Your short Friday night recap, Quick Hits edition:
Biggest Contribution: Adrian Beltre, +26.9%
Biggest Suckfest: JJ Putz, -40.1%
Most Important Hit: Beltre homer, +21.9%
Most Important Pitch: Guerrero single, -18.1%
Total Contribution by Pitcher(s): -57.2%
Total Contribution by Hitters: -6.2%
The only subjective decision I had to make came when Jarrod Washburn threw the ball away to first base - although the inebriated Safeco scorekeeper gave Willie Bloomquist a hit, I gave him credit for a sacrifice bunt, and nailed Washburn with the error and runs scored. So, although the Mariners improved their chances of winning by 9% after the misplay, Willie Bloomquist actually saw his Win Probability Added rating reduced by 2.8%.
In one day, Adrian Beltre raised his isolated power by ten points (a considerable feat at this point in the season). His eight total bases are three more than he had over the previous seven games. You'd like to say that he broke out of his slump tonight, but we've seen this happen a few times this year, usually followed by an almost immediate regression to mediocrity. There is arguably no more frustrating player in all of baseball right now.
It's one thing when a broadcaster doesn't know anything about a player on the other team. It's quite another when said broadcaster tells flat-out lies. According to the Anaheim MLB.tv feed, Yuniesky Betancourt signed with the Mariners prior to the 2004 season, and was promoted straight from AA San Antonio.
Likewise, after retiring Scott Spiezio with two down and a man on third in the fourth inning, the Anaheim announcers praised Jarrod Washburn for his "good pitching". Which really wasn't the case at all, since he allowed Spiezio to make contact. The guy's struck out in more than 40% of his plate appearances. Anything less than a three-pitch K has to be considered a mistake on the part of the pitcher.
Scott Spiezio's career as a Mariner: .200/.272/.328.
With a current career rate of one intentional walk per 9.6 games, Ichiro would need to play another 1170 games - a little over seven seasons - to become just the eleventh player in baseball history to reach 200 IBB's. At one intentional walk per 9.6 games, Ichiro has the second-highest rate of all time, behind only Barry Bonds.
Jamie Moyer came into the night having allowed 12 home runs on 193 fly balls, for an incredibly low rate of 6.2%. He allowed three on eleven during the game. The Law of Averages strikes again.
Spiroid's back again, going up against Bartolo Colon tomorrow afternoon (1:05pm) in a game that'll be blacked out on MLB.tv.