Game Thread: Game 1 - ALWCS Seattle @ Toronto - Friday at 4pm ET - ESPN

[DHoey]

Santana and Suarez.....they need to hit for us to get through this series. You know the Jays are gonna score.

 

[cezero]

really hoping Castillo shuts them down today and the offense can do something. worried about tomorrow after reading about how the Jays are excellent at hitting the slider.

also, thanks for the amazing poems ulmax

 

[WizardHawk]

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot OVER !

What emergence are we talking about as of late ??

Here is Kelenic stats:

Past 7 games - 23 at bats 1 single base hit and his avg is a microscopic .043 over that 7 game span

Past 15 games - 53 at bats 9 base hits and his avg is .170 over that 15 game sampling period

His career MLB batting avg has hardly changed at all including his recent callup - it is still .168

What is Dipoto smoking ?

After Winker went down we are stuck with Kelenic as a playoff game starter.

He probably feels he can do m more to help his young struggling player by propping up his confidence. Help his mental game.

Do any of us expect Kelenic to win the game with his bat? No. But at least he doesn't have a noodle arm and can track down fly balls hit more than 10ft either side of him. We still don't want to see him entirely choking at the plate and hitting into multiple DP's or striking out looking at balls that get a good piece of the plate.

 

[WizardHawk]

Lineup looks like:

1. Julio
2. France
3. Suarez
4. Big Dumper
5. Haniger
6. Santana
7. Kelenic
8. Frazier
9. Crawford

Totally agree with moving Haniger to #5 - Having France and Haniger back to back after Julio was a recipe for alot of double plays.

I like the Big Dumper batting clean up, he drives the ball well and makes consistent contact vs a high strike out %

As I stated maybe in another thread: Our key to offensive success lies in Kelenic - Haniger and Santana. All the others we know what we expect to get and should get. Those 3 have to hit to above their past averages for us to succeed

I like that outside of France, all of the expected guys with any real HR pop are all in a row. Help reduce pitching around a HR hitter just to have another behind him, and hoping we can find some power with a couple of them hitting in the same inning.

Several of the typical rally killers are not in the lineup with Toro on the bench and Winker out. Bottom of the order doesn't excite me, but if any can just get on before it wraps back around to Julio it's a bonus.

I'm not expecting they get much off the starter today. They've been making average pitchers look like Cy Young guys lately. If they can get more than 1 run / 3 hits off this guy it will be amazing. So at least make him work up his pitch count and get your timing down for the key hits late in the game.

Hopefully this isn't some demoralizing 6-0 or 7-1 kind of game 1. They need an early hook if Castillo is off. I don't see them scoring more than 3 today.

 

[NWinAZ]

 

[DHoey]

That's wild.

 

[MarinersBestFan]

Well both early games were pitcher duels. Lets hope Castillo makes it 3 in a row.

My personal keys to the game:

1. Castillo holds them to 2 runs or less thru 7 innings
2. Bullpen preserves and holds them to 0 runs over 2 innings of relief
3. mariners scratch out 3 run for the win
4. Frazier and Crawford need at least 4 combined hits / walks between them as a pair. We have to have runners on base when the lineup turns over.
5. play error free in the field.
6. My key 3 guys are Santana - Haniger and Kelenic. No more than 4 strike outs total between those 3 guys.
7. Expect a big game from the Big Dumper ( couple rbi's )
8. Either Julio or Suarez goes yard. Solo shot

Servais has the entire pitching staff at his disposal. He needs to truly manage this game vs be a spectator like he usually appears.

Winning game 1 is a must.

GO MARINERS !!

 

[WizardHawk]

LFG

 

[WizardHawk]

Luckily I had already had this day as one of my vacation days so I get to be home to watch it all. I feel so bad for most of our fans suck at work.

 

[Msfann]

Go Mariners!

 

[WizardHawk]

Their fans are clapping when their pitcher nearly hit France after just hitting Jrod....

 

[Msfann]

If you have a problem with hitting people up and in on "accident" over and over its not an accident.

 

[WizardHawk]

DOUBLE FOR THE LEAD!!!!

 

[WizardHawk]

THE BIG DUMPER!!!!!!

HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!!!!

 

[megalodon30]

Cal Raleigh is so freaking good!!!

 

[WizardHawk]

Taking some of the biggest dumps in team history.

 

[WizardHawk]

Cal Raleigh is so freaking good!!!

And he's so damned young. He can only get better.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

So is the wild card now a 3 game series?

 

[WizardHawk]

So is the wild card now a 3 game series?

Yes, all 3 in Toronto

 

[WizardHawk]

WC round - best of 3, with all 3 in the same city, no travel.
Division round - best of 5 with normal home/away rotation
Rest are best of 7