BREAKING NEWS!!!

This just in...

Seattle Mariners SWEEP the San Diego Padres!!

First sweep of the season. Can you believe it? I know I sure can't. I know it is only the Padres, but STILL that is THREE wins in a row. I didn't think I would see this happen this season. I am almost speechless. It makes me want to do a jig, sort of like this...

Can they make it 4 in a row? My guess is no but then again who knows. Tune in tomorrow night to see. Blue Jays will be in town for 3 game set. Dickey will look to do what he did last time out as he takes the mound for the M's vs Roy Halladay for the Blue Jays. Halladay is the main reason I am not so sure we can pull out 4 in a row. The guy is good.

The Sexson/Vidro watch is on. If I was a betting woman I would say Richie has played his last game as a Mariner. We shall see. Stayed tuned folks, things could get interesting.

Seattle Mariners Game 81: Mariners 9 Padres 2

Beltre really loves playing the Padres. He went 7 for 14 with 8 RBI's and 1 HR. Love it. Beltre is hitting the ball so well right now he was able to hit a 2 run HR today from his knees while blowing a bubble with his bubble gum...


The Mariners as a whole hit the ball well today. 18 hits is always a good thing. Ichiro was unstoppable today going 5-5 . Ibanez was 2-4 with 2 RBI's and added in a nice sliding catch for good measure. Jeff Clement hit his second HR of the season with a solo shot in the 9th inning. Let's hope that this is another sign his bat is settling down and he will hit MLB pitching with a little more consistency. Betancourt was the only starter in the lineup to go hit less today. He was 0-5 with a strikeout and hit into a double play. Ouch, not a good day at the ballpark.I am still waiting for Erik Bedard to break out and have a 8 or 9 inning dominating start. We all know he is more than capable of being one of the best. I don't think he is 100% healthy and haven't since the season began. And all this trade talk surrounding him is just stupid in my opinion. For starters we gave up an awful lot to get him. That and pitching is what helps you win in this league, especially in the playoffs. Left handers as talented as Erik do not come along everyday and trading him will only come back to haunt this team for many years to come. It is my hope he ends up with a decent extension and is around to help this team going forward. Today was a better day for him on the mound. Only 5.2 innings but he did give the team a chance to win. He tired earlier than I think most would have liked but I really think that goes along with the whole not being healthy thing. We shall see how things play out going forward. For now I am happy he got the win.

Seattle Mariners Game 80: Mariners 4 Padres 2

I liked the Silva signing from the very beginning. I have always thought the money to be a little much but I stand by my opinion that I thought that this was a good signing. Silva is a workhorse that will generally give you 7 hard innings on any given night. To start the season Silva looked like a man on a mission to prove to everyone that he was worth every penny of the contract he had signed. He started the season at 3-0 giving up only 9 earned runs in his first 4 starts. But then something happened and it looked like the only thing Silva was trying to prove was how many donuts he could eat on any given day. Looking heavier than his normal heavy self Silva went on to lose 9 of his next 12 starts and. Going into this game he had not won a game since April 17th. In 7 of those starts he failed to make it past the 6th inning. NOT good times.

Tonight however the Carlos Silva that I advocated showed up. The Carlos Silva that I still think was a good signing regardless of the cost. I'm not paying him so why do I care what he is making. Tonight was more of the Silva I expect to see on a consistent basis regardless of how many donuts he ate that day. 7 innings pitched, 8 hits, 2 earned runs, ZERO walks. MUCH much better. Let us all hope THIS Silva takes the mound next time around and not the Fatty McButterpants who ate too many donuts for lunch.

I bet Adrian Beltre wishes we could play the Padres every night. So far in this series he is 5 for 9 with 5 RBI's. I have been waiting for Beltre to break out all season long. Maybe this is his time.

Seattle Mariners Game 79: Mariners 5 Padres 2

Kicking it old skool! How sweet were those jerseys? I bet Jarrod Washburn wishes we could wear those jerseys everyday. Washburn has been solid for his past 7 starts. But in all of those we had weak offense or the bullpen gave it up after he left the game. He was solid in this one. 7.2 innings, 7 hits, 2 earned runs. Good for him. Nice to see him finally get a win for all his hard work the last month.

Lets not even talk about the offense. Yes they scored 5 runs but they also managed to set a new franchise record by stranding EIGHTEEN runners on base. No that is not a typo. 18 runners left on base? Are you kidding me? If that isn't a sign of a team that has serious issues from the offensive side of the ball I don't know what is.

I really do love these uniforms.

Seattle Mariners Game 78: Mets 8 Mariners 2

Oh Miguel why must you hurt us so? 3 weeks in the bullpen clearly did you NO good cause you sucked just as bad in your first start back as you did before you were banished to the bullpen. You claim that it is because you aren't healthy. Well if this is true then why do you feel the need to allow them to trot you out there as if you are going to pitch well. I think this game proved more than ever that until you are healthy you should not be allowed to step foot on the pitching mound. 2.2 innings pitched, 5 hits, 8 runs, 4 earned runs, FIVE walks, 3 K's. FIVE walks in just over two innings of work? It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out your command is completely gone. Yet there you were, starting yet another game and digging a huge hole for your team and giving them virtually no chance. You said you were embarrassed and you should be.

Nothing else to say about this one. The offense wasn't there tonight. The bullpen shut things down after Batista was pulled but it didn't matter. This one was over long before the first pitch was thrown. This one was over the minute it was announced that Batista would be starting.

It is off to San Diego now for a weekend series before heading back home on Monday. It is my feeling that Richie Sexson and Jose Vidro will be playing their last games in Mariners uniforms over the weekend. I imagine one or both of them will be released once the team is back home in Seattle. Should be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Seattle Mariners Game 77: Mariners 11 Mets 0

R.A Dickey made a phone call to the only other pitcher in baseball who throws the knuckle ball. That pitcher was Tim Wakefield of the Boston Red Sox. Whatever Tim had to say it worked because Dickey threw one heck of a ball game. 7 innings pitched, 6 hits, 0 earned runs, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. He was outstanding. I hope he builds off this start and we can see more of this Dickey than the Dickey we have seen.

The offense certainly showed up for this game. Kenji Johjima and Ibanez both had HR's and even Richie Sexson had a 2 hit night with 3 RBI's.

Now if only our offense could find a way to do this consistently...

Seattle Mariners Game 76: Mariners 5 Mets 2

JOY

THEN PAINLet me paint a picture for you. You have two uber talented pitchers facing off against one another in one of the best pitching match ups of the season. One is a 2 time Cy Young award winner while the other is a Cy Young winner in the making. Both hail from Venezuela, one is 29 years old and the other is 22. Both are very likely to end up the Baseball Hall of Fame one day.

Let us skip to the top of the second inning. The Mariners have the bases loaded with 2 outs. The batter walking up to the plate is none other than Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez. His first at bat of the season is against perhaps the best pitcher in all of baseball, Johan Santana. I am pretty sure all Mariners fans had accepted the fact the top of the second inning was going to end with the bases being left loaded. Felix had other plans. The first pitch he saw he crushed to deep right center field for a GRAND SLAM!! FELIX! Are you kidding me? What are the chances? I am not even sure Felix looked at the ball as it was being thrown toward him. He just swung with all his might and probably was hoping it might sneak through for a single. In a season that has been a complete train wreck for the Mariners it is nice to see guys like Felix have success. It is nice to see him work so hard and be rewarded. Maybe this was the baseball God's way of patting him on the back and rewarding him for his hard work this season. Just how special was Felix's slam...

1. First grand slam by a pitcher in inter league history

2. First HR EVER by a Mariners pitcher

3. First time in 37 years an American league pitcher has hit a grand slam

Pretty impressive. When asked what his approach was going into his at bat he replied by saying “My approach? Just swing. I closed my eyes, I was happy and I was thinking that’s all I need — four runs.”Sadly his night didn't end with the joy it should have. In the 5th inning Felix went to the plate to cover a play and was run into and his ankle rolled. He tried to stay in the game but couldn't put pressure on his foot and they took him out of the game. Fortunately it was only a mild sprain and he isn't expected to miss any time, just have his next start pushed back a few days. PHEW! Regardless of how his night ended, he will never forget what he accomplished in the top of the second inning. I know I won't soon forget.

The bullpen did a great job of shutting the Mets down after Felix left the game giving up only 1 earned run. Thank goodness because it would have been a shame for us to lose this one after what Felix did. The guy is a fighter, he wanted to so badly to stay in this one. Glad the guys could pull together the win.

Mariners Season in a Nutshell

Seattle Mariners Game 75: Braves 8 Mariners 3

For the 9th straight time Carlos Silva got the loss. After starting the season 3-0 he has lost 9 straight decisions. Perhaps it is time for Carlos to figure out that giving up runs early in the game is not the way to help your team win games. 9 hits and 4 earned runs through only 4 innings of work. Not a good day on the hill.

As usual the the Mariners could not muster up any offense so I suppose it didn't really matter what the starting pitcher did or didn't do. We didn't put up our 3 runs till the 9th inning when it was much to late to try and salvage a win. The only positive in this game in my opinion was Jeff Clements 2 run HR in the 9th. Hopefully his is a sign his bat will come around and he will start hitting the way everyone knows he is capable of.

Seattle Mariners Game 74: Braves 5 Mariners 4

Washburn can't cut a break. Another good game for Washburn ruined because the bullpen couldn't hold a lead. And thanks to Batista for blowing the save in the 9th and getting the loss. Typical.

The offense was inept as usual. 2 of the 4 runs they did score came on errors by the Braves defense.

Another day in the life of a Mariners fan.

Seattle Mariners Game 73: Mariners 10 Braves 2

Bedard was cruising along the first 3 innings until he started having back spasms and had to leave the game. I was convinced once he came out out that we would lose. Whenever you have a pitcher throwing well and he leaves the game it seems the bullpen just gives it up. The bullpen proved me wrong and held the Braves to only 2 runs the rest of the way.

The offense showed up tonight. Well everyone except for Sexson and Clement. Sexson was 0-3 and Clement 0-5. Yikes. Jose Lopez continues his strong season going 3-5 with 2 doubles and 4 RBI's. Beltre also had a decent night going 2-4 with 3 RBI's. It is frustrating to watch this team hit well one night and know the next day they will probably go right back to their ways and swing at everything and anything and not score runs. But for this night we might as well enjoy it. Wins have been few this season, better savor them.

Will have to wait and see how much time if any Bedard will miss.

NHL Draft Wrap Up

With the first overall pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft the Tampa Bay Lightning select from the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey League, Steven Stamkos.

It is no surprise that the Tampa Bay Lightning made Steven Stamkos the first overall draft pick in this years NHL Entry Draft. Any hockey fan that has not been sleeping under a rock has known this for quite some time. The kid is going to be a star. He certainly has his work cut out for him to live up to the hype the first overall pick status brings a young hockey player. In the last 11 years the first round pick has gone on to become a star or star in the making all but 1 of those years.


1997 -Joe Thornton (Boston Bruins)
1998-Vincent Lecavlier (Tampa Bay Lightning)
1999-Patrik Stefan (Atlanta Thrashers)
2000-Rick DiPietro (New York Islanders)
2001-Ilya Kovalchuk (Atlanta Thrashers)
2002-Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets)
2003-Marc-Andre Fleury (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2004-Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals)
2005-Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
2006-Erik Johnson (St. Louis Blues)
2007-Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks)
2008-Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)

Patrik Stefan in 1999 was a total bust for Atlanta. He has never had more than 13 goals in a season. Not a good outcome for a forward picked first overall. Patrick Kane and Erik Johnson are still young and very early in their careers but all signs point to them having very successful and long NHL careers.

I imagine Stamkos will follow in the footsteps of those before him. He may never change the face of the game the way Sydney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin have but he certainly will leave his mark on this game. 20 or so years from now when he has retired I would bet he will have left a legacy like those great ones before him.

I was pretty happy with the Oilers picks. Because of the Penner signing to an offer sheet last year from the Ducks the Oilers didn't have a pick of their own till the 4th round. They did however hold Anaheim's first round pick (22nd overall) from the Chris Pronger trade. With their first pick the Oilers selected forward Jordan Eberle. I really liked this pick and was hoping this was the guy the Oilers would be able to grab all along. Eberle spent the past 2 seasons with the Regina Pats of the WHL Last year he had 42 goals and 33 assists in 70 games. Will be fun to see how he transitions to pro hockey and see what kind of impact he will have on the Oilers in the coming years.After Eberle the Oilers selected Swedish defenseman Johan Motin, F Philippe Cornet from the QJMHL, F Teemu Hartikainen from Finland and D Jordan Bendfeld from the WHL. Who knows if any of these guys aside from Eberle will ever crack the Oilers roster. Just have to wait and see how the develop.

Oh I nearly forgot to make mention of some big names that switched teams on draft day. Alex Tanguay was shipped to the Montreal Canadiens for a draft pic. Mike Cammaleri was shipped to the Calgary Flames in a three way trade with the Ducks. Panthers traded Captain Olli Jokinen to the Coyotes in what I thought was a really lopsided trade.

Is it hockey season yet? The Mariners season has been a total bust and has me wishing for fall and Oilers hockey and Seahawks football.

2008 NHL DRAFT

http://www.nhlentrydraft2008.com/

Time for a little break from baseball to talk hockey. The draft gets under way in less than an half hour and it could be an exciting weekend for all the hockey fans out there. I know I have been looking forward to tonight since the Stanley Cup Finals ended earlier this month.

All sort of rumors flying around about the Oilers and possible moves they may make this weekend as far as trades go and perhaps acquiring another pick or two. Should be a fun weekend. Oilers pick 22 overall in the 1st round, after that they don't pick again until the 4th round. The Avalanche don't pick until the 2nd round.

Moves around the league so far today:

Nashville trades G Chris Mason to St. Louis for a 4th round pick

St. Louis trades F Jamal Meyers to Toronto for 3rd round pick

Ray Emery waived by Ottawa Senators

Dan Cloutier waived by the Los Angeles Kings

more to come...

Grandpa John Out as Manager

John McLaren was fired yesterday. Riggleman will take over as the manager for the remainder of the season. More on this later because I definitely have something to say about it. What else is new? I always have something to say ;)

Seattle Mariners Game 72: Marlins 8 Mariners 3

Bad pitching in this one. Lack of ability to move runners over. Story of the season with this team. I am sick of seeing these guys have 2 on with 1 out and not being able to bring the guys home. Same thing everyday. Sometimes I wonder why I still watch.

Seattle Mariners Game 71: Mariners 5 Marlins 4

Felix has proved again why he is the true ace of this team and why he is a legitimate top of the rotation starter in baseball. The kid is just good. He has won his past 4 starts and his certainly done his part to stop losing streaks. If only the other 4 in the rotation could do that. Felix did end up giving up 4 in this one but he fought it out to keep his team in the game and give them the chance for the win. Lock this kid up for a long long time. He is something special.

Good night for Jose Lopez. He was 2-5 on the night with 2 RBI doubles. Jose has easily been our most consistent hitter all season long and I really hope he gets some all star consideration as a back up. I certainly think he deserves it.

Seattle Mariners Game 70: Marlins 6 Mariners 1

Gave up early runs, pitcher got tossed, offense couldn't score and of course at least 1 error. There are your highlights. Just another day in the life of a Mariners fan.

FINALLY....

...the biggest tumor of them all has been removed. Now they can focus on the treatments needed to remove any additional smaller tumors and begin to restore this organization to a healthy place that the players, fans and the city of Seattle can be proud of.

Of course I am talking about the long overdue firing of GM Bill Bavasi. Bill came into Seattle and day by day drove this organization so deep into the ground it has seemed at times like they will never get out of it. He has taken an organization and single handedly demolished it. Sadly he was allowed to do so for far too long. Let's just look at some of the moves Bill Bavasi made during his time as the Seattle GM...

Free agent signings:

** = good signing
names in bold = horrible signing

**Raul Ibanez** - for the most part this worked out well
Eddie Guardado
Scott Spiezio - HORRIBLE - eventually released
Rich Aurilia - HORRIBLE - eventually released
Mike Myers (minor league contract)
**George Sherrill** (minor league contract) EXCELLENT signing
Ron Villone
Richie Sexson - good signing but too big of a contract
**Adrian Beltre** - Beltre's defense makes him worth every penny IMO.
Pokey Reese - this may have been a joke...
Aaron Sele - another joke
**Yuniesky Betancourt** - still love this signing
Jorge Campillo - never gave the guy a chance, now pitches for the Braves
Carl Everett - HORRIBLE - later DFA'd
Matt Lawton - HORRIBLE - later DFA'd
**Jose Guillen** - GREAT signing but declined option for this season, terrible call
Miguel Batista - this was a good signing last year, this year its looking sketchy
Chris Reitsma - BOMB
Jeff Weaver - EPIC FAILURE
Rick White - *shakes head in disgust*
Carlos Silva - money a little much, but I like Silva in the middle of the rotation
Brad Wilkerson - FAILURE

Look how many names are in Bold letters. It is pathetic the judgement Bavasi showed over and over. His evaluation of ability was out of this world, and not in a good way. And yet over and over he was allowed to bring these guys in. And almost everyone of them failed in a huge way and were released before their contracts had barely begun.

Now for some classic Bavasi trades:

Dec. 15, 2003 -- Acquired outfielder Quinton McCracken from the Arizona Diamondbacks for infielder Greg Colbrunn and cash. *McCracken was DFA'd just 6 months later.*

Jan. 8, 2004 -- Acquired infielders Ramon Santiago and Juan Gonzalez from the Detroit Tigers for shortstop Carlos Guillen. *The Mariners gave up on a young Carlos Guillen because he liked to party. Instead of nurturing him and helping him become a better person on the field and allow him to grow into the player he is now on the field they threw him away. The basically gave him to the Tigers for free. Good move by the Tigers considering Carlos is now one of the best infielders in the American League. Boy he would look good for us a 1st base right about now wouldn't he?*

July 31, 2005 -- Acquired RHP Jesse Foppert and catcher Yorvit Torrealba from the San Francisco Giants for outfielder Randy Winn. *Torrealba traded to Colorado Rockies 6 months later for player to be named later. Foppert released following season. Randy Winn still plays for the Giants. *

March 20, 2006 -- Acquired outfielder Joe Borchard from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for LHP Matt Thornton. *Thornton is still pitching for the White Sox while Borchard was DFA'd just a month after the trade and then claimed off waivers by the Florida Marlins. He is currently in the Atlanta Braves organization.*

June 30, 2006 -- Acquired first baseman Eduardo Perez from the Cleveland Indians for infielder Asdrubal Cabrera. *Mariners decline option on Perez at end of season (who retired) while Cabrera although he has struggled offensively has a dynamic glove in the field and is young with a bright future.*

Aug. 19, 2006 -- Acquired RHP Andy Baldwin and RHP Andrew Barb from the Philadelphia Phillies for LHP Jamie Moyer. *Baldwin is in the Mariners minor league system right now not put up great numbers with Tacoma. Meanwhile Moyer is still trucking down in Philly. At 45 years old he is still an effective pitcher and you have to think he would be better at the back of our rotation than what we have. He never should have been traded, he should have retired a Mariner. *

Dec. 7, 2006 -- Acquired LHP Horacio Ramirez from the Atlanta Braves for RHP Rafael Soriano.
* This will go down as one of the worst trades during Bavasi's tenure with the Mariners. Soriano was a power throwing bullpen arm that we never should have parted with. If we needed to part with him his value was much higher than Horacio Ramirez. Ramirez was due to be released in the coming weeks by the Braves, yet Bavasi made the trade anyways. While Soriano has had health issues he is still a very talented pitcher. Ramirez on the other hand was a train wreck for the Mariners last season and was released before this season started. He is now in the Kansas City Royals organization. Soriano is now on the DL for the second time this season. But DL or not the Braves will continue to enjoy his services while laughing every time they think how they got him for Horacio Ramirez*

Dec. 18, 2006 -- Acquired infielder Jose Vidro and cash considerations from the Washington Nationals for outfielder Chris Snelling and RHP Emialiano Fruto. * This was a bad trade not for the people we gave up but for the very reason that we traded for Vidro with the intention of him being our DH. The DH position is supposed to be an advantage. It is supposed to be a power hitting position. Vidro has ZERO power and gives the M's no advantage. He is a career 300 hitter yes. And yes he had multiple all star caliber seasons as a second baseman. But he is NOT nor has he EVER been a power hitter. Bringing Vidro in as the everyday DH was a mistake. The DH is posistion is one of the biggest holes on the M's right now and we have Bavasi to thank for that.*
Feb. 8, 2008 -- Acquired LHP Erik Bedard from the Baltimore Orioles for outfielder Adam Jones, LHP George Sherrill, RHP Chris Tillman, RHP Kam Mickolio and LHP Tony Butler. *It is far too early to determine whether this trade was a good or bad one. Bavasi probably did give up a little too much for Bedard but the reality is if you have a chance to grab a talented left handed pitcher you do it. This team needed pitching and he went out and got it. It is not his fault Bedard has not performed to expectations yet. Sherrill is having an amazing season in Baltimore and Adam Jones still has the potential to become a great player but I do not believe that these 2 guys would make this team any better right now. The jury is still out on this one. Although I for one am glad we have Bedard. My decision on whether this trade is a failure or not will be when we do or don't sign Bedard to a multi year extension. *

The theme that you must notice in all of these trades aside from the Vidro and Bedard ones is that all the players we received in return are either not playing baseball at all anymore, on a different team or rotting away in our minor league system. While the players we traded are actually having success elsewhere. So from that view point we traded them all for nothing. ZERO. ZILCH. Randy Winn, Jamie Moyer, Matt Thornton, Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Guillen all for nothing.

In the offseason last year Bavasi should be credited for bringing in Silva and Bedard. You can say what you want about Silva being signed for too much or the Bedard trade being bad. That aside he still went out and got the 2 best pitchers available to him. His mistake was the offense. He fixed only one problem on this team. 1st base, RF, and DH needed to be fixed this offseason. The Mariners needed at least TWO bats to improve their offense and he went out and signed Wilkerson. We all know how that ended. Jose Guillen should have been resigned, he wanted to be here and he was a HUGE asset on this team on and off the field. But Bavasi let him walk. Bavasi went into this season banking on Richie Sexson returning to form and crushing 4o HR's and leading the offense all the way to the playoffs. Well, that didn't happen and there was no backup plan. He led us all to believe we were a contender and some of us were stupid enough to believe him.

Thank the Lord he is gone. He was a disgrace to this organization. My only hope is that whoever is hired in the offseason has a real vision for this team. A vision that will bring a chamionship to Seattle after all these years. A vision that will spend 117 million dollars wisely instead of throwing it at garbage like Jeff Weaver and Scott Spiezio.

Good riddance to you Mr. Bavasi!!

Seattle Mariners Game 69: Nationals 6 Mariners 2

Good outing by Washburn spoiled yet again by our piss poor offence.

Swept by the WASHINGTON NATIONALS. It just goes to show how low things have gone for the Mariners because the Nats are truly a BAD baseball team and they just took 3 in a row from us in our home stadium. This team has become the laughing stalk of baseball and all I can do is hope someone has the guts to do the right thing and make the right decisions and moves for this team.

Seattle Mariners Game 68: Nationals 5 Mariners 2

Bedard is apparently a robot and programmed to throw exactly 100 pitches and that is it. That makes me angry. I am still all for the Bedard trade, good pitching is hard to find. It is a little unfair to single him out when pretty much everyone else on this team sucks too. But willingly quitting after only 6 innings of work and not even being willing to go 1 more and throw 1o or 15 more pitches is just selfish to me. Hopefully that attitude will change in the coming weeks. He did only give up 2 earned runs and struck out 8 so I guess he deserves some praise.

Vidro and Beltre each had a solo HR in this one. Once again it was the only meager offense the Mariners could muster. Pathetic. I am so sick of watching us make rookies look like Cy Young. Is the concept of HITTING the ball really that tough? I mean these guys are getting paid more money than most of us will see in a lifetime to HIT A BALL and they aren't doing it.

Seattle Mariners Game 67: Nationals 7 Mariners 6

Dickey, say it ain't so!! 1.2 innings, 8 hits, 7earned runs. YIKES! That knuckle ball was doing everything but knuckling tonight. Oy!

As usual the M's got people on base (15 hits) but constantly left runners stranded in scoring position and only managed 6 runs which just wasn't enough to overcome the early 7 run hole Dickey put them in.

No positives in this one, I don't care how many runs we scored. The Nationals are the worst team in the National League and have been one of the bottom feeders in baseball for years. There are no positives when you lose to a team like that.

Putz on DL

Diagnosed with a "hyper-extended elbow that caused triceps tendon inflammation and an irritated ulnar nerve." Good news I suppose considering the alternative. I really hope JJ is ready to come back this time. I never fully believed he was when he was on the DL the first time around and really felt like they rushed him back because they were trying to spark something with this team. Hopefully now that the season is all but over for the Mariners on any competitive level they will let JJ take all the time he needs.

McLaren has said it will be "closer by committee." I think this is a BAD move. He needs to have people set in their defined roles. Guys need to know what they are coming to the ballpark preparing for every day. He did this the first time around and it blew up in his face and I am certain it will this time as well. The smart move would be to let Morrow close out the games for now.

JJ Putz

No word yet on what was causing JJ's sore elbow. I honestly would not be surprised if something shows up after he is looked at by team doctors back in Seattle tomorrow. JJ has not looked right for a long time. He has lost velocity on his fast ball, he has completely lost the strike zone. Something is wrong with him and I hope they can pin point just exactly what it is. The Mariners need a healthy JJ and they need the dominant closer that he was last year.

Seattle Mariners Game 66: Mariners 2 Toronto 1

Felix was outstanding last night. Had it not been for his calf acting up again he probably would have went the distance in this one. His final line on the night was 8 innings, 4 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk and 8 strikeouts. Felix has now won his last 3 starts giving up ZERO earned runs. His ERA now sits a 2.81.

Once again the Mariners couldn't muster much offense but they got it done when it mattered. Betancourt had a RBI in the 7th and Ibanez with one in the top of the 9th.

JJ came in in the 9th to try and close this one out. After walking the first batter (go figure). JJ then got ahead in the count 1-2 to Vernon Wells before he started shaking his arm in what was clearly some discomfort. McLaren immediately went out to the mound and removed JJ from the game. Brandon Morrow came in and sent Wells, Stairs and Overbay down in order to earn his first career save. I have a feeling whether JJ is injured or not that we will be seeing Morrow getting some chances to close games in the near future.

Today is an off day and the Mariners are back home to open up a 3 game set against the Nationals Friday night. They could really use this weekend as an opportunity to get some confidence. The Nationals are not a very good team.

Seattle Mariners Game 65: Toronto 3 Seattle 1

Carlos Silva was strong again in Toronto on Tuesday. He pitched 7 innings giving up only 3 earned runs. It didn't matter though, he could have had a complete game and we still would have lost. Once again the Mariners FAILED at scoring runs. No wonder this season has gone so terribly wrong. These guys managed only 5 hits in 9 full innings. The only run on the board for the M's was a solo HR in the 5th inning by Jeremy Reed.

I suppose the good news is that Felix pitched tomorrow and if we can managed to score 2 or 3 runs he will probably give us a legitimate chance to win this series.

Seattle Mariners Game 64: Mariners 3 Blue Jays 2

Washburn looked good in this one. That is not always something we can say about him after games, but he pitched well. 6 innings, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 3 walks and 4 strikeouts. For our 4 starter this is not a bad outing. He pitched well enough the entire time he was out there to give his team a chance to win. He left with a 2-1 lead but the bullpen gave up a run in the 7th to tie the game. Washburn ended up with the no decision.

Jose Vidro crushed a 2 run HR in the first inning to give them Mariners a quick 2-0 lead. That was all the offense they could muster though until the top of the 10th inning when Miguel Cairo bunted home the runner from 3rd with the bases loaded. Cairo had come into the game to pinch run for Sexson in the 9th inning and stayed in the game afterwards. The Mariners headed to the bottom of the 10th with a 1 run lead and closer JJ Putz heading into the game.

JJ got it done, but barely. First Vernon Wells lined a ball to right field which should have been an automatic out except for the fact that right fielder Wladimir Balentien dropped the ball. JJ then gave up a single to Rod Barajas and then walked Brad Wilkerson to load the bases with nobody out. YIKES! Perhaps JJ had a horseshoe up his butt because Lyle Overbay came to the plate next and grounded out to 1st basemen Miguel Cairo who promptly threw to home plate to get the lead runner and Johjima threw the ball back to Cairo to get Overbay at 1st. Excellent double play started by Cairo. JJ went on to walk the next batter to once again load the bases. YIKES! Once again the Blue Jays had the tying run 90 feet away. The way JJ was throwing the ball I really had no confidence he would get it done. But thank goodness he was able to get David Eckstein to fly out to end the game. JJ ended up with the win and Mariners started off on the right foot in Toronto.

Carlos Silva will take the mound in game 2 of this series. Carlos has struggled as of late but did pitch well in his last outing vs the Angels. Hopefully we can see more consistency from him.

Mariners Fire Pentland

I am not really sure why it took until June 9th for the first casualty of this coaching staff to fall. I kinda feel bad for Pentland. I mean what could he do really? Was he supposed to accompany each hitter to the plate in each at bat and hold their hands? I am not sure that with this many free swingers on one team that there is anyone out there that could change their approach. But when your players aren't hitting the batting coach should be the first to go. I wish Bavasi would fire himself. Or at the very least put his head back in the vice that started to squish it and allow it to finish the job. Lee Elia will take over for the time being.

Seriously does he not look like he got his head stuck in a vice? Speaking of Bavasi getting fired, he really should have been fired on this dreadful day in the off season last year.Ah, Jeff Weaver. Worst start by any pitcher in MLB history. And our man Bavasi signed him. Gotta LOVE it!!

Seattle Mariners Game 63: Boston 2 Seattle 1

First off let me say how freaking hot it was at this one. It was just gross. Temp was 98 but with the humidity felt much hotter. Thankfully our seats were covered so we didn't have the sun beating right down on us but it was still hot either way.

Bedard was good in this one aside from the 3rd inning in which he threw over 20 pitches. Not exactly a good strategy in the nearly 100 degree heat. Some could say Bedard got a raw deal from the ump with the count at 2-2 on Dustin Pedroia and 2 outs in the inning. Bedard threw what should have been a called strike 3 and the inning over, but instead it was called a ball. Of course the next pitch Bedard through was an actual ball and Pedroia walked prolonging the inning. Next up was Drew who was hit by a pitch and the tying run walked home from 3rd base. Bedard was at fault for hitting Drew but it never should have been allowed to happen had Pedroia been called out on strikes in the first place.

Bedard ended up going 5 innings giving up only the 1 run, 2 hits and struck out 5. You can say what you want that he should have went deeper in the game etc. But the reality is was so hot in that day that there were fans who had passed out from heat related reasons. I cannot imagine what it was like to have been on the field in full uniform. Also, for a guy who doesn't have a good track record at Fenway Park he did a good job keep the Red Sox quiet. Is it Bedards fault that our offense cannot score runs against a pitcher who was making only his 3rd career start and who was called up from double A ball? Not even Triple A, DOUBLE A and yet we made him look like a seasoned veteran.

Richie Sexson got totally robbed by JD Drew on what was a certain 2 run double if not a 3 run HR in the second inning. Sexson hammered a ball to right field and Drew made a spectacular running, lunging, jumping catch. ROBBERY!!

The boys are off to Toronto now for a 3 game set in good ole' Canada. Toronto has been struggling as of late so it would be nice for us to get a series win and gain some confidence.

Seattle Mariners Game 62: Boston 11 Seattle 3

Not really shocked we lost this one at all. First of all Batista was pitching against the Red Sox AT Fenway Park. There was really no hope for him in this one. Second, Wakefield was pitching for them. If you consider the fact we have a team full of guys who like to swing at the first pitch EVERY time it is a recipe for disaster against a knuckle ball pitcher like Wakefield. The key in my opinion is to be PATIENT with him, make him throw a lot of pitches. Not sure why NONE of the Mariners can figure this concept out. It's the knuckle ball folks, it is unpredictable and he is bound to throw lots and lots of balls out of the zone if you just let him. But instead we just flail away like little girls at their first ever t-ball game hoping to make contact with that little baseball for the very first time.

Who even cares how we got our runs. It was another day of flailing at balls out of the zone and not getting runners home from scoring position.

Next up is Bedard vs Masterson in a day game at Fenway. Chris and I will be at the game and the temperatures are going to soar, so it should be HOT HOT HOT!!

Seattle Mariners Game 61: Mariners 8 Red Sox 0

WOW! Is all I have to say. There have not been a lot of bright spots in this season for the Mariners but tonight was definitely one. Anytime you can take a game from the Red Sox is huge. They took 2 of 3 last week against the Sox at home and now have taken the 1st of this 3 game series here this weekend in Boston.

Fenway park is a tough place to play. The Sox had an 11 game home winning streak going into tonight's game. The Sox are a well coached team, they hit when it matters, their defence makes plays when it matters and their pitching shows up every night ready to play. They have great leadership and a clubhouse that is perhaps like none other in baseball. Bottom line, the Sox are a good team from top to bottom. There is no easy game against the Red Sox.

To be honest I expected us to lose tonight. Felix is a great pitcher, but I just didn't believe we could get the runs we needed to help his cause. Boy was I wrong. Felix pitched 6 strong shut out innings and the bullpen shut it down the rest of the way. We took advantage of errors by the Sox and we brought runners home from first and second. Funny how easy it is to win when all facets of the game are in working order. The Mariners biggest problem has been the inability to play as a team with any consistency. Tonight they played like a team and I sure hope we see more of it tomorrow.

Miguel Batista will take the mound tomorrow afternoon against knuckle ball pitcher Tim Wakefield. Last week in Seattle Batista pitched 7 strong innings against the Sox giving up only 2 earned runs in what was a 4-3 win for the M's. Wakefield also pitched in that series and he ended up being the loser in a pitchers dual between him and Erik Bedard. Wakefield went 8 innings giving up only 1 earned run in what was a 1-0 win for the Mariners. Should be an interesting weekend at the ball park.

We are currently the worst team in baseball and yet we are 3-1 against the World Champion Red Sox. Go figure!

Mariners Manager Blows Up After Another Loss

Johnny Mac finally tells it like it is. Good for him!

Seattle Mariners Game 60: Angels 5 Mariners 4

Yet again pitching gives up runs early and the offense never recovers. Silva gave up 3 in the 1st inning. He did go on to pitch strong the rest of the game but it doesn't make it okay. Our pitchers have got to stop putting us in the hole early.

Lopez hit another HR in this one. Good for him. He has been our most consistent player this entire season, nice to see him rebounding from a tough year last year in which he lost his brother in a motorcycle accident.

Will Tonight Be the Night?

Will it be the night that the most cherished trophy in all of sports is presented to Red Wings captain Nicklas Lidstrom? Will tonight be the night he becomes the first European captain to be presented with the cup? Will tonight be the night the Detroit Red Wings claim their 11th Stanley Cup? Will tonight be the night that the Red Wings players will one by one hoist the hallowed trophy above their heads? Will tonight be the night the dreams of the Pittsburgh Penguins and their fans will be finally put to rest?

Or will the Penguins find a way to force a game 7. Can they rise to the occasion and give themselves a shot to hoist Lord Stanley's cup themselves? Will they or won't they? Find out tonight at 8pm Eastern. If game 6 is anything like the wild ride game 5 was then we could be in for a fun night.

Let's Go Pens!!

Seattle Mariners Game 59: Angels 5 Mariners 4

Bedard sucked, the defense sucked and the offense sucked.Only bright spot was Dickey coming in in relief of Bedard and going 5+innings only giving up 3 hits and no runs.

Lopez hit another HR.

Seattle Mariners Game 58: Angels 4 Mariners 2

Blah blah blah. Another day, another loss.

Lopez did hit a HR so good for him.

Seattle Mariners Game 57: Tigers 7 Mariners 5

What is there to say? Tie game going into the 9th inning. Mariners bring in Mr "I use to be reliable" JJ Putz and what does he do? He goes ahead and gives up 4 hits and 4 earned runs to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead. How fitting really for a season that has long been in the crapper. The one guy we could always rely on has turned into one of our biggest weaknesses and it sucks.

Beltre had his 13th HR of the season in this one and Ibanez had his 8th HR of the season in the bottom of the 9th to make it a 7-5 game. That of course was the final score. If only JJ didn't suck so bad in this one.

ARGH!!

Seattle Mariners Game 56: Mariners 5 Tigers 0

The Mariners pitchers sure like to go with an all or nothing attitude don't they? Either they give up a crap load or they give up nothing. Felix through 7 innings of 2 hit ball tonight. Morrow and Putz took care of the rest.

Nice to see Jeremy Reed get his first HR of the season. Kenji Johjima had himself a good game going 2-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored. He also stole home plate. Good times.

Seattle Mariners Game 55: Tigers 7 Mariners 4

Silva blew any chance the Mariners in this one long before our offense even picked up a bat. Silva left this one in the first inning with only 2 outs after giving up 7 hits and 7 earned runs. Dickey came in and did a good job keeping the score at 7 the rest of the way, but the damage was already done. We never had a chance.Beltre had himself a good day though as he had 2 solo HR's. Might as well celebrate the individual milestones on this team because we sure aren't celebrating wins this year.

Seattle Mariners Game 54: Mariners 1 Red Sox 0

Yes you read that right. The Mariners won a series and against the Boston Red Sox no less.

Bedard was untouchable tonight. 7 innings, 2 hits. Morrow and Putz took care of the rest. The Mariners lone run tonight was on a solo shot by Yuniesky Betancourt.

There have not been a lot of bright spots in this season for the Mariners or their fans. But for me beating the Red Sox is always something to brag about.

Seattle Mariners Game 53: Mariners 4 Red Sox 3

Weird things happened in this one. Batista of all people shut the Red Sox down for 5 innings before giving up 3 runs in the 6th inning. His final line on the night was 7 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 3 walks and 2 k's. Not a bad night from your number 5 starter against a line up like the Red Sox.

What made this game even weirder was that going into the bottom of the 9th it was tied 3-3. Jose Lopez has a clutch 2 out single and brought home the winning run. First time all year the M's have had a walk off win. Might as well enjoy it, it could be the only one we see all year.

Seattle Mariners Game 52: Boston 5 Mariners 3

For 7 innings Felix was unhittable. They left him in just 1 inning too long. He gave up 4 earned runs in the the 8th inning to give the Red Sox a 5-1 lead. The M's got 2 back in the 9th inning but as usual it was too little too late.