25-33, Numbers

I will not be doing these boxscores after every game, I don't have the availability to accomplish that nor the incentive to make such availability. But on occasion, hopefully often, I will and tonight is one of those times since I stayed in watching the Sounders score as many goals as the Mariners had hits.

Last night saw significant contributions from Miguel Olivo and Munenori Kawasaki at the plate and while I'm always happier that the Mariners win rather than the Mariners lose, I prefer to have the wins (or losses) driven by the young players. That's where the promise is. So tonight I take away a small consolation in the performance of Michael Saunders, coming up a triple short of the cycle and making a lot of good contact.

Ichiro hasn't had a hit since he ding-donged those two ding-dongers back in Chicago. Perhaps the solution is not for Ichiro to bat third, or for Ichiro to bat first, but for Ichiro to alternate between third and first every game. Maybe Ichiro is too comfortable in his position. The Mariners could try hiring an ominous looking guy to not-so-covertly follow Ichiro around but A) I'm pretty sure nobody is more ominous looking and badass than Ichiro and B) I think Munenori Kawasaki's constant presence would ruin any attempt at intimidation.

P = number of pitches seen, RB = reached base, nBB = unintentional walks and hit by pitches, sw = swinging strikeouts, cnt =contact

I really think that Brendan Ryan will rebound offensively because his BABIP is just absurdly low but games like tonight make it very hard for my emotional side to agree with the rational side. Two more strikeouts and he missed on five of his seven swings. He's a mess at the plate right now. But he should be left in to work through it. He's a tremendous asset in the field and for now, he's not blocking the position. Perhaps down the line the team might want to see what Carlos Triunfel or Kyle Seager can do at short, but there's time enough for that later.

Blake Beavan

The stringers will say only one line drive, which usually is cause for rejoicing since it is an indicator of the pitcher avoiding solid contact. Usually is not always and in this case we know better because of that pesky three in the home run column. Blake Beavan was hittable tonight. He's always hittable, or at least seems that way, but sometimes the other team doesn't do the hitting part. The Angels did.

Beavan continues his pitching evolution away from his curveball and toward heavier usage of his slider. They have flip-flop-plopped each other as his primary offspeed pitch this season and the results are... well... like exactly the same. So that's something to watch out for. I guess?

Hisashi Iwakuma

A ho-hum long relief performance by Hisashi Iwakuma that's highlighted by the seven ground balls. He missed exactly zero bats, but he threw strikes and kept nearly every ball reasonably fieldable by his defense. He gave the offense an opportunity to come back, should they have felt so inclined.

The offense did not feel so inclined.