Where do I even start with a game like this? Every starter reached base and not just once, but at least twice for every hitter. I think Justin Smoak gets the nod for best game with the pair of home runs and a double, but Jesus Montero is right behind him with a home run of his own, a double that was almost a grand slam and a pair of walks that I really enjoy seeing out of him. After Montero began the season with a lopsided 18-2 strikeout-to-walk split, he's lately been far more acceptable and is almost evenly split over his last 11 games, 10-8.
Trying to find a biggest suckfest is much tougher. Looking at the win probability numbers, only three hitters had negative contributions total. Chone Figgins at -.009, Michael Saunders at -.016 and Alex Liddi at -0.49. Those are heavily dependent on context. There's clearly no way I'd call Saunders' three hits including two doubles to be a bad game. Unrelated, but Saunders was Mr. Swing today. He saw 23 pitches and pulled the swing trigger 18 times.
Beyond shinning in just this game, Justin Smoak finds himself on a very welcome tear lately. That's four home runs, a double and three walks over his last six games all while striking out only four times. Tonight's double was the first for Smoak since 14 May and just his third for the season total. I'm not completely taken aback by that statistic since Justin Smoak could give plate tectonics a run (ha!) for their money in the speed category, but it has been an aspect missing in his game. They can't all be singles and home runs, Justin. Unless you want to start hitting a hell of a lot more home runs. Which you're welcome to do.
Batter | #P | PA | RB | 1B/2B/3B/HR | nBB | SO (sw) | Sw (cnt) | GB/FB/LD/IF |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D Ackley | 26 | 6 | 3 | 0 / 1 / 0 / 1 | 1 | 1 (0) | 9 (9) | 0 / 2 / 1 / 1 |
C Figgins | 29 | 6 | 2 | 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 | 1 | 2 (1) | 12 (10) | 1 / 1 / 1 / 0 |
K Seager | 15 | 6 | 4 | 2 / 2 / 0 / 0 | 0 | 1 (0) | 7 (6) | 0 / 3 / 2 / 0 |
J Montero | 24 | 6 | 5 | 1 / 1 / 0 / 1 | 2 | 0 (0) | 8 (6) | 1 / 2 / 1 / 0 |
J Smoak | 18 | 6 | 4 | 0 / 1 / 0 / 2 | 1 | 1 (0) | 5 (5) | 2 / 2 / 0 / 0 |
A Liddi | 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 | 1 | 1 (1) | 7 (5) | 1 / 2 / 0 / 0 |
(PH) M Carp | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 | 0 | 0 (0) | 2 (1) | 0 / 1 / 0 / 0 |
M Olivo | 21 | 6 | 2 | 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 9 (6) | 2 / 2 / 1 / 0 |
M Saunders | 23 | 6 | 3 | 1 / 2 / 0 / 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 18 (13) | 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 |
B Ryan | 22 | 5 | 2 | 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 | 0 | 0 (0) | 13 (8) | 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 |
(PH) M Kawasaki | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 | 0 | 0 (0) | 2 (2) | 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 |
P = number of pitches seen, RB = reached base, nBB = unintentional walks and hit by pitches, sw = swinging strikeouts, cnt =contact
After the Mariners' 2-4 loss to Texas to open this series, two games ago, Kyle Seager had a batting line of .255/.299/.430. Kyle Seager is now hitting .278/.319/.466. Way to go seven for your last 11, Kyle. And the four doubles are nifty too. Seager put five balls in play tonight and all five were in the air, many of them on a line.
Seager seems out of place hitting third, but given that the relative importance of batting order typically goes 1st, 2nd, 4th and then I'm not sure between 3rd and 5th, Seager might make some sense in that spot. With the Chone Figgins lead off experiment dead and buried, I wonder if it isn't time for Eric Wedge to shuffle Ichiro Suzuki back up to either first or second in the order. Against right-handers at least an Ichiro-Dustin Ackley-Kyle Seager top of the order could be line drive central.
Whatever. When the lineup hits like this, it's enough to make you start thinking best case scenarios and really, what more is there to ask heading into an off day? Positive vibes, y'all.