today I had not even considered, that if the Rangers fall out of the play-offs then Ron Washington could be fired. He’d be a good replacement for Wedgie, given that Joe Maddon and Clint Hurdle will not be available.
Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has written a very insightful and informative article on the Pirates organizational conversion to maximize their defensive
capabilities. The full article is well worthy of a read by anyone interested in the game, as it points the way to the future of baseball defense. It’s at http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/4689239-74/pirates-defensive-season#axzz2fAuIgCZS
yeah– good piece. Can’t help but notice the recuring theme and demand: CHANGE. At all levels. The M’s, stuck in a no-change mode that isn’t even about baseball– it’s an old school, pre-Demming corporate-mentality that any idiot except the Coconut Twins could see is outdated in any realm. They, unlike the Pirates who had a low-budget BASEBALL orientation, have not a clue in the universe about baseball, nor, it seems, about current statistical thinking as it applies to managing corporate entities, nor about 21st century management styles that facilitate 21st century success. Point is, the M’s need the corporate office and management to burn to the ground if anything is ever to change.
I had hopes the club would at least take baby steps forward and get to 70-75 wins but that doesn’t look like it’ll happen. They seem to be limping along at this point. They have no leadoff hitter and no real #3 hitter though some have shown potential. I used to think the coaching phrase to players “are you afraid to win” to get them motivated was so trite and overused but really, sometimes I think that’s what needs to be said to the younger players on the club. The rotation and the bullpen each could use a veteran player as well despite the fact that Felix has won a Cy Young award. He’s like Ichiro where he leads by example but a more direct approach by a vet among the pitchers might work better.
Raul, Morales and Endy are fine and I hope they bring them all back next season. Really, really need a veteran catcher though and Jack Z. made a big mistake letting both Jaso and Olivio go thinking last years DH was ready to be the full time catcher and without a capable back up.
I was going to wait until the end of the season for my mea culpa, but since everyone is venting, I may as well do it here. I really thought this year’s edition had the potential to win 85-90 games and have an outside shot at the playoffs. I still believe the veterans they brought in were the right kind of guys to add to the clubhouse, but there’s still that “something” missing to push this team over .500.
I like Wedge and I’m glad he was able to come back from his stroke (which isn’t ever “minor”), but he seems to lack the ability to fire up his players to the point where they push themselves to play to their abilities. I’m not sold on his handling of pitchers either, but that’s not his weakest area. A change in the dugout, sad to say, is needed. Wedge just doesn’t get the max from his players…that’s not all on him, but in the end it’s his responsibility.
As for Zduriencik? I just don’t know. On the one hand, he’s done an outstanding job of rebuilding the minor league system from the rubble left by Bavasi and Gillick (great GM for adding MLB players, awful for building from within), but that’s what a farm director does. Z did a superb job of setting things up to make big-splash moves next year with all the expiring contracts, but you hold your breath when he makes a move at the MLB level. I give Zduriencik another year, but just one.
And what can any of us say about the Chuck & Howie Show? Horrendous upper management for this franchise has been the one constant over the years, but what do you do when ownership is as isolated as can be? If only George Argyros had been this hands-off. Yamauchi is a bottom-line guy and the team has made him money and grown in value, but he has no idea of what the spiritual cost to his franchise has been. There is zero goodwill left for this franchise in Seattle. I think Yamauchi will always deserve a measure of gratitude for keeping the Mariners in town, but it’s time for him to sell (and any new owner HAS to bring a broom to sweep out Armstrong and Lincoln).
Disappointing? Hell, yes. Hopeless? Hell, no. But changes at the top HAVE to be made.
I felt 75 wins was more realistic when the season kicked off considering how the A’s, Rangers and Angels performed last year and the kind of offseason each had. Agree that this roster is better than their record and the free agent pick ups were sound. Each fit with what Jack Z. and Wedge were trying to do, and that’s teach the young players how to be MLB players and how to win.
I think both Wedge and Jack should at least be brought back for one more season. Wedge seems like how Buck Showalter used to be thought of, a great teacher for players but maybe too low key to get players to fight for a win. As a GM so far Jack is a great director of player personnel. Hopefully a little more homework has been done for the upcoming offseason than before.
I’m in the minority that I think Howard and Chuck do want to win. However they try to juggle everything equally whereas organizations like the Yankees make the World Series a priority and everything else falls behind it. You don’t have to overpay for a Josh Hamilton to be a winner but neither is the Houston Astros payroll going to get you there either. The M’s fall somewhere in the middle but the middle gets you….the middle.