Eight times today, Mariner pitchers got to an 0-2 count on a Tiger hitter.
Top 3, Carlos Silva vs Placido Polanco, 1 out, no runners:
Polanco is hardly a power threat.
Ball, Ball, Ball, In play (GB)
Top 4, Carlos Silva vs Miguel Cabrera, 0 out, no runners:
Ronny Cedeno had just tied the game in the bottom of the 3rd. Cabrera was the leadoff hitter of the inning.
Ball, Ball, Ball, Foul, Foul, Ball (BB)
Top 4, Carlos Silva vs Matt Treanor, 1 out, runners 1st and 3rd:
With Curtis Granderson on deck and in a jam, this would be a perfect time not to dick around with the likes of Matt Treanor.
Ball, Ball, Ball, In play (IF)
Top 6, Mark Lowe vs Miguel Cabrera, 0 out, no runners:
Hey look what having an out pitch and testicles can do for you!
Ball, Swinging Strike (K)
Top 8, Miguel Batista vs Matt Treanor, 1 out, runner on 2nd:
Even Miguel gets in on the action.
Foul, Called Strike (K)
Top 9, Shawn Kelley vs Magglio Ordonez, 1 out, no runners:
Meh.
Foul, Ball, Ball, Foul, Ball, Ball (BB)
Top 9, Shawn Kelley vs Carlos Guillen, 1 out, runners 1st and 2nd:
Having walked Mags and given up a single to Cabrera, Kelley found a chance to redeem himself a bit
Ball, Called Strike (K)
Top 9, Shawn Kelley vs Brandon Inge, 2 outs, runners 1st and 2nd (moved to 2nd and 3rd during PA):
Not the greatest sequence here, but after the 2nd ball went to the backstop, there was first base open and Josh Anderson on deck, so I can sort of give Kelley a pass here.
Ball, Ball, Ball, In Play (FB)
Shawn Kelley got some mixed results here, while Batista and Lowe did the right things, but what I wanted to point out here was Silva. Three times Carlos Silva reached 0-2 on a hitter, and all three of those times called for Silva to stay aggressive at the hitter. The result? In each case, Silva wasted the next three pitches out of the zone. Carlos Silva does not have a pitch that hitters are going to chase. Nothing he throws even moves in a surprising way.
Carlos Silva's strategy for putting hitters away in advantageous situations seems to consist of throwing the ball out of the zone and praying that hitters forget they're facing Carlos Silva.