Navigation: Jump to content areas:

Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
Around SBN: Devils Beat Rangers, Head To Stanley Cup Finals

Series Preview: Seattle Mariners @ Colorado Rockies

Tiny by Matthew on in Seattle Mariners Previews

Seattle: 30-30
Colorado: 28-32

SUMMARY

MARINERS ROCKIES EDGE
HITTING (wOBA)
 -41.4 (29th)
 9.8 (11th) COL
FIELDING (UZR)
 7.1 (10th) -10.2 (23rd) SEA
ROTATION (pRAA)
 16.6 (7th) 19.5 (6th) COL
BULLPEN (pRAA)
 -9.8 (25th) 4.5 (10th) COL
OVERALL(RAA)
 -27.5 23.6 Colorado







The Rockies really are not a bad team, as you can see from the summary above, but man alive has some bad luck and atrocious defense combined to make them bad. It does not help to be playing in the same division as the runaway Dodgers.

 

GAMES

Game 1: Jarrod Washburn* vs. Ubaldo Jimenez
Game 2: Erik Bedard* vs. Jason Marquis
Game 3: Jason Vargas* vs. Jason Hammel

The Colorado hitters have been mashing against lefties so far this year, but they have also been facing National League left handers. This is the big league now boys! You've never seen anyone like Jason Vargas before!

Considering the Rockies line up is mostly right handed, the nature of Coors Field in and of itself, the vast expanse of outfield and the flyball-ness of the three lefty starts that we are tabbing in this series, I would consider it imperative to run out the best defensive outfield that we can. Early whispers are that Ken Griffey Jr. is going to be making some starts in left field. So, Jack... do you want to trade Washburn? Like, right now? I mean literally, do it right now. Before he starts tonight.

Ubaldo Jimenez has been a consistently with solid strikeout numbers and good ground ball rates making up for a touch of wildness. His extra success so far this year rests on his only two home runs allowed so far. He's not this good and it would be fun to see Branyan go all regression on him.

Coming off three really bad years in St. Louis in which he posted tRA+s of 85, 85 and 69, Jason Marquis signed perhaps the dumbest three-year, $21-million contract ever with the Cubs. It was unfathomable how dumb that contract was based on past performance. It makes the Silva decision seem conservative and financially wise. Unlike Silva, Marquis somehow pitched up to the contract, posting tRA+s of 99 and 98 with Chicago totaling $15.1 million in value and then he was dumped off to Colorado for Luis Vizcaino in a salary move. All Marquis has done is get even better in Coors, now with a tRA+ of 106.

Jason Hammel was terrible as a starter in Tampa Bay and pretty damn bad as a reliever too, but he has been fantastic in Colorado, throwing strikes at an absurd rate given his career tendencies. As such, his walk rate which used to hover around 9% is now down to 6%. That is quite a marked improvement.

Star-divide

THIS SERIES BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Ten FIDY
Oskar Blues Grill & Brew. Lyons, CO

Do not be afraid of beers in cans. Be afraid of shitty beers in cans, of which this isn't one. This is the blackest pour I have ever seen and it comes with an aroma of smoke, roasted malts and dark chocolate. The taste showcases the malts that give way to a little alcoholic/bitter kick fading into a slight coffee/bitter taste which quickly mellows.

Comment 261 comments  |  0 recs  | 

Do you like this story?

Read More: Seattle Mariners

Comments

Display:

Rockies fan here...

over from Purple Row.

A couple of comments:

The Rockies’ lineup has five lefthanded bats much of the time—Fowler (switch, but better left), Helton, Hawpe, Stewart, and Gonzalez/Seth Smith…so it really isn’t mostly right-handed. I’d go the opposite way actually. The thing that has helped the Rockies is that Hawpe, Stewart, and Smith have had very good reverse platoon splits vs. LHP.

However, we do have a couple of hot righty bats in Barmes and Tulowitzki as well as a heavily underrated Iannetta behind the plate. Ever since the Rockies benched the horrible Garrett Atkins, we’ve gotten better production across the board.

As for pitching, Marquis has been pitching over his head and Hammel’s success has mostly come on the road. I think you’ll be surprised by just how good Jimenez’s stuff is though…he’s going to be really good, and soon (he’s got 2.2 WAR so far this year).

In addition, there are quite a few fine microbreweries in Colorado, most namely New Belgium (Fat Tire, Sunshine Wheat, etc.) if you’re interested.

Here’s our scouting report on the Mariners. Feel free to enlighten us if we’re wrong in our evaluation.

Eschew Obfuscation!

by Jeff Aberle on Jun 12, 2009 12:23 PM PDT reply actions  

F

I think Oskar Blues is slightly better at the top end but they have nowhere near the depth of Avery.

by Matthew on Jun 12, 2009 12:44 PM PDT up reply actions  

I can ride this trolley.

I will say though that for every style both brewers make I prefer the Oskar Blues version.

by Aaron Campeau on Jun 12, 2009 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions  

Likely lineup may sub in Spilborghs for a LH outfielder...

and maybe Atkins at 3rd. However, considering that Stewart has a much better OPS against lefties and his hot streak, this might not happen. The fact is that the Rockies’ bats are mostly left-handed (Spilborghs and Atkins are the only right-handed bats off the bench that they use).

Eschew Obfuscation!

by Jeff Aberle on Jun 12, 2009 2:34 PM PDT up reply actions  

Don't take this the wrong way but not knowing about New Belgium is like not knowing about Sam Adams.

They’re as broadly distributed as anything that doesn’t get advertised during football games.

Oh, and we’ll go toe to toe with you on pitchers outperforming their peripherals. Unsustainable HR/FB? Silly strand rate? Small sample size dominance? you name your stat, we’ve got the big dog in that fight.

"Even the stupidest of men, by some instinct of nature, is convinced on his own that with more observations his risk of failure is diminished."
-Jacques Bernoulli Ars conjectandi 1713

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 12, 2009 12:59 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's pretty dang common

it’s not bad beer, at all, but it’s not exactly “micro”. But any brewery that sponsors cool events like this is awesome by me.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 12, 2009 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions  

Some of it is bad.

Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle, Mighty Arrow and Skinny Dip (obviously because fuck light beer) are all bad. The rest is decent—>good.

by Aaron Campeau on Jun 12, 2009 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions  

I don't mind Skinny Dip so much

but the only time I’ve really had it was after a 100 mile bike ride in 94 degree heat last year, so I could have been drinking refrigerated lighter fluid at that point and it would have been blissful.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 12, 2009 2:55 PM PDT up reply actions  

You get 1554 up there?

I think that’s the best NB

Listen, this signature line is a big part of who I am.

by frightened inmate #2 on Jun 12, 2009 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

We get everything they make.

Lips of Faith is the best New Belgium I’ve had but 1554 is probably my favorite of their regular line.

by Aaron Campeau on Jun 12, 2009 3:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

Don't they make Mothership Wit also?

I like that one.

"Fights begin, finger prints are took, days is lost, bail is made, court dates are ignored, cycle is repeated."

by Thingray on Jun 12, 2009 4:52 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yes, Mothership Wit is a great one.

Its organic too, if that means anything.

by Fin on Jun 12, 2009 5:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

Disagree on Arrow, which I think is good-ish.

Sunshine is meh the other two I find decent-ish

by Matthew on Jun 12, 2009 3:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

Shockingly, I'm with Matthew on Mighty Arrow

though I agree with ac that blue paddle, skinny dip, sunshine wheat are bad. Fat Tire is pretty bad.

Incidentally, I don’t mind the idea of light beer, so I don’t hate skinny dip on principle. I actually had sort of high hopes for it, which tasting it quickly dashed.

by marc w on Jun 12, 2009 3:34 PM PDT up reply actions  

Hmm. Maybe a semantic argument.

I don’t have a problem with calling a beer ‘bad’ if I would prefer 90%+ of all other beers. I would drink Blue Paddle over coffee or, I don’t know, Midori any day, but I think ‘bad’ has its uses to distinguish certain kinds of beer from others.

by marc w on Jun 12, 2009 3:51 PM PDT up reply actions  

I believe they are distributed at 23+ states

They could be at 50 but are halting their expansion on purpose. They have a partnership with a brewery in Washington State. They each brew each other’s recipes, or will soon, to cut down on distribution costs. New Belgium will be all over Washington soon

"I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." - Albert Einstein

by Andrew T. Fisher on Jun 12, 2009 4:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yes, they have a partnership with Elysian, but they were ubiquitous here long before that.

Seriously, in out-of-the-way gas stations with about 6 beers, you can choose from bud, bud light, miller light, coors light, tecate and Fat Tire. They seem to have better distro than some large craft breweries closer to home… they’re on par with Red Hook, which is fucking insane.

by marc w on Jun 12, 2009 4:34 PM PDT up reply actions  

I've got some Old Chub and the Yella Pils in the fridge right now...

ac/matthew, have you tried their pilsner yet?

Marquis seems to be the beneficiary of a huge increase in o-swing, which is odd as his FB has been his best pitch this year and there’s no sizeable jump in SwStr%. Seems fluke-ish to me. Hammel’s improvement strikes me as more ‘real’ though that may just be a function of age.
Jimenez has gotten better and better while his SwStr% has dropped each year since 2007. This year it’s his Ks looking that are up (along with GBs). I’m looking forward to seeing him.

Let’s go M’s

by marc w on Jun 12, 2009 12:45 PM PDT reply actions  

Hooray for cans!

Had a Ten Fidy last night and will probably do the same this evening. It’s my current passion. I also really like the Old Chub, and I recently found the Mamma’s Little Yellow Pilsner at a restaurant and loved it. Can’t find it in a can, though. (Well, I saw it in a can in Stone Brewing’s gigantic refrigerator, but they said I couldn’t have any.)

by Teej on Jun 12, 2009 12:46 PM PDT reply actions  

How bad is the Rockies pen?

My impression from watching them against the Dodgers recently is that they have a lot of guys who can’t throw strikes to save their lives.

Paris Hilton, Burberry plaid, reality TV, mullets, Zima, Dubya, and the Sonics being sold to Oklahoma City. - Yahoo Answer results for "7 Signs of the Apocalypse"

by bluemax on Jun 12, 2009 1:07 PM PDT reply actions  

Boned?

"Even the stupidest of men, by some instinct of nature, is convinced on his own that with more observations his risk of failure is diminished."
-Jacques Bernoulli Ars conjectandi 1713

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 12, 2009 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

A bullpen that doesn't throw a lot of strikes?

Gosh. I’m glad ours isn’t like that.

Danny Blanchflower Lives!

by Colm on Jun 12, 2009 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

Apologies

I never noticed that you rated the bullpens previously.

Paris Hilton, Burberry plaid, reality TV, mullets, Zima, Dubya, and the Sonics being sold to Oklahoma City. - Yahoo Answer results for "7 Signs of the Apocalypse"

by bluemax on Jun 12, 2009 2:18 PM PDT up reply actions  

See, it's so much clearer with the circles.

Why don’t you just put those on in the first place?

by Lanky on Jun 12, 2009 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's right there in the post

by tRA, they’re so bad they’re 14 runs better than us.

by Jeff Sullivan on Jun 12, 2009 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's above average.

And they have the lowest walk rate in all of baseball.

by marc w on Jun 12, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

See, there's your problem.

Rockies vs Dodgers:

1-8; 43 RS, 74 RA

Rockies vs. Everyone else:

27-24; 257 RS, 214 RA

by Rox Girl on Jun 12, 2009 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

In my defense

its not like the Rockies are on TV in Los Angeles very often. And while I subscribe to MLB.tv I don’t use it to watch too many non Mariners games.

Paris Hilton, Burberry plaid, reality TV, mullets, Zima, Dubya, and the Sonics being sold to Oklahoma City. - Yahoo Answer results for "7 Signs of the Apocalypse"

by bluemax on Jun 12, 2009 2:20 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's called accountability...

You mother’s basement types shouldn’t be able to talk about other mother’s basements types unless you’re willing to talk about it to our virtual faces. Or something like that.

We’ll all leave for our own game thread and just lurk, we see series preview threads as the equivalent of meet-and-greets.

by Rox Girl on Jun 12, 2009 3:15 PM PDT up reply actions  

Friends of LL

Eyebrows
R.J. Anderson
Purple Row
…?

by Fin on Jun 12, 2009 3:59 PM PDT up reply actions  

Oskar Blues

The best thing about Oskar Blues in Lyons is the old-school vids they have. Paperboy, Zaxxon, Tron…oh yes, TRON. I never got to play it drunk growing up.

Listen, this signature line is a big part of who I am.

by frightened inmate #2 on Jun 12, 2009 3:13 PM PDT reply actions  

Lineup time!

Ichiro RF
Russ Branyan 1B
Adrian Beltre 3B
Jose Lopez 2B
Endy Chavez CF
Ronny Cedeno LF
Yuniesky Betancourt SS
Rob Johnson C
Jarrod Washburn P

by ThundaPC on Jun 12, 2009 3:45 PM PDT reply actions  

Not necessarily.

Johnson wasn’t on the DL. They may make the move tomorrow, but who knows. I know they SAID they wanted another pitcher, but they may not need one tonight.

by marc w on Jun 12, 2009 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions  

From Baker's blog just now:

No transaction yet, but I’d expect one of the two other catchers — Guillermo Quiroz or Jamie Burke — to be going down. It might not be today, however, since Roy Corcoran was not anywhere to be seen in the clubhouse.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 12, 2009 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions  

Johnson needs to get hurt for longer next time

Maybe one of the Rockies was a boyhood Mariner fan and can kick him in the head for us.

by Graham MacAree on Jun 12, 2009 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions  

when i heard ‘Bama was in trouble for textbook violations I thought to myself "but we didn’t read at the U of A"

"...The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards"

by fo0you on Jun 12, 2009 3:56 PM PDT reply actions  

Please capitalize

use the subject line and use the reply link.

by Matthew on Jun 12, 2009 3:57 PM PDT up reply actions  

Aye sir

Thank you for educating me in the ways of the intertubes, but in reality it was my konqueror that failed to render this comment box correctly. Thanks regardless ba dum tish

"...The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards"

by fo0you on Jun 12, 2009 4:00 PM PDT up reply actions  

I don't know.

I thought JI = Last Fan of Jose Lopez = Fogel = Poochie = Fo0yu. I do not completely get the meme behind it though.

by Fin on Jun 12, 2009 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions  

That isn't true.

I met a few members from here, including Matthew and Graham. Don’t worry, they are two different people.

by Fin on Jun 12, 2009 4:07 PM PDT up reply actions  

You met people that were named Matthew and Graham

but are those the “Matthew” and “Graham” that post here? Have you ever seen Matthew, Graham, and a computer in the same place at the same time? THE MYSTERY DEEPENS

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 12, 2009 4:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

Well, I've seen them both seperately.

They don’t look alike. I also met Gomez, even though he doesn’t post here anymore.

by Fin on Jun 12, 2009 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions  

If you were to set up a computer simulation of an active blog

how hard would it be to hire a couple of actors to play characters from the ‘blog’ for a day?
I mean, if you were going to do this right, wouldn’t you do this? It’s not like it’d cost more than a case of beer or so, especially in this economy.

And if you really DID want to go cheap, how tough would it be to create someone to write over-the-top earnest stories of having met several ‘posters’ or ‘mods.’

This really, really elementary shit.

by marc w on Jun 12, 2009 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

People already do this for a living, on a smaller scale

Astroturfers infiltrate blogs and gain good standing in a community, only to subtly push products/services later.

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Jun 12, 2009 4:15 PM PDT up reply actions  

No you're doing it all wrong.

It’s more like: Hey guys I just got this Palm Pre, it’s so amazing, I can do all these things with it oh man. I love the Palm Pre.

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Jun 12, 2009 4:16 PM PDT up reply actions  

I don't either

Now I’m suddenly wondering about all the phone and computer threads. Holy shit! These GT’s are all about schilling beer! This might go all the way to the top!

by Kermit. on Jun 12, 2009 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions  

I don't know.

I thought he just meant that they don’t read because they party there.

by Fin on Jun 12, 2009 4:01 PM PDT up reply actions  

Does no one use Google anymore?

search “fo0you” that’s with a zero? geez guys I’m one of you believe it or not!

"...The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards"

by fo0you on Jun 12, 2009 4:07 PM PDT reply actions  

Prove it.

Say something only we would know. GO GO GO

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 12, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

Jeff Clement

should never be called up from Tacoma because he is horrible on defense and can’t throw out anyone. what do I win?

"...The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards"

by fo0you on Jun 12, 2009 4:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

Don't get me all hot and bothered on a Friday

"...The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards"

by fo0you on Jun 12, 2009 4:36 PM PDT up reply actions  

Think you misunderstood "hot and bothered"

"...The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards"

by fo0you on Jun 12, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions  

Not really

You strike me as the serial pedophile type but since I’m not 12 no worries there

by Graham MacAree on Jun 12, 2009 4:39 PM PDT up reply actions  

I could also be Rowdy Roddy Piper too

because it’s the internet!

"...The price of victory is high, but so are the rewards"

by fo0you on Jun 12, 2009 4:41 PM PDT up reply actions  

Please use reply.

And I just did that here.

angels fan in seattle

by Eyebrows on Jun 12, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

Via Drayer's Twitter feed:
Tornado watch until 9, game delayed until further notice. Lovely.

by Aaron Campeau on Jun 13, 2009 4:24 PM PDT reply actions  

Comments For This Post Are Closed

Search

User Tools

By reading a game thread of your own volition you agree to accept all liability for any and all damage done to your delicate sensibilities.

FanPosts

Community blog posts and discussion.

Recent FanPosts

Small
Starlin Castro's fit with Seattle

by styks 3 days ago

32 comments

Kawasaki80_small
Lists! So many lists!

by J0SER 3 days ago

7 comments | 1 recs

M_s_hat_copy_small
OT -- May 22nd In Memoriam

by seattle_since_81 4 days ago

262 comments | 2 recs

Ichiro_small
Why do managers and media members hate walks?

by Smegmalicious 8 days ago

21 comments

Wbc_029_small
Friday Morning Music Thread

by Jeff Sullivan 8 days ago

49 comments

Small
Dustin Ackley BP swing vs game swing

by grante2 9 days ago

7 comments

Beastquakerwallpaper_small
More on the Struggles of Smoak

by Ben Knibbe 10 days ago

5 comments | 1 recs

Randy2_for_sbn_small
Albert Pujols 2012: Three Retrospectives

by fiftyone 12 days ago

3 comments | 1 recs

Small
On Batting Orders

by riverdog 12 days ago

23 comments

Niehaus_small
More on Dustin Ackley and the strikezone

by JLC 15 days ago

6 comments | 12 recs

+ New FanPost All FanPosts >

Recent Posts

Yahoo_full_count

In Association With

Baseball Nation Recent Stories

BOSTON, MA: Carlos Pena #23 and Ben Zobrist #18 of the Tampa Bay Rays have words with pitching coach Bob McClure #22 of the Boston Red Sox after teammate Luke Scott was hit by a pitch in the ninth inning at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Joe Maddon, Bobby Valentine Trade Public Jabs

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Cliff Lee of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning of a MLB interleague baseball game. Lee took the loss as the Red Sox defeated the Phillies 5-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

The Good And Winless

Third baseman Chone Figgins of the Seattle Mariners misplays this grounder by Jeff Mathis of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Safeco Field on in Seattle, Washington. Figgins was charged with an error on the play. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Chone Figgins: M's Won't Play Him, Won't Dump Him

More from Baseball Nation >

Sexy People

Wbc_029_small Jeff Sullivan

Small Matthew

Claw_small JY