No energy. No energy at all, all right. I'm in quite the mood to be writing the last game thread of the Cactus League season. You read that right - after today, there is no more Cactus League. Until 11 months from now, when there will be the next Cactus League. But this is the final day for 2012.
And one notes that the Mariners are a half-game behind the A's for the Cactus League lead. The Mariners play the Rockies at 1:05pm PDT. With a win, the Mariners can pull into a tie, pending Oakland's game against the Giants Wednesday afternoon. The Mariners are also presently tied with the Angels, but the Mariners have the edge in winning percentage. If the Mariners win today, and if the A's lose today, then the Mariners will capture the Golden Saguaro, no matter what the Angels do. The odds aren't great since we need two outcomes to go in our favor, but all you can ask for is a shot on the last day of the schedule.
Here's a Gameday link. Here's the starting lineup, de-Peguero'd:
Figgins, LF
Ackley, 2B
Ichiro, RF
Smoak, 1B
Seager, 3B
Ryan, SS
Saunders, CF
Wells, DH
Jaso, C
You know a lineup's potent when it's got Chone Figgins batting leadoff and Brendan Ryan batting sixth. Chone Figgins and Brendan Ryan are Major League Baseball players who are Major League Baseball hitters. If we were playing in a community park, Chone Figgins and Brendan Ryan might be the best hitters there! If all of the other hitters were people from the community, and the community is untalented.
Hector Noesi is starting. Jhoulys Chacin is starting opposite him. These are two guys who probably don't like when American people try to say their names.