Jamie Moyer’s Notebook: Anaheim Angels vs. Seattle Mariners July 12, 2015
By Max Carter
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Anaheim Angels (47-40) vs. Seattle Mariners (41-47) 1:10 PM PST
Pitching Matchup: Andrew Heaney LHP (2-0, 1.77 ERA) vs. Taijuan Walker RHP (7-6, 4.53 ERA)
Lineups:
Anaheim Angels:
1. Johnny Giavotella 2B
2. Kole Calhoun RF
3. Mike Trout
4. Albert Pujols 1B
5. Erick Aybar SS
6. David Freese 3B
7. C.J. Cron DH
8. Matt Joyce LF
9. Chris Iannetta C
Seattle Mariners:
Jul 3, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners center fielder
Austin Jackson(16) runs to third base against the Oakland Athletics during the first inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
1. Austin Jackson CF
2. Franklin Gutierrez LF
3. Robinson Cano 2B
4. Nelson Cruz DH
5. Kyle Seager 3B
6. Mark Trumbo RF
7. Logan Morrison 1B
8. Mike Zunino C
9. Brad Miller SS
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3 Things To Watch For:
1. Taijuan No-Walker
In his last eight starts, Taijuan Walker has allowed only four free passes over 54.1 innings pitched. During that span, Walker is 6-1 with a 2.33 ERA. In his nine starts before that stretch, Taijuan issued 23 walks over only 43 innings, en route to a 1-5 record and an ERA of 7.33. Oh, what a difference those walks make for Walker. If he can avoid the base on balls tonight, Taijuan is poised for another great outing. I expect good command from the young flamethrower tonight, and at least seven innings of one-run ball in a crucial game for the 2015 Seattle Mariners.
2. Zunino Poised For Second Half
Everybody knows that it has been a struggle for Mike Zunino offensively in 2015. Although there are no stats to show for it (unless you get deep into sabermetrics), upon observing Zunino’s recent at-bats, it seems as if he has already matured a bit at the plate under the tutelage of Edgar Martinez. Zunino has been laying off the low, outside slider that he has become notorious for chasing, and has been hitting balls hard to the middle of the field. With a left-hander on the mound, lets look for a multi hit game for Mike Z today.
3. Action Jackson
When Austin Jackson returned from his injured back on May 26, he quickly raised his .242 batting average all the way up to .276. He has cooled down significantly since then, batting only .211 in his last 15 games, but has still looked solid at the plate, putting together quality at bats for over a month now. I look for Austin to have a good night after a day off, facing the left-hander Andrew Heaney. A couple of hits for Jackson tonight, including an extra base hit and a run scored.
Last Game’s Predictions:
1. Nelson Gets His–HIT
Well, Nelly Cruz didn’t hit a bomb last night, but he did go three for three on his bobblehead night, reaching base four times and scoring three runs. He also added a fantastic diving catch in the first inning to rob David Freese of a bases loaded double. Cruz has now raised his batting average up to .311, and is finishing up his stellar first half of 2015 in style.
2. Wait A Minute, We Have Mark Trumbo?!–HIT
Hold on to your seats folks. If Mark Trumbo continues the trend that he has set lately, the Seattle Mariners offense could become a completely different machine. With his two for three night, Trumbo is now hitting a whopping .545 over the last seven games, and with the walk that he drew, his OBP over that span is .583. After an abysmal start to his Mariners career, Trumbo has eeked his batting average up to .228. The power has been coming back for Trumbo as well, as he has picked up two doubles, a home run and four runs batted in over his seven most recent games.
3. Iwakuma Struggles, Bullpen Comes Up Big–OUT
Not too bummed about getting this one wrong. The bullpen wasn’t really needed much in last night’s game, as Hisashi Iwakuma found some old form, logging an eight inning shut-out of the Angels. If Iwakuma starts pitching like this with consistency, there will be some tough decisions ahead for Jack Zduriencik and the Seattle Mariners.
Season Tally:
Hits: 49 Outs: 78 Batting Average: .386