.................

=== Catching* ===

As Millwood threw, I wondered about the framing again.  But check this little baby.  The ump was actually trying to bail Millwood out.  And when Furbush entered the game, it's funny how Montero's pitch framing suddenly looked so much better ...

Montero weirdly had three pitches bang off his glove, no bases gained or lost.  Dan Wilson thought highly of Montero's feet behind the plate:  "that pitch bounced way in front of the plate, real tough to block, but Jesus was all over it."  And like that.

The 3rd SB attempt on Montero, and the third SB that wasn't even close.  They're not running wild, like several SB's in a game, but it bears watching.

cERA, Montero's up to what, 3.75 -- that's Millwood (a #5 starter) in the Texas crucible, Hector Noesi (a #4 starter) against a weak lineup, and Millwood throwing terribly against a LH power lineup.  Charlie Furbush came in there Tuesday and Montero was just flat having fun out there.

..........

Montero's pitchers blew a 7-run lead.  The game might get him dropped down the depth chart for a while.  Me, I actually do class it with Jeremy Lin's first 8-point, 8-turnover game at Miami, or Matt Flynn's first 1 TD, 3 INT game, or whatever .... at worst.  If you assign Montero a good fraction of the train wreck, that's where you'd class it.

But I'd like to see you catch Millwood and Erasmo there, Miggy.

.

=== Jaso ===

Mo-Dog (is that like a NardDog?) provided us a data-rich environment on Jaso's catching.  Good stuff my friend.   I'd like to see how SSI denizens have re-routed their own assignments of catching duty, as of April 18.

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=== Lineup ===

Too bad that we hadn't turned that DP, and don't dog Brendan Ryan for it.  He is a great defensive player.  Anyway:  if not for the DP error, then this morning we would be talking about all of the Smoaked line drives off the Indians' Opening Day starter.

Sgt. Wedge did put Jaso in for Olivo, and the ephemereal Jay-Z vision of Safeco efficiency --- > coalesced into a raging bull of "hard" base hit RBI's.  For two innings, innings 1 and 2, the Mariners bounced two-hoppers to Indians infielders.  And then they adjusted.  

Third inning:  Saunders led off with a hard fly ball to LF, in which his CG stayed low.  Ryan worked a tough walk.  Jaso crushed a homer.  Ackley walked...

Fourth inning:  Justin Smoak socked a line-shot, loooonnnnng single, 10' off the ground.  Kyle Seager hit one even harder to straightaway right.  Jesus Montero hit a ball to LF so hard that it tore the OF's glove off.  Michael Saunders creamed one to right and that was just a single... I'm thinking, when was the last time the Mariners hit four straight balls as hard as that?

There is scoring 8 runs, and then there is putting foot to keister for your Big League City.  That was a tremendous offensive performance.

.............

Guess how many other teams have done this to Justin Masterson?  There was one other 8-ER start, on July 30, 2009, the Toronto Blue Jays also racked him up for 8 earnies.  However, the Jays actually KO'ed him in the 6th inning.  We could go into detail, but let's cut to the chase.

 Justin Masterson has started 90 games in the big leagues, and he was All-Star caliber in 2011, and he is off to a hot start in 2012, and .... tonight was the worst beating he ever got.  

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=== Dr's Prognosis, Dept. ===

Kyle Seager is swinging out of his SHOES, the ball is in the air 2/3 of the time, and I'm blinkin' lovin' it.

The #5 starter situation, that is not an inoperable condition, not in this particular hospital.  Check Mariner Stalk for the morning report on one Taijuan Walker.  The skills shown by the batting order?, now that is rather less transitory.  What Jack Zduriencik's lineup did to Justin Masterson tonight is illegal in 27 states.

The M's aren't ready yet.   Two years on, they don't lose this ballgame.  But it's fun to watch talent like this jump out of the amphibious vehicles.

Be Afraid,

Dr D

..........

*I know, I know, would be more logical in the "Cleveland 9" post.  Well, we're talking about the position players and this way we balance the word-count scales.  's SEO blogging, get over it.