Series Preview: San Diego Padres @ Seattle Mariners

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 12:01 PM PDT in Series Previews Comment 107 comments

Seattle: 35-34
San Diego: 30-38

SUMMARY

	MARINERS	PADRES	EDGE
HITTING (wOBA)	-52.8 (29th)	-32.3 (25th)	SDN
FIELDING (UZR)	18.1 (6th)	-11.7 (23rd)	SEA
ROTATION (pRAA)	12.5 (10th)	-8.7 (19th)	SEA
BULLPEN (pRAA)	-8.2 (23rd)	1.7 (14th)	SDN
OVERALL(RAA)	-30.4	-51.0	Seattle

Our defensive numbers took a huge upswing this weekend, following a week of playing Ken Griffey in left field. Adrian Beltre is on pace for about a 3-win season despite sporting a .293 wOBA. Man our defense is great. Or rather, was great. Endy Chavez was a big part of that outstanding defense and subbing his innings for Balentien is certainly going to knock us down a few pegs. At least falling down from 6th best in the league still leaves us as good.

The offense gained about eight runs over average in the sweep over Arizona, which is a nice step in at least a passable direction. Seriously, this offense has been horrid but if Beltre (.395 wOBA) and Griffey (.364 wOBA) can continue their hot Junes and Johjima returns, the 1-7 for this lineup, everyone not named Yuni or Lopez, actually make up a slightly above average unit. And even Lopez is showing some signs of at least being a power threat again.

GAMES

Game 1: Garrett Olson* vs. Chad Gaudin
Game 2: Brandon Morrow vs. Josh Geer
Game 3: Jarrod Washburn* vs. Wade LeBlanc*

We faced both Gaudin and Geer last week, so I am not going to bother covering them again. Wade LeBlanc has had just a smattering of Major League experience to date, but the 24-year-old has shown some moderate promise in Triple-A. The issue for him is translating his 11+% swinging strike rate in Portland to San Diego. So far it hasn't in the slightest with ~400 pitches in the big leagues resulting in a missed bat rate around 6.8%. Unsurprisingly, that has damaged his ability to generate strikeouts and his walks have suffered as well. Frankly, since LeBlanc's fastball is clocked at an average of around 85-86 mph, I have an extremely hard time believing that he's ever going to miss bats at that level up here.

THIS SERIES BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Midas Touch Golden Elixir
Dogfish Head Brewery. Milton, DE

"Midas Touch Golden Elixir is a beverage based on the residue found on the drinking vessels in King Midas' tomb. Our recipe highlights the known ingredients of barley, white Muscat grapes, honey and saffron. Somewhere between a beer, wine and mead, this smooth, dry ale will please with Chardonnay or I.P.A. drinker alike."

Although it holds a somewhat muted aroma, the flavor is really smooth and matches the description of a sort of meadish beer.

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Comments

Two Griffey bombs this series.

Including one 30 park no doubter. You heard it here.

...and now I'm here

by Librocrat on Jun 23, 2009 12:15 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

you should print up business cards

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Because I sell it?

...and now I'm here

by Librocrat on Jun 23, 2009 1:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Halfway there.

...and now I'm here

by Librocrat on Jun 23, 2009 11:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mead is disgusting.

Fear the NPE

by thewyrm on Jun 23, 2009 12:23 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

After a childhood of reading northern epic poetry

I was crushed to discover this to be true.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 23, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

What an awful high school.

Makes me want to drink a delicious fermented honey drink just thinking about them.

by Sidi on Jun 23, 2009 12:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It doesn't have enough acid

Mead always tastes flat because of the lack of acid. I wonder if you added some lemon juice if it might taste better?

I think this one might taste better because of the acid from the muscat grapes.

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 12:30 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't get you being adamant about there being a chardonnay for everyone

and then saying mead always tastes flat.

If you are going to insist on other people being open-minded about chardonnays, it seems to me that you should reciprocate with meads.

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's simply the chemistry I was talking about... poorly...

As you increase the acid (to a point), you get the spritz on the tongue that most people find appealing. Acid tends to heighten flavors, and most people find it appealing.

Some people probably enjoy the flatness of mead. I only use the term flat, because that’s the carry over term that gets used with wine. I didn’t mean to imply that flat = bad. Flat is just the term I use for the opposite of spritz to differentiate the way the beverages feel in the mouth. There are a lot of people that enjoy higher pH wine (and other beverages), and think the wines I like are thin and too acidic. It’s a personal preference.

I imagine some of it is a conditioning thing. Most Americans grew up drinking things like soda and fruit juices that have a lower pH. That makes drinks with the higher pH’s taste weird to them. I was hoping with my post to explain why mead would taste disgusting to some one (as the original poster stated). Re-reading it, I think I came off as sounding like it would be disgusting to everyone. That’s not what I meant to imply though.

The reason I said that there is a chardonnay for everyone is because chardonnay is made in so many different styles. There are the thin, low pH screamers that I enjoy all the way up to the higher pH, fat, chardonnays coming out of California.

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 1:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not everyone likes wine.

by acblue on Jun 23, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is true

If you like white wine at all though, I can probably find a chardonnay that you will enjoy.

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ok.

The way it was phrased and the comment it was replying to made me see it in the other tone. As a dismissal of all meads as an inadequate beverage.

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I haven't had enough mead to know

Does it come in a range of styles? All the mead I’ve ever had has been fairly similar. I assume you could make some variations depending on the kind of honey and yeast you used, but that wouldn’t be that major. It seems like you’d have to start adding other ingredients to really make a difference, but how far can you stray until it’s no longer mead?

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mead comes in a staggeringly vast array of flavors and styles.

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Any favorites?

My wife will kill me (I already spend too much money on wine and beer), but mead and sake are two things I’ve wanted to learn about.

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 2:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not a huge drinker of it, so cannot really give out any favorites.

But I’ve had everything from mead bittered with hops, spiced with GoP, made fiery with chilis to sweetened with fruits. Nothing particular to recommend, but there are a wide array of choices.

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 2:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is the chili mead the one they have at Uber?

I’ve always been tempted but never been brave enough to go through with it.

by acblue on Jun 23, 2009 2:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Among another, yes, I have had that one.

It tastes very much like chili

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll have to try it next time I'm there.

by acblue on Jun 23, 2009 2:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I made some mead in college

It tasted bland. Then when I made some the second time I added an acid blend that I bought from a wine store. Then it tasted delicious.

by Andersean on Jun 23, 2009 2:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Thank God we're missing Kevin Correia this time

by seattlebruin on Jun 23, 2009 12:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Of course, the real countdown this week is for when

Dead Snow arrives in a theater near me.

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 12:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm so looking forward to this

Also Moon opens next Friday in Seattle.

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also loved by those who like neither chardonnay nor IPA

by NOLAmarinergirl on Jun 23, 2009 12:30 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

You don't like any chardonnay?

There are so many styles, I assume there is one for every body. Unless you don’t like white wine, there is probably a chardonnay for you.

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 12:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I haven't found one.

by msb on Jun 23, 2009 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What kind of white wines do you like?

Give me an idea of the white wines you like, and I can point you in the right direction.

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pinot gris, Pinot blanc, Sauvignon blanc, Viognier ...

by msb on Jun 23, 2009 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm going to make an assumption that the Pinot's are domestic

Domestic Pinot Gris and Blanc tend to be fairly dry and high in acid (Alsatian examples from France can be much thicker and sometimes off-dry). Sauvignon Blanc is also usually very high in acid. That leads me to think you want examples of Chardonnay that are more acidic. You want ones that did not go through Malolactic fermentation.

Chablis from France is always a good bet, but some off them can be less fruity than Americans like. Cheaper and fruitier ones can be found in the Macon in France. But you’ll have to ask the salesmen if it was oaked and/or went through Malolactic (some producers there do it and some don’t). New Zealand and Australia can also be good bets if you look for the words INOX or Unoaked on the bottle.

If you really like Viognier, search out Novellum Chardonnay. It’s an unoaked chardonnay but the use the lees of Viognier to give it the floral charcterstics of Viognier.

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

not a big fan of oak. The White Burgundies work because the soil is quite different from California- chalky. I’m a fan of Olivier Morin’s White Burgundy from Chitry, for instance.

by eponymous_coward on Jun 23, 2009 5:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm...

This is probably too dry for you then…

But let me introduce you to this. I don’t drink a lot of whites, but oh my goodness is this fantastic!

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Jun 23, 2009 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have a hard time developing strong feelings about white wine

one way or the other. It’s like disliking or raving about rice.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 23, 2009 1:15 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I've found a couple good whites lately

I find that the drier they are the more I like them, which is odd because I’m not crazy about the drier red wines. Montinore makes some really nice and not too expensive whites.

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was the same way for a long time

But then I had a wine that just punched me in the face and changed the way I think of them forever.

The same thing happened with beer when I had a friend’s home brew for the first time.

by arbeck77 on Jun 23, 2009 1:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Midas Touch was a bit too wild for me.

I enjoyed the first few sips, but I couldn’t finish it.

by Teej on Jun 23, 2009 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is it too thick?

2009 Safeco Field Record: 4-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 8-4

by Fin on Jun 23, 2009 1:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's a pretty viscous brew.

by acblue on Jun 23, 2009 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like the honeyedness.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Jun 23, 2009 1:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Is it sold around here at all?

2009 Safeco Field Record: 4-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 8-4

by Fin on Jun 23, 2009 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's pretty easy to get, yes

by Graham on Jun 23, 2009 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Broad distribution

see here

by NOLAmarinergirl on Jun 23, 2009 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have seen it at

Bottleworks, Pike Street Beer and Wine, Broadway Market QFC, Ballard Market, Greenwood Market, Whole Foods and every now and then at the Ballard Fred Meyer.

by acblue on Jun 23, 2009 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I enjoy it but it's definitely not for everyone

and it’s one of the only non-Imperial stouts I can think of that I can’t drink more than one of in a sitting.

by acblue on Jun 23, 2009 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wilson Valdez was released today

Any reason not to replace one of Wilson/Woodward with him? His hitting may be a touch worse, but at least he’d actually bring a bit of defensive value.

by Fuckmikereilly on Jun 23, 2009 1:11 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I blame Wilson Valdez for Yuniesky Betancourt

by Graham on Jun 23, 2009 1:20 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Wait, we're playing the Padres again?

by Poochie on Jun 23, 2009 1:37 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Like you couldn't feel the hatred bubbling up all day yesterday

RIVAL TIME BEEYOTCHES

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 1:38 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It seems like we are always playing the Padres because our team is just as boring as theirs.

Just in less tacky uniforms.

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think the camo jersey is pretty bad ass.

2009 Safeco Field Record: 4-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 8-4

by Fin on Jun 23, 2009 1:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I saw two Reds games this weekend.

You want a boring team? Go there and watch them. And they play in a boring stadium, to boot. In a boring city. It’s the borefecta.

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 1:40 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe it's just that baseball is really boring

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not as boring as soccer though.

2009 Safeco Field Record: 4-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 8-4

by Fin on Jun 23, 2009 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There's three ways to do this: the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way

by patsfan on Jun 23, 2009 4:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes, yes it is.

Good thing we don’t waste hours and hours every day watching and talking about it anyways…….err, oops.

by OlSalty on Jun 23, 2009 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I use my comp sci degree to write code that automatically writes all my baseball posts for me

based on pre-set phrases and a random number generator.

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 1:48 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

He's not even joking

by Graham on Jun 23, 2009 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Was this part of the code?

by Jeff on Jun 23, 2009 2:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Commenting is how I kill time at work in between writing other code that does my more of my job for me.

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 2:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

When is hockey season?

by NOLAmarinergirl on Jun 23, 2009 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

SEA!

by Robert on Jun 23, 2009 2:47 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

TTLE CASCADIANS NHL TEAM?

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Jun 23, 2009 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes please.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Jun 23, 2009 3:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I actually like that name almost as much as the metropolitans

by Robert on Jun 23, 2009 3:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Finally, we find a common ground.

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 4:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

(I hope if that did happen our mascot would be a salmon)

by Matthew on Jun 23, 2009 4:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I want Viky the Volcano

by Robert on Jun 23, 2009 5:03 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Orca

I am no longer in Spokane, but I think I'll keep the name anyway.

by InSpokane on Jun 23, 2009 5:22 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm holding off becoming a Canucks fan in hopes that Seattle gets a franchise.

Awaiting the day I catch a Russell Branyan foul ball. I will make love to it.
Preserved In All His Greatness - R.I.P. The Reignman 1989 to 1997

by JLProck on Jun 23, 2009 3:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought they play in a hitter's park though.

2009 Safeco Field Record: 4-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 8-4

by Fin on Jun 23, 2009 1:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They do but that doesn't make it an interesting park from a fan's perspective

All I could think of at GABP was what a missed opportunity the whole thing is. It’s not close enough to the river to allow the occasional park-clearing river-splashing HR; the concessions were pedestrian at best and they ran out of TWO kinds of mustard AND ketchup at two of the concession stands. In the 5th inning. And the whole thing has a vaguely institutional feeling that just screams “I COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS!!!!”.

But I did see a bunt turn into a triple thanks to shambolic White Sox throwing errors, so that’s something. And I saw Hank Aaron, Muhammad Ali, and Bill Cosby. And then I got really drunk on crappy beer. All in all an entertaining weekend.

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

by pdb on Jun 23, 2009 1:46 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Drayer, last time out:

“I hate the Padres. Hate ’em! Have hated them since the day I was born. Can hardly stand to share a facility with them in Peoria. If there were only 6 games a year I could attend it would be the six against these clowns. I wake up every morning and ask myself, “What can I do today to help beat the Padres?”"

by msb on Jun 23, 2009 1:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They should do anyway with the fabricated rivalries

but keep Yankees/Mets eetc. in tact.

by Poochie on Jun 23, 2009 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I just think their should only be one "rival" series a season

Will never happen because of the revenue these series bring in. But for the teams where the natural rival doesn’t mean much, it will limit seeing the same team over and over again.

by Fuckmikereilly on Jun 23, 2009 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I bet you'd see your false natural rival less if you only played the once ever 3-6 years like the rest of the other-leaguers

by Poochie on Jun 23, 2009 1:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah because the Cubs and White Sox would totally be OK with playing each other 1/3 as much as they would be otherwise

by seattlebruin on Jun 23, 2009 3:55 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I understand the sentiment,

but six games against the Padres every year is like a Christmas gift from Bud Selig. If you thought this team was really contending this year, you’d be thankful that your M’s were playing the boring old Pads, because wins against them count just as much as wins against NY or Boston.

by kidlondon on Jun 23, 2009 4:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs