Seattle Mariners (2021 Daily Playthrough)

[pauwoo]

When you find yourself alone, left to your own devices, in the great state of Texas, in August when it’s too hot to go on a walk to clear your head, I recommend drinking yourself into a stupor, scaring all the families frequenting the hotel pool away on the threat of a hellacious cannonball, and waking up in the atrium with no idea how you ended up there or why you’re not wearing any pants. Wait… actually, I don’t really recommend it, but, what I will say is, after waking up in a complete stupor it was at least a few hours before I got my wits about me enough to dwell on our current predicament.

121 of 162: Marco Gonzales (14-5, 2.62) @ Mike Foltynewicz (2-14, 6.08)
Win, 7-3. Jarred Kelenic, in all his youthful exuberance, would wake us from our offensive slumber with a 2-run TRUCK during the top of what would be a 4-run 1st frame, and we’d not look back from there as we poured on a few more courtesy of a couple Taylor Trammell JACKS. Marco stayed stout, putting in 7-innings of 5-hit, 2-run ball, and Kikuchi/Hernandez held it down for the staff in relief… not much more to parse out here, so we’ll focus instead on acting like we’ve been here before, like getting this dominant win is no big thing, and like that 4-game skid proceeding this win was just an aberration along the way as we quest for immortality.


Elsewhere: New York’s Jacob deGrom entered a complete-game, 2-hit shutout with 10 K’s into the permanent record during a 6-0 win over the San Francisco Giants in the Bay Area, serving as some small measure of revenge for the East Coast club after taking the L on the road yesterday. Also, Elias Diaz, of the Colorado Rockies, hit a GRAND SLAM against San Diego to lead the charge for his club during their 12-5 win.

Record: 83-38, .685, 1st AL West
Up Next: One more to settle this thing before making the quick hop to Houston for a few against those guys…

[pauwoo]

122 of 162: Jon Duplantier (9-3, 2.63) @ Kohei Arihara (6-11, 7.53)
Win, 15-13. In what can only be described as a raucous run-scoring melee of mythic proportions, we’d escape with a win in extras by the skin of our teeth. The game featured 7 dingers, 2 of which were ours – including the game-winner from Dylan Moore during the top of the 10th – and saw us reach TWENTY hits on the day in what has to be a regular-season record for our club (it is – previous record, according to the internet, is 15 from waaay back in 1991 against the Brewers). Trammell – 3 for 6, 4 RBI – and K-Lew – 4 for 5, 2 RBI – were clutch cargo, the club secured 3 doubles and a triple to go along with our two jacks, Fletcher swiped a bag, and the offense, a recently awakened giant, managed to get it done for us here even though the Inspector could only muster 3-innings of work and the rest of the pen didn’t far much better… we used them all, folks, 8 arms made that walk today.

Elsewhere: There is no elsewhere when our game featured a total of 31 hits, 28 runs, and 7 TRUCKS… so, let’s highlight one of the bad guys, Khris Davis, who went 2 for 4 with 2 DINGERS, 6 RIBLETS, 3 RUNS, and a FREE PASS, to lead his club to extras, while our own David Fletcher put it down something fierce with a 4 for 6 day that included a two-bagger, a jack, 5 RBI, and 4 runs. Good times.

Record: 84-38, .688, 1st AL West
Up Next: We continue our jaunt through the Lonestar State with a trip to Houston where we hope this very recent run of tip-top offensive form continues…

[pauwoo]

Seattle Mariners (84-38, .688, 1st AL West) @ Houston Astros (60-61, .496, 4th AL West)
Depending on your perspective, Houston has been something of a low-key disappointment so far this season. They’ve not fallen far off the line the preseason punditry had them holding pegged for 3rd in the AL West & to finish a few games above .500 – it’s just that, after such a long stretch of tip-top results, they’re a club most believe would make the moves required to rise above their preseason station. Nothing doing though as they mostly stayed put… the offense still rakes, 2nd in runs scored, OBP, and OPS, but the pitching and defense has been in shambles for much of this campaign, is in the rear with the gear, and ranked a sub-par 10th in runs against and FIP, and 14th in bullpen ERA. At this point, they just aren’t who they used to be – no longer a juggernaut leaving less fortunate clubs strewn about in their wake, these Astros operate 23 ½ games off the pace, have dropped 4 of 5 series so far in August, and don’t have the look of a club that should give us much trouble, in Houston, elsewhere, or anywhere really.

123 of 162: Matt Manning (7-3, 2.78) @ Jake Odorizzi (9-6, 4.91)
Win, 8-7. We’d manage to eke this one out as Houston, in live dog mode, found a way to keep the pace for most of this contest, giving us fits in the 6th & 7th where they’d pour on 5 runs, and nearly stole it during the bottom of the 9th until a perfectly executed Wong-Dalbec, yo-yo double play shut it down. We’d register three doubles (Moore, Hedges, K-Lew), two jacks (Dalbec, Kelenic), a SAC FLY (Haniger), and HBP (Wong wore one) offensively while Aaron Fletcher & Andres Munoz held it down in relief after Manning left with 6 runs charged to his account in as many innings of work. This wasn’t some dominant win, a game of pick-up basketball where we’d big brother our younger siblings in the paint, but we got it done and that’ll be good enough… for now.


Elsewhere: Juan Soto, repping the District, went 3 for 4 with TWO DINGERS, FOUR RBI, and TWO RUNS during a 5-10 loss against the Milwaukee Brewers. He was the whole show for the Nationals here… leading the way into the darkness with nothing but his chutzpah and the light from his iPhone. Unfortunately, for him, Nationals fans, and anyone who has a strong dislike of the Milwaukee Brewers, none of his teammates had the wherewithal to follow their 22-year-old offensive leader unto the breach.

Record: 85-38, .691, 1st AL West
Up Next: Still in Houston, where will be for a couple more days before travelling to Oakland, playing some baseball, looking for some good eats, and trying to keep our dress shirts looking crisp despite the humidity.

[pauwoo]

124 of 162: Matthew Boyd (12-8, 3.85) @ Framber Valdez (0-0, 0.00)
Loss, 10-5. A reversal of fortune here as Houston set the pace, we were unable to match it, and really just fell apart after they hung 6 on us during the bottom of the 5th. Kelenic was our offensive leader, he went 3 for 4 with a 3-run DING DONG and a free pass, while Boyd was battered from soup to nuts during a 4-inning, 8-hit, 6 earned effort that sees his ERA balloon up to an unappealing 4.08. Double for Haniger, who came up lame in the 7th (we’ll see about that a bit later), the aforementioned jack for Kelenic, and a swiped bag for Dylan Moore would round out our highlights, and, now, with nothing else to do, we’ll head off into the night, try to parse out what happened here, and get back after it tomorrow in the rubber match.

Some bad news on the injury front – Mitch Haniger, who left early tonight with discomfort in his foot, has been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and will be out for ~3 weeks. He’ll be placed on the IL and Big Baby Joc Pederson will return to the fold from his rehab assignment in Tacoma. Fortunately, the Rainiers were off today, so putting him on a plane to Houston was easy enough. Hope he remembered to bring his toothbrush.


Elsewhere: Garrett Crochet, of the Chicago White Sox, laid down a 7.2 innings, 1-hit lock down performance against the Tampa Bay Rays and fanned 6 hapless hitters during his clubs hard-fought, 2-0 win in Florida. With the win, Garrett improves to 12-0 on the year, appearing in 41 games for the White Sox so far, and starting 7 of them. The 22-year-old is looking like the real deal so far…

Record: 85-39, .685, 1st AL West
Up Next: Another one in Houston, the rubber match if you will, followed by the not-so-quick hope to the Bay Area… Best Coast, USA.

[pauwoo]

We’ll be back in Houston again, in a little under three weeks, I think… but, even still, we’d like to grab a win in this set just to make sure that these brigands understand that there is a new Sheriff’s Deputy in town and we ain’t gon’ take no guff off a bunch of trash can banging, cheating cheaters.

125 of 162: Logan Gilbert (9-3, 3.29) @ Zach Greinke (6-13, 4.70)
Win, 6-1. Zach Greinke strikes me as a Pixies fan – not the Debaser/Wave of Mutilation/Where Is My Mind type, but more of a deep cuts guy, the type that listens to, and somehow enjoys, the Bossanova LP – here, like that album, he was repetitive, lyrically trite, and formulaic. We’d take advantage of his complacency… we chased him out with a 4-run top of the 6th, putting us up by the final tally, and not look back from there. TnT drove one in, scored twice, and drew a couple of free passes, Fletcher finished 2 for 4 with a run-scoring double, and Joc managed to secure a hit in his first game back in the bigs from injury. Gilbert left early, after 3.1 innings of 5-hit ball, not sure as to the severity of his injury, but the Kikuchi-Montero-Graveman triumvirate held sway the rest of the way and brought this one home for us.


Elsewhere: Atlanta’s Dansby Swanson went 2 for 4 with a triple, a jack, 5 RBI, and 3 runs during the Braves’ rip-roaring 14-10 win on the road in Baltimore. A solid day during what has been a solid season for the young man… he’s hitting .284/.355/.451 with 14 dingers and 77 RBI on the year, playing a solid SS for the club, and trending to 4.0 WAR on the year. I can dig it & bet that the Fulton County faithful can too.

Record: 86-39, .688, 1st AL West
Up Next: We’re on a plane, headed to the Bay Area, for a quickie, wham, bam, thank you ma’am, 2-game series before our much-needed day of rest on Wednesday.

[pauwoo]

Seattle Mariners (86-39, .688, 1st AL West) @ Oakland Athletics (66-59, .528, 3rd AL West)
In a lessor division, the Oakland Athletics would have a lot to celebrate… in the AL East, they’d really be in the thick of it, but, here in the AL West, they find themselves in the role of an also-ran, 20 games off the pace, and on the outside looking in when it comes to a much-coveted wildcard spot. Their roster is well crafted, solidly built from head to toe, designed to battle it out for the AL West – this, then, would seem to be a problem of timing… our ascension that no one saw coming, coupled with an equally surprising surge from the Los Angeles Angels, has left the Oakland faithful scrambling for something to feel good about, something, anything that they can point to and say, “see, this whole thing wasn’t for naught”. It’s a position that any cardy-carrying member of the Mariners’ faithful knows well, and, honestly, it’s nice to be on the other side for a change.

126 of 162: Marco Gonzales (15-5, 2.62) @ Sean Manaea (8-7, 5.30)
Loss, 5-0. Sean Manaea threw dirt in our eyes for 9-innings of 5-hit, lockdown baseball, and Matt Chapman entered a GRAND SLAM into the permanent record during the bottom of the 3rd to give his club more than enough cushion to get the job done. We don’t really have much to parse out in terms of highlights – but, if we want to dig in a little bit, I guess you can say that this is what happens when you arrive in a division rivals city, all chesty, and expect things to come easily – they don’t and instead you catch a couple of bad ones, look super foolish, and sulk away into the shadows after having it handed to you on national TV.

Record: 86-40, .682, 1st AL West
Up Next: We’ll get another crack at Oakland.

[pauwoo]

127 of 162: Inspector Jon Duplantier (9-3, 3.04) @ Daulton Jefferies (5-6, 3.59)
Loss, 7-6. The Inspector came correct – 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 5 Ks – but the bullpen did not as a late, 8th inning rally from the Athletics would knot this one up before they walked us off on a Sean Murphy solo-shot during the bottom of the 10th. Joc Pederson put his 21st ball over the wall, driving in 3 runs, Trammell brought a couple in on a double, and, unfortunately, Bobby Dalbec put a GOLDEN SOMBRERO on the board (it is, I think, his second of those). Mini-Sweep courtesy of Oakland… how fun.


Elsewhere: Paul DeJong, of the St. Louis Cardinals, went 3 for 3 with 2 JACKS, 7 RBI, and 3 RUNS during his clubs 15-1 win over the Detroit Tigers. DeJong is putting together a nice little campaign so far… .248/.323/.439 with 21 TRUCKS, and 58 RBI so far and is trending 2.1 WAR. And, more importantly, his club is leading the Central Division by a whopping 14 ½ games.

Record: 86-41, .677, 1st AL West
Up Next: A day off to collect our thoughts, and, hopefully, get it together a little bit…

[pauwoo]

Kansas City Royals (63-64, .496, 3rd AL Central) @ Seattle Mariners (86-41, .677, 1st AL West)
The Royals arrive in Seattle on a ho-hum 3-7 stretch, mired mid-table in the AL Central, and looking every bit the team that’s lost the plot. To the degree that theirs was a plot worth reading to begin with. KC seems close – they’ve found a way to tread water despite a significant talent gap when compared to their division rivals, have the 7th rated offense in the AL, and the 10th rated staff. If they can get their young arms developed, find a bag of cash under the bed come free agency time, and keep their young core together, the Royals could find themselves contending withing the next 2-3 seasons. As it stands, however, they serve as fodder for clubs like ours, and given their recent run of ho-hum form, hopefully they’ll be just what the doctor ordered as we, losers of 6 of our last 10, need a positive result.

128 of 162: Danny Duffy (11-8, 5.47) @ Matt Manning (7-3, 3.24)
Win, 10-3. Taylor Trammell went 1 for 2 with 2 runs and 3 walks from the lead off spot, consistently putting pressure on the KC staff and Ty, Jarred, Fletch, and Hedgey each drove in two as we clubbed the Royals like we were Captain Caveman giving Mr. Billy Bad the business. Manning, unfortunately, only lasted 3.1 innings before leaving with an arm ailment of unknown severity, but Kikuchi picked up his 5th win in relief, performing admirably from the stretch for 3.1 innings before handing the pill off to Munoz to close the show. A good effort from the club here & a good show for the 38K that made the trek out to the park. And, while I don’t really want to highlight this, it should be noted that Salvador Perez hit a 2-run truck off Manning during the top of the 2nd.

129 of 162: Mike Minor (3-6, 5.01) @ Matthew Boyd (12-9, 4.08)
Loss, 5-4. One step forward, two steps back… Kelenic was superb – 2 for 4, his 22nd TRUCK, 3 RBI – but it wasn’t enough as the Royals kept themselves in it by answering every shot we threw with one of their own until Whit Merrifield landed the check hook to notch the win with a 2-run DING DONG during the top of the 8th that would put KC up for good. Boyd gave up 5 over 7.1 innings of work, we left 4 stranded, and just couldn’t solve for KC’s bullpen who pitched us perfectly over the last 4 frames of the contest.


Elsewhere: Cleveland’s Franmil Reyes went 3 for 4 with a triple, 2 DINGERS, and 5 RBI to lead the Guardians to a 7-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. With the win, Cleveland improved to 62-66, find themselves firmly entrenched in 4th on the AL Central table, and, really, are no closer to a post season berth than they were at the start of the day. Baby steps, I suppose…

130 of 162: Brady Singer (8-4, 3.90) @ Logan Gilbert (9-3, 3.28)
Win, 6-0. Logan Gilbert improves to 10-3 after a 7.1 inning effort where he allowed only 3 hits while fanning 10, and K-Lew & K-Wong each went yard to help seal the deal. Lewis would be the star of the day with a 2 for 4 performance that included the aforementioned TRUCK and 4 total RBI. 12 hits for the club, 12 hits, 5 walks for the club, 12 left stranded, a swiped bag, and a fierce Fletcher-Wong-Dalbec double play would round out the highlights package for us as we head into the 4th game against KC up 2 games to 1.

131 of 162: Brad Keller (6-7, 4.89) @ Marco Gonzales (15-6, 2.77)
Win, 6-2. Hedges hit a 3-run TRUCK off Keller during the bottom of the 2nd to put us up 4-1 early, and we’d only add to it from there as we manage to take 3 of 4 games off the Royals in our park. Gonzales gave us a sturdy, 7-inning, 4-hit effort where he’d allow on 2 runs while fanning 10 hapless hitters, and our bullpen would keep KC at bay over the final two stanzas to send the Royals off with their heads hung low.

We also got word back on Manning – he’ll be out for 6 weeks with a bum shoulder leading to several moves… RP Aaron Sanchez was DFAd and placed on Waivers, JT Chargois was optioned to Tacoma, while SP Yohan Ramirez, SP Josh Lindblom, and RF Julio Rodriguez all join the big club.

Record: 89-42, .679, 1st AL West
Up Next: Three games, at home, against Houston followed by a day off on the 2nd.

[pauwoo]

Houston Astros (64-66, .492) @ Seattle Mariners (89-42, .679)
The Houston Astros are mired in their 2nd “down” season in a row, sub-.500, and, this time at least, nowhere near the coveted final WC berth, where they find themselves a full 8 games off the pace set by Toronto/New York. Their problem, so far this season, has been pitching and defense – 11th in runs against, 14th in bullpen ERA, 10th in FIP, 13th in defensive efficiency, and 12th in ZR. They are a far cry from the mistake-free, championship-caliber team that was the envy of the league only a few years ago… here, as has been the case this season, we are afforded another opportunity to take it to these guys and, hopefully, make them pay a little bit for the sins of their past.

132 of 162: Lance McCullers Jr (8-8, 4.37) @ Jon Duplantier (9-3, 3.11)
Loss, 10-2. Inspector Duplantier, who, in his short time in the PNW, has become a fan favorite was abused a bit in this one as the Astros, led by Bregman’s double, triple, and 3 runs, ran roughshod over our young hurler. Conversely, we had a lot of difficulty with McCullers Jr, who gave us the business over 8.2 innings of work, allowing only 4 hits and 2 runs during the outing. Not a great look for the club, certainly not the start we wanted, and if we are to give Houston the comeuppance they deserve, we’ll need to be a lot better than this.

133 of 162: Jake Odorizzi (9-6, 4.95) @ Yusei Kikuchi (5-1, 3.44)
Win, 5-4. Kikuchi’s return to the starting rotation was a successful one as everyone’s favorite former Saitama Seibu Lion gave us an 8-inning, 4-hit, 1-earned effort against the formerly formidable Houston Astros. We’d get long balls from Big Bat Bobby Dalbec and Dylan Moore, a triplet from Hedges, and SAC FLIES from Kelenic & Feltcher. Back on the good foot now and in a position to win the series...

134 of 162: Framber Valdez (1-1, 14.85) @ Matthew Boyd (12-10, 4.16)
Loss, 4-2. Our ramshackle, frayed, and weary club couldn’t take care of business in this one, dropping the rubber match, at home, against the much-reviled Houston Astros – undone by a late, 8th-inning rally from the Houston, led by Jose Altuve, whose 2-run single broke it open. He’d finish 3 for 4 during the game with a homer, 2 singles, a run, and those M’s-killing 2 RBI. Ours is an all-encompassing malaise, to be sure…


Elsewhere: Detroit’s Tarik Skubal etched his name into the annuals of baseball lore with his 1st career No-No at the expense of the Oakland Athletics. For the contest, Tarik gave up no hits (obviously), doled out two free passes, and fanned 10. Finally, something for the shopworn, road-weary, Detroit Tigers to feel good about…

Record: 90-44, .671, 1st AL West
Up Next: We’re off, then back at it against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

[pauwoo]

Seattle Mariners (90-44, .671, 1st AL West) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (77-58, .570, 2nd NL West)
Arizona, like us, has been something of a surprise in 2021 – well over .500 for the year, 8 games ahead of the next Wildcard contender, and giving the Phoenix faithful more than enough to feel good about. And, as if things weren’t strange with this save already, here’s where things really get weird… they’re doing it on the back of Madison Bumgarner, who is 9-6 with a 4.12 ERA and 153 innings in the bag. Well, Bumgarner and the offense – 5th in AVG and WAR, 6th in runs scored, OPS, and wOBA, and 8th in OBP – that has come up smelling roses on more than one occasion thus far in 2021. Up is down, left is right, and something is amiss with the space time continuum.

135 of 162: Logan Gilbert (10-3, 3.08) @ Zac Gallen (9-4, 3.74)
Loss, 3-2. Walked off, spectacularly on a solo homer from Wyatt Mathisen (his 5th so far in 2021), and kept guessing by the Diamondbacks staff throughout, we we’re walked down, cornered, and punished in Phoenix to open this three-game set – not the look we were hoping to present. Kelenic fanned three times, Trammell went 0 for 4 and left 4 stranded, we left 10 stranded as a club, and, besides being defensively stout (3 DPs today), were really beaten to the punch at every turn in this one. Nothing to do but pick ourselves up, try to recover between rounds, and get back after it tomorrow.



Elsewhere: The uniquely named Xander Bogaerts, of the Boston Red Sox, went 4 for 5 with 3 DING DONGS, 3 RBI, and 4 RUNS during his clubs 10-2 dismantling of the Cleveland Guardians. With the win, Boston remains at the bottom of the barrel with the rest of the riffraff, their season all but over as they currently boast a 54-83 record and are operating at 22 games off the pace. Also, because we haven’t seen one of these for a while, Tyler Glasnow, plying his trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, hurled a No-No against the Minnesota Twins with only 1 walk and 14 Ks.

136 of 162: Marco Gonzales (16-6, 2.76) @ Aaron Sanchez (10-1, 2.49)
Win, 5-0. Arizona, attempting to use our castaway against us (they grabbed him on waivers), lost the plot against Marco as he gave us 8.2, roughshod innings of pitching dominance, giving up only 4 hits, and registering 8 Ks. Oh, and he also was an offensive dynamo, going 2 for 4 on the day with a 2-run triple, 3 total RBI, and a run of his own. It was like being a high schooler all over again for Marco it seems…

137 of 162: Jon Duplantier (9-4, 3.43) @ Luke Weaver (1-1, 3.22)
Win, 2-1. The Inspector came through against his former club, giving us a solid, 6-innings of work where he’d allow only 6 hits and a walk while fanning 5 and allowing nada. Offensively, as evidenced by the final score, we were nothing to write home about with Jarred providing all of it on a 2-run double while Dalbec and Joc each struck out 3 times on the day. Two swiped bags (K-Lew & Wong), a DP (Wong-Fletcher-Dalbec), and an OF Assist (Kelenic gunned down Christian Walker at home) would round things out as we ride off into the sunset on a nice series win on our way into Houston.

Record: 92-45, .671
Up Next: More Texas silliness as we travel to Houston to lock horns with the Astros on their turf.

[pauwoo]

While I've found it difficult to keep up with the daily pace, we're so close to the end and I am determined to finish this thing...

Seattle Mariners (92-45, .672, 1st AL West) @ Houston Astros (68-68, .500, 4th AL West)
To challenge a .500 Houston-based ballclub, in their house, as a 92-win team hailing from the PNW seems like a dream that is far too good to be true… but, here we are. Houston’s struggles can be almost entirely attributed to their pitching and defense – the offense has been stellar, 2nd in runs scored, AVG, OBP and OPS, 4th in dingers, 5th in swiped bags. Conversely, the pitching has been anything but stellar this season – 9th in starters ERA & FIP, 13th in bullpen ERA, 10th in RA – and the defense has been porous in posting a 13th ranked defensive efficiency, 11th ranked zone rating, and committing 78 fielding flubs so far, bad enough for 10th most in the American League. Of course, we’ll still have our work more than cut out for us here as they recently cribbed two of three off us in Seattle and looked pretty darn good doing it. We’d like to embarrass them a bit here, toss them around, big brother them a bit, and, really put these clowns in our rearview as we’ll not have to see them again this season once we’re done here.

138 of 162: Yusei Kikuchi (6-1, 3.13) @ Jake Odorizzi (9-7, 4.97)
Win, 3-2. We’d survive a tip-top pitching performance from Odorizzi here, charging one to his account over the first 7 frames before giving the Houston pen the business in the 8th to seal the deal. Ty France brought it home – his solo homer and run-scoring double in the 8th were the difference makers in this one – and Joc Pederson would add his 22nd long ball to the cause before all was said and done. Kikuchi was solid enough (he never really harnessed his command, walked four), but couldn’t get the win, Munoz would snipe that in relief, picking up his 4th victory of the year in the process, and part-time closer, Darwinzon Hernandez, was at it again earning his 14th save of the year.

139 of 162: Matthew Boyd (12-10, 4.11) @ Framber Valdez (1-1, 8.78)
Loss, 6-3. Houston would get themselves a small measure of revenge, unloading on our bullpen late, with Alex Bregman leading the charge during a 2 for 4 day that included 2 DING DONGS, 2 RBI, and a couple of runs… Kyle Tucker joined in for Houston a bit – 2 for 4, a double, a dinger, a couple batted in – and Framber Valdez all but shut us down over 5.1 innings of work where he fanned 7 while allowing only three runners to plate. Hedges hit his 18th homer, matching his career-best of 2017 while with San Diego, and Kolten Wong went 3 for 5, scored, and drove one in on a two-bagger. We put ourselves out there a little bit but didn’t have the wherewithal to go all the way and get the girl. Instead, we showed up to the dance solo, hung on to the wall like some awkward middle-schooler, and watched on in envy as Houston cut a rug with all the popular girls.


Elsewhere: New York’s Aaron Judge had himself a day against the Jays – 3 for 5, THREE DING DONGS, SEVEN RBI, and 3 runs to help pile it on for the Yankees as the dispatched Toronto by a score of 15-9. Gleyber Torres followed suit a bit, 3 for 4 with a two-bagger, 3-run dinger, and 4 RBI of his own. With the win, New York finds themselves a scant ½ game off the division-leading Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East and have stretched their wildcard lead over Toronto to 2 games for the time being.

Also, at 48-90, and 44.5 games off our pace, the much-maligned Rangers of the Lonestar State, have officially been eliminated from the playoff picture. Fare thee well, good sirs, we hardly knew ye. And in some Seattle roster news… Meetch is back from the IL, J-Rod has been optioned to Tacoma.

140 of 162: Logan Gilbert (10-3, 3.06) @ Zack Grienke (6-15, 4.95)
Win, 6-3. Logan was able to get the club back on track, sends us off from Houston on a winning note with a tip-top, 7-inning effort where he’d allow only 5 hits and 2 earned while fanning 11 hapless Houston hitters. Big Bat Bobby Dalbec held it down for the offense – 2 for 4 with a two-bagger, a TRUCK, and a couple of runs – and Mitch Haniger put one out in his first game back from the IL. Three doubles (Dalbec, Moore, Fletcher), a triple (Haniger), and 3 TRUCKS (Dalbec, Haniger, Pederson) for the club as we run up Greinke’s loss total on the season to 16, his most since his age twenty-one season in KC when he finished at 5-17 for the year.

Record: 94-46, .671, 1st AL West
Up Next: Heading back to Seattle, where we’ll meet up with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three games in our house.

[pauwoo]

Arizona Diamondbacks (80-60, .571, 2nd NL West) @ Seattle Mariners (94-46, .671, 1st AL West)
The Diamondbacks have continued to pile onto their storybook season of late – winners of 6 of their last 10 tilts, owners of a 6.5 game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the final wildcard slot, and a team whose surprise showing in 2021 has been dwarfed by only our own, the representative from Arizona has a lot to feel good about. The offense is humming – 4th in AVG, 6th in OPS & wOBA, and 8th in OBP & HRs – and the pitching has more than held its own, ranked 7th overall, and all on a payroll ranked 13th in the National League. Here the D’Backs will attempt to improve on their 1-2 record against us so far, and to pocket some get back for the series win we cribbed off them in their house just one week ago.

141 of 162: Zac Gallen (9-4, 3.66) @ Marco Gonzales (17-6, 2.64)
Win, 4-1. Arizona’s Zac Gallen pitched admirably – 8 innings of work, 4 hits allowed, 3 earned, and 7 K’s for the young hurler – but Marco stayed stout and gave our offense plenty of room to get it done during a 7.2 inning effort highlighted by 7 K’s of his own. Homers for Dalbec and Kelenic ignited the hometown faithful during the bottom of the 1st and 2nd innings, respectively, Darwinzon picks up his 16th save, and K-Wong played a key role in two double plays while burgling his 18th bag of the season.

142 of 162: Luke Weaver (1-2, 3.14) @ Jon Duplantier (10-4, 3.27)
Win, 9-5. Ty France backed up the Inspector with dignity and aplomb – 2 for 4, 2B, 3 RBI, and a run – and Big Bat Bobby Dalbec homers in his third straight contest, a difference-making, walk-off, GRAND SLAM this time to send the Diamondbacks off in a state of dismay while giving our fans something they'll not soon forget. Darwinzon picked up the win this time, his 1st this year, we’d get three, 2-out ribbies as a club (Ty, Kyle, Fletch), and field a spectacular Fletcher-Dalbec yo-yo DP.


Elsewhere: Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper put it down something fierce for the Phillies, going 2 for 3 with 2 TRUCKS, 4 RBI, 2 runs, and 2 BB’s, during his clubs 12-3 drubbing of the Colorado Rockies. Bryce now has 28 homers on the year – he’s hitting .282/.371/.531 with the aforementioned 28 jacks, 94 RBI, and 85 runs scored. Also, because I think it’s worth knowing… Chicago’s Eloy Jimenez has hit safely in 20-straight contests… and, now that it’s been highlighted by OOTP, we can expect to get the streak broken email in short order, I’m sure.

143 of 162: Aaron Sanchez (10-2, 2.53) @ Yusei Kikuchi (6-1, 3.09)
Win, 6-4. Sweep City, USA… Christian Walker did his level best to lead his club to victory – 3 for 5, HR, 3 RBI – but it was all for naught as Yusei was better-than-solid again with a 7-inning effort where he’d only allow three runners to plate while fanning 5, and our offense, led by Joc’s 3-run TRUCK, did just enough to put us over the top once more to make it a 5-1 season record against these yokels from Phoenix. Kelenic hit a double, we got 2-out RBI from Kelenic, Pederson, and Fletch, swiped two bags (K-Lew, Fletch STAND UP), and turned a low-key stellar Wong-Fletch-Bobby D double-play that will likely make SportsCenter this evening.

Oh, and we’ve officially secured our ticket to the dance, ending a 19-year playoff drought.

Record: 97-46, .678, 1st AL West
Up Next: We’re anticipating a packed house as the Boston Red Sox pay us a visit in Seattle.

[pauwoo]

Boston Red Sox (57-88, .393, 4th AL East) @ Seattle Mariners (97-46, .678, 1st AL West)
The Red Sox are exactly who the baseball punditry thought they were – a worse-than-middling club, trading on enviable fan interest, content to sleepwalk through another season of low-key rebuilding. There’s isn’t the all-encompassing rebuild employed by the Texas Rangers, instead this is one occurring on the periphery, where the Boston brass focusing on filling in holes most clubs can’t even see, and, while this is a season that Red Sox fans will be happy to forget, they don’t feel that far off from contention – a feeling born of their front office acumen and top-shelf budget. Here we should get a club that is mostly checked out – looking forward to next year, out of the playoffs, and, really, just staying as professional as possible without anything of note worth playing for (other than the mountains of cash they are paid to do it, of course). Conversely, for us this represents an opportunity to secure our 100th win of the season in Seattle – it’ll require a sweep, always a tall order, but if not here then it’ll come on the road, either in KC (yuck) or Oakland (gross).

Also, some weekly awards silliness – Matt Olson wins the Batter of the Week award in the AL while Didi Gregorius does the same in the NL… cool for them.

We’re leading the pack at #1 in the weekly power rankings…
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Seattle Mariners (130.1, o)
2) Los Angeles Dodgers (114.8, o)
3) Atlanta Braves (114.3, +)
4) Los Angeles Angels (112.5, -)
5) Tampa Bay Rays (112.0, ++)
6) New York Mets (109.3, +)
7) Oakland Athletics (109.2, ++)
8) Chicago White Sox (108.5, --)
9) St. Louis Cardinals (105.5, --)
10) Arizona Diamondbacks (97.7, -)

NYY at 18th, SD at 22nd….

144 of 162: Nick Pivetta (4-5, 4.95) @ Matthew Boyd (12-11, 4.24)
Win, 9-6 (11). Ty France was on it for us today – he went 3 for 4 with 2 DING DONGS, 5 RBI, 2 runs, and a walk… including the game-winning, walk-off 3-run blast during the bottom of the 11th frame to seal Boston’s fate. Perhaps not as juicy as Bobby’s GRAND SLAM walk-off against Arizona during our last series, but no less important, indeed. K-Lew (17) and Dalbec (34) would add homers to the cause, Meetch hit a double, his 21st this year, we’d get 3, 2-out ribbies (France, Haniger, and K-Lew), and found a way to gut this one out and keep our hopes of securing win #100 at home alive.


Elsewhere: Washinton’s Kyle Schwarber put together a real nice day at the plate during the Nationals’ 11-3 win over the Miami Marlins. For the game, Kyle went 3 for 3 with THREE DING DONGS, 5 total RBI, and 3 runs. Not a bad day at the office, I’d say…

145 of 162: Chris Sale (4-2, 4.10) @ Logan Gilbert (11-3, 3.04)
Win, 4-1. Logan continues his dominant rookie campaign with a 7.2 inning performance where he’d allow only 6 hits, 1 earned, and fan 8 as he picks up his 12th win of the year and fellow rookie Jarred Kelenic held it down for the offense with a rip-roaring 2 for 4 day that included a two-bagger, a jack, and 2 runs. K-Lew puts his 18th out of the park, Darwinzon gets another save, a SAC FLY from Wong showed the youngsters a little bit about putting the team first, and a real nice France-Wong-Dalbec DP would round this one out for us… 5 straight, next stop 100?!?


Some terrible news in Oakland… Matt Olson, hitting .277 with 37 homers and 98 RBIs, will miss the remainder of the season after being injured in a collision at KC while running the bases. It seems that your boy has a severely strained hip muscle that’ll keep him out of action for at least 2-3 months. Oakland, currently a game up on the Yankees for the final Wild Card slot in the AL, were on an 8-2 run when they got the news. Without their offensive lynchpin, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they find a way to hold onto their spot over the last ~15 or so games of the season.

146 of 162: Tanner Houck (4-6, 4.52) @ Marco Gonzales (18-6, 2.59)
Win, 5-2. We’re Richard Gere, in our dress whites, roaming the factory on a mission to scoop our fans up where they belong… win #100 of a dream season, at home, during what would be a 2nd-straight home sweep, with Marco on the bump… only OOTP can make this kind of thing up! Jarred Kelenic went 2 for 4 with a 3-run blast to lead the offense, Marco stayed heavy on the ball over 6.2 innings of work, Wong hit his 5th triple of the year, K-Lew hit a monstrous SAC FLY and swiped a bag, and the USS Mariner sailed its way into the unlikeliest of 100-win seasons one could imagine. Crazy.

Record: 100-46, .684, 1st AL West
Up Next: We’ll have a day off to party like it’s 1999 and then follow that up with a flight to KC for the first 3 games of a 10-game road trip.

[pauwoo]

Seattle Mariners (100-46, .684, 1st AL West) @ Kansas City Royals (74-73, .500, 3rd AL West)
Baseball in Kansas City seems to be on an uptick – their club is an improbable .503 on the year, their offense has shown signs of life with a core that is still developing, and, even with subpar pitching, they’ve found a way to tread water in 2021. And, if their recent run of form (8-2 over their last 10) is any indication, the Kansas City Royals look like they are starting to come into their own. At 6th in Runs Scored, OBP, and OPS, 1st in Stolen Bags, and 3rd in Average the offense has proved itself dependable – if they can find a way to upgrade/retool their staff a bit in the offseason this could be a club worth following in 2022.

147 of 162: Jon Duplantier (10-4, 3.42) @ Danny Duffy (13-9, 5.50)
Win, 5-3. KC’s run of form has come to an unceremonious end, in their park, against the Mack truck that is the Seattle Mariners… Inspector Duplantier gave us 6.1 hard-scrabble innings of work, allowing 7 scattered hits and 2 earned runs while fanning 5, and Ty France went 2 for 4 with 4 RBI on the day. Another save for Darwinzon, his 19th, David Fletcher would drive in our only other run, we fielded 3 double-plays to go along with our two fielding flubs, and somehow improve to 101 wins despite playing so-so ball tonight.

Some terrible news for the Yankees… Gerrit Cole has been shut down for the remainder of the season after suffering bone chips in his elbow. In 2021, Cole has gone 6-10 with a 5.17 ERA… he may not be missed much.

148 of 162: Yusei Kikuchi (7-1, 3.16) @ Mike Minor (4-7, 4.97)
Win, 9-2. Yusei was masterful tonight, went the distance, only allowed 5 hits and 2 runners to plate, and fanned 7 during his first complete-game win of the year, Fletch went 2 for 2 with 2 RBI, 2 runs, and 2 walks, and Taylor Trammell went 2 for 3 with a run-scoring double, a run of his own, and an expertly drawn free pass. We’d get a couple of JACKS – Bobby D hit his 35th, Kelenic put #26 out of the park, we'd record a SAC FLY, and turn a France-Wong-Dalbec double play to put this one on the books during the bottom of the 9th.

That’s 9 wins in a row, folks…

149 of 162: Matthew Boyd (12-11, 4.42) @ Brady Singer (10-5, 3.83)
Loss, 3-2. KC would salvage some pride, play us close throughout the game, and, when the opportunity presented itself, snag the win on a Carlos Santana, walk-off, run-scoring single. Darwinzon takes the loss, his 6th this season, Boyd gave us all we should have needed over 8-innings of work, allowing only two runners to plate in the effort, and Kolten Wong got himself on base three times from the leadoff spot… all for naught though as we left 7 runners stranded as a club and were unable to really get anything substantive going against Singer, and later Nick Burdi, in this one.


Elsewhere: The Los Angeles Angels thoroughly dismantled the Oakland Athletics by a score of 14-4 on the back of Mike Trout’s masterful day at the plate – the future Hall of Famer went 3 for 3 with 3 HRs, 4 RBI, 5 runs and 2 walks during the game earning an incredible game score of 112 which is good enough for 3rd on the Individual Game Performance rankings for 2021. Also, St. Louis has officially snagged the NL Central division and Pre-Season media darlings, the San Diego Padres, have been eliminated for the post-season.

Record: 102-47, .684, 1st AL West
Up Next: A 4-game series in Oakland against the wild card dark horse Athletics.

[pauwoo]

PoTW Awards… Boston’s JD Martinez won it in the AL after finishing 9 for 21 with 4 jacks, 8 ribbies, and 6 runs for the week while Washington’s Kyle Schwarber took home the trophy in the NL with a 9 for 22 week that included 6 dingers and 14 RBI.

Weekly Power Ranking…
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Seattle Mariners (130.2, o)
2) St. Louis Cardinals (122.3, ++)
3) Atlanta Braves (121.8, o)
4) Los Angeles Dodgers (121.0, -)
5) Tampa Bay Rays (112.2, o)
6) Los Angeles Angels (109.7, -)
7) Chicago White Sox (103.5, +)
8) Arizona Diamondbacks (103.5, +)
9) New York Yankees (101.4, ++)
10) Oakland Athletics (100.9, --)

Mets are 11th, Milwaukee 17th, Houston 20th, San Diego 24th…

Seattle Mariners (102-47, .684, 1st AL West) @ Oakland Athletics (81-68, .544, 3rd AL West)
Oakland is in the thick of it – only ½ game out of the final wild card spot and doing their level best to secure it despite having Ramon Laureno and Matt Olson out for the remainder of the year. They’ve already done nearly enough to get them there but look to have a difficult road ahead with four against us followed by a rivalry set against the Houston Astros… it will be a tall order for their club to navigate that stretch expertly enough to snatch the final wild card slot from the Yankees at this point. And, for as good as they’ve been, Oakland is far from being a juggernaut, even when at full strength… what they are is solid everywhere, with sufficient bench strength, and capable of giving most clubs fits especially on their turf. Their offense is 8th in runs scored, sit at the bottom of the top half for OBP & OPS (7th), while their pitching has held stout at 5th in runs against and 3rd in FIP. They are a prototypical, well-built, Oakland ballclub devoid of superstars and instead filled with everyman types who show up ready to work and always leave it out there on the field. This should be a tough test for them – we come in on near impeccable form (9-1 for our last 10) and are looking to close out the regular season campaign with a bang – but, as we’ve seen from the Athletics before, they’re capable of landing some haymakers here, so it’ll be hands up, chin tucked over the next four for us in Oakland.

150 of 162: Logan Gilbert (12-3, 2.94) @ Frankie Montas (13-9, 3.27)
Loss, 3-2. Oakland, despite being hamstrung by injury, gets off on the good foot against us here as Frankie Montas hurls an 8-inning, 5-hit gem and fans 6 while Mark Canha’s 3 for 3 day powered their offense. Logan was good enough to get the win – 6 inning, 6 hits, 2 earned, and 9 Ks – and Big Bat Bobby Dalbec put one over the fence for us (his 36th!), but it was all for naught as our late, 2-run rally in the 9th was ultimately two runs short of what we’d need to get it done this time. Rounding out our ‘highlights’ a bit… Joc hit his 23rd two-bagger, and, well, that’s it. We’ll shake this one off, show up tomorrow with some sweet, sweet get-back on our minds…

151 of 162: Marco Gonzales (19-6, 2.60) @ Sean Manea (10-9, 5.78)
Loss, 5-4. Oakland would pull out a 3-run, bottom of the 10th to walk us off on a 2-run HR from 2B Tony Kemp to pull 1 game ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL Wildcard race… for our part, we played okay, gave ourselves a great chance to win with a 2-run top of the 10th, got a good day on the bump from Marco – 7 innings, 2 earned, 5 Ks – but, ultimately, came up short again as our 9-1 run has suddenly devolved into a 3-game skid where our mighty & formidable outfit suddenly looks pedestrian next to the all-effort Athletics. We’re out here playing like the result is a foregone conclusion while Oakland is laying it down like a club whose life is on the line…

152 of 162: Jon Duplantier (11-4, 3.39) @ AJ Puk (6-5, 2.95)
Loss, 6-3. Another game in the bay, more late-game magic from Oakland to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat… Matt Chapman put his 41st ball out of the park, a 3-run shot that sealed the deal during the bottom of the 8th, all but eclipsing Joc’s 2 for 3, 2-run dinger day at the plate and the Inspector’s solid, 6-inning, 2 earned effort on the bump. Nothing doing for the USS Mariner here as Oakland beat us to the punch, displayed some tip-top footwork, and out-hustled us at every opportunity… 4-game skid now, as this all-encompassing malaise threatens to derail our quest for regular-season immortality. Or something like that, I mean it is baseball… is normal.


Elsewhere: New York’s Pete Alonso, the Polar Bear from Tampa, Florida, went 3 for 5 with 3 homers, 10 RBI, 3 runs, and a walk during the Mets’ 18-1 drubbing of the Boston Red Sox. The performance moved Alonso to the top of the pops on the Top Game Performances table with an amazing game score of 127, only 1 point ahead of the score Washington’s Kyle Schwarber put up back in May, and the win increased his clubs lead on the final WC slot in the NL to 7.5 games. Also, Washington’s Jon Lester secured his 200th victory as a Major Leaguer during a 10-4 win over the Miami Marlins… for his career, Lester is 200-123 with a 3.76 ERA.

153 of 162: Yusei Kikuchi (8-1, 3.04) @ Jesus Luzardo (8-7, 3.04)
Win, 5-3. Parlez-vous français? Ty France put the club on his back in this one, powering us to victory on the back of his 3 for 4 day at the plate that included a 2-run DING DONG, and 4 RBI while Kukuchi was out there throwing daggers for 7-innings, allowing 7 hits and 2 earned while fanning four. Trammell hit two, two-baggers to bring his total to 13 on the year, Dylan Moore put his 2nd triple of the season on the board and swiped a bag, and Jarred Kelenic earned an outfield assist for gunning down Mark Cahna at home during Oakland’s ill-fated rally attempt in the bottom of the 8th.

Record: 103-50, .673, 1st AL West
Up Next: 3 in Orange County against the Angels…

[pauwoo]

Seattle Mariners (103-50, .673, 1st AL West) @ Los Angeles Angels (93-60, .608, 2nd AL West)
At 93-60, and winning at an unexpected 61% clip, the Los Angeles Angels have done Orange County proud, earning a wild card berth, and looking to make a serious run at it in the postseason. All this despite an off-year for their offense, their superstars (Trout - .256/24/66, Rendon - .263/22/58), and their two-way, legend-in-training, Shohei Ohtani who has gone 6-9 with a 4.58 ERA on the bump and .291/22/57 from the box. Where they’ve shined, however, is in pitching and defense – 1st in Bullpen ERA, 2nd in Runs Against, Defensive Efficiency, and Zone Rating, and 3rd in Starters ERA – with Andrew Heaney and Patrick Sandoval leading the charge with 18 & 12 wins each, respectively. That they find themselves in real contention, locked in as a wildcard entrant, is not that big of a surprise – the preseason prognosticators had them winning the West with 88 victories – what is a surprise, however, is how they’ve done it – down years from the aforementioned superstars covered up expertly by a staff that has come up smelling roses every time opposing clubs have attempted to bury them under some dirt. Here is a club that no one wants to face in the playoffs should they make it out of the wildcard round – because, assuming that the pitching stays stout, if their offense starts performing anywhere close to its capability, they’ll be a tough club to best in a 5 or 7-game series.

Also… we’ve clinched the AL West, the Dodgers have secured the NL West, and the White Sox have been officially crowned the winner of the AL Central.

154 of 162: Matthew Boyd (12-11, 4.34) @ Shohei Ohtani (6-9, 4.58)
Loss, 4-3. Our run of poor play continues, proving that our current brand of low-energy, ho-hum baseball won’t get it done. Boyd put in a solid enough outing – he came out wobbly, allowing a 3-run dinger from Jose Iglesias during the bottom of the 1st – and left us with a 3-3 tie during the bottom of the 6th. From there our offense would attempt to mail it in, acting as if we should be able to best this club without applying any focus or effort, and sit idly by as some guy called Brandon Marsh hit the game-winning single during the bottom of the 7th leading to another lockdown performance from their 2nd ranked Bullpen in the American League. Bobby Bats put his 37th ball over the fence, Kelenic secured a nice, 2-out RBI, and, because why not erase each of our ill-gotten gains, Taylor and Fletch both got caught with their hand in the honeypot to end consecutive rally attempts during the tops of the 8th and 9th.


Elsewhere: Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich put it down something fierce against New York, hitting 2 for 3 on the day with a double, a 3-run DING DONG, 5 total RBI, and 2 free passes to lead his club to a satisfying 9-5 win over the New York Yankees who see their WC lead over Milwaukee slip to 7 games. The Brewers are a real long shot to snatch that spot, what with only 8 games left in the season, but, with performances like this, it’s difficult not to get caught up in the possibilities if you are a Wisconsin native, I’m sure…

Record: 103-51, .668, 1st AL West (losers in 5 of our last 6 games)
Up Next: We’ll continue to hobnob with the homogenized citizenry of Orange County and attempt to salvage some pride tomorrow when we face Patrick Sandoval

[pauwoo]

Atlanta has officially been crowned the winner of the NL East…

Major League Baseball scheduled this one for a silly 6:07 PST start… Schedule maker thinks he’s cute. As a result, and in an effort to distance myself from the steaming hot pile of garbage my club has become, I spent the bulk of my morning/afternoon at Whole Foods in Tustin people watching… at one point, I counted up to 79 pairs of yoga pants before abandoning that gambit so as not to call unnecessary attention to my rubbernecking. Nothing helps me forget my troubles like watching the bored housewives of Orange County agonize over two brands of Oak Milk - walk with your credit cards in the air, swing your (vegan) nachos like you just don’t care…

155 of 162: Logan Gilbert (12-4, 2.94) @ Patrick Sandoval (12-7, 3.13)
Loss, 15-4. And our woes, struggles, existential dread continues in the land of make believe as Tony! Toni! Toné! Rendon goes yard twice to lead his club to a rollicking 15-4 win against the capsized and suddenly un-seaworthy USS Mariner. Jurickson Profar contributed 4 RBI to the cause, Mike Trout put out a 2-run blast, and Orange County breezed through this one like an Old Money candidate running for the Anaheim City Council. Kelenic’s solo shot, his 27th dinger, and Taylor’s triple are our only bright spots here as three of our guys struck out three times, we hit into three DP’s, and Logan Gilbert suffered the indignity of giving up a whopping 7 earned in less than 4 full innings.


Elsewhere: San Diego’s Trent Grisham put together a legendary day at the plate during a 10-0 win over the hung-over and altogether out-of-it Atlanta Braves – on the day he went 2 for 5 with TWO TRUCKS, 7 RBI, and 2 runs to run up his season total on dingers to a career-best 22 so far. San Diego struggled this season – came in nowhere near where the baseball punditry thought they would, largely due to key injuries to Tatis Jr and others, but, if performances like these from some of their other young guns are any indication the future for Club Paradise looks mighty bright indeed.

Record: 103-52, .664, 1st in the AL West and suddenly playing like I thought this roster might when I started this wacked out save.
Up Next: We’ll complete our jaunt through the hills of Beverly, get in our last bit of Orange County rubbernecking, and try to stave off complete annihilation with a win in Anaheim tomorrow.

[pauwoo]

The New York Mets have joined Division Winners Atlanta, St. Louis, and Los Angeles as one of two Wildcard entrants in the National League – Milwaukee and Arizona will battle it out for the remaining bid, with the D’Backs up a seemingly insurmountable 7 games currently… Meanwhile, in the American League only 2 games separate the New York Yankees from the Oakland Athletics for the final wildcard bid. The Yanks are finishing things up today against the 62-93 Red Sox before turning their attention to the Jays and Oakland will complete their series against Houston this evening before heading our way for a 3-game battle in Seattle.

In other news, Cleveland has shut Shane Bieber down for the remainder of the 2021 campaign, because, well, better safe than sorry…

156 of 162: Marco Gonzales (19-6, 2.60) @ Jose Quintana (14-7, 4.37)
Win, 3-1. Marco helmed the USS Mariner like a man whose only guide is the stars, not because he forgot the map, but because he doesn’t need one – ol’ swarthy dealt for 8-innings, allowing only 3 hits and 1 earned while leaving 7 batters salty… we scored all our runs early, two in the 1st – one on a run-scoring single, the other on a wild pitch – and another in the second when Joc’s run-scoring double provided all the cushion we’d need. The real story here, outside of Marco’s sturdy outing, was the defense – two DP’s and an OF assist from Kelenic to catch Rendon trying to stretch out a triple. Hey – we’ll take it… that we exit stage left and head back to Seattle to close out the year off a road win is, hopefully, the kindling we need to get our championship-form blaze lit once again.


Elsewhere: Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon, whose days in Colorado may soon be at their end, looked vintage during a 3 for 5 day where he trucked 3 bombs, tallied 5 RBI, and scored three times during what was - surprise, surprise – a 7-9 loss against the Giants for the Rockies. Your boy has left the Rockies faithful with lots of great memories, and this one, I think, deserves a place among them despite the loss.

Record: 104-52, .666, 1st AL West
Up Next: We’ll welcome the hot, bothered, wild card wanting Oakland Athletics to town and hopefully deal them a healthy dose of reality given how poorly they treated us in their building.

[pauwoo]

Some awards… NY’s Luke Voight went 11 for 25 with 5 dingers and 8 RBI to take home the AL PoTW award while LA’s Cheech Bellinger went 10 for 22 with 3 jacks, 11 RBI and 6 runs over that same stretch to earn the NL’s version of that same award.

Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Los Angeles Dodgers (120.4, ++)
2) Seattle Mariners (119.0, -)
3) St. Louis Cardinals (110.8, -)
4) Los Angeles Angels (110.6, +)
5) Tampa Bay Rays (105.7, o)
6) Chicago White Sox (105.3, +)
7) Arizona Diamondbacks (104.5, +)
8) Oakland Athletics (104.2, +)
9) Atlanta Braves (103.8, --)
10) Minnesota Twins (101.9, ++)

Oh, and, unfortunately for Milwaukee, they’re out as the Arizona Diamondbacks somehow, someway find themselves the proud earner of a most-improbable 2021 post season wildcard bid.

Oakland Athletics (86-70, .551, 3rd AL West) @ Seattle Mariners (104-52, .667, 1st AL West)
The Athletics are a club on a mission – hobbled a bit with Laureano, Olson, and Piscotty on the IL but deep enough to look good for it – and should their recent run of form continue in the PNW could secure their playoff berth over the course of the next 3-days. For our part, our post season fate is settled, and we aren’t necessarily gunning for anything other than staying injury free as we head to the playoffs (though a bit better form would be most welcome as well), but have an opportunity to crush the hopes and dreams of a division rival who’d not give doing the same thing to us a second thought. This will be as good an opportunity to get back on form, destroy the hopes and dreams of the Bay Area faithful, and have them tapin’ up their hearts in preparation for another season of disappointment in 2022.

157 of 162: AJ Puk (6-5, 3.08) @ Jon Duplantier (11-4, 3.38)
Win, 1-0. The Inspector had his magnifying glass out, looking for clues, and solved this one with relative ease over 6.1 innings of 2-hit work where he doled out a lone free pass while fanning 5 and Jarred Kelenic, currently plying his trade in Right Field, hit the game-winning, run-scoring single during the bottom of the 6th to get us some sweet, sweet get back against the Oakland A’s. With the loss, Oakland remains a scant 1.5 games ahead of the surging Yankees of New York.

Record: 105-52, .668, 1st AL West
Up Next: More home cookin’ against the Athletics at T-Mo Park…

[pauwoo]

Five games left… five games until our 19-year playoff drought come to an end, and, hopefully, just 5 games until we run roughshod through all comers on our way to the promised land. But first – more regular season, more grievances to air out, and, with any luck, a couple of dream-killing performances in the hopper as we work through the rest of this set against Oakland.

Also… The New York Mets have finished a deal with All Star-caliber starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard that will extend his stay in New York at least 2 years and will pay out $33,000,000.

158 of 162: Jesus Luzardo (8-7, 3.32) @ Yusei Kikuchi (9-1, 3.00)
Win, 5-4. Yusei continued to display his better-than-serviceable form – 6.2 innings, 4 earned, and 5 K’s for our starter – and the offense did enough to squeak by in this one as we overcame three dingers from Oakland to secure our third win in a row, second against Oakland, and 106th victory overall. This one would require some late-inning heroics – we managed to rally back from a 2-run deficit in the bottom of the 9th, winning it on a David Fletcher walk-off, 2-run double much to the delight of the hometown faithful who, at this point, may not settle for anything less than a banner. Kelenic hit his 6th triple of the season and drove in a run, Wong swiped his 19th bag, we secured two double plays, and were efficient on offense as we only left 2 of our 7 total runners stranded.


Elsewhere: New York’s Pete Alonso went buck wild during the Mets’ 6-3 win over the Fins… for the game, Pete went 3 for 3 with a double, TWO DINGERS, 3 RBI, 3 runs, and a free pass. I think that it is safe to say that Mr. Alonso was the whole show for New York in this one as the recently designated wildcard earning Mets found a way to get back into the winners’ column after dropping their last game to Milwaukee by a score of 15-1.

Record: 106-52, .670, 1st AL West
Up Next: We’ll face Oakland for what we hope is the last time of the season and do our level best to help them squander their ½ game WC lead over the New York Yankees.