Series Preview: Texas Rangers @ Seattle Mariners

Seattle: 43-41
Texas: 47-36

SUMMARY

Hey, look at the Rangers defense starting to slip. Last time we played them (May 12th), they were ranked third in the league and they are down to 9th now. I had my doubts about their ability to sustain that level of defense and that seems to have been mostly correct.

And hey, look at the Texas offense. Park factors are a bitch sometimes.

Downslides in our offense and bullpen were more than erased by three nice starts from our rotation, partially easing the fears that I had stated just one series ago. All in all, defense aside, the Mariners played a touch above average and it is pretty clear that we should have taken two of three. We did not, and that sucks, but hey, at least we should have.

Problem is, splitting this series does us little good for 2009 as it would just extend our limbo position. If we get swept, then people can kiss '09 goodbye, we'd be 8.5 behind Texas and who knows how many behind Anaheim. Even losing the series 3-1 puts us in a huge 6.5 game hole. Conversely, winning the series 3-1 perks us up to just 2.5 games back and a sweep leaves us virtually tied. Because of its length (four games), timing (middle of July, three weeks before trade deadline) and opponent (division leader) and situation (4.5 games back), this is probably the biggest series in terms of playoff odds that the Mariners have played to date.

GAMES

Game 1: Felix Hernandez vs. Tommy Hunter
Game 2: Garrett Olson* vs. Scott Feldman
Game 3: Jarrod Washburn* vs. Kevin Millwood
Game 4: Erik Bedard* vs. Dustin Nippert

No Morrow? He needs to keep getting work in and he is just as ready to go as Olson is. Though I do prefer having a lefty start in Safeco, the Rangers do not show much of a hitting split and Olson has been poor out of the rotation so far and solid out of the pen. Anyways, I thought we were just talking about Olson heading to the pen? This better change to Morrow.

Jarrod Washburn's ERA is 3.08. Holy crap. How has he not been traded? 3.08! Somebody out there is still stupid. Hey, Dayton Moore! Hey! Over here!

No Padilla, No Harrison, No McCarthy and No Holland. Boring.

THIS SERIES BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Abbaye des Rocs Brune
Brasserie de l’Abbaye des Rocs. Montignies-sur-Roc, Belgium

Abbaye des Rocs (9% alcohol vol.) is a pure malt beer, with no added sugar. The entire range of tastes is directly linked to the double fermentation, the precise quantities of malts (7 types) as well as the mixtures of three kinds of hops (Belgian, German and Czech).

I can vouch for that. The nose on this has pungent melted caramel and brown sugary notes from all the malt. The taste is sweet as expected, but balanced by the hops. Impressively, the aroma never slacked off throughout the whole glass.