M's playing decent
It's easy to look at the M's record lately and think they are really playing bad baseball. But in reality, the M's are playing good teams and for the most part matching them, but can't seem to either 1) Catch a break 2) Stop making idiotic mistakes.
The M's could just as easily be on a 4 game winning streak right now. Both games in Toronto were there for the taking, and the M's just got to see Pay-Rod have one of his worst games in a baseball uniform. Pretty strong starting pitching, and outstanding bullpen work yet again. Normally that doesn't lead to long losing streaks.
But the lack of timely hitting and stupid mistakes are killing this team.
Consider Bloomquist last night. Hargrove has him batting second in the order, despite his terrible numbers this year.
1) He gets a single (big suprise) with 2 outs and the M's needing runs badly
2) Beltre hits a ball sharply to A-Rod, who proceeds to bobble the ball. Bloomquist, for some odd reason, feels he can run from 1st-3rd on a ball hit to the 3rd basemen??? While Beltre is safe, Bloomquist kills the inning with stupid baserunning when Jeter easily runs him down.
Now we could point out that Bloomquist in the next inning drops an easy ball that could have led to even more runs, but the point isn't to pile on the blame on Bloomquist. The problems from last night, which are typical for this team-
Exhibit A- Bloomquist batting second in the lineup
Exhibit B- Bad baserunning errors
It's hard to know if the M's might have had a different result if the manager didn't put them in such a difficult position. Was Bloomquist's crazy baserunning a result of a player trying to get more playing time and getting too eager, or is it a result of a manager who preaches giving up outs to the other team?
We have no way of knowing really, but the point is you can't give up outs to teams like Toronto or NY and win many games. The Mariners in general are playing decent, but having auto-outs like Everett in the lineup, playing Bloomquist too often etc... is just enough to mean the difference between .500 baseball and losing 8 of ten.
I don't feel Hargrove is going anywhere this year, but I find it hard to believe Bavasi doesn't notice the same thing.
It's easy to look at the M's record lately and think they are really playing bad baseball. But in reality, the M's are playing good teams and for the most part matching them, but can't seem to either 1) Catch a break 2) Stop making idiotic mistakes.
The M's could just as easily be on a 4 game winning streak right now. Both games in Toronto were there for the taking, and the M's just got to see Pay-Rod have one of his worst games in a baseball uniform. Pretty strong starting pitching, and outstanding bullpen work yet again. Normally that doesn't lead to long losing streaks.
But the lack of timely hitting and stupid mistakes are killing this team.
Consider Bloomquist last night. Hargrove has him batting second in the order, despite his terrible numbers this year.
1) He gets a single (big suprise) with 2 outs and the M's needing runs badly
2) Beltre hits a ball sharply to A-Rod, who proceeds to bobble the ball. Bloomquist, for some odd reason, feels he can run from 1st-3rd on a ball hit to the 3rd basemen??? While Beltre is safe, Bloomquist kills the inning with stupid baserunning when Jeter easily runs him down.
Now we could point out that Bloomquist in the next inning drops an easy ball that could have led to even more runs, but the point isn't to pile on the blame on Bloomquist. The problems from last night, which are typical for this team-
Exhibit A- Bloomquist batting second in the lineup
Exhibit B- Bad baserunning errors
It's hard to know if the M's might have had a different result if the manager didn't put them in such a difficult position. Was Bloomquist's crazy baserunning a result of a player trying to get more playing time and getting too eager, or is it a result of a manager who preaches giving up outs to the other team?
We have no way of knowing really, but the point is you can't give up outs to teams like Toronto or NY and win many games. The Mariners in general are playing decent, but having auto-outs like Everett in the lineup, playing Bloomquist too often etc... is just enough to mean the difference between .500 baseball and losing 8 of ten.
I don't feel Hargrove is going anywhere this year, but I find it hard to believe Bavasi doesn't notice the same thing.
posted by Tom at
10:00 AM
