Jamie Moyer’s Notebook: Anaheim Angels vs. Seattle Mariners July 11, 2015
By Max Carter
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Anaheim Angels (47-39) vs. Seattle Mariners (40-47) 7:10 PM PST
Pitching Matchup: C.J. Wilson LHP (7-6, 3.82 ERA) vs. Hisashi Iwakuma RHP (0-1, 7.17 ERA)
Lineups:
Anaheim Angels:
Jul 10, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder
Mike Trout(27) trots around the bases after hitting a solo home run while Seattle Mariners third baseman
Kyle Seager(15) watches in the seventh inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports
1. Johnny Giavotella 2B
2. Cole Kalhoun RF
3. Mike Trout CF
4. Albert Pujols DH
5. Erick Aybar SS
6. David Freese 3B
7. C.J. Cron 1B
8. Matt Joyce LF
9. Carlos Perez C
Seattle Mariners:
Jun 15, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (15) rounds second after hitting a solo home run off San Francisco Giants relief pitcher
Jeremy Affeldt(41), not in picture, during the eighth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
1. Austin Jackson CF
2. Franklin Gutierez DH
3. Robinson Cano 2B
4. Nelson Cruz RF
5. Kyle Seager 3B
6. Mark Trumbo LF
7. Jesus Montero 1B
8. Brad Miller SS
9. Mike Zunino C
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3 Things To Watch For:
1. Nelson Gets His
With the left-handed C.J. Wilson on the mound for the Angels, Nelson Cruz and the other right-handed bats in the Seattle Mariners lineup will be looking to feast. In his 62 at-bats against southpaws this season, Cruz is batting at a clip of .387, with an even more impressive slugging percentage of .823. Wilson is the kind of pitcher that tries to get strikes on balls out of the zone, but if he leaves a fastball or a breaking pitch elevated, don’t expect Nelson to miss it. I call the 22nd homer of the season for the Seattle Mariners slugger tonight.
2. Wait A Minute, We Have Mark Trumbo?!
Anybody remember that swing and a miss that Mark Trumbo had about a week ago? I sure do, because it was one of the most embarrassing, pathetic at-bats I have ever seen from a major league baseball player. Well, it seems as if Trumbo got a little fire under his bottom after that epic whiff, because in the last seven games, the former Angel is batting .455. He also hit a homer 432 feet last night, which is an extremely encouraging sign since that is what we acquired him to do. Lets hope that the big man can stay hot tonight and drive in a couple more runs with a bit hit or two.
3. Iwakuma Struggles, Bullpen Comes Up Big
It seems like about a decade ago that the Seattle Mariners bullpen was by far the best in the game, shutting down game after game in the late innings in 2014. That same stability has not been there for the M’s this season, highlighted by the struggles of Danny Farquhar, Fernando Rodney, and most recently Tom Wilhelmsen. How many leads have the Seattle Mariners blown after the sixth inning in 2015? I have no idea, but it is way too many, and I don’t even want to think about it any more than I already have. But you can count on this: If the Mariners are going to make any kind of legendary second-half run at a playoff spot, it is going to have to start with a sturdy bullpen that locks down wins. We are going to need the late inning guys to ensure us every win that we have a shot at, and I can’t think of any better time to start than now. I call at least four scoreless innings from the bullpen tonight.
1. Seth Smith, The Legend–WALK
Although Smithy didn’t pick up two hits as predicted, he did reach base twice on a single and a walk, scoring both times that he was on base. Seth continues to put up extremely reliable numbers this season, providing some much needed stability for a very unstable Seattle Mariners roster.
2. Iwakuma Raises His Stock–OUT
In his return to the big league club, Iwakuma lasted only five innings, allowing five runs on eight hits and a disturbing four home runs. Coming off of a long rehab assignment, this is quite concerning. It seems as if Iwakuma’s arm may not have too much left in the tank, but we will have a better idea after his start today. Whatever he does, hopefully it doesn’t involve four longballs this time.
3. Sergio Millllaaaaaaaarrrrr–HIT
Brad Miller is quietly putting together a fantastic offensive season for a shortstop, and contributed to that trend with a pair of hits, including his 13th double of 2015. The 25-year-old shortstop also drove in a run to go along with the two hits, and is now batting .246 with eight homers, 26 RBI and 9 stolen bases. With a hot second half, Brad could make a run at a 20/20 season as a shortstop, which would be pretty dang impressive.
Season Tally:
Hits: 47 Outs: 77 Batting Average: .379