Surprise!

by Jeff Sullivan on Jun 23, 2009 10:21 AM PDT in Seattle Mariners News, Good

Ervin Santana is on the disabled list again, an inflamed triceps...

Santana sat out the first six weeks of the season because of an elbow ligament sprain and was scratched from last Tuesday's start in San Francisco because of tightness on the outside of his forearm, just below the elbow.

I think my favorite part of the article comes a little later:

"Ervin made a lot of progress, but we're going to give him eight to 10 days to throw a couple more power bullpens," Scioscia said.

Santana's fastball, first start: 91.1mph average, 93.2 top
Santana's fastball, last start: 90.7mph average, 94.0 top
Santana's fastball, 2008: 94.8mph average

Santana's Strike%, first three starts: 59.2%
Santana's Strike%, last three starts: 58.6%
Santana's Strike%, 2008: 66.1%

Santana's Swinging Strike%, first three starts: 6.6%
Santana's Swinging Strike%, last three starts: 6.3%
Santana's Swinging Strike%, 2008: 10.7%

Actually, Mike, it seems Ervin didn't make any progress at all. We even lit him up the second time around and we got owned by Matt Palmer.

The Angels lost last night. Playoff odds up to 18.8%, and that's including some rather optimistic PECOTA projections of the LAnaheim pitching staff. Geoff Baker's latest post is right on the money - the Angels are in no more shallow a pool of shit than we are. This division is unthinkably winnable.

Tweet Comment 33 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Huh

Anaheim might be human, after all….

~The Official LookoutLanding Poster Who Dreams Of Doing Naughty Naughty Things To Russell Branyan~

by section331 on Jun 23, 2009 10:29 AM PDT reply actions

Considering the updates you yourself have been giving us

I would argue that this isn’t the least bit surprising.

by Poochie on Jun 23, 2009 10:29 AM PDT reply actions

I wouldn't know a fun fact if it slapped me in the bottom

by Jeff Sullivan on Jun 23, 2009 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions

that's what makes a mere fact a fun fact!

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions

I think that would be the definition of a fun fact.

by Poochie on Jun 23, 2009 10:46 AM PDT up reply actions

I want the M's to be a .500 team that still makes the playoffs

because it would satisfy my desire for the season (be back at .500 or so) and still have the bonus of the playoffs. And in this division, that’s an entirely reachable goal.

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 10:32 AM PDT reply actions

I still want to see a team make the playoffs with less than 80 wins.

by Sec 108 on Jun 23, 2009 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions

I was just trying to find the lowest win total for a playoff team and my Google-fu is failing

any idea?

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 10:44 AM PDT up reply actions

82 wins

Although that record would have been shattered in 1994 as the four worst teams in the league were all in the AL West.

by Poochie on Jun 23, 2009 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions

Who was that 82 win team and what year?

That was the most unfortunate consequence of the 94 strike – I really wanted to see a sub-.500 team make the playoffs.

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions

The Padres made the playoffs on 82 wins in 2005.

by Teej on Jun 23, 2009 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions

and won the division by 5 games!

by Teej on Jun 23, 2009 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions

My short term memory is apparently completely shot

I couldn’t come up with that to save my life. Thanks.

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions

'73 Mets

But you think I would have remembered that Padres team considering that they were steamrolled by the Cardinals.

by Poochie on Jun 23, 2009 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions

If the ALW was in the NL and played the ALE for interleague it'd be entirely possible

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 23, 2009 10:54 AM PDT up reply actions

OK that's a lot of hypotheticals... but it's a plausible scenario

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 23, 2009 10:56 AM PDT up reply actions

Yes, because we'd play the AL East a lot more through interleague

than we do as it stands…

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 11:19 AM PDT up reply actions

Maybe a better way to put it:

If the NLW were as strong as the ALE it would be entirely possible for our division to send a sub-.500 team to the playoffs.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 23, 2009 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions

Zoinks!

by ThundaPC on Jun 23, 2009 10:55 AM PDT reply actions

I have a bottle of Angel's Share in my fridge right now

I will not open this bottle until the next time the Mariners clinch a playoff berth

by seattlebruin on Jun 23, 2009 11:35 AM PDT reply actions

I live in California

what cellars

by seattlebruin on Jun 23, 2009 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Isn't that where you go in an earthquake?

by Jed MC on Jun 23, 2009 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions

That's a tornado you're thinking of

by seattlebruin on Jun 23, 2009 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions

You would think that moving into an underground box would be the best option during an earthquake

I want to poop at your house - Thingray

by tootthekazoo on Jun 23, 2009 12:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Zeppelin.

by abender20 on Jun 23, 2009 12:41 PM PDT up reply actions

A part of me is expecting

the A’s to win like 30 games in a row and come from behind to take the division. Billy Beane just seems like the kind of guy with a sinister plan, you know? I like to imagine him in his GM cave somewhere, rubbing his hands together and cackling to himself, “Yes, yes, it’s all going according to plan.”

Then he eats a kitten or something.

by I Lick Squirrels on Jun 23, 2009 11:41 AM PDT reply actions