If I ran Major League Baseball.....

By Kshell

The Major League baseball playoffs are currently going on and just like they have in the past are getting killed in the ratings by the NFL. Baseball recently announced that the Houston Astros are moving from the National League Central to the American League west. Now every division has five teams but the problem is the leagues now each have 15 teams. The problem with this is that interleague play will be going all season long. Two teams will start the year off with interleague play while two other teams will end the season with interleague play which will piss off every old school baseball fan. Baseball is also expanding the playoffs to five teams. I think these are good ideas and in this following post I'll explain how I can solve the baseball season.

To solve the interleague problem I would expand the league to 32 teams. The two cities I would hand pick assuming they could get a stadium would be Las Vegas, Nevada and Portland, Oregon. Baseball doesn't have enough western teams as the teams out west constantly rack up the miles in travel. Las Vegas is a great sports city and have supported the 51's for years. The fear with Las Vegas is the gambling aspect. I understand that fear but with cell phones and the internet if you are going to bet on games that is very easy to do so. I also picked Portland even though it is a bad triple A baseball city but I feel has a passionate fan base. The city of Portland has shown great love for their Portland Trail Blazers and now Portland Timbers who are both leagues that is below Major League Baseball. I also added them to create more rivalries going forward. With these two teams I would be like the NFL where I'd have eight divisions of four teams. Like the NFL I would also have each league have six playoff teams with the top two seeds receiving a bye week. The first round would be a best of three, second round best of five then LCS and World Series play would be best of seven. I would also make sure both leagues are on the same page so either both have the DH or neither has the DH.

New Divisions:

AL Northwest:
Seattle Mariners
San Francisco Giants
Oakland A's
Portland Beavers

NL Pacific Division:
Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles of Anaheim Angels
San Diego Padres
Las Vegas Snake Eyes

AL Midwest Divison:
Kansas City Royals
St.Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs
Chicago Whitesox

NL Mountain Division:
Colorado Rockies
Arizona Diamond Backs
Texas Rangers
Houston Astros

AL Southern Division:
Tampa Bay Rays
Florida Marlins
Atlanta Braves
Washington Nationals

NL Northern Division:
Detroit Tigers
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
Minnesota Twins

AL Atlantic Division:
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
New York Mets
Toronto Blue Jays

NL Atlantic Division:
Balitmore Orioles
Cleveland Indians
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates

In conclusion, take a time to digest that and look at all the natural rivalries in the divisions. There wasn't enough southern teams so I had to split up the Orioles and Nationals same with Indians and Reds. Just as a Mariners fan look at our division you would have Seattle-Portland then the Bay Area teams. In the NL west you would have the LA teams with the Padres and Las Vegas all within four hours of each other. I think the attendance would increase as there would be more rivalries plus with having six playoff teams that is 37.5% of the league makes the playoffs so more playoff races will be involved. I know this is probably a long ways from happening but I think baseball should embrace the NFL model. I know a Seattle-Portland game at Safeco Field or down in Portland would be a packed house and the thought of that has me excited. Not to mention going on a road trip to Las Vegas to watch the Mariners play. Hopefully someday this dream of mine can finally become a reality.

Carpenter shuts out Phillies 1-0 as Cardinals advance to NLCS!

By Kshell

In big playoff games especially elimination games you tend to have great hype heading into the contest. Then once in a while you have a game like this game where the game actually exceeds the hype. In today's game five elimination game which saw the Philadelphia Phillies who are the heavy favorites to win the World Series take on the St.Louis Cardinals who were left for the dead just two weeks ago. You saw two former Cy Young award pitchers in Roy Halladay for the Phillies take on Chris Carpenter of the Cardinals. Both aces and former teammates were terrific as they combined to pitch 17 innings allowing only one run. Carpenter won the matchup with a complete game three-hit shutout to advance the Cardinals. The Cardinals scored early in this contest and that was all the scoring they would need.

The first inning would begin like the last time Roy Halladay took the hill for the Phillies. With the Cardinals scoring right out of the gate then be shutdown for the next seven innings. Halladay gave up a leadoff triple to Rafael Furcal to start the game. Skip Schumaker followed that up with an RBI double scoring Furcal. The Cardinals with the first two batters of the game already had a 1-0 lead on Halladay. Pujols would ground into a fielders choice as the Phillies recorded the out on Schumaker who tried to go to third. Pujols then moved up on a wild pitch into scoring position. After a fielding error by the Phillies Halladay finally put the scoring threat away. He got Matt Holiday to fly out then had a ground out to end the inning. That was a shaky first inning for the Phillies ace who was fortunate to only allow one run.

This game was a great pitching duel between Halladay and Carpenter. Both pitchers would go back and forth throwing up zero's on the scoreboard. In the fourth inning the Philles finally had a rally against Carpenter. The inning began with Utley being hit by a pitch. Hunter Pence grounded into a fielders choice for the first out. Ryan Howard came up only to line out to right centerfield for the second out. Shane Victorino singled advancing Pence to third base. Raul Ibanez came up to plate against Carpenter hoping to at least tie the game up. Carpenter made a mistake pitch to Ibanez as he smashed the ball to deep right field. The ball hung high up in the air only to be caught by Berkman at the wall as the Cardinals continued to lead 1-0 after four innings.

The game continued to go scoreless as both teams aces brought their best stuff. The Phillies were running out of outs as they were trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the seventh inning. The Phillies had one last chance in the bottom of the seventh inning. Leading off the inning was their slugger Howard who Carpenter fell behind 3-0. Charlie Manuel decided to green light his slugger. Carpenter left a ball over the plate as Howard had a good swing on the ball. The ball was a line drive to right field for the first out. Carpenter would retire the next two batters with ease. Carpenter was set to leadoff the eighth inning which left Tony LaRussa with a tough decision to make. With the Cardinals already up 1-0 so technically they don't have to score anymore LaRussa would stick with his ace and let him hit the in the eighth inning.


In the top half of the eighth inning the Cardinals had a chance to put Halladay and the Phillies away. Carpenter facing his old friend Halladay would actually single to lead off the eighth inning. Furcal tried to bunt and was safe on an error by the Phillies catcher. After a bunt and then Halladay intentionally walked Albert Pujols to face Lance Berkman. The Phillies were down just 1-0 but the Cardinals had the bases loaded with one out. Halladay would show why he is one of the games best pitchers. Halladay went after Berkman with cutters and changup's. On a 2-2 count he busted Berkman inside with a 90 mile per hour cutter for a huge second out for the strikeout. Halladay wasn't out of the jam yet as he still had to face Matt Holliday. Halladay would fall behind in the count 2-0 on Holliday but battled back to pound two more strikes. Then Holliday almost quieted the crowd as he belted the ball to deep left field. Holliday hit it at the end of the bat as Ibanez made the catch in left to keep the game at 1-0. For Halladay who was coming up to bat knew his night was over. Halladay who gave up a run in the first two batters settled down to allow no more runs like he did during game one. His fishing partner Carpenter was pitching so well that Halladay was on the hook for the loss 1-0.

After retiring the Phillies in the eighth inning instead of going to his closer the Cardinals turned to Carpenter to finish the Phillies. Carpenter retired Utley to start off the ninth. Then Pence was robbed of a base hit which set it all up for Howard. Carpenter would finish the Phillies season as Howard grounded out to first base. Howard on the play possibly hurt his MCL and will be evaluated later. The mighty Phillies were eliminated in the first round which was a stunning upset. The Phillies losing pitcher was Halladay who went eight innings, allowed six hits, one run and struck out seven. He was outshined by Carpenter who pitched nine innings, gave up just three hits while striking out three in a 1-0 shutout victory. For the Cardinals who were left for the dead  just two weeks ago to eliminate the "Dream Team" that was huge.

In conclusion, the baseball playoffs had our first stunning upset in years. The Phillies who had four aces were eliminated in the first round. Meanwhile the Cardinals will face off against the Brewers in the NLCS in a battle of the NL central. The Cardinanls led by LaRussa are back in the hunt for yet another championship. This was an incredible first round of playoff baseball. Hopefully the league championship series can follow this up. The Cardinals a team nobody was even talking about just two weeks ago are suddenly just four wins away from the World Series.

T-Plush sends Brew Crew to first playoff series win since 82'

By Kshell

The Milwaukee Brewers for the first time since 1982 have won a playoff series as they defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in extra innings. The Brewers were hoping to avoid blowing a 2-0 series lead then avoided a devastating loss as they blew the lead late in the game as well. This was your typical elimination game in the playoffs which saw some great pitching and some clutch hitting. The Brewers led by Nyjer Morgan who provided the game winning hit they will be advancing to the NLCS for the first time in franchise history. The Diamondbacks who had an incredible season saw their season end when their closer gave up the game winning hit to Morgan. This game went back and forth which is exactly what you want to see in playoff baseball.

This game was shaping up to be a pitchers duel between Yovani Gallardo and Ian Kennedy. In the third inning is when the first run of the game was finally scored. Gallardo who had allowed one hit to the first 11 batters of the game would finally make a mistake. Justin Upton homered opposite field to deep right field to give the Diamondbacks an early 1-0 lead. Meanwhile Kennedy kept putting up zero's on the scoreboard while Gallardo was doing his best job at damage control. The Brewers found themselves trailing 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. The Brewers knew in this ballpark they had plenty of time and there was no panic. The Brewers would finally rally in the bottom of the fourth inning off of Kennedy.

In the bottom half of the fourth inning the Brewers finally got to Kennedy. Morgan began the inning with a leadoff double to deep right centerfield. Then he advanced to third on a wild pitch with still nobody out. Kennedy then walked Ryan Braun setting up Prince Fielder with first and third nobody out. Fielder popped out to shallow left center which didn't score Morgan. Kennedy then hit Richie Weeks giving the Brewers a bases loaded, one out situation. Kennedy fell behind Jerry Hariston Jr. 3-1 but jam Hariston Jr. to shallow right field. The ball was hit so shallow that Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill had to make an over the shoulder catch which allowed Morgan to tag up to tie the game at 1-1. Kennedy would then retire Yuniesky Betancourt to finally end the rally.

In the sixth inning the Brewers would have one final rally against Kennedy. Braun led the inning off with a double to shallow left field. Kennedy then walked Fielder to give the Brewers a first and second no out situation. Kennedy would have Weeks pop up on a bunt attempt so no runners advanced. Hariston Jr. would fly out to centerfield as it appeared Kennedy was going to escape the jam. Then came up former Mariners shortstop Betancourt. Betancourt would single up the middle with two outs scoring Braun from second base. The Brewers led 2-1 and can now turn the ball over to their fantastic bullpen which has been lights out all season long. For Kennedy who would strike out the next batter his day would be done. The Diamondbacks were down to their final nine outs against the Brewers bullpen which had been lights out.

In the top of the eighth inning is when the game became interesting. The Brewers gave the ball to their newly acquired setup man Francisco Rodriguez who has plenty of postseason experience. Rodriguez began the inning by walking Hill then struck out Upton. Rodriguez allowed a single to Miguel Montero to set up first and third with only one man down. Rodriguez came up with another huge strike out where only a sacrifice fly would have tied the game up. Rodriguez on a full count to Chris Young lost him to ball four. The bases loaded were loaded with two outs as Rodriguez faced Ryan Roberts who hit a grand slam in game four. Rodriguez although shaky showed why he is a premium reliever as he got Roberts to ground out to a fielders choice. The Brewers were only three outs away from their first postseason series win in 29 years.

In the ninth inning the Brewers handed the ball to closer John Axford and his amazing mustache. Axford allowed a double to deep centerfield by Gerardo Parra. Axford allowed a single giving the Diamondbacks first and third with nobody out for Willie Bloomquist another former Mariner. Bloomquist shocked everyone as he attempted to pull off a suicide squeeze. Bloomquist actually was successful with the game tying bunt single scoring Parra. Axford  already blown the save was facing a first and second nobody out situation. Axford struck out Hill to record his first out. He would then face Upton only to have him ground out in a fielder's choice. Axford would finally end the inning with another ground out which he did a good job of damage control.

In the top of the 10th inning Axford was asked to pitch his second inning. That inning was a clean inning for Axford as he retired the Diamondbacks in order including ending the inning with a strikeout. Now the Diamondbacks turned to their closer J.J.Putz hoping to go multiple innings as well. Well that plan didn't go so well for the Diamondbacks. Putz would retire Craig Counsell to start the inning off. Putz gave up a single to Carlos Gomez. Gomez would then steal second base off of Putz. With one out Morgan singled up the middle as the throw to the plate was late. Gomez scored the winning run as Morgan was the hero. The Brewers won their first playoff series since 1982 by winning all three of their home games in the process. For the Brewers they received a strong pitching performance by Gallardo who went six innings allowing one run while striking out five. For the Diamonbacks their starter was just as good as Kennedy went six innings allowing two runs while also striking out five. Morgan was the player of the game going two for five with the game winning RBI while also scoring a run earlier in the game.

In conclusion, the year of Wisconsin just continues. The year began with the Green Bay Packers winning the Super Bowl, now the Wisconsin Badgers are competing for a national title. The Milwaukee Brewers not to be forgotten are just four wins away from the World Series. The Brewers will have a few more games to enjoy Prince Fielders. This was an incredible series with two evenly matched teams which saw the home team win every single game. The Brewers are going to party like it's 1982 all over again!

Tigers eliminate Yankees 3-2!

By Kshell

The baseball playoffs have been terrific so far with three of the four series going the full distance. Today saw the Detroit Tigers eliminate the team with the highest payroll the New York Yankees in five games by a score of 3-2. The Tigers were led by back to back homeruns in the first inning and never looked back. For the first time in playoff history you saw two pitchers making their first career playoff start in an elimination game. Remember Doug Fister and Ian Nova came out of the bullpen in game due to the rain. This game would quickly turn into the power of the bullpens as both teams starting pitching didn't last very long as the leash in a game of this magnitude is so short.



In the first inning the Tigers gave Doug Fister early run support. The second batter of the game Don Kelly belted a home run to deep right field to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. The following batter Delmon Young jacked the ball to deep left field giving the Tigers a 2-0 lead in the first. Nova who had been so terrific in game one was down 2-0 in the games first seven pitches. For Doug Fister the first three innings were pretty easy for him then came the fourth inning where Fister would have to escape the jam.

In the fourth inning Fister walked Alex Rodriguez, after recording an out gave up a base hit. Fister allowed a single to Jorge Posada to shallow centerfield but that couldn't score Rodriguez from second base. Fister was in a bases loaded one out jam and it had appeared he was in for a big inning like in game one. This is when Fister buckled down as Russell Martin popped up to shallow right field. Then Fister would have Brett Gardner fly out in foul territory leaving the inning allowing zero runs. That was a big opportunity lost for the Yankees who had several chances this game.

The Tigers did their best to add to their 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Facing the Yankees third pitcher of the game already who happen to be C.C.Sabathia is when the Tigers scored their final run of the game. Former Yankees top prospect Austin Jackson legged out a double to begin the inning. Sabathia like most aces struck out the next two batters then intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera. Victor Martinez singled in Jackson to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning the Yankees would finally score a run. After Fister recorded two quick  outs he gave up a homerun to deep right field to Robinson Cano to cut the lead to 3-1. For Fister that would be his final inning as he allowed one run in five innings of work. He did his job unlike game one which was give the Tigers a terrific outing. For the Tigers there was plenty of big moments left in this playoff clinching game. The Yankees weren't about to go away that easily as they trailed 3-1 and were behind the eight ball as Ian Nova lasted only two innings allowing two runs.

Earlier in the day Jim Leyland announced he was not going to pitch Justin Verlander on two days rest no matter what. Well in the seventh inning that thinking almost left Leyland up for a ton of second guessing. The bottom of the seventh began with a strikeout then  Derek Jeter recording a "Jeter special" which was a clutch single to start a rally. That is when Leyland would pull Max Scherzer the game two starter for Joaquin Benoit. Benoit gave up a single to Curtis Granderson then an infield single to Robinson Cano as he misplayed the ball. Benoit with the Tigers clinging to a 3-1 lead saw Yankees superstar Alex Rodriguez at the plate with the bases loaded and one out. Benoit who mixed his pitches well that whole at bat struck out Rodriguez for a big second out. Benoit then walked Mark Teixeira which cut the lead to 3-2 and the bases were still loaded. Benoit was facing Nick Swisher who homered off of him in game two. Benoit struck out Swisher for the biggest strikeout of his life. The Yankees left the bases loaded for the second time this game as the Tigers remained in the lead 3-2. For the Yankees time was running out as they were down to their final six outs. In the eighth inning after recording two quick outs Benoit gave up a base hit to Gardner which set up Jeter. Jeter hit the ball opposite field to deep right field only to see the ball caught at the wall. That would have been a go ahead homerun instead the Yankees were trailing 3-2 entering the ninth inning.

The ninth inning came with the Yankees sending up the heart of the order against Jose Valverde. Valverde guaranteed a Tigers series win and was perfect in save situations recording 49 for 49 saves. Valverde retired Granderson who flied out to shallow left field for out number one. Then came up Cano who torched the Tigers for six RBI's in game one which Valverde got him to fly out to centerfield. The Yankees season would come down to Rodriguez who has been a lighting rod  for past Yankees playoff failures. Valverde would finish off Rodriguez awful night with a strikeout to finish off the Yankees. For Rodriguez that would be his third strikeout of the game as he hit just .111 for the series. For the Tigers they are moving on the American League Championship series to take on the Texas Rangers.

For the Tigers they received a big outing from former Mariners pitcher Doug Fister. Fister who rebounded from his awful game one outing went five innings, allowing five hits, walking two, allowing just one run while striking out five batters. The Tigers unsung hero was Benoit who pitched 1.2 innings, allowed three hits, one walk but struck out three as he allowed zero runs in relief. Delmon Young was huge for the Tigers going two for four with a big homerun as was Kelly who hit a homerun. For the Yankees who left 20 men on base this was a tough loss. The Yankees saw their bullpen pitching seven innings allowing only one run. The damage had already been done though in the first inning.

In conclusion, the Detroit Tigers by not pitching Justin Verlander will have him available for game one of the ALCS. The Tigers will be going to the defending American League Champs house for the first two games so rain shouldn't be a factor there. The Tigers a team I picked to make the ALCS in the preseason have the right ingredients to go all the way. The Tigers finished off the evil empire when everyone in America was rooting for them. For the second straight year the Mariners have traded away a pitcher who won a clinching game five in that very same year. The Tigers finished off the Yankees is just the start to a great postseason as we have two do or die games tomorrow.

Game two LDS recaps

By Kshell

The baseball playoffs continued today as three games were all compelling. In a best of five game series game two is so crucial as teams are trying to even the series stealing homefield or teams are trying to go up 2-0. Today saw two road teams win  to steal homefield advantage while another team took care of business with a big inning to go up 2-0 in the series. One team saw a former Cy Young award winner blow a 4-0 lead. In another game the home team was down early but rallied late in the game with the go ahead man at the plate. In the third game saw a team blow a 4-1 lead only to score five runs to put the game away. In this following post I'll give a short recap of the three playoff games.

Brewers use five run sixth inning to win 9-4 over D-Backs; leads series 2-0:

The Brewers began this critical game two hoping to go up 2-0 in the series to be one game away from their first postseason series victory since 1982. The Brewers sent former Cy Young award winner Zach Greinke to the hill. In this game Greinke couldn't hang onto a 4-1 lead but the Brewers offense rallied in the bottom of the sixth to take the lead for good as the Diamondbacks bullpen imploaded.

The game started off terrific for the Brewers as Ryan Bruan hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the first inning off of Daniel Hudson to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead. The Diamondbacks would respond in the top of the second inning with a Paul Goldschmidt homerun to cut the lead in half at 2-1.

In the third inning the Brewers would score two more runs as Prince Fielder would single in Ryan Braun with a shallow single. Richie Weeks would triple to deep centerfield scoring the slow footed Fielder from first base to give the Brewers a 4-1 lead. Chris Young of the Diamondbacks in the top of the fourth inning would go yard as the Diamondbacks pulled within 4-2.

In the fifth inning Greinke trying to hold a 4-2 lead couldn't do so. After allowing an Aaron Hill base hit he would make a mistake to all-star Justin Upton who homered to deep left field to tie the game up at 4-4. That would be Greinke's final inning as he last just five innings, allowing eight hits, four earned runs, three homeruns while striking out seven. The Brewers would change the series in the bottom half of the sixth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth inning Daniel Hudson retired the first batter he faced. After allowing a double to Jerry Hariston Jr. that would end Hudson's night as he was pulled for Brad Ziegler. After a walk and a balk the Brewers had first and third with one out with Jonathan Lecroy up. Lecroy had a sacrifice to Ziegler who committed a two base error scoring Hariston Jr. while allowing the Brewers to have second and third with one out while being up 5-4. After an intentional walk with the bases loaded the Brewers saw Corey Hart come up with an RBI single to give the Brewers a 6-4 lead. Nyjer Morgan would put the game away with a two-run RBI single extending the lead to 8-4. Braun would record an RBI single to give the Brewers the 9-4 lead. That is when Ziegler's day was finally over as he allowed four runs while not recording a single out. Hudson would receive the loss allowing five runs in 5.1 innings.

The Brewers were led by their offense and bullpen once again. The bullpen went four shutout innings striking out six Diamondbacks hitters. For the offense they were led by Ryan Braun who was three for four with three RBI's and two runs scored. The Diamondbacks were carried by Chris Young who was three for four with a homerun. For the Brewers they just have to win one game in the next three to win their first playoff series since 1982. For the Diamondbacks they are hoping to avoid being swept for the third time in franchise history in the postseason.

 Cabrera has huge game for Tigers as they even up the series with a 5-3 win over Yankees:

The Detroit Tigers earned the road split that they wanted as they return home hoping to finish the Yankees off in four games like they did in 2006. The Tigers received a lights out performance from Max Scherzer and fended off a late rally by the Yankees to tie the series up at 1-1.

Going up against veteran playoff pitcher Freddy Garcia the Tigers jumped on the board in the first inning. Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run home run opposite field scoring Miguel Ordanez to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead which is all Scherzer would need.

In the sixth inning after Garcia had settled down the Tigers got to Garcia again. Cabrera would single scoring former Yankees top prospect Austin Jackson to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead. Victor Martinez would also single giving the Tigers a 4-0 lead. That was all for Garcia as he went 5.1 innings, allowing four runs, three earned while striking out seven.

Curtis Granderson finally got the Yankees on the board with a homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning to cut the lead to 4-1. In the top of the ninth Don Kelly who came in as a defensive replacement would single to shallow center scoring Brandon Inge giving the Tigers a 5-1 lead. The ball was then handed to their closer Jose Valverde who hadn't blown a save all season long.

Yankees made the ninth inning interesting as Nick Swisher led the inning off with a homer cutting the lead to 5-2. Jorge Posada would triple to deep center and then Valverde would walk Russell Martin would brought the tying run at the plate. Andrew Jones recorded a sacrifice fly scoring Posada cutting the lead to 5-3. Valverde then struck out Derek Jeter for the second out but would walk Granderson. Robinson Cano the go ahead runner at the plate who had six RBI's the previous game was the batter. Valverde got Cano to ground out to end the game as the Tigers held on.

The Tigers were led by Cabrera who was three for four with a homerun and three RBI's. Magglio Ordonez was three for three with a run scored. Scherzer went six shutout innings striking out five Yankees batters. Now the series will resume in Detroit as both aces will be taking the hill in what is now a best of three series. The Tigers recorded the split they wanted and now for the Yankees they must have at least a split or their season will end in disappointment.

Cardinals rally from 4-0 deficit to Lee to even series up:

The Cardinals who rallied just to make the postseason were asked to rally again. After blowing a 3-0 lead in game one it was the Cardinals who rallied this game. The Cardinals sent their ace Chris Carpenter on three days rest in game two. Carpenter was blown up but the bullpen kept the Cardinals in the game. After falling behind 4-0 to Cy Young award winner and postseason legend Cliff Lee the Cardinals rallied to beat the Phillies 5-4.

The game began horribly for Carpenter and the Cardinals. He loaded the bases with nobody out for Ryan Howard who had burned the Cardinals in game one. Howard then recorded a two-run RBI single to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Raul Ibanez would single scoring Hunter Pence to give the Phillies a commanding 3-0 lead in the first inning. The Phillies would tack on another run in the second inning on a Hunter Pence RBI single scoring Jimmy Rollins. With Cliff Lee on the mound the 4-0 lead seemed untouchable.

The mighty Lee would finally start to show signs of being human in October in the fourth inning. The inning would begin with a rare walk by Lee followed up by a strikeout. Lee would allow a base hit to set up first and second with one man down. Ryan Theriot doubled to right scoring Berkman while Molina advanced to third base to pull the Cardinals within 4-1. Jon Jay singles to right cutting the lead to 4-2.  Lee would record another strikeout only to allow an RBI base hit to Rafael Furcal scoring Theriot but Jay was gunned out at the plate by Raul Ibanez to keep the lead at 4-3. Carpenter was lifted for a pinch hitter lasting only three innings giving up four runs striking out just two.

In the sixth inning the Cardinals would finally tie the game up on Lee. After recording two quick outs Lee would allow a double to Theriot. The game would be tied up as Jay singled in Theriot. Allen Craig would lead off the seventh inning with a triple off of Lee. Setting up Albert Pujols who singled in the go ahead run to give the Cardinals a 5-4 lead. Lee would be finished going six innings, allowing 12 hits, five runs while striking out nine.

The Cardinals would hang on for the 5-4 win sending the series back to St.Louis tied up at one game apiece. The Cardinals were led by Jon Jay who was two for three with two RBI's. Pujols was two for five with an RBI while the Cardinals bullpen went six shutout innings striking out six batters. For the Phillies who were the "dream team" they have lost their homefield advantage in a game they had to feel they let go.

In conclusion, the baseball playoffs at least had some drama and we have three of the four series tied up at one game apiece which is good. Baseball needs these series to go pretty far because too many times in the past the series have been short lived. I love the baseball postseason and hopefully this week when not competing with football others will enjoy them as well. October baseball nothing beats it. We saw two road teams rally to even up the series which is what playoff baseball is all about.

Game one ALDS recap; Texas-Tampa Bay

By Kshell

Well that time of the year again where the baseball playoffs have begun. Today was a strange day for the first day of the postseason as one game featured a blowout while the other game was postponed after just an inning and a half. This wasn't like last year where you saw a perfect game on the first day. So like I'll be doing for the entire major league baseball playoffs I'll be recapping all the games as best as I can. For today there is only one game which features a rematch between the Tampa Bay Rays and Texas Rangers who played in a great five game series last year. The Texas Rangers unlike last year were hosting the game as the Tampa Bay Rays are the wild card team. The Rays who rallied from a 7-0 deficit on Wednesday to make the playoffs making up nine games in the standings on the Boston Red Sox.  Due to that game on Wednesday the Rays were throwing a pitcher who had made only one career start. The Rays also have to fly to Texas facing the Rangers ace C.J.Wilson so many expected the defending American League champions to defeat the Rays in game one. Well just like on Wednesday baseball is a funny game. Hero's can step up when you least expect it which is what happened today for the Rays.

Shoppach homers twice as Moore shuts out Rangers for Rays 9-0 win:

The Rays took it to the Rangers in game one improving to 3-0 all-time in the ballpark of Arlington in the postseason. The Rays behind seven shutout innings from their rookie pitcher Matt Moore won game one to take a 1-0 lead. The Rays were also helped out by slumping catcher Kelly Shoppach who was 3-5, two home runs and five RBI's.  Not bad for a guy who hit below .200 during the regular season.

The Rays started their scoring on C.J. Wilson in the second inning when veteran Johnny Damon hit a two-run homerun to right field to give the Rays a 2-0 lead. After Shoppach reached base, two batters later Matt Joyce drove in Shobbach to give the Rays a 3-0 lead.

Hanging onto a 3-0 lead the Rays made sure Moore's first career playoff start would be as easy as possible. In the third inning Shoppach put the game away when he hit a three-run homerun to deep centerfield scoring Ben Zohbrist and Eva Longoria to give the Rays a commanding 6-0 lead as C.J.Wilson was getting rocked.

In the fifth inning Shoppach took Wilson deep again for a two-run homerun as Damon was on base to give the Rays an 8-0 lead. That would be Wilson's final inning as he lasted five innings, allowing seven hits, eight runs, six earned, striking out six but gave up three homeruns a far cry from his start last year against the Rays.

The Rays would score their final run in the ninth inning on an infield base hit by Damon to give them a 9-0 shutout win in game one. For the Rays they were led by Shoppach who was 3-5 with two homeruns with five RBI's and three runs scored. Damon was 2-5 with a homerun, three RBI's and two runs scored. Moore pitched terrificly going 7 innings allowing no runs while allowing just two hits. He struck out six while walking on two batters. Making his second career start he doesn't seem fazed by the moment. In two starts he has won at Yankees stadium and now on the road in the playoffs so I think safe to say he won't be scared of pressure.

In conclusion, this was a boring first day as one game was a blow out and the other was rained out. Hopefully the baseball playoffs will provide plenty of great moments which I'm sure they will. The Rays taking game one is huge with James Shields and David Price behind Moore. Remember the Rangers won't have Cliff Lee this year who was 2-0 in that five game series win over the Rays last season. The Major League Baseball playoffs is underway and I'm pretty excited to finally care about baseball again. As a Seattle Mariners fan I stopped caring about baseball when in April, actually in July. I love baseball playoffs as every pitch can be the difference between a World Series title or losing in the first round. The Rays who won the American League in 2008 are off to a good start in this years postseason.

The 2011 MLB Draft

2011 MLB Draft is just hours away (it’s at 4pm PST) and we still don’t know who the Mariners are going to pick. We have narrowed it down to three possibilities: Anthony Rendon, Francisco Lindor, and Bubba Starling. Each of these players are significantly different and they will all be the #1 prospect in the M’s system the moment they sign.

The Case for Francisco Lindor:

Francisco Lindor is the top shortstop in a draft that doesn’t have very many shortstops (or middle infielders in general). He’s known for his defensive prowess, but he’s got a very good bat too. Scouts have raved about his switch hitting ability (a tad better from the right side) and his plus contact skills. The knock on Lindor has always been his power; however he won the 2010 Aflac All-American Home Run Derby held at Petco Park. Considering he was the youngest contestant, a short stop, and that the contest was held at one of the toughest park for home runs in all MLB, one might say this was just a good day, then I heard about what he did at Safeco on his visit.

Francisco Lindor visited the Mariners on Thursday and worked out in front of Scouting Director Tom McNamara, General Manager Jack Zduriencik and various scouts. Needless to say, he did not disappoint. McNamara is a big believer on wanting a player that loves/lives/breathes/dreams baseball, and Lindor is definitely that kind of kid. He apparently blew everyone away in the interview process, but I’d say that’s secondary to what he did on the diamond. Apparently while he was taking some swings he hit several home runs and hit the scoreboard in left-center field. Now that only gets hit a couple times a month by major leaguers, Lindor is only 17. I think teams are under rating his power.

Lindor will play short stop in the majors, there is no question about that. He’s a small notch below Andrus in terms of defense and has a much higher ceiling for offense. He has good reactions, quick feet and very good arm strength. He doesn’t have any quarks in turning double plays.

Lindor is a player worth the #2 pick and worth getting excited about. He has average to above average tools across the board with a good potential batting average and I believe good power. That with a plus-plus glove and I think he’s more major league ready than we think. People are projecting him to be ready around 2014, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were sooner than that. The comparable I hear most is Jose Reyes, but I think Jimmy Rollins with better D is better. No one thought Rollins would hit for power then he busted out a 30/30 year. Lindor doesn’t have Reyes’ quickness or base stealing ability.

The Case for Bubba Starling

Bubba Starling is 6’5 and a freak athlete. There’s an article called: “The Legend of Bubba Starling” in an Omaha paper that will give some background on Bubba’s freakish athleticism. He’s a legitimate three-sport prospect in football, basketball and baseball; this will inevitably make him a tough sign. He has a college commitment to Nebraska to be the quarterback of the football team and play for the baseball team. Jason Churchill wrote that “Starling profiles as a power-hitting centerfielder who has drawn some comparisons to defending American League MVP Josh Hamilton for his athleticism, advanced approach and raw power.“

Starling’s athleticism makes him the definition of a 5-tool player. His arm strength is incredible as he’s been clocked as throwing as fast as 97 on the radar gun (which is why some teams love him as a pitcher). He’s very fast as I’ve heard he’s between a 65-70 on the 20-80 scouting speed scale. However where he’s truly special is with his bat. Scouts say his pitch recognition is very advanced, and that he’s truly a 75 power 70 contact type hitter.

Starling is the definition of a high-risk high-reward prospect. We forget that he’s only 18 years old and it’s very hard to project what he will do if he focuses all of his attention towards baseball. We can fantasize about all this untapped potential, but who knows if he’ll ever actually get there.

The Case for Anthony Rendon

Rendon was the favorite for #1 coming into this season with some experts going as far as to say they would have taken him #1 last year. Then injuries struck. Rendon has broken his ankle twice the last two years (both apparently flukish injuries) and now he has shoulder problems. Teams have now seen his medicals and Keith Law reported (paraphrasing here) “that there was no apparent structural damage” whereas others are reporting that teams are scared from them. The only way to know for sure is to see where he drops.

I wrote about Rendon’s achievements last year here. All of that is still true, however teams are concerned about Rendon’s lack of power this year as he only hit: 327/520/523 with 6 HR and 20 doubles in 214 at bats. Now those are great numbers, but no one has ever doubted his OBP ability. Rendon will be able to hit at the major league level, but it’s a question of whether he’s a solid 3b or if he can regain his power and become Evan Longoria with better D. If you’re optimistic about his shoulder then you think he’ll hit 20-25 homeruns at Safeco with gold glove quality defense and walk a ton while hitting for a good average. If you think the shoulder problems are real then reduce all of those numbers by a 20% and move him to second base where there will be less strain on his shoulder.

I’m hearing differing things so that’s usually when you don’t say anything. What I think I know: Tom McNamara has Francisco Lindor #1 on his board. Jack Zduriencik has Bubba Starling #1 on his board. They both have Rendon #2 on their board. I don’t know who will get the pick but whatever happens I think Jack Zduriencik and Tom McNamara have earned our trust in the draft. Here are Zduriencik’s first round picks of the past ten years: Prince Fielder, Richie Weeks, Mark Rogers, Ryan Braun, Matt Laporta, Jeremy Jeffries, Brett Lawrie, Dustin Ackley & Nick Franklin, Taijuan Walker (sandwich pick).

There’s a great reason to be excited about any of these players and I don’t think any of them are “reaches”. If it were up to me I’d want Starling-Rendon-Lindor, but any of the 3 and I’m going to be super excited.

The week that was Seattle Mariners edition: April 1st-10th

By Kshell

Unlike previous sports where I write a game recap on each game with baseball I'll just do a simple week that was post. For the Seattle Mariners they started the week off pretty good winning their first two games on the road at Oakland. Then after that it was all downhill for the team as they have lost seven games in a row. During that seven game losing streak the team has scored just 18 runs. This week has already brought the team some excitement with the debut of Michael Pineda, Ichiro breaking Edgar Martinez franchise hits record, Felix Hernandez receives his Cy Young after pitching a complete game on opening day. Then there was some lowlights like the seven game losing streak, Erik Bedard's era, the terrible defense and the Jack Wilson saga. I'll break all this down in the upcoming post.

The Good:

The good for the week was the 2-0 start where the Mariners had some terrific starting pitching. The Mariners starting pitchers went 15 2/3 innings allowing only three runs while striking out 11. The Mariners also scored 11 runs the first two games. Ichiro recorded four hits in the first two games to pass Edgar Martinez as the all-time hits king. Felix Hernandez pitched the first complete game win in Mariners history on opening day.

Hitting Leaders:

Jack Wilson: 6-18(.333), 3 SB, 2 runs, RBI
Adam Kennedy: 5-16(.313), 2 Doubles, 2 runs
Ichiro: 9-36(.250), 2 runs, 4 RBI's, 3 SB

Pitching Leaders:

Felix Hernandez: 1-1, 16 IP, 2.25 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 11 K's
Doug Fister: 0-2, 11.2 IP, 2.31 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 5 K's
Jamey Wright: 4.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.46 WHIP, 4 K's
Brandon League: 2.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.38 WHIP, 2 K's, one save

The Bad:

There has been plenty of bad for the Mariners this season. The Mariners are currently on a seven game losing streak. The Mariners as a team are hitting .215 with just four home runs through nine games. The Mariners have scored just 18 runs during this seven game losing streak which is an average of 2.5 runs per game.

Hitting Slump:

Chone Figgins: 5-37(.135), HR, 3 RBI's, 2 runs, SB, 6 K's
Brendan Ryan: 3-21(.143), 2 RBI's, 4 runs
Jack Cust: 6-32(.188), 3 RBI's, 3 runs, 11 K's
Ryan Langerhans: 3-18(.167), 2 HR's, 3 RBI's, 2 runs, 8 K's

Pitching Slump:

Erik Bedard: 0-2, 9 IP, 9.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP, 9 K's
Tom Wilhelmsen: 2.2 IP, 13.50 ERA, 2.63 WHIP, 4 K's
Josh Lueke: 2.2 IP, 13.50 ERA, 2.25 WHIP, 4 K's
Chris Ray: 1-0, 1 BS, 3.1 IP, 8.10 ERA, 1.8 WHIP, ZERO K's

The Ugly:

This team appears to be falling apart inside the clubhouse as well. First with Jack Wilson who made two costly errors on a game against the Texas Rangers. Wilson then asked out of the game because he felt he was hurting the team. After the team Wilson said Eric Wedge pulled him from the game which Wedge didn't take kindly. In fact Wilson didn't play at all in the three game sweep to the Cleveland Indians. Then during Saturday's game Milton Bradley apparently was being heckled by his own home crowd. It got to the point where he was batting with earplugs in his ears. The Mariners like I said are currently riding a seven game losing streak.

Ugly Hitting:

Seattle Mariners team: 64-298(.215), .285 OB, .597 OPS, 4 HR's, 27 RBI's, 69 K's. 29 runs scored(3.2 runs per game).

Standings:

Texas Rangers: 8-1 1st place
LA Angels: 5-4, 3.0 GB
Oakland A's: 4-5, 4.0 GB
Seattle Mariners: 2-7, 6 GB

As you see despite only play nine games the Mariners already find themselves six games back in the division. The Mariners after taking two of three from the Oakland A's got swept by the Texas Rangers then the Cleveland Indians. The Mariners despite the season just starting already feel hopelessly out of the season. Just a matter of time before Jack Wilson is released. I predict by June you'll see Jack Cust and Milton Bradley shown the door. The Mariners I'm sure are desperately trying to trade Figgins if anyone wants him. For now just sit back and enjoy Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda. The bright spots on this team very few and certainly far between. The Mariners completed the first week of the season going 2-7 and still can't score any runs. This looks like a team headed towards their third 100+ loss season in four years. Hopefully this team can give the fans something.

Indians crush Mariners 12-3 in home opener!

By Kshell

The Cleveland Indians(5-2) ruin their former manager Eric Wedge's home debut with his new ball club the Seattle Mariners by destroying them early. The Indians put the Mariners away with a 10 run fourth inning to defeat them 12-3. On a day where the Mariners honored legendary announcer Dave Niehaus who passed away this offseason the team put up a performance that Niehaus was used to from the 1980's. The Mariners will never be able to replace the voice of Niehaus but must find a way to snap this five game losing streak. The Mariners still aren't hitting which is putting too much pressure on the starting pitcher. When the starting pitcher has an off night the game is essentially over since the team has scored just 24 runs in seven games and just 13 in the last five games.

Before the game had begun the Mariners honored Dave Niehaus when rapper Macklemore rapped a tribute song for Niehaus. Then there was a plaque for Niehaus above the announcers booth forever that read "Niehaus 1977-2010". The Mariners also presented gold gloves to Franklin Gutierrez and Ichiro. Ichiro was presented with an award from Edgar Martinez for breaking Martinez Mariners hit record. The Mariners then presented Felix Hernandez his Cy Young award. Then the game began and it was all down hill. The second batter of the game and former Mariners product Asdrubal Cabrera took Jason Vargas deep to left field for a home run to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning Ichiro led the inning off with a hit but was quickly cancelled out when Chone Figgins lined into a double play. Vargas would put up zero's the next two innings but then the fourth inning happened.

In the fourth inning the game quickly got away from Jason Vargas. The inning began with a simple single by Shin-Soo Choo and moved to third on a Carlos Santana base hit. The Indians then scored on a Travis Hafner single to shallow center field scoring Choo and moving Santana to second base to give the Indians a 2-0 lead. Orlando Cabrera then got a base hit scoring Santana giving the Indians a 3-0 lead. Austin Kearns then finally got an extra base hit ripping a double scoring Hafner and giving the Indians a 4-0 lead. Then the Mariners got their first out of the inning when Matt LaPorta hit a sac fly scoring Cabrera giving the Indians a 5-0 lead. Former Mariner Jack Hannahan recorded a base hit scoring Kearns giving the Indians a 6-0 lead and ending Jason Vargas night after just 3 1/3 innings pitched. Wedge brought in Tom Wilhelmsen who turned a blowout into a disaster. After allowing another base hit Wilhelmsen struck out Asdrubal Cabrera for the second out. Santana then got an RBI base hit scoring two guys to give the Indians an 8-0 lead. To cap the inning Hafner hit a three run home run to give the Indians an 11-0 lead and scoring 10 runs in the inning. Most of the Seattle crowd had left at that point in the game.

The Mariners at one point trailed in this game 12-0 but would score three meaningless runs throughout the game. Ichiro drove in two of the runs to pad his stats. Overall this was a disasterous game for the Mariners as they have now lost five games in a row. Despite being 2-5 this was the first poorly pitched game by the Mariners. The Mariners just can't get any consistent offense going. They have scored just 13 runs the last five games(2.6 per game) which is putting too much pressure on the pitching staff. The Mariners look no better than the team who lost 101 games last season. The team will have to start scoring some runs or fans will lose interest by May.

All in all, this is going to be a long rebuilding season for the Mariners. The Mariners roster right now most likely will be totally different than in June. The team lacks hitting and unfortunately other than Dustin Ackley there is no hope on the horizon for this team. The Mariners have to stay patient with Eric Wedge unlike previous managers. This team simply isn't good and wasn't good last year. The Mariners when they make the youth movement at least will be sort of exciting. Until then you have to just grit your teeth and ride through the pain. The Mariners on a day they honored Dave Niehaus put up a pathetic performance. This wasn't the proper way to say thanks to our hall of fame announcer.

Observations:

- Jason Vargas struggled pretty bad after such a great start against Oakland. Vargas wasn't hit hard just gave up base hit after base hit. Vargas finished the game pitching 3 1/3 innings allowing nine hits, seven earned runs and just one strikeout. Vargas on most teams would be your fourth or fifth starter. In reality he is the Mariners fourth best starter. Most games Vargas won't be the problem and is proof that signing guys like Jarrod Washburn to big money is stupid. You can always find effective fourth and fifth starters at Safeco Field.

- The hitting was led by Ichiro who went 2-5 with two RBI's. The team is struggling is an understatement. The Mariners had four guys in the lineup yesterday hitting .200 or worst. Figgins(.100), Brendan Ryan(.167), Ryan Langerhans(.154) and Jack Cust(.200). The Mariners only .300 hitter is Adam Kennedy who is hitting exactly .300 on 3-10 for the season. The hitting has just been horrible this season with only two home runs so far this year. The team is going to struggle scoring runs all season long and will challenge last year's team for worst offense in franchise history.

- Wedge is in for a long season. I like what he is doing so far with the Jack Wilson situation. For those who don't know Jack Wilson after committing two errors in Wednesday's loss to the Texas Rangers asked out of the ball game. Wedge called the move unthinkable and is benching Wilson in response. Good chance Wilson may have played his last game for the Mariners.

I also like how Wedge isn't afraid to call out his team. His quote speaks volumes to the entire team "I don't care if you make 18 million or $450,000 you have a job to do. That job is to always play hard no matter. Some guys think because they are making a lot of money they can get away with that well they are in for a rude awakening". I love that Wedge isn't afraid of this team and is standing up for himself. Wedge might not be the guy but at least he is showing some fire and ruffling the feathers on this team.

Overall, this was a disappointing way to open the 2011 season in Safeco Field. This was supposed to be a great day as we saw a sell out crowd, honored Dave Niehaus, gave Felix Hernandez a Cy Young award. Instead the team laid an egg and reminded fans we have a long ways to go. This team is going to struggle for a while. The Mariners sadly will have more games like this until things change. I just don't see where the changes will be made as long as Howard Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong are here this team will continue to fail. Just remember fans we have a great ball park, some great pitchers but don't think for a second this is a good product. This opening day was a cold hard reality check to the fans that this team still stinks.

Ichrio sets franchise hits record in Mariners 5-2 win over Athletics

By Kshell

The Seattle Mariners(2-0) scored three runs in the ninth inning behind Ichiro's franchise setting base hit to defeat the Oakland Athletics(0-2) 5-2. The Mariners for the second straight day were led by great starting pitching and took advantage of the A's mistakes defensively. The Mariners were led by Ichiro who recorded two hits which passed former teammate Edgar Martinez with 2,448 career for most hits in franchise history. The Mariners improve to 2-0 for the first time since 2007 and look to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 1995. The Mariners at no point last year were two games over .500 . Eric Wedge has to be thrilled with the starting pitching he has received. Last night everyone expected Felix Hernandez to be dominant but Jason Vargas followed up that performance. Vargas went 6 2/3 innings allowing just one run and striking out six. The Mariners are playing small ball and actually resemble a major league ball club. Wedge through two games has his team playing the game the right way.

Just like the previous game the Mariners pitcher found himself in trouble early on then settled down. In the third inning Vargas found himself in a second and third, one out jam. Vargas got David DeJesus to ground out which allowed a run to score. Then Vargas struck out Josh Willingham to keep the damage at 1-0 after the third. Vargas wouldn't allow another hit until the seventh inning as he dominated a weak Athletics lineup. The Mariners would rally in the sixth off of A's starter Brett Anderson. After recording the first two outs Milton Bradley would single to left. Then Bradley stole second base. Former A's hitter Jack Cust was at the plate who had walked three times the previous game. Facing a 3-0 count Cust was given the green light and ripped a base hit to centerfield scoring Bradley to tie the score up at 1-1.

In the seventh inning the Mariners offense would strike again. Once again the Mariners allow they didn't score on the A's starter worked the pitch count so Anderson could only last six innings. New Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan doubled to lead off the inning. Then Jack Wilson followed that up with a single to shallow rightfield to give the Mariners a first and third nobody out for youngster Michael Saunders. Saunders hit the ball to centerfield scoring Ryan from third base to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead. Vargas in the bottom half of the inning was pulled with a runner on and two outs. Vargas would end up going 6 2/3 innings, five hits, walking one and allowing just one run. Vargas would also strike out six batter. Jamey Wright would relieve him and get out of the inning protecting the 2-1 lead.

In the eighth inning Wedge handed the ball over to new setup man Chris Ray. Ray's Mariners debut wasn't a good one. Ray allowed a bunt single to Coco Crisp to lead off the inning. Then he allowed a base hit to give the Athletics a first and second nobody out situation. DeJesus then grounded out to Jack Wilson for a fielders choice. That play was confusing as the Mariners thought Wilson caught it and if he had trapped it the runner at second base should have been out. Instead it was first and second just one out. Crisp then stole third base to give the Athletics first and third one out. Willingham then singled to right field scoring Crisp which tied the game up. For the sixth straight season the Mariners have blown a late inning lead in the first or second game of the year. Ray would eventually get out of the inning with the score still tied at 2-2.

In the ninth inning facing the Athletics closer and former Mariner Brian Fuentes the Mariners had a scoring rally. The inning begin when Jack Wilson singled to left field. After a sacrifice bunt by Saunders allowed Wilson to reach second Wedge pinch hit for Adam Moore with Miguel Olivo. Olivo singled to left field giving the Mariners first and third with one out. Ichiro who had tied Edgar Martinez earlier with an infield single had a good spot to pass Martinez. With the infield in Ichiro hit it to the first baseman who had to come home. The throw was off which allowed Wilson to score and because of the throwing error Olivo went to third base. The Mariners had taken a 3-2 lead on that base hit. Then Fuentes threw a wild pitch which allowed Olivo to score and Ichiro to reach second giving the Mariners a 4-2 lead. Ichiro then stole third base and Chone Figgins last night's hero hit a sacrifice fly scoring Ichiro from third to give the Mariners a 5-2 lead. The Mariners by taking the extra base scored three runs they wouldn't have if they hadn't been aggressive. The Mariners would then hand the ball to closer Brandon League. League would retire the side in order to record the save and give the Mariners a 5-2 win.

The Mariners despite not hitting the ball all that great have found a way to score in the first two games. It helps that the Athletics have committed six errors. The Mariners are taking the extra base which is winning baseball and will be counting on their pitching staff to win games this year. Vargas was pretty dominant today striking out six batters which he hadn't done in his previous 13 starts dating back to last season. The Mariners have improved to 2-0 under Wedge which is the best start for a Mariners full-time manager since Chuck Cottier in 1985 who began his Mariners career 6-0. This may just be game two of a 162 game season but for a club that lost 100 games last year they needed some confidence. All wins count the same eventually which is good to see the Mariners off to a good start.

Star of the game:

This goes to Ichiro who broke Edgar Martinez franchise hits record and drove in the winning run. Ichiro was 2-5 with an RBI and a run scored with a stolen base. Ichiro already has three stolen bases on the young season. Ichiro might not be the legend that Martinez is but this is a big accomplishment and fitting he tied and passed Martinez on infield singles. Ichiro has 2,248 hits now and if he keeps up his pace he should go over 3,000 hits in the middle of the 2014 season.

Here is a stat for the weird from Zach Cecil if you haven't already saw he pointed out that Ichiro broke the record on the 10th anniversary of his debut April 2nd, 2001. That isn't the weird part the weird part is that Edgar Martinez passed Ken Griffey Jr. on April 3rd, 2001. So pretty fitting all the way around. Ichiro is starting the year off with a bang so far with four hits and three stolen bases.

Pitcher of the game:

This is clearly Jason Vargas who was just dominant. Vargas went 6 2/3 innings, allowed just five hits and one run. The big thing that made this Vargas start standout was the fact he struck out six batters. Vargas who has improved on his swinging strikes looked pretty sharp last night. Vargas who was considered the fifth best player in the big J.J. Putz trade is now the teams #2 starter. Vargas although against a weak lineup looked pretty good.

All in all the Mariners are playing pretty good baseball which they didn't do last year. The Mariners vastly underachieved last year after overachieving in 2009. Possibly this year can provide some balance for the ball club. The Mariners bullpen proved until David Aardsma they will be scary all season long. The Mariners offense is working the count which is forcing the A's to go to their middle relief. Wedge seems to be pressing the right buttons so far. It also helps a manager when his starting pitchers are going deep into games and dominating the opposition. The Mariners look for the sweep against their division rival on the road. The sweep although early would put them three games up while a loss only puts them just a single game. The Mariners are playing better which after last years disappointing season is great to see even if it's just smoke and mirrors.

Mariners win opener 6-2 over Athletics behind King Felix's CG win

The Seattle Mariners)1-0) start the Eric Wedge era off with a win over the Oakland Athletics(0-1) 6-2. The Mariners who have now won five straight opening day games primarily because of ace pitcher Felix Hernandez(1-0) who set franchise history today. Hernandez the reigning Cy Young award winner became the first Mariners pitcher to pitch a complete game win on opening day. The Mariners scored some runs for Hernandez unlike last year due to five errors by the A's. The Mariners had just enough timely hitting and chased Trevor Cahill to last just 4 2/3 innings. Behind Hernandez who was dominant after the first inning the Mariners just sat back and watched Hernandez finish the A's in just 108 pitches. The Mariners are hoping to rebound from a 100 loss season last year and with Hernandez every fifth day there should be some improvement.

The game started off rough for Hernandez just like he did last season in the first inning. After a single by Coco Crisp to start the game off for the Athletics, Hernandez quickly retired the next two batters. Then Josh Willingham stepped up to the plate. Willingham was a big offensive free agent signing by the A's in the offseason. Willingham jumped on the first pitch which was a fastball grooved down the middle to deep left field for a home run to give the A's a 2-0 lead on the Mariners. Hernandez then struck out Hideki Matsui to end the inning.

In the third inning the Mariners made a two out rally against A's ace Trevor Cahill. First Ichiro reach on an infield single which was the first hit of the season for the Mariners. Then Chone Figgins would get a base hit to right field which was the first ball hit out of the infield for the Mariners. Figgins and Ichiro would then do a double steal to give the Mariners second and third with two outs for Milton Bradley. After getting two strikes on Bradley Cahill lost him and eventually walked him. Then fell behind former Athletic Jack Cust 3-0 but battled back to have a full count. Then on the full count pitch Cahill walked Cust which forced Ichiro to score the first run of the season. Cahill would eventually get Justin Smoak out but the Mariners pulled within 2-1.

The Mariners who kept stranding runners eventually ran up the pitch count on Cahill. Cahill only lasted 4 2/3 innings but did allow just one earned run while striking out eight batters but did allow four hits and four walks. Cahill had also thrown 105 pitches. In the sixth inning the Mariners were facing Jerry Blevins who walked Brendan Ryan. After a Jack Wilson bunt the Athletics pulled Blevins for Craig Breslow to face Ichiro. Ichiro recorded his second hit of the game to left field driving in Ryan from second base to tie the game up. After Ichiro was thrown out trying to steal his third base of the game thunder struck for the Mariners. Figgins who hit one home run all of last season took Breslow deep to left field to give the Mariners a 3-2 lead. That was all Hernandez needed as he was in a groove.

For the Mariners a 3-2 lead felt like a 10 run lead with the way Hernandez was pitching. Hernandez from the second inning through seventh inning allowed just one base runner which was eliminated by a double play. In the seventh inning the Mariners blew the game open thanks to two Athletics errors. Cust led off the inning with a walk then Smoak belted a double to deep center. Miguel Olivo then hit what would have been an RBI groundout but Derrick Barton made a throwing error allowing Olivo to be safe and Smoak to move to third base. Cust scored giving the Mariners a 4-2 lead. Then Brad Ziegler trying to pick off Olivo threw the ball away which allowed Smoak to score and Olivo to go all the way to third base giving the Mariners a 5-2 lead. Ryan then hit a fielders choice which the A's came home with it by a great slide by Olivo he was safe giving the Mariners a commanding 6-2 lead. The only question was if Wedge was going to let Hernandez go the distance.

Hernandez who got out of a jam in the eighth inning had just 94 pitches. Wedge even though this was opening day let his ace finish the game. Hernandez retired the A's in order ending the game by striking out Barton then David DeJesus. Hernandez showed everyone why he won the Cy Young last year. Over his last eight innings he had allowed just three hits. Hernandez finished the game going nine innings, allowing five hits, walking nobody and striking out five. The Mariners are without closer David Aardsma and with Hernandez having a low pitch count Wedge made the right call. Now the Mariners begin the season like they have the last four seasons which is 1-0. The Mariners were helped out by their 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup Ichiro going 2-4 with a run scored, an rbi, two stolen bases and a walk. Figgins was also huge going 2-5 with a home run, run scored, an rbi, and a stolen base. Olivo in his first game back as a Mariner was 2-5 with a run scored and an rbi as well. The Mariners despite striking out 14 times and hit just 1-11 W/RISP did just enough to win. It helps to have Hernandez dealing the way he was.

Star of the game:

No offense to Chone Figgins but this was an easy choice. Felix Hernandez was his dominant self and when he gets any run support that is an automatic win for the Mariners. Hernandez gave up a two run bomb in the first inning but unlike most pitchers quickly found focus and struck out the next hitter. Hernandez only had five strikeouts but had 14 ground outs. Hernandez who had thrown 39 pitches after two innings went the next seven innings throwing just 69 pitches. Hernandez who improves to 3-0 with a 1.70 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 27 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings in four opening day starts. Hernandez like he did in the past came out and dominated on opening day once again.

Unsung Hero:

To me that is Jack Cust. Cust was 0-2 with an RBI but had three walks. In five at bats Cust faced a full count in all five at bats. Cust by doing the little things like working the count allowed the Mariners to raise the pitch count on Trevor Cahill. Cahill despite allowing just one run and striking out eight couldn't even last five innings. Most teams have poor middle relief so better to face them than an ace like Cahill. Cust will drive fans crazy with his strikeouts but he will also work the count as well.

Hitting stars:

This goes to the top of the order Ichiro and Chone Figgins. Those two combined were 4-9, with two runs scored, two rbi's, three stolen bases and a home run. The Mariners are hoping for a bounce back year from Figgins and hope Ichiro does what he always does. Ichiro today moved within one hit of tying Edgard Martinez franchise record for most hits as a Mariner. Ichiro with two hits will be the all-time leader.

All in all, the Mariners just won one game out of 162 but it feels good to get a win after last year. The Mariners with a new manager are hoping to ride the pitching staff this year. The Mariners are hoping on offense to do the little things like I mentioned with Cust. Ultimately this is a long season and to change your thoughts on the team or any individual after one game is just crazy. At least one in five games we get to enjoy the greatness which is watching Felix Hernandez pitch. Hernandez showed why again on opening day he is the best pitcher in the American League. For Eric Wedge his first game as a manager couldn't have gone more smoothly. Now today with Jason Vargas on the hill I have a feeling Wedge will have to do some managing today. Enjoy the win Mariners fans we deserve it after last year. Just remember one in five days we are lucky to watch a great talent like Felix Hernandez entering his prime.