The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

[ESexton18]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

Deuce, you better make sure Rodney doesn't shoot off any premature arrows in your franchise after what happened yesterday.... haha

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

Deuce, you better make sure Rodney doesn't shoot off any premature arrows in your franchise after what happened yesterday.... haha

Yeah that was just a little embarrassing. Lucky for me he has been pretty solid so far. Almost as good as his 2012 #'s with the Rays (48 saves 0.60 ERA). I think he will likely finish with more then 50 saves in my Franchise but his ERA is not as good.

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

2 OUT OF 3. IT'S WHAT WE DO

In July the M's broke out the brooms for 3 sweeps (Oakland, LAA, and the Indians). However in the month of August, the Mariners have settle for winning 2 of 3 in every 3 game series they played. (Atlanta was a 2 game split, and the Whitesox we won 3 of 4).

Now with 1 series left (Washington) can Seattle break the mold or will their trend continue? Before we get to the Nationals series, here is a recap of the 3 game series with Texas.

Game 1 (M's win 5-3)

On the Mound-Chris Young picks up his 15th "W" of the season (15-5) as he goes 7 IP strong giving up 3 runs on 7 hits well striking out 4.

F. Rodney shot his arrow in the sky for his 43rd save of the season with a hitless 9th.

At the Plate-R. Cano homered and finished the day 3/4 with 2 RBI's.

J. Smoak also connected on a 2-run HR well K. Seager added a solo shot.

Game 2 (M's fall 4-3 in the 10th *Played*)

On the Mound-T. Walker broke his streak of 3 straight loss's by getting a no-decison today as he goes 6 2/3 IP giving up 3 runs on 7 hits 3 BB's well striking out 5.

J. Russell picked up his first loss of the year (6-1) as he gives up the game winner in the 10th.

At the Plate- The M's put up 3 runs in the 5th as L. Morrison led off with a solo homerun, M. Zunino followed with a double, then E. Bonifacio tripled and then scored on a sac by Ackley to make it 3-0 early giving Walker a chance to win, but the bullpen blew it.

Game 3 (M's win 6-2

On the Mound- H. Iwakuma dominated through 8 2/3 IP giving up just 4 hits but a 2 run HR in by Soto with 2 outs led to D. Leone coming in to get the final out.

Iwakuma picked up his 7th win of the year (7-4).

At the Plate- Cano homered for the 2nd straight game (solo shot)

J. Willingham was POG after going 3/4 with team high 3 RBI's.

S. Van Slyke went 1/2 but it was a big hit as he drove in 2 runs.

UP NEXT SEATTLE (79-53 CLOSES OUT AUGUST WITH 3 GAMES VS WASHINGTON (70-63)

Pitching matchups

F. Hernandez (17-3, 1.99 ERA) vs Gio Gonzalez (12-8, 3.01 ERA)

J. Paxton (7-9, 4.15 ERA) vs T. Roark (9-9, 3.55 ERA)

C. Young (15-5, 3.39 ERA) vs S. Strasburg (5-15 4.65 ERA)

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

BROOMS STAY IN THE CLOSET YET AGAIN

The M's close out August just like they started and played all month, winning 2 of 3 vs the Nationals as they will go into September, 19 wins shy of 100 at (81-54).

Here is a recap of the 3 game series.

Game 1 (M's win 2-0)

For 4 Innings we saw no-hit shutout ball by both pitchers as King Felix and Gio Gonzalez showcased their skills. Finally in the 5th, J. Smoak got ahold of a middle of the plate fastball to give the M's the 2-0 lead.

That was all Seattle would need as Hernandez throws yet another complete game 4 hitter well striking out 6 for his 18th win of the season. The "King" is now 18-3 well lowering his MLB leading ERA to 1.90

Game 2 (M's fall 2-0) *Played*

It was like a case of Deja Vu, as both pitchers once again put up dominating performances.

For Seattle rookie J. Paxton would go 7 1/3 IP giving up just 4 hits and walking 3 well also striking out 3, before leaving the game with 1 out. in the 8th with a runner on 1st.

D. Leone came in and struck out his first batter for the 2nd out but then Ryan Zimmerman got ahold of 2-1 slider and sent it 400+ feet to Right field for his 17th HR of the season to give Washington the 2-0 lead.

That was all T. Roark needed. Despite giving up a leadoff double in the 9th to M. Zunino, Roark stayed in the game and completed his 3 hit shutout for his 10th win of the season.

Game 3 (M's win 4-1)

At the plate, D. Ackley comes up big in the 2nd inning with a 2 run double to give the M's the lead.

Washington would answer back with 1 run in the 3rd but the M's would add 2 more in the 5th as SS B. Miller drives in 2 with his 2nd hit of the night.

The loss went to S. Strasburg who is now (5-16) as he leaves after just 5 IP giving up all 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 BB's. He struck out 6.

The "W" goes to Chris Young who is now (16-5). Young went the complete game giving up just 5 hits and the 1 run well striking out a season high 9.

The Deuce after the game "If you would've told me at the beginning of the year that C. Young would be 16-5 and that S. Strasburgh would be 5-16 going into August I would've laughed in disbelief. As much as everyone want's to stay Felix is the clear cut CY Young winner and C. Hart is the favorite for the MVP, I think people need to consider what C. Young has done for this team. I am really excited about the fact that in the past 4 games we have used just 1 Bullpen arm (Leone) for a total of 2 IP, I believe that should give us a nice advantage going into the 1st week of September as our pen is fresh and ready to go"

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

Okay, so I am all caught up with games played, however the great news is I have the next 3 days, so expect lots of updates.. Tomorrow I will be also posting team news, Down on the farm report, some info on September call ups as well as info on what's going on around the league including the playoff race.

As always thanks for following along, thank you even more for those who comment and hope you all enjoy following along as the M's look to snap their playoff drought and possibly win the franchises 1st ever World Series.

[redsrulenc]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

Keep on goin' big man. I like your short game report method. I see more and more people doing those these days. My long game reports are taking their tole on me because they take so long!

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

Welcome to "True to the Blue" where Mariner GM "The Deuce" will answer questions regarding the current state of the M's as well as what's happening "Down on the Farm" and what we might even expect from next season.


Q #1- What are the chances of the M's getting to 100 wins this season as they go into September with 81.

Deuce-Well I would love to see the team get to 100, with only 27 games left and 18 of those being on the it's going to be pretty tough, especially if we continue at the pace of winning 2 out of 3.

Q #2- Who can we expect to show up in Sept, will all 15 players on the 40 man get called up?

Deuce-At this point it's very likely you will see everyone. Tacoma is out of the playoff picture in AAA and right now all 15 players not currently on the 25 man roster are on the Rainiers roster. Guy's like E. Ramirez (10-6 2.15 ERA) and J. Nieman (9-4, 2.99 ERA) will offer the rotation some rest as we look to maybe give Felix and C Young some starts off. B. Maurer (12-7, 4.39 ERA) will likely fill a long relief role in the bullpen, and Loggy C. Furbush (3-1 1.62 ERA in AAA) and Righty Y. Medina (3-4 3.98 ERA in AAA) give us 2 more solid arms to add to the bullpen along with CP C. Smith who will be making his MLB debut (35 saves 2.31 ERA in AAA), so adding 5 more pitchers to a already 12 man staff should keep our arms very fresh.

At the plate, N. Franklin (.295 6 HR 49 RBI in AAA) will get a chance to build on his .250 BA 3 HR's in 84 AB's this season and prove he has what it takes to be a bench player next year. J. Sucre gives us a #3 catcher and late game defensive replacement which will allow us to pinch hit or run for Zunino or Laird.

The 40 man is also full of OF's in AAA with the likes of M. Saunders (.242 7 HR in AAA, .249 5 HR MLB), S. Romero (.276 3 HR 21 RBI in AAA, .205 1 HR MLB), J. Jones (.228 3 HR 12 SB's-AAA, .156 in 96 AB's MLB), former Cub Brett Jackson (.280 12 HR's 52 RBI 13 SB's-AAA) and J. Morban (.272 10 HR 52 RBI 8 SB's-AAA) giving us lots of options for pinch hitting, pinch running and defensive replacements.

I am also excited to see what IF's N. Tenbrink (.298 13 HR 65 RBI) and T. Kelly (.312 10 SB's) can do at the MLB level. Both players are in the mid 20's and it's time to see if they have what it takes to be a replacement guy for someone like T. Ploufee or are they career minor leaguers.

Q #3- Speaking of Plouffe what are the chances he and Willingham will be resigned next season. Also what about backup catcher G. Laird and CF E. Bonifacio?

Deuce-To be honest all 4 players have helped us this year, Plouffe with his versatility) Willingham with his right handed bat (hitting .297 vs LHP) but never player has really shown the power we had hoped for. (Plouffe has 4 HR's since coming over and 10 before, Willingham has 4 as well but had 11 before). Boni has give us nice speed at the top of the lineup and great defense in CF (leads the team in SB's with 20 and has just 3 errors), but he is hitting .235 with a OBP of .274, which is not what you want from a leadoff guy.

Of the 4, Laird will be asked to comeback and be the #2 if he wants to play past 34. Boni might be resigned as a backup but not as a everyday CF, and Willingham at 35 is likely on his last leg. If we can get him cheap enough we might consider him for a platoon 1B/DH type role but his OF days are probably done. Plouffe has already made it clear he wants to start everyday and well he is getting starter type AB's moving around the diamond for us, the chances of him staying are slim. I know the Yankees have talked about him at 3B or 2B and the Dodgers like him as a possibility as well. Other teams that might go after him are the Marlins or Cardinals.

Q #5 Do you think both King Felix and C. Young will win 20 and which one do you feel deserves the CY Young

Deuce "It's going to be pretty tough for Young to get there during the regular season. I would like to only have him log 3 more starts and with 16 Wins now he would fall short. If he can win his next 3 and get to 19, then we might have to let him try 1 more. With Felix my plan is to get him 3 more as well and with 18 it's pretty likely he should get to 20 unless the offense just doesn't come through.

As far as who deserves the CY Young, Felix only because he has more "W", more K's and a better ERA, but if I had to pick a MVP for our team I would probably pick Young over Felix in the regards that we never dreamed Young would give us the potential of 20 W's.

Q #6 Speaking of MVP, RF/DH Corey Hart (.295 39 HR 116 RBI) currently leads the MVP race over M. Cabrera (.332 38 HR 95 RBI). With those type of #'s what are the chances you resign him next season after getting a bargin at 13 million this year?

Deuce-I would love to have Corey back, and the nice thing is it doesn't have to be as a fulltime DH. He has proven he is capable of playing both the OF and 1B. His offense is the #1 reason why we are in 1st place right now,but he only has made 3 errors in the field and his legs look to be healed. I would be shocked if he doesn't end up with double digit SB's next season. Hopefully ownership sees that and opens up their wallets to keep him. I know several teams including the Yankees and Boston who could likely make a play for him.

Q #7 Do you regret not making the trade for D. Price, especially with T. Walker now having lost his past 4 starts?

Deuce-Not at all. I like our farm system alot and I didn't want to give it away for just 1 player. I like our current rotation and I like what we have down the road. I think Iwakuma has proven when healthy he is a solid #2, Walker and Paxton have both pitched well enough for me to believe they can be quality #3's and #4 and if we can manage to resign C. Young then we have a great #5, and if not I think guy's like E-Ram, J. Priers, J. Nieman have proven they deserve a shot at a spot in the rotation next year. Plus don't forget we still have D. Hultzen (76/B) who has been on the D.L. all season.

Q #8 The OF looks like a log jam with Van Slyke now joining current guy's like Morrison, Ackley and Bonifacio, plus Hart/Willingham, and now you add in the fact that you have 5 more guy's coming up from AAA. What's next season look like to you?

Deuce-To be honest I know alot of fan's would love to see us give up on D. Ackley but he hit over .300 this past month and has his average up to .260, plus he has been playing a really good OF. (just 4 errors) For me it's all going to come down to what kind of money and who else we resign.

For CF, I would really like to see Morban or Jones take over CF for Boni and give us that speed we need at the top of the order, but both are Left handed hitters, so I really like Van Slyke as another option for us. He doesn't give us any speed though, so it's more likely he could end up at 1B. Another player who might be that CF we need is Brett Jackson. He has played great at AAA this season and like Kelly and Tebrink, it's time that we see if he can make it at the MLB level as he is 25.

For RF, I like the idea of Hart, or a platoon or Saunders and Romero, but we will see. Saunders is getting close to his last leg for the M's. Injuries just keep piling up and he has never been able to prove he can stay at the MLB level in my opinion.

#9 Speaking of 1B. Does J. Smoak have a future and what about Logan Morrison..

Like Ackley I know alot of M's fans would love to see us cut bait with Smoaky but he has done well in a platoon role this season hitting .296 vs LHP (.254 total) and he has 14 HR's and 42 RBI.

I was a big fan of Carter Capps and was sad to see Jack Z deal him for Morrison to tell the truth, but since Logan has returned from AAA he has played pretty well for us hitting .290 vs LHP with 4 of his 5 HR's coming in the past month. If he can continue to swing a hot bat, then he will get long look at 1B next season. With Smoak like Ackley it call comes down to how much money they want.

Q #10 What kind of money can we expect in a Kyle Seager extension?

Deuce-Kyle has put up great #'s for us at 3B. (.290 21 HR 69 RBI). With #'s like that we are probably looking at something like 6-8 years at 13-14 million per season, but we will see what the market calls for.

Q #11 Quick thoughts on C M. Zunino and SS B. Miller.

Deuce- "Z" has really struggle this season at the plate (.219 3 HR 22 RBI) I still think he is our catcher of the future, but we have to get something out of his bat.

Miller has done a solid job with his bat (.256 13 HR 56 RBI) in his first full season, but his speed has been MIA (2 steals) and his field has been horrid (16 Errors). To me Franklin still has a chance to take his spot at SS if things don't improve.

Q #12, Was Robinson Cano worth all the money?

Deuce- I think he will be. His BA never recovered from a horrible start (.260, .275 vs RHP, .225 vs LHP) but he has been a big part of the offense (21 HR's 66 RBI). Time will tell.

Q #13 The Bullpen is it really as good as it's been?

Deuce- We have gotten some great year's out of guy's like J. Beimel (1.37 ERA in 19 IP), S. Pryor (3-1, 0.59 ERA in 15 IP) D. Leone (2-0 2.34 ERA in 34 IP), D. Farquar (3 saves 2.90 ERA in 38 IP), and we made a great trade getting Lefty J. Russell (6 wins 1.52 ERA in 53 IP) and signing F. Rodney (43 saves 2.09 ERA in 43 IP).

So yes, it's been that good.



Down on the farm report will have to wait until after lunch.

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

DOWN ON THE FARM REPORT

We are back with GM "The Deuce" as we now discuss the happenings down on the Farm in both Tacoma and Jackson.


Q #1- 15 of the Rainiers current 25 man roster will be making the move to Seattle for the rest of the season, what will happen to the rest of the 10 players. Will any of them move down to Jackson to help the Generals in the playoffs?


Deuce- For now the plan is for 1B/3B DJ Peterson (.220 3 HR 3 RBI-AAA), C J. Hicks (.336 2 HR 14 RBI-AAA) and SP E. Diaz (5-6 2.61 ERA-AAA) to all head back down for the playoffs. All 3 played a major role in the Generals winning the 1st half before being promoted.

Guy's like SS C. Taylor (.256 17 SB's), 1B Ji-Man Choi (.298 16 HR 75 RBI), J. Blash (.219 8 HR) and SP J. Pries (10-9 3.08 ERA) and RP's C. Rapada, N. Hill and D. Colvin will continue to work with staff in Tacoma.

Q #2. Are you concerned at all with Peterson's performance at AAA and can we expect to see him in a Mariner uniform in 2015?

Deuce-Obviously we would've liked to see him hit for a higher average, but he logged just over 100 AB's which isn't really a big enough sample of what he can do. Next year he will start in Tacoma but I would like to see him in Seattle by the All-Star break if not then for sure in September.

Q #3-Your AA rotation seems really solid with guy's like Sanchez (15-5, 2.26 ERA), Pike (12-4 3.25 ERA) plus Diaz. Are we ready to call these guy's the "Big 3" now and what is the likely hood they will all be apart of the Tacoma rotation in 2015

Deuce-Well Diaz already made the jump and proved he is ready, Sanchez and Pike should start there in 2015, which means we 3/5ths of the rotation would be set, but this means we need to go find guy's via trades that will fit into our future plans in AA and is also a big reason why we loaded up with 4 SP's in the draft.

Q #4- With so many current OF's being shuffled between Seattle and Tacoma, how soon can we expect to see A. Wilson and G. Guerrero in Tacoma?

Deuce- To be honest both player played well enough this season to deserve a promotion (Wilson-.283 20 HR 73 RBI), Guerrero (.254 18 HR 58 RBI) but yeah they are blocked currently by depth. Hopefully this off-season some of that will work it's way out the door, because we need to make room for 1st Round pick Austin Jackson at Jackson next year.

Q #5 According to Minor League Ball.com, the M's Farm ranks #17. Do you feel like that ranking is fair or do you believe it should be higher?

Deuce- Personally I am not happy with it. Obviously having guy's like Walker, Paxton, Miller and Franklin playing in Seattle has hurt our Overall ranking and well I will agree we are not a Top-10, I believe that we should be about 3 or 4 spots higher then we are.


Well there you have it folks. Next up "The Deuce" will give us his take on the current MLB Standings and Playoff Race.

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

Well here we are just 30 days away until October baseball. August was full of teams making their move to position themselves for a playoff run, well other teams cracked under pressure. Here is a look at each of the division standings along with some note worthy comments via Mariner GM "The Deuce"

AL EAST

Toronto (78-58)
"The Blue Jays have gone 5-5 in their past 10 games as they are starting to show signs that they might have the East locked up after all. G. Beckham however isn't to blame. In his past 10 games, the 2B is hitting .361 with 2 HR's."

Baltimore (75-61) 3.0 GB
"The O's are playing great ball having won 3 straight and 8 of their past 10 to move into striking distance of their rival to the north. OF N. Markakis is hitting .417 with 5 RBI in the those past 10 games.

Boston (68-68) 10.0 GB
"The AL East was never theirs to have, but for months the Red Sox's owned the #1 AL WC spot. Not anymore after dropping 6 of their past 10 games. If Red Sox want to blame someone look no futher then Big Papi who is hitting .194 with 2 HR and 3 RBI in his past 10 games"

Tampa Bay (67-70) 11.5 GB
"The Ray's are just 3 games back of .500 and 3 games out of the #2 AL WC spot despite going 5-5 the past 10 games and despite D. Price being 1-3 with a 5.18 ERA in this past 4 starts"

New York Yankees (64-72) 14.0 GB
"Somebody forget to tell the Yankees OF they are out of it. Ellsbury is hitting .371 with 2 HR 3 RBI, Gardner is hitting .400 with 1 HR and 7 RBI, and Soriano is hitting .302 with 5 HR and 12 RBI in their past 10 games"

AL CENTRAL

Kansas City (70-65)
"The Royals still hold onto the #1 spot despite losing 3 straight and 5 of their past 10. One reason for this has been the pitching of M. Estrada. Since coming over from Milwaukee, Estrada is 4-1 and has lowered his ERA to 3.50 on the season."

Detroit (65-71) 5.0 GB
"Like the Royals, the Tigers hit a losing streak at the same time losing out on a chance to take over 1st place. A key reason was the loss of Sherzer and Liriano from the rotation, despite R. Porcello winning his past 3 starts and Rookie Robbie Ray going 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA in his 3 starts as well.

Cleveland (64-72) 6.0 GB
"Many Indians fans thought this could be their year, but despite winning 5 in a row and 7 of their past 10 games, they are still 6 games out of the division and 5.5 games out of the AL WC. Well they have gotten great effort from N. Swisher (.385 4 HR 11 RBI) not as much can be said about SS A. Cabrera who is hitting .189 with 1 HR and 5 RBI in his past 10.

Chicago White Sox (60-77) 10.5 GB
"The good news is the Pale Hose have won 2 in a row and 6 of their past 10 games. The bad news is there is still enough games left in the season for them to lose 100 on the year. Jose Quintana however has a different plan as he is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in his past 3 starts and A. Dunn is hitting .357 with 3 HR and 9 RBI in his past 10 games."

Minnesota (53-83) 17.0 GB
"Having lost their past 5 straight and 6 of their past 10, the Twins are heading in the wrong direction fast. The Good news is this means a high draft pick. The bad news is the losing has taken a toll on team captain Joe Mauer who is hitting .129 with 1 HR and 2 RBI in his past 10 games."

AL WEST

Seattle (81-54)
"The M's have the MLB's best record by 1 game and going into September. Well their goal of 100 might seem impossible, anything is possible with this team. With a 12 game lead it's safe to say the M's have wrapped up the division and at this point are playing for home field advantage and a chance to take on the WC team in Round 1."

Los Angeles Angels (70-67) 12.0 GB
"Anaheim has won 2 straight and 6 of their past 10 behind the play of CJ Wilson (3-0 2.54 ERA) and OF M. Trout (.371 4 HR 12 RBI). Well the AL West is not a option, they are currently holding onto the #2 AL WC spot by 1.5 games going into Sept"

Texas (68-68) 13.5 GB
"Some say the Rangers didn't make enough moves and should've unloaded the farm for Stanton. Others are glad they didn't. Like LAA, they won't catch the M's for the West, but they are just 1.5 GB in the AL WC race leaving them hope. Most of that is riding on the arm of Yu Darvis who is 3-0 with a 0.84 ERA in his past 3 starts"

Oakland (66-70) 15.5 GB
"The A's made the very first big move trading for J. Smaradzija and J. Hammel but the deal just never panned out. However you can't blame the 2 guy's involved. Shark since coming to the A.L is 6-2 with a ERA in the mid 3's well Hammel is 5-4 also with a mid 3's ERA.

Houston (64-74) 18.5 GB
"The Bad news is the Astros won't be getting the #1 draft pick this year. The Good news is their motto of 2017 here we come is still in full effect. However someone needs to tell G. Springer because in his past 10 games he is hitting .316 with 4 HR and 9 RBI"

NL EAST

Atlanta (75-62)
"The Braves have won 3 straight and after losing 6 of their past 7, yet they are still in first place. Right now the NL CY Young could come down to either K. Medlen (15-7 2.61 ERA) or B. Beachy (16-7 2.95 ERA)"

Washington (71-65) 3.5 GB
"Despite only wining 5 of their past 10 games, the Nat's are still within striking distance in the East , more so then the WC where they are 5.0 GB. Depsite R. Zimmerman hitting .194, B. Harper hitting .147 and A. Rendon hitting .114 in their past 10 games."

New York Mets (70-67) 5.0 GB
"The Mets considered themselves sellers at the deadline and yet here they are 3 games over .500. One person they might be able to thank is former Phillie/Angels CP R. Madson. After trading B. Parnell to Colorado, Madson signed a deal with the Mets and so far is 5 of 6 in save opps."

Philadelphia (68-68) 6.5 GB
"When your team is as old as the Phillies you figure they would run out of gas at some point, but don't tell that to 1B Ryan Howard. In the past 10 games he is hitting .333 with 3 HR and 4 RBI"

Miami (57-79) 17.5 GB
"Some would say the Marlins don't even know how to lose right. Despite losing their past 4 games and 9 of their past 10, the Fish still don't have the worst record in baseball, but don't blame SP J. Turner he is doing his part going 0-4 with a 7.85 ERA in his past 4 starts. The one bright spot for Miami fans is G. Stanton who is hitting .371 in his past 10 games and .313 with 26 HR's and 73 RBI on the year"

NL CENTRAL

Cincinnati (79-59)
"The Reds have gone 5-5 in their past 10 games opening the door for St Louis to finally take over first place, but here they are still there. A key reason is J. Votto hitting .414 with 4 HR and 7 RBI in his past 10 games."

St Louis (76-60) 2.5 GB
The Cardinals are not giving up the Central without a fight winning 7 of their past 10 games and are currently .5 GB of the Padres for the #1 NL WC. Despite losing A. Craig (.286 27 HR 66 RBI) for the rest of the year with a fractured hand"

Milwaukee (68-68) 10.5 GB
"The bad news is the Brewers are out of the playoffs, the good news is they still can finish above .500 with a solid September. John Lamb (acquired in the M. Estrada deal) made his first start this past week going 8 IP but got the no decision despite giving up just 1 run"

Pittsburgh (63-73) 15.5 GB

"The Pirates had high hopes going into 2014 but it just didnt' work out how they planned. The Good news though is team captain A. "Clutch" McCutchen isn't giving up hitting .459 with 1 HR and 8 RBI in his past 10 games, and is still leading both leagues in hitting with a .354 BA well hitting 26 HR's and driving in 84 RBI's. Add in that he has 18 SB's and he has become a legit star."

Chicago (46-91) 33.0 GB
"It's amazing how the Chicago Cubs look alot more like the Iowa Cubs. Gone is any starter over 26 minus CF J. Ruggiano but that's because he was on the DL during the trade deadline. J. Baez has made his debut and now has 104 AB's but is hitting just .173 with 1 HR and 4 RBI, well starting at 2B. J. Soler hasn't fair much better hitting just .232 with 4 HR and 13 RBI in 99 AB's and the rotation? Well T. Wood is 6-10, D. Straily is 4-13, E. Jackson is 7-14 and J. Arrieta is 3-13. The lone bright spot has been R. Erlin who is 2-3 with a 3.76 ERA since coming over from San Diego."

NL WEST

Colorado (80-57)
"The Rockies have done it. They have taken over 1st place having won 7 of their past 10. CP B. Parnell has been lights out since coming over from New York saving 14 games, well B. Anderson has shined in the #3 spot in the rotation going 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA and J. De La Rosa is 3-1 with a 0.93 ERA out of the #4 spot. One sad news to report is starting Catcher W. Rosario (.244 27 HR 73 RBI) is gone for the year with a dislocated shoulder. Colorado has signed former backstop Y. Torrealba to take his place"

San Diego (76-59) 3.0 GB
"Despite winning 6 of their past 10, the Padres might have to just be satisfied with the NL WC spot and work hard to hold off the Cards and Dodgers for the #1 spot. Many felt that San Diego should've dealt Huston Street 2 years ago and they did have a offer by the Angels this year, but he has proven his worth by saving 9/10 games with a 0.00 ERA in his past 10 games and now has 43 saves on the year, paving the way for a bigger payday this fall"

Los Angeles Dodgers (75-62) 5.0 GB
"Like San Diego, LAD might need to just focus on the WC as the division seems to be slipping away. Zero blame can be put on C. Kershaw who is 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA his past 3 starts and is 16-5 with a 2.24 ERA on the year. It also can't be put on the Dodgers big trade deadline pickup. 3B P. Alvarez is hitting .297 with 4 HR and 8 RBI in his past 10 games and now has 26 HR and 75 RBI on the year"

San Franciso (71-66) 9.0 GB
"Rumor has it the Giants are making a petition to move to the AL Central where their record would have them in 1st place. Now 5.5 GB out of the NL WC after losing 7 of their past 10, it looks like S.F. is packing it in. SP T. Hudson is 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA in his past 3 starts, OF H. Pence is hitting .186 with 1 HR in his past 10 games and trade dealine pickup SS/2B A. Ramirez is hitting just .200 over those same 10 games. The lone bright spot has been C Buster Posey who is hitting .394 with 2 HR and 5 RBI in the past 10 and .326 with 22 HR and 70 RBI for the year"

Arizona (57-79) 22.5 GB
"The good news, they are not the Cubs, the bad news is they will still be picking in the Top-5 of next year's draft. 2B A. Hill never was moved at the deadline or picked up on waivers but instead of being upset about being on a losing team with no chance of the playoffs, he is playing hard hitting .333 with 3 HR's in his past 10 games"

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

M'S TAKE 4 OF 7 ON THE ROAD

In 2010, the Seattle Mariners came up with the motto "Believe Big" and several fans including current GM "The Deuce" did just that. But instead of watching their M's take the AL West and make the playoffs after making several trades that included bringing in Cliff Lee to be a #2 behind Felix, the M's instead lost 101 games as they finished 29 GB.

Fans felt where disappointed to say the least. Some felt like the M's front office should've done more to try and keep 3B A. Beltre. Others felt like the Front Office wasted the return of Ken "The Kid" Griffey Jr.

Well now 4 years later, GM "The Deuce" is asking not just his fans but his entire 40 man roster to "Believe Big" as the M's look to close up the a AL west crown with a strong month in September.

Here is the results from the the first 2 series of the month a 7 game road trip to Oakland/Texas

Game 1 @ Oakland (M's win 2-1)

Former #1 prospect T. Walker took the mound looking to snap a 3 game losing streak and pick up his 5th "W" of the season and he did just that.

Walker threw 6 1/3 IP giving up just 1 run on 4 hits well striking out 4.

S. Pryor (2/3 IP) and D. Farquhar (1 IP) got the ball to the 9th for Fernando "The Arrow" Rodney to close out the game for his 44th save of the year.

At the Plate, Logan Morrison put the M's on the scoreboard in the 2nd with a solo HR, and R. Cano added a RBI double in the 5th to give the M's the lead.

Game 2 @ Oakland (A's win 2-0)

With RHP J. Smardizja on the mound the M's loaded up their lineup with lefties, including one of Sharks former teammates Brett Jackson who would be making his first MLB start for the M's.

The Shark dominated like he has been since coming to the American League as he throws a 3-hitter complete game striking out 12 well walking 3. He is now 11-11 on the season buy 7-2 since coming to Oakland.

Of those 3 hits, 1 of them belonged to Jackson who finished the day 1/3.

On the Mound for the M's, H. Iwakuma took the loss dropping to (7-5) as he gave up 2 runs on 3 hits well striking out 9.

The 2 runs came off of solo HR's by Reddick and Freiman.


Game 3 @ Oakland (A's win 2-0 *Played*)

It was "King" Felix looking for his 19th win vs S. Kazmir looking for #7. Today Kazmir got his way.

This time with a lefty on the mound, the M's went with a RHB dominated lineup that included N. Fanklin at SS, A. Van Slyke in CF, T. Plouffe at 3B, T. Kelly at 2B, J. Sucre at C, and S. Romero in LF joining Smoak, Hart and Willingham.

The response was just 4 hits off Kazimr as he goes the compelte game giving up just 4 hits well striking out 8.

S. Romero was the hero of the day going 2 for 3 but was picked off 1st base in the 8th with 1 out and N. Franklin at the plate looking to tie the game.

Felix picked up the Loss for just the 4th time this year, as he went 6 2/3 IP giving up both runs on 6 hits well striking out 4.

His lone mistake being a 2-run blast by B. Moss in the 6th.

Carson Smith made his MLB debut getting the final 2 outs of the game including a strikout.

Game 1 @ Texas (M's win 6-2)

Seattle would take a early 2-0 lead scoring in the 1st inning and then added 4 more in the 6th with 3 runs coming off the bat of Mike Zunino who hit just his 5th HR of the season.

Rookie J. Paxton trying to go for the complete game would give up the 2 runs in the 9th with 2 outs as Texas gets 5 of their 7 hits off Paxton in the 9th.

"The Arrow" would come in and get the final out for his 45th save of the year.

With the "W" Paxton is now (8-10) on the year and has lowered his ERA to 3.92.

Game 2 @ Texas (M's fall 3-2)

Again Seattle would take the early lead (2-0) in the 2nd but the Rangers would get 1 back in the 3rd and then take the lead in the 6th of a J. Profar 2-run blast.

C. Young would take the loss giving up all 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 BB's well striking out 4 in 6 IP of work.

J. Nieman made his Mariner debut pitching the 9th. It was his first MLB IP since May of 2012 when he had his leg fractured in a game vs Toronto

At the Plate, Seattle scored via K. Seager's 22nd HR of the season and a RBI double by L. Morrison.

Game 3 @ Texas (M's win 7-1 *Played*)

He's back... After winning 4 straight to start the year, T. Walker hit a rough patch dropping 3 straight, but rebounded to win his 5th game earlier the week @ Oakland and now he gets #6 @ Texas.

Walker goes the complete game giving up 1 run on 7 hits and 3 BB's well striking out a season high 10 batters.

At the Plate, E. Bonifacio goes 3/4 and scores twice out of the leadoff spot. C. Hart hitting cleanup goes 2/4 and drives in 4 runs, well L. Morrison goes 2/5 with a run scored and a run driven in.

Game 4 @ Texas (M's win 14-9)

Tied 2-2 in the 3rd, the M's score 5 runs to make it 7-2. Texas answers back with 2 more to make it 7-4. Seattle then scores 6 in the 4th to make it 13-4, and Texas again responds with 2 runs to make it 13-6 all before the 5th inning.

H. Iwakuma stays in the game for 5 IP despite giving up 6 runs (5 ER) on 9 hits and 3 BB's to get his 8th "W" of the year.

S. Pryor who had been lights out in his first 14 IP of the year finally gives up 2 runs in 2 IP well striking out 3.

D. Farquhar pitched the final 2 IP to close out the game.

At the Plate, C. Hart goes yard for his 40th HR of the year as he scores 3 times and drives in 3 runs.

D. Ackley replaced S. Van Slyke in LF and finished 2/3 with 2 runs scored via J Smoak who also went 2/3 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI's.

M. Zunino finished 2/3 as well and drove in 4 runs all his 6th HR of the season.

[B]Van Slyke was lost for the remainder of the season with a Broken Arm.[/B]

UP NEXT SEATTLE (85-57) RETURNS HOME FOR A 3 GAME SERIES VS HOUSTON (67-76)

[xboxxerx]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

That sucks about Van Slyke.

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

That sucks about Van Slyke.

Yes it does, he was doing really well too, hitting over .300 and had his fist dinger.

What really sucks is my next game played, but not posted yet. Another injury and this one hurts. (No not Felix) but still not happy about it.

[ESexton18]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

Nice write up and a good read on the reviews Deuce... wondering who you lost. Hopefully not Hart or Cano as they seem to be carrying things offensively.

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

JACKSON WINS ROUND 1 OF AA PLAYOFS

The Jackson Generals won the 1st half of the Southern League North, well the Chattanooga Lookouts won the 2nd half.

Now with a Game 5 victory over the Lookouts, it's the Generals who are moving on to the next round as they will take on the Montgomery Biscuits who defeated the Mississippi Braves in in Round 1 to win the SL North.

Here is a look at what happened in the 5 game series with the Lookouts.

Game 1 (Generals win 2-0)

Jackson scored in the bottom of the 1st on a P. Kivlehan solo HR,and then it was Kivlehan coming through again in the 5th with a RBI double.

That's all V. Sanchez would need as the M's #6 prospect would show he has big league talent with a complete game 4 hit shutout finishing with 9 K's.

Game 2 (Generals fall 6-0)

After witnessing the one of the M's top pitching prospects throw a complete game in Game 1, it was Dodger fans who got the same treatment in Game 2 as T. Windle (#7 on their Top-20) throws the 6 hittter with 7 K's.

In the loss the M's #9 prospect T. Pike takes the loss as he goes just 4 2/3 IP giving up 5 runs on 3 hits and 4 BB's well striking out 6.

At the plate for the Lookouts Corey Seager younger brother to M's Kyle went 2 /4 with 2 RBI's.

Game 3 (Generals win 7-1)

6 different players drove in runs for Jackson and 3 players finished 3/5 at the plate (CF-Avery, SS-J. Reinheimer, and 1B T. O'Neill), but it was O'Neill's solo HR that had everyone talking as the ball still has yet to come down from the orbit he sent it too.

On the Mound, S. Landazuri followed the complete game path as he goes all 9 giving up 1 run on 5 hits and 3 BB's well striking out 6.

For the Lookouts #5 prospect C. Anderson took the loss as he gives up 5 runs (4 ER) on 9 hits lasting just 4 IP.


Game 4 (Generals fall 4-1)

The complete game streak was broke as Chattanooga starter G. Gould goes just 8 IP giving up 4 hits and 1 run well striking out 10 as he picks up the "W"

#10 prospect P. Baez comes in to pitch the 9th for the save.

For the Generals J. Gillheeney took the loss as he gives up all 4 runs on 8 hits in 5 2/3 IP despite striking out 9 batters.

S. Kohlscheen pitched the final 2 1/3 IP giving up just 1 hit and striking out 3.

At the plate P. Kivlehan drove in the Generals lone run.

Game 5 (Generals win 7-5)

Despite a 3/5 2 runs 3 RBI day from J. Hazelbaker, the Generals take the series behind solo HR's by G. Guerrero and T. O'Nell. O'Neill finished the day 2/3 and scored 3 times, he also had a SB.

2B T. Lopes brother to Toronto Blue Jay prospect C. Lopes finish 2/4 and drove in 2 runs.

Lars Huijer (#20 on the M's Top-20) a 2011 signing out of the Netherlands started the game pitching the first 5 IP but gave up all 5 runs (2 ER) on 7 hits.

Journeyman Jose Mirajes picked up the "W" pitching 2 IP of relief, well E. Pagan picked up his first save of the series pitching the 9th.

[Deuce2223]

Re: The King and his Diamond Table-A Seattle M's Franchise (MLB14-PS3)

M'S TAKE 2 OF 3 AT A COST

The M's continued with their 2 of 3 pattern well hosting the Astros for 3 of a 6 game homestand, but the loss in Game 2 was more then just a "L" in the win/loss column.

Veteran Catcher Gerald Laird broke his arm in the 5th inning and will be lost for the remainder of the season.

Since coming over from Atlanta at the Deadline, Laird has started 18 games for the M's including the 18-3 win over Toronto in which he went 4/4 and scored 5 runs.

With Laird joining Jesus Montero on the the DL for the remainder of the season, the M's will be left with 25 yr old Jesus Sucre (65/D) as the only backup to M. Zunino.

Well Zunino has caught fire of late hitting 2 HR's this past week, Sucre has not found his stroke at the MBL level and 12 AB's this season has just 1 hit (0.83).

With former Mariners, 34 yr old H. Quintero (69/C) was on the Tacoma roster to start the year, 33 yr old J. Buck (64/C) hit .242 2 HR 8 RBI in 66 AB's, and 2013 members 33 yr old K. Shoppach (63/D) and 42 yr old H. Blanco (63/A) as the most viable options in F.A., GM "The Deuce" will have a tough decision ahead.

Here is a recap of the 3 games vs Houston

Game 1 (M's win 2-1)

On the Mound "King" Felix wins #19 as he goes 6 IP giving up the 1 unearned run on 6 hits striking out a season low 3 batters.

J. Russell pitched the 8th and 9th picking up his first save of the season.

At the Plate

E. Bonifacio had a big day going 3/4 including a solo HR and had a SB, his 22nd of the season which leads the M's.

C. Hart was responsible for the other run with his 42nd HR of the season.

Game 2 (M's fall 6-3 in the 10th)

At the Plate

The M's took the lead in the 1st as R. Cano hits a 2-run HR (#22) well L. Morrison adds a RBI single.

Cano finished the day 4/4 but was the only Mariner with more then 1 hit.

On the Mound

J. Paxton went 7 IP giving up 3 runs (2 ER) on 6 hits well striking out 8, but it was J. Nieman who took the loss (0-1) as he gives up the winning runs in the 10th after 2 scoreless IP of relief work. S. Pryor came in and got the final 2 outs of the game.

But in the bottom of the 10th J. Crain closed the door for his 38th save of the season.

Game 3 (M's win 6-1)

Tied 1-1 until the 8th the M's bats explode for 5 runs led by R. Cano's (#23) and K. Seager's (#23) Home runs of the season. Both players finished the day 3/5 from the plate.

D. Ackley aslo had a big day going 2/5 both doubles as he drove in 3 runs.

On the Mound it was Chris Young picking up his 17th win of the season (17-6) as he goes the complete game giving up the 1 run on 5 hits well striking out 6.

UP NEXT SEATTLE (87-58) HOSTS (72-74) OAKLAND IN A REMATCH OF THE SEPT 1-3RD SERIES IN WHICH OAKLAND TOOK 2 OF 3