Texas (47-36) @ Seattle (43-41)

[slaterbug]

Thu, Jul 9 10:10 pm EDT: Tommy Hunter (1-1, 3.18) vs Félix Hernández (8-3, 2.62)
Fri, Jul 10 10:10 pm EDT: Scott Feldman (7-2, 3.91) vs Brandon Morrow (0-3, 5.05)
Sat, Jul 11 10:10 pm EDT: Kevin Millwood (8-6, 3.34) vs Jarrod Washburn (5-6, 3.08)
Sun, Jul 12 4:10 pm EDT: Dustin Nippert (0-0, 7.36) vs Erik Bedard (5-2, 2.58)

It will be interesting to see how we bounce back from the tough loss to Baltimore.

I will be angry if we lose this series!

[Sweezo]

As Bulltalk said in the wrong thread, we probably need 3 out of 4.

Also, Vargas down to AAA, Shelton up to the big club. Good for him...he hasn't had a chance in awhile. If he hits, what do the M's do with Sweeney? Sweeney's a nice guy but...being nice doesn't drive in runs, now does it?

[Bulltalk]

Well it looks like the M's might at least carry a Seattle sports fan to the Seahawks' training camp. That's something.

[Bay_Areas_Finest]

I **** LOVE YOU, FRANKLIN! GOAT!

[Sweezo]

From total horse**** to complete awesomeness with one swing. What a game! Gutierrez should have been a goddamned All Star. And it's nice to see Aardsma kick some ass again.

[Bulltalk]

Tonight was the season in a nutshell. Great pitching, lousy hitting. A HR that gives us just enough to win the game. A win that keeps them alive in the race when it looks like their about to start charring like toast.

[BlackMamba]

i'm scared that feliz might finally be in his breakout season.... MONSTER!!!!!!

[Bulltalk]

I think it may be starting to slip away. 2-3 so far on this 7 game homestand, and 4 1/2 games back now. I just get the feeling that as soon as it slips to 6 or 7 games back, the M's just don't have enough on their roster to make it back up.

[Bulltalk]

For the love of God and in the name of all that's holy can we score a couple of runs now? Bottom of the 7th, 1-1, and Washburn pitching another great game.

[Bulltalk]

Answered prayer. 4-1 M's through 7 1/2 innings now.

[TTown]

M's win. Another Washburn gem.

[Bay_Areas_Finest]

Washburn has been amazing all season long.

And man, Rob Johnson absolutely demolished that fastball. Hit it 400 feet and the ball musta got out in about 3 seconds, haha.

Nice win. Gotta get the one tomorrow though.

[Bulltalk]

Look at the ERA of some of our starters:

Felix: 2.53 ERA
Washburn: 2.96 ERA
Bedard: 2.58 ERA
Vargas: 3.82 ERA

Not too shabby. We score 4 and we will probably win.

[Sweezo]

Awesome...we've guaranteed ourselves at least a split, and we have a pitching matchup that's definitely in our favor tomorrow.

Also, did anyone see Morrow was sent down to Tacoma to work on his offspeed stuff? Thank God. I didn't like what he was doing against Texas. He has an awesome curve when he can locate it, and if he's refusing to throw it in MLB games he's not going to develop into the pitcher he should be. Hopefully he gets the message and gets called up real soon.

[TTown]

Yep, we don't need a 5th starter till the end of the month, so he'll get some good work down in Tacoma and we won't even notice he's gone.

BIG game today. I'd love to take the series going into the break, both to avenge that horribly disappointing Baltimore finale, and to avenge that 0-5 start against Texas. Taking 3 of 4 from 'em adds momentum going into the second half and launches us up in the standings.

And 46-42 looks better than 45-43.

Hopefully Bedard can pitch farther than the 4th today. Bullpen really let us down last time they were forced into extended action.

[Bulltalk]

Awesome...we've guaranteed ourselves at least a split, and we have a pitching matchup that's definitely in our favor tomorrow.

Also, did anyone see Morrow was sent down to Tacoma to work on his offspeed stuff? Thank God. I didn't like what he was doing against Texas. He has an awesome curve when he can locate it, and if he's refusing to throw it in MLB games he's not going to develop into the pitcher he should be. Hopefully he gets the message and gets called up real soon.

It seems to me that he'd be more inclined to explore his pitching range in the minors than the majors. In the majors he probably feels vulnerable about developing his other stuff, yet it's his lack of development of his pitching range that's hurting him here in the bigs. When he gets hit, he gets hit hard.

[Sweezo]

Speaking of getting hit hard, Batista is brought in to get Nelson Cruz out...throws one pitch, which Cruz drives over the wall for a game-tying home run. I know Batista's numbers are mostly positive this year but I still hate him. With the Angels winning, this isn't a game we can afford to give up...thanks for nothing, Miguel.

[Bulltalk]

M's take the lead 5-3 in the bottom of the 7th, and the Yankees have pulled to within 1 run in the 8th, down 5-4 to the Angels now, as the Yankees come up to bat in the 9th.

Gentlemen, you know what I'm hoping for.

[Sweezo]

Yanks are down to A-Rod, who's failed to do anything positive today...

Another crazy game for the M's, living off bloop singles and taking advantage of the other team being sloppy. Please let the Angels lose...

[Bulltalk]

Well here we are at the All Star break:

LAA 49-37 -----
TEX 48-39 1.5
SEA 46-42 4
OAK 37-49 12

Not to get pissy, but damn our losing 2 out of 3 to the Orioles. That was my biggest gripe of the last few weeks. I feel it should look like this:

LAA 49-37 -----
TEX 48-39 1.5
SEA 47-41 3
OAK 37-49 12

Oh well. Who would have thunk we'd be here at season's start? And it sure is better than where we were at this point last year:

LAA 57-38 -----
OAK 51-44 6
TEX 50-46 7.5
SEA 37-58 20

Just to keep things in perspective.