.

GAMEFLOW

Sunday’s game was brought to you by the word SKEPTICISM.  Even supposing that Erasmo Ramirez was to outpitch Dallas Keuchel, a 4:1 shot against, a bigger problem loomed.  The Twin Closers had gone back to back to back, and the Mariners usual formula for eking out improbable victories was unavailable.

Inning after inning drained by with the Mariners ahead 1-0 and Dr. D got further morose about the strategic landscape of the game.  After Zuumball broke a pane of glass in the 7th, we finally saw a dice roll's chance of crawling across the wire with a fantastically lucky victory.  But of course Houston broke through against our china-glass bullpen in the 8th, with the culprits being:

• James Pazos - booked after his 1H trick of 92% fastballs and down to 91-92 mph after heavy use
• Nick Vincent - fading exactly like Pazos, and exactly like last year

When Healy hit his "ultimate homer" with nobody on and two out in the ninth, it brought a smile to the face but did little for the heart, since the strategic situation for extra innings was unchanged.

In the tenth with one out, Gordon singled out the middle. Then, and only then, did a stolen base loom and a beam of light broke through the dust the cellar window into Dr. D’s crusty heart.  Alas!  Dee took off and .... MITCH HANIGER PICKED THAT MOMENT TO SET THE ALL-TIME FRANCHISE RECORD FOR DOUBLES IN A 4-GAME SERIES.

Whereupon even Scott Servais could not resist the evening's magical call and, unwilling to let two princesses turn into pumpkins in one night, got Edwin Diaz up. Sweep? Boom!  mwahahahahahahahaha

.

ERASMO

The box looks great, 5 3 0 0 0 3, even if the 'Frame had no idea how it was happening.  He had gone through that super hot streak last year based on the new cut fastball in side, for which Dr D watched carefully.  He could discern very little of that, of the deadfish change, of the curve, or much else at all.

Brooks?  42 fastballs, 19 cutters, 14 mostly weird changeups, and only 4 breaking pitches.  I know the stat sheet says 19 cutters, but we are here to tell you that very few inside pitches were thrown with any intent; the ones that landed were thrown on the hands to an outside mitt placement.

So, this 5 3 0 0 0 3 is on you, Mr. Springer and Mr. Altuve.  And we'll take it.  Back to +19 over .500, boys.  Next up:  a verrrrry interesting series in Oakland, one eminently worthy of comment potatoes in the CMS pot below.  2-of-3 makes par and as Mo Dawg will tell you, par is a very good score.

BABVA,

Dr. D