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2022 Season | Series #42 | Mariners @ Guardians | Sep. 2-4, 2022

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Wham with the Right Hand

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The Guardians stay home for a rematch of last week’s series in Seattle which they lost 3-1, being outscored 13-7 in a series dominated by pitching and home runs. The Mariners appear to be very similar to the Orioles in that they use dominant pitching and just enough power to win games.

The M’s are on a roll having won 7 of 8 and 11 of their last 15. Since beating the G’s in three of four games last week they swept the Tigers by a combined score of 21-6. They come rolling into Cleveland with a lot of momentum.

The Guardians have lost five of seven and been shut out three times in their last four games. We’re not playing in the A.L. Central right now. The Guardians are 33-27 at home while the Mariners are 38-30 on the road.

The Orioles scored 13 of their 18 runs against the G’s this week on home runs. Last weekend the Mariners scored 10 of their 13 runs on home runs. So it’s been a familiar story for the Guardians’ pitchers - they limit hits but lose the game on two or three bad pitches that get hit out.

The Guardians’ starters have been particularly vulnerable in the first inning when they have to face the opponents best hitters before they have a great feel for their breaking balls or their command. Bieber gave up two home runs last night in the first inning. McKenzie gave up a three-run homer to Mitch Haniger in Seattle in the first inning in a 3-1 loss. There have been others.

As difficult as it’s been for the Guardians to score runs lately our starters can’t afford to spot the opponent two or three runs in the first inning before they “settle in” and start hitting their spots.

I wonder if the Guardians’ starters need to stop thinking about pitching deep into games and just be ready to compete from the first pitch. Last night’s game was effectively over after Bieber’s first pitch was hit out; the G’s lost 4-0.

They need to have the mentality that the game will be decided in the first inning and approach it like it’s the 9th inning with a one-run lead and the big bats coming up. They need to warm up as long as it takes to be ready to throw breaking balls in the zone to the first batter, if necessary. None of these guys have great fastballs; they don't have the luxury of just overpowering batters until they get a "feel" for their breaking balls. Better to pitch five scoreless innings than six innings allowing three runs - all in the first inning.

Our bullpen has pitched fewer innings than most teams and we have no injuries other than Gose. We just picked up another reliever yesterday. There's no need for starters to "pace" themselves. They need to be ready to go from the first pitch and just go as hard as they can for as long as they can, even if it's just five innings. You can lose the game on one bad pitch in the first inning. It's happening too much lately. (The prosecution rests it's case).

The Mariners have a lot of guys who can take you deep on a bad pitch, just like the O’s. They’re not a particularly high scoring team but they don’t need to be. Their three starters this series have ERA’s of 2.85, 3.58, and 3.16. They also have a great bullpen.

The Guardians simply have to find a way to score runs, preferably early. It’s too much to ask a starting pitcher to go 6-7 innings without making a couple of bad pitches.

Zach Plesac goes for the Guardians tonight in a rematch with Luis Castillo. This was the only win for the G’s in Seattle. Plesac went seven innings, allowing three solo home runs, but the G’s scored three runs in the 8th off their bullpen to pull out a 4-3 win. Castillo pitched six innings, allowing one run (a solo shot by Hosey) and striking out 10.

Castillo’s 2.85 ERA ties him for 14th among major league starters. Saturday’s game will be pitched by lefty Robbie Ray, who shut the Guardians out for 7 innings on just 3 hits last weekend. Sunday’s starter is George Kirby, who we did not see last week. He’s 6-3 with a 3.16 ERA. His ERA in his last nine starts is 2.17.

This shapes up to be a frustrating weekend similar to the last seven games against the M’s and O’s where the Guardians scored just 12 runs (and one was on second base when the inning started). So the G’s have scored just 11 legitimate runs in the last 84 innings. That has to change, but they are facing three outstanding starters this weekend so I’m not optimistic.

Plesac, Civale, and Quantrill will be going for the Guardians. We could get our first look at Cody Morris. Meanwhile the Twins and White Sox face off in Chicago so I guess we’re pulling for the Sox in that series.

I want somebody to tell Amed Rosario that when the count is 0-2 he's going to get a slider in the dirt and off the outside corner EVERY FREAKING TIME!

Go Bucks.
 
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Big series here...

The bats have been cold... Wouldn't surprise me at all if we see a full scale eruption at the plate tonight... Maybe tomorrow, possibly Sunday. A sweep? Why not.
 
You can tell 33YO has me on his ignore list since he posted the exact same tweet as me, and not at the same time as me, but later. :chuckle:
 
Big series here...

The bats have been cold... Wouldn't surprise me at all if we see a full scale eruption at the plate tonight... Maybe tomorrow, possibly Sunday. A sweep? Why not.
I’ve got no problem w a bunch of bastard runs.
 
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