This is the time of year where you here a lot of platitudes about how scores don’t matter, we’re just working on things, it doesn’t matter, etc, etc, etc. Even Jamey Newberg wrote about Brandon McCarthy last night saying we shouldn’t get so up about it for the same reason we shouldn’t get too worried about Millwood and the 10 ER the other day (but come on Jamey, that was bad even for spring!). Still, I agree with Jamey’s base point. It’s hard not to get excited about McCarthy’s performance.
Four innings pitched on just 47 pitches. One hit. No walks, no runs, and three strikeouts. While I couldn’t see it, I heard bits of it, and it sounded pretty good. Man, I hope this is it, that he’s finally figured it out. I’m so tired of hearing about bad Jon Daniels trades, I would love one of the ones generally accepted to be in the “bad” ledger to be good after all this time. It is a good thing to see.
The pen was pretty darn good itself. Of the four relievers (Jennings, Eyre, Guardado, Feliz), only one run was allowed. That was Eddie, who gave up a solo home run. Netfali Feliz was almost as good as McCarthy. He went two innings, gave up no hits, but did walk one. The other three guys had just a lone hit each. The only walk was Feliz’s one. So yeah, it was a very well pitched game.
Our offense was pretty good, what with fifteen hits in all. It was fairly balanced. We had a couple of ofers, and several guys with multiple hits. Always nice to see. Taylor Teagarden homered again. Four more doubles from the doubles machine that is the pro team in Arlington…
Random feel good remark: One gets the feeling we made the right choice in moving Gerald Laird out, we’re probably going to be fine with our catching tandem who takes up 21 letters on the back of two uniforms (where have you gone Ed Ott).
Seattle on the other hand was not even close. They sounded sloppy on the radio. Whenever your line score has just about as many errors as hits, it’s not a good day. The Mariners managed only four hits off our guys (as was detailed above), but they also committed three errors in the field, leading to two unearned runs against Jarrod Washburn. A reliever by the name of Roy Corcoran was the big stink bomb for the M’s, giving up four earned runs in just one third of an inning (with three hits and two walks). Based solely on this season, one gets the feeling that Seattle isn’t going to change much in 2009.
Although I will want to see the M’s at least once, as I’d like to see Griffey in person again. I remember being at the last Seattle game in Arlington in 1999 thinking that would probably be the last time I saw him. I was right for a long time – I never saw him in person during any of his years in Cincinnati. Always liked him, be good to see him again.
Also, shouldn’t we be hearing about the first round of spring training roster moves by now? We’re due to send out several guys to minor league camp about now, aren’t we?