We were just talking about how Michael Saunders hit three doubles to left or left-center field, where Michael Saunders didn't used to show much power to left or left-center field. Forget three - after Wednesday night, we're up to four of them, bitches!

Another deep drive to the left-center wall. It wasn't a deep drive over the left-center wall, but it was close, and Saunders tattooed the ball. There wasn't much wind, either. This was legitimate.

Now, note #1 - Saunders hit a first-pitch fastball, and this was said first-pitch fastball:

That is thigh-high and right down the pipe. Saunders drove a drivable pitch.

And note #2 - Saunders doubled off Felipe Paulino, immediately following consecutive unintentional walks issued to Carlos Peguero and Miguel Olivo. Last year Peguero drew an unintentional walk 3.9 percent of the time. Last year Olivo drew an unintentional walk 3.6 percent of the time. Given those rates, you would expect consecutive unintentional walks once every 715 trials. Felipe Paulino was not exactly on his game. He was on Kaz Ishii's game.

So it's not like Saunders just doubled the other way off prime Randy Johnson. He faced a struggling pitcher and smacked a bad pitch. Still, Saunders doubled the other way, off a 95mph fastball. This can't not be encouraging. I have zero confidence that the Michael Saunders we've seen in the Majors would've hit this pitch the way that Saunders hit it Wednesday.

Michael Saunders is delivering good news. Something positive might just come of Franklin Gutierrez's injury after all.