Series Thread: A's @ M's, May 23-25

[Cloud]

So glad I hung in there! Don't wanna tune these guys out in a close game!! That was just fking epic.

BTW, just absolutely putrid pitch selections by Madson... He threw Martin 4 fking changeups. you throw anyone 4 straight pitch of the same kind to a major league hitter and it's going to get creamed.

 

[dude82]

You guys haven't put that asshat on ignore yet?!

I've put a few people on ignore over the years. Unfortunately, having one person in particular on my ignore list has caused me to have to search for series threads because that person is the only one making them. That's why I posted a series thread last week when there already was one posted. I literally didn't see it.

 

[cezero]

Kuma against a guy making his first big league start tomorrow.

Will be interesting.

 

[dude82]

So glad I hung in there! Don't wanna tune these guys out in a close game!! That was just fking epic.

BTW, just absolutely putrid pitch selections by Madson... He threw Martin 4 fking changeups. you throw anyone 4 straight pitch of the same kind to a major league hitter and it's going to get creamed.

Especially when one of them is down the middle.

 

[JMR]

Martin has been really hot in the lead-off role. Obviously saved our bacon last night; losing AGAIN at home to the As would have been ridiculous....

Karns has good stuff but looks like only a 5 inning guy so far. That 3rd time through the order is not something he's quite figured out yet. Not bad at all for a 5th starter though.

Need a good outing from Kuma tonight. Still plenty of time to make this a strong homestand. Or a bad one.

 

[Anointed One]

Karns has good stuff but looks like only a 5 inning guy so far. That 3rd time through the order is not something he's quite figured out yet. Not bad at all for a 5th starter though.

Yes... Great point... I was discussing this with a co-worker the other day... Can't ask for a better #5 starter on a team... He does his job each and every outing... But it does seem like guys' tend to figure him out once they come thru the order for the third time... Just think if Jack Z was still here... Paxton would've been our #5 and not Karns... We'd have a few more losses because of that imo...

Need a good outing from Kuma tonight. Still plenty of time to make this a strong homestand. Or a bad one.

Out of all our SP's, he's the one that has me the most concerned... His best is obviously behind him... If he can go 6 and give up no more than 3 runs - i'd be happy, happy, happy...

 

[JMR]

Yes... Great point... I was discussing this with a co-worker the other day... Can't ask for a better #5 starter on a team... He does his job each and every outing... But it does seem like guys' tend to figure him out once they come thru the order for the third time... Just think if Jack Z was still here... Paxton would've been our #5 and not Karns... We'd have a few more losses because of that imo...

If we make the playoffs, I think Karns would be a good setup guy or middle reliever. His best 2 or 3 innings is about as good as we have.

Out of all our SP's, he's the one that has me the most concerned... His best is obviously behind him... If he can go 6 and give up no more than 3 runs - i'd be happy, happy, happy...

He hasn't been as sharp, just hoping he can keep us in the game long enough to give the O a chance to do some damage. I think Oakland used like 7 pitchers last night, so the pen could be vulnerable tonight.

 

[unlvmariners]

Martin has been really hot in the lead-off role. Obviously saved our bacon last night; losing AGAIN at home to the As would have been ridiculous....

Karns has good stuff but looks like only a 5 inning guy so far. That 3rd time through the order is not something he's quite figured out yet. Not bad at all for a 5th starter though.

Need a good outing from Kuma tonight. Still plenty of time to make this a strong homestand. Or a bad one.

I think you are right, its not that his "stuff" gets less effective because of action, velocity or location but I think he falls into a fairly predictable pattern. And I think Walker does the same thing to an extent. They fall in love with pitches and tend go away from pitches that can keep guys guessing, they fall in "love" with the pitch that got them through the first few times through the batting order

 

[JMR]

I think you are right, its not that his "stuff" gets less effective because of action, velocity or location but I think he falls into a fairly predictable pattern. And I think Walker does the same thing to an extent. They fall in love with pitches and tend go away from pitches that can keep guys guessing, they fall in "love" with the pitch that got them through the first few times through the batting order

I think Walker will get there. Makes me appreciate what Felix does that much more.

 

[unlvmariners]

I think Walker will get there. Makes me appreciate what Felix does that much more.

I think Walker will too. Truth be told Karns will get there too (one of the reasons I liked that trade so much). Walker has more experience as a SP than Karns does, as crazy as that sounds its true.

If you think back to the first few full seasons of Felix he had his ups and downs too.. These guys are learning

 

[megalodon30]

Awesome finish last night. Was dreading that ninth. Martin with a couple pathetic swings at changeups below the knees. Then Madson hangs one. And Martin crushes one. Fantastic.

Going tonight against a guy making his second major league appearance and first start. Cano and Cruz should be licking their lips for tonight's game. Should be a fun one.

 

[NWinAZ]

I think you are right, its not that his "stuff" gets less effective because of action, velocity or location but I think he falls into a fairly predictable pattern. And I think Walker does the same thing to an extent. They fall in love with pitches and tend go away from pitches that can keep guys guessing, they fall in "love" with the pitch that got them through the first few times through the batting order

Mt perspective on Karns is this; Very good stuff, but tries to get cute when putting batters away causing his pitch count to raise only allowing him to go 5+ in games. The home run he gave up to tie the score was a perfect example in my book. Had two strikes and kept throwing curves until he hung one. The guy throws 95 mph! Put one on the outside corner there and make the batter earn it.

 

[Destroydacre]

Had a headache last night so I ended up crashing when it was 2-1. Very surprised to see the 6-5 final, but even more surprising to see how the M's won it. A lot of the problems that plagued this team in the past still persist, but there is something different about this team. For the last decade you could look at about just any Mariners team and pick out probably a dozen games or so over the course of the year that they should have won but didn't, but there were very few games that you could say they won that they should have lost. This team, however, has pulled out a few wins already that they would not have gotten in years past. They are fun to watch, for the most part anyway. I hope they keep this thing going.

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[PolarVortex]

I kept rewinding Martin's homerun and watching it over and over. Buhner was going ape shit. Blowers immediate reaction as soon as Martin made contact was, "He got it". Even Sims was somewhat tolerable. This team is starting to remind of the second half of 1995 when there was seemingly a different hero every night.

Seven days ago Martin had 5 homeruns, was hitting .203 and had an OPS of .630. Now he has 9 homeruns, .257 BA and .830 OPS. The kid has had a helluva week. Probably has something to do with me bashing him in a conversation with JMR last week. My anti-jinx always seems to work....except on Adam Lind.

 

[Podunkparte]

Comeback player of the year: Leonys Martin

Go away player of the year: Adam Lind

 

[Podunkparte]

Taylor sent down, Sardinas recalled to play SS


Anyone else shocked?

 

[PolarVortex]

Taylor sent down, Sardinas recalled to play SS


Anyone else shocked?

I thought they would keep him around to showcase him against awful Twin and Padre teams, but maybe those teams don't need utility middle infielders that suck.

 

[unlvmariners]

I thought they would keep him around to showcase him against awful Twin and Padre teams, but maybe those teams don't need utility middle infielders that suck.

I thought they would too but it makes sense Sardinas hit well in Tacoma, hope he can continue that in the show.