Funny thing about not having any offense. You never see games like this coming. Red Sox and Yankees fans...I'm pretty sure they go into every game expecting to win, even if they're tied or trailing in the later innings, because they know they're capable of putting a bunch of runs on the board at the drop of a hat. But we don't have that luxury, and so we live in constant fear that regardless of the situation, we may never score again. We've been conditioned to believe that this lineup is woefully inept, and so when they come up with a rally like this to storm out ahead, we're taken completely off guard. And in some respects I think that makes it more fun, more exhilarating. Having justifiably high expectations is cool and all, but the emotional gap between expecting to win and winning is smaller than the emotional gap between expecting to lose and winning, so there's something to be said for being in our position. When the team actually comes through, it feels pretty neat.

King Awesome through 27 games: .309/.409/.553, league-best 20 plays made OOZ, best discipline of his life. He's getting fewer pitches in the zone now than he ever has because pitchers are afraid of him, and pitchers are afraid of him because he's really flipping good. How someone answers the question "has Adrian Beltre been a bust in Seattle?" would be a good litmus test for whether or not the person is worth engaging in conversation. This guy is a hell of a player and absolutely deserving of his nickname. Never leave us, Adrian. We wouldn't be able to take it.

Biggest Contribution: Adrian Beltre, +33.0%
Biggest Suckfest: Kenji Johjima, -23.5%
Most Important AB: Beltre homer, +26.9%
Most Important Pitch: Dellucci single, -22.0%
Total Contribution by Pitcher(s): +20.2%
Total Contribution by Hitters: +27.0%
Total Contribution by Opposition: +2.8%
(What is this chart?)

This calls for a slightly different kind of Recap In Pictures.

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Everytime Carlos Silva pitches, things get bizarre, which is entertaining, which Silva is not. Which is bizarre.

One of these pitchers throws strikes and doesn't throw a good sinker. One of these pitchers throws a good sinker but doesn't throw strikes. I don't have the slightest idea what's wrong with Fausto Carmona, but I've got a sneaking suspicion that today's the day he gets himself sorted out. God damn this lineup of ours. At least Asdrubal Cabrera's playing like a pile of crap.

On a side note, Travis Hafner: done? You can blame injuries for his lack of power if you want, I guess, but injuries tend to be a big part of being done. While he might still be able to get on base at a decent clip, that peak is long gone. Which makes him ideal Mariner fodder come 2010 or so.

...LET'S GO MARINERS!!