Seattle (43-44) @ LAA (46-42)

[TTown]

Doug Fister (3-9, 3.02) vs. Jered Weaver (10-4, 1.92)
Blake Beavan (1-0, 1.29) vs. Ervin Santana (4-8, 3.89)
Michael Pineda (8-5, 2.58) vs. Joel Pineiro (4-3, 3.90)
Felix Hernandez (8-7, 3.22) vs. Dan Haren (9-5, 2.65)

So, Seager will start at 3B tomorrow and for the foreseeable future. Conceivably, Kennedy will DH?

Remember when Smoak was awesome the first two months of the year? Why not move him back to 5th?

Ichiro
Ryan
Kennedy
Ackley
Smoak
Olivo
Seager
Peguero/Halman
Guti

[TTown]

Here's some disgusting numbers I dug up this morning:

Of the AL's top 24 starting pitchers (by season era), all five Mariner starting pitchers are represented, from Pineda (#6, 2.58) to Vargas (#24, 3.49).

No other team in the AL has more than two starting pitchers in the top 24. No more than two.

WE HAVE FIVE.

And yet we're under .500. I do not know how, statistically, this offense stacks up to last year's historically inept one. All I know is that we've been held to 3 runs or less 22 times since the beginning of June.

Our starters have been unbelievable. Our bats are the opposite of that.

[Bay_Areas_Finest]

I'd love to see Ichiro, Ryan, Kennedy, Ackley, Smoak.

Ackley is our best hitter so he definitely needs to be up there in the middle. I'd even take him in the third hole, but then you have Kennedy 4th and I usually like a little more power out of that hole, so Ackley is probably fine at clean up.

I'm SHOCKED that Seager is up so fast. Shocked, but happy.

[sharkz]

Smoak is at DH for this one, still hitting cleanup it seems. Smoak has struggled at cleanup so far so dont know what Wedge is doing here, get him out of cleanup and put Ackley there. At least Wedge dropped Peguero down to 9th.

Ah well at least we get to see Seager in action.

Weaver's probably gonna no hit us or something tonight but whatever, I'm not surprised by these things anymore with this offense.

[sharkz]

leave guys at second and third, such a waste. Now the Angels probably will make us pay for that unless Fister twirls a gem.

This umpire sure doesnt like pitches outside to righties.

[Bay_Areas_Finest]

We're done, fellas. We simply have 0% chance of competing for the division when the team has an offense this inept. Sucks, but oh well. Apparently our FO doesn't wanna be buyers this year. Maybe next season we can add a bat or two.

[TTown]

I don't think we've had a realistic shot for some time. If everything goes right for this team the rest of the way I think they can win 81 games. Texas and Anaheim will push to 90.

Someone said a couple days ago that this road trip will define ourselves as buyers or sellers, but this trip didn't concern me as much as what we've got coming up after the AS break:

Texas (4)
@ Toronto (3)
@ Boston (3)
@ NYY (3)
TB (3)

We then come home for another batch of LAA/Oakland games, then play ALL of those above teams again (sans Yankess), just flip-flop the home/away.

We are not serious contenders. We need to ship moveable assets and try to bring in some decent position players.

[Bulltalk]

We're teetering here now, in danger of falling back. I think we have to win at least 2 out of the next 3 from the Angels here.

[sharkz]

The moment Jamey Wright stepped on that mound we were bound to lose the lead. My prayers for anybody but wright were not answered by Wedge.

[Bulltalk]

We're sinking now. 5 1/2 back. Is this it? Are we done for the season?

[TTown]

'Tis been fool's gold all along.

[Sweezo]

Disappointing. I thought we were in a position to steal one with another fine performance by Beavan. So we're 5.5 games back and both the Rangers and Angels are pulling away. Either team makes a move now or we're committing to next year.

It's only been two starts, but Beavan looks like he could fit in for Bedard next year. When Bedard gets off the DL, might be a good time to move him. He seems like a moveable piece that could get you a decent return, and the team may want to move him before they are stuck paying $6 million in bonuses. Hey...that amount of salary is about what Hunter Pence makes...wonder if we could trade Bedard to a contender and grab Pence for some prospects?

[jumanji]

Disappointing. I thought we were in a position to steal one with another fine performance by Beavan. So we're 5.5 games back and both the Rangers and Angels are pulling away. Either team makes a move now or we're committing to next year.

It's only been two starts, but Beavan looks like he could fit in for Bedard next year. When Bedard gets off the DL, might be a good time to move him. He seems like a moveable piece that could get you a decent return, and the team may want to move him before they are stuck paying $6 million in bonuses. Hey...that amount of salary is about what Hunter Pence makes...wonder if we could trade Bedard to a contender and grab Pence for some prospects?

My guess is Pence will probably end up playing right for the Red Sox unless someone like Seattle seriously wants to go after him. As i said before it would probably take a Vargas or a Fister along with some minor leaguers like Liddi, Paxton and maybe even some money thrown in. Let's do it.

[Sweezo]

My guess is Pence will probably end up playing right for the Red Sox unless someone like Seattle seriously wants to go after him. As i said before it would probably take a Vargas or a Fister along with some minor leaguers like Liddi, Paxton and maybe even some money thrown in. Let's do it.

Or we could trade Bedard to the Red Sox for prospects and/or a three way deal that lands us Pence. Boston's starting rotation is injury ridden and just not as good as it could be.

[TTown]

Bedard is scheduled to return against Texas right after the break, per Wedge. Thank whichever god you pray to that this wasn't another shoulder/elbow injury.

If he's 100%, is there a better starter available to be dealt at the deadline? Serious question. He's not Cliff Lee, so I'm not expecting a Smoak/Beavan/Lueke package in return, but if he's the top arm on the market the usual suspects will all be lining up to solidify themselves for the postseason. And I'm personally completely on board with dealing him, I like the guy and all but I just don't want to pay him big money for a 3-year extension with his history. Might as well bring ourselves a bat or two.

[Sweezo]

And I'm personally completely on board with dealing him, I like the guy and all but I just don't want to pay him big money for a 3-year extension with his history.

Plus, nothing in Z's tenure shows that he would be willing to offer a three year, multi-million dollar contract to a guy like Bedard anyway. Z likes taking one year gambles on unrealized talent and injury risks, while giving multi-year deals to more proven commodities [say what you want to about Figgins, but it seemed like an extremely safe signing at the time]. With the budget what it is, the team has only so much to spend.

With Felix/Pineda/Beavan/Fister/Vargas, you have a competent pitching staff. Beavan's likely not a star in the making, but he looks fairly similar to Fister and pitching half his games in Safeco won't hurt him.

If the team has any interest in upgrading its offense in a big way [like offering $20 million a year to Prince Fielder], then it can't be offering $7-$10 million to Erik Bedard.

[TTown]

Agreed on all counts.

Pineda strikes out his first 5 batters of the game today, then the sixth batter pops up to Olivo a foot and a half in front of home plate. Two innings down, Angels have yet to hit a ball two feet!

[TTown]

Mariners getting the screw job in the 3rd. Conger takes a blatant hack at strike 3 and Trumbo is thrown out at second, easy double play, right? Apparently not. Despite the obvious hack, the home plate umpire says Conger didn't swing; it was ball four instead, both runners are on. Next play, Trout reaches on a throwing error, Trumbo scores.

Unbelievably horrible call. Naturally, it costs us.

[TTown]

4-0 Angels in the 3rd. Suffice to say, they've gotten the ball beyond two feet this inning.

The throw'em out/strike'em out DP that wasn't really seemed to mess with Pineda's head. Screw you, baseball.

[sharkz]

Olivo and Ackley with back to back doubles, at least we get on the board. Still dont fancy our chances, even if its Pineiro on the mound instead of Haren or Weaver or whatever.

If we lose this one we are done, simple as that. But seriously what happened to Smoak.