Series of Aces: LAAA (6-6) @ Mariners (6-6)

bedir than average · April 10th, 2008, 05:48 PM

While this series won't make or break the season, it could definately be a long term influence. These three games in midApril, a bare ten games into the season, could determine the tie breakers late in the year, but more likely it will set each team with an attitude to ride for the rest of the season.

It also features some GREAT pitching matchups of the early year

Friday - Felix with his ZERO ERA, 3.00 FIP (10th in AL), and 7.16 BRAA faces Jered Weaver of the 2.03 ERA , 2.22 FIP (1st in AL), and 7.70 BRAA. Just two of the hottest and youngest pitchers in the American League. We will be watching these two battle for a few years. This is a relatively even match on the early season minimal evidence.

Saturday - This is the easy night. Casual Carlos Silva peddles his groundball inducing right hand against Jon Garland. This won't be a high K Ace fest. Silva has a 3.21 ERA, 4.27 FIP and 2.62 BRAA. New Angel Garland counters with a 5.54 ERA, 6.05 FIP and a -.93 BRAA. The Mariners have a distinct advantage this game.

Sunday - Again Aces to the hill. Bedard gets to take his homer friendly flat fastball to SafeCo which should help keep his relatively high 3.27 ERA, 7.38 FIP, -.02 BRAA. Those homers hurt the numbers that minimize defensive input. Joe Saunders is his opponent and Saunders is quite frankly HOT! 0.56 ERA, 3.45 FIP and 7.70 BRAA. He's throwing more grounders than usual with less liners and doing that through an effective Fastball Changeup pairing.

And both of these teams have to ride those Aces as their bullpens have just blown neither have have their Ace Closers

Mariners with a -1.45 WPA and -3.04 BRAA
Angels with a -0.37 WPA and -5.20 BRAA

In this Series of Aces don't look for either team's mediocre offense to determine the winner.

Jim Potable · April 11th, 2008, 11:31 PM

I don't know whether or not I want to see another game like today's. I like the Mariner win, of course, but this had just a little bit of too much of everything.

Felix finally gets a W in probably his "worst" start of the season. K-ing Vlad three times, priceless.

I like this new patient approach at the plate. (Not you Ichiro; you still looked impatient (a singles-hitting Vlad) -- cheers for the double anyway.) It works. Just 11 games in, are the batters trying something new?

Extend the inning... extend the inning...

RotatorCuff · April 12th, 2008, 11:17 AM

Well Jim I was at the game yesterday and it was probably one of the best I've been to because it did have everything.

Home runs, (a Safeco Field rarity) great defensive plays, bad defensive plays.

After watching the Angels last night I am now more than convinced that 88 to 90 wins will win the West.

The Mariners do have some serious holes in their lineup right now.

bedir than average · April 12th, 2008, 12:37 PM

With the offense clicking right now it is a great time to feast on a craptastic pitcher

Ms v Garland
Beltre - 12PA for .878 Ops
Ibanez - 52PA for 1.027 OPS
Lopez - 9 PA for 1.111OPS
Betancourt - 8 for .625
Sexson - 10 for .200
Ichiro - 34 for 864
Vidro - 10 for 1.350
Wilkerson - 21 for .918

Norton crushes him as well

Figgins (923) and Matthews (804) are the only Angels to do well against Silva. Seriously.

This could be a fun one.

Oh, and if you are going to the game you are already late. Traffic in Seattle will suck with the Dali Llama in town.

bedir than average · April 12th, 2008, 12:45 PM

Oakland 7-4 @ Cleveland
Texas 5-5 v Toronto

Jim Potable · April 13th, 2008, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Well Jim I was at the game yesterday and it was probably one of the best I've been to because it did have everything.

Home runs, (a Safeco Field rarity) great defensive plays, bad defensive plays.

That's what I'm talking about, Cuff. Not sure I can take much more of this coming from behind/nearly blowing it stuff anymore. I envy you all the same -- going to see games at the Safe.

All right. Let's sweep this series. Saunders v. Bedard, right? Go, M's.

bedir than average · April 13th, 2008, 09:01 AM

There's something about baseball

You get these immense lows from being swept by what you assume is a crap team, and then you get these great highs from taking it to the division favorite, and then you realize that there are 150 games left in the season.

RotatorCuff · April 13th, 2008, 10:09 AM

Hey bedir. Off topic. I am absolutely addicted to the Starbucks Green Tea Latte without the melon syrup. My Ichiro Starbucks card has been taking a beating.

I sure wish I would have bought more than one of those and just put it away.

Everytime I pull that card out at a Starbucks I get a reaction to it because not many people in Canada got one.

Extremely cool card.

bedir than average · April 13th, 2008, 10:16 AM

Angels v Bedard
Overall they put up a measely 615 ops against Bedard
Figgins and Matthews suck
Guerrero (1.302) and Hunter (1.307) are their bats to ride
Let's see if Erik can get that fastball to have some movement and keep it down today. I don't need to see that flat, slower, high one that has Bedard with the early season homer issues.

Mariners v Saunders
Overall pretty dang good but in very limited experience. .792 OPS overall.
Ibanez and Beltre have him the best, but no one has 10PAs

Around the AL West Mariners2GB
Oakland (8-4) @ Cleveland (4-7)
Texas (4-5) v Toronto (6-5)
GB in Wild Card for Mariner = .5

Timberwolf · April 13th, 2008, 03:59 PM

Oh well, as Meatloaf says, two out of three ain't bad. Sure have to wonder what the hell O'Flaherty is still doing here. He has been flat out awful every time he touches the ball. Is he out of options?

April 10th, 2008, 05:48 PM	#1 (permalink)
bedir than average Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,258	Series of Aces: LAAA (6-6) @ Mariners (6-6) While this series won't make or break the season, it could definately be a long term influence. These three games in midApril, a bare ten games into the season, could determine the tie breakers late in the year, but more likely it will set each team with an attitude to ride for the rest of the season. It also features some GREAT pitching matchups of the early year Friday - Felix with his ZERO ERA, 3.00 FIP (10th in AL), and 7.16 BRAA faces Jered Weaver of the 2.03 ERA , 2.22 FIP (1st in AL), and 7.70 BRAA. Just two of the hottest and youngest pitchers in the American League. We will be watching these two battle for a few years. This is a relatively even match on the early season minimal evidence. Saturday - This is the easy night. Casual Carlos Silva peddles his groundball inducing right hand against Jon Garland. This won't be a high K Ace fest. Silva has a 3.21 ERA, 4.27 FIP and 2.62 BRAA. New Angel Garland counters with a 5.54 ERA, 6.05 FIP and a -.93 BRAA. The Mariners have a distinct advantage this game. Sunday - Again Aces to the hill. Bedard gets to take his homer friendly flat fastball to SafeCo which should help keep his relatively high 3.27 ERA, 7.38 FIP, -.02 BRAA. Those homers hurt the numbers that minimize defensive input. Joe Saunders is his opponent and Saunders is quite frankly HOT! 0.56 ERA, 3.45 FIP and 7.70 BRAA. He's throwing more grounders than usual with less liners and doing that through an effective Fastball Changeup pairing. And both of these teams have to ride those Aces as their bullpens have just blown neither have have their Ace Closers Mariners with a -1.45 WPA and -3.04 BRAA Angels with a -0.37 WPA and -5.20 BRAA In this Series of Aces don't look for either team's mediocre offense to determine the winner. __________________ I'm sorry I left for a while. I needed a vaction, and then work changed substantially. I'm over 50 hour weeks, plus two hours a day of commuting time. A few weeks ago I launched my own blog about Seattle Sounders FC and Life in Puget Sound. I won't be by these parts often as my focus has changed. Sorry about the unannounced retirement.

April 12th, 2008, 12:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
bedir than average Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,258	Game Two With the offense clicking right now it is a great time to feast on a craptastic pitcher Ms v Garland Beltre - 12PA for .878 Ops Ibanez - 52PA for 1.027 OPS Lopez - 9 PA for 1.111OPS Betancourt - 8 for .625 Sexson - 10 for .200 Ichiro - 34 for 864 Vidro - 10 for 1.350 Wilkerson - 21 for .918 Norton crushes him as well Figgins (923) and Matthews (804) are the only Angels to do well against Silva. Seriously. This could be a fun one. Oh, and if you are going to the game you are already late. Traffic in Seattle will suck with the Dali Llama in town. __________________ I'm sorry I left for a while. I needed a vaction, and then work changed substantially. I'm over 50 hour weeks, plus two hours a day of commuting time. A few weeks ago I launched my own blog about Seattle Sounders FC and Life in Puget Sound. I won't be by these parts often as my focus has changed. Sorry about the unannounced retirement.

April 12th, 2008, 12:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
bedir than average Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,258	The AL West Oakland 7-4 @ Cleveland Texas 5-5 v Toronto __________________ I'm sorry I left for a while. I needed a vaction, and then work changed substantially. I'm over 50 hour weeks, plus two hours a day of commuting time. A few weeks ago I launched my own blog about Seattle Sounders FC and Life in Puget Sound. I won't be by these parts often as my focus has changed. Sorry about the unannounced retirement.

April 13th, 2008, 09:01 AM	#7 (permalink)
bedir than average Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,258	There's something about baseball You get these immense lows from being swept by what you assume is a crap team, and then you get these great highs from taking it to the division favorite, and then you realize that there are 150 games left in the season. __________________ I'm sorry I left for a while. I needed a vaction, and then work changed substantially. I'm over 50 hour weeks, plus two hours a day of commuting time. A few weeks ago I launched my own blog about Seattle Sounders FC and Life in Puget Sound. I won't be by these parts often as my focus has changed. Sorry about the unannounced retirement.

April 13th, 2008, 10:16 AM	#9 (permalink)
bedir than average Hall of Famer Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Starbucks Posts: 8,258	Game Three: Aces Return Angels v Bedard Overall they put up a measely 615 ops against Bedard Figgins and Matthews suck Guerrero (1.302) and Hunter (1.307) are their bats to ride Let's see if Erik can get that fastball to have some movement and keep it down today. I don't need to see that flat, slower, high one that has Bedard with the early season homer issues. Mariners v Saunders Overall pretty dang good but in very limited experience. .792 OPS overall. Ibanez and Beltre have him the best, but no one has 10PAs Around the AL West Mariners2GB Oakland (8-4) @ Cleveland (4-7) Texas (4-5) v Toronto (6-5) GB in Wild Card for Mariner = .5 __________________ I'm sorry I left for a while. I needed a vaction, and then work changed substantially. I'm over 50 hour weeks, plus two hours a day of commuting time. A few weeks ago I launched my own blog about Seattle Sounders FC and Life in Puget Sound. I won't be by these parts often as my focus has changed. Sorry about the unannounced retirement.

April 11th, 2008, 11:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jim Potable Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Aichi, Japan Posts: 205	I don't know whether or not I want to see another game like today's. I like the Mariner win, of course, but this had just a little bit of too much of everything. Felix finally gets a W in probably his "worst" start of the season. K-ing Vlad three times, priceless. I like this new patient approach at the plate. (Not you Ichiro; you still looked impatient (a singles-hitting Vlad) -- cheers for the double anyway.) It works. Just 11 games in, are the batters trying something new? Extend the inning... extend the inning...

April 12th, 2008, 11:17 AM	#3 (permalink)
RotatorCuff Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 257	Well Jim I was at the game yesterday and it was probably one of the best I've been to because it did have everything. Home runs, (a Safeco Field rarity) great defensive plays, bad defensive plays. After watching the Angels last night I am now more than convinced that 88 to 90 wins will win the West. The Mariners do have some serious holes in their lineup right now.

April 13th, 2008, 10:09 AM	#8 (permalink)
RotatorCuff Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 257	Hey bedir. Off topic. I am absolutely addicted to the Starbucks Green Tea Latte without the melon syrup. My Ichiro Starbucks card has been taking a beating. I sure wish I would have bought more than one of those and just put it away. Everytime I pull that card out at a Starbucks I get a reaction to it because not many people in Canada got one. Extremely cool card.

April 13th, 2008, 03:59 PM	#10 (permalink)
Timberwolf Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bellevue, WA Posts: 1,855	Oh well, as Meatloaf says, two out of three ain't bad. Sure have to wonder what the hell O'Flaherty is still doing here. He has been flat out awful every time he touches the ball. Is he out of options?