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Geoff Baker covers the Mariners for The Seattle Times. He provides daily coverage of the team throughout spring training, and during the season.

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July 11, 2008 6:55 PM

Mariners at Kansas City Royals: 07/11 game thread

Posted by Geoff Baker

Felix Hernandez was indeed pulled, going five innings and allowing the three runs. Roy Corcoran got through the sixth unscathed and Cesar Jimenez is now on in the bottom of the seventh, his team trailing 3-1. The Mariners scored a run in the top of the seventh as Adrian Beltre doubled, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on an RBI groundout by Miguel Cairo. No Horacio Ramirez in this game. He's already sat back down and others are warming up. Yes, I know. The window of opportunity is closing fast.

The Mariners have shipped Jared Wells back to Class AAA Tacoma to clear room for Felix Hernandez to start tonight's game. They could have put Miguel Batista on the DL and kept Wells here. But manager Jim Riggleman said there's a chance Batista could be used out out of the bullpen if the pitching situation gets dire the next few days. Oh well, at least Wells got a free night in a hotel and a ride on the team jet.

Jose Guillen has been scratched from tonight's game with a stiff neck. He had the neck pad on while we were interviewing him earlier and it's too sore to swing properly. Had this problem in Seattle last year as well.

Guess who's coming to dinner?

6:39 p.m.: Felix Hernandez just got roughed up badly in the bottom of the fifth and trails 3-0. Hernandez got the first two hitters part, then began coming undone. He yielded a single to John Buck, who stole second base and scored on a single to center by Joey Gathright. An ensuing walk to David DeJesus was followed by a wild pitch that moved the runners to second and third. Mike Aviles then lined a ball over Ichiro's head in right field to bring home two more runs. Hernandez is at 83 pitches and just threw about 30 in that one inning. I'd say he's likely done, especially in this heat. Gametime temperature was 89 degrees. And humid.

By the way, Horacio Ramirez is warming up in the KC bullpen.

6:21 p.m.: We're locked in a scoreless pitcher's duel here as we head to the bottom of the fifth. Felix Hernandez has a gem of a one-hitter going. He'd retired 10 in a row to start the game, gave up a double to Mark Teahen in the fourth, then set down the next two hitters on strikes to end the inning. Six strikeouts in four innings by Hernandez, but his pitch count is still in the low 50s, so he's been efficient at other times.

Luke Hochevar hasn't been as dominant for the Royals, but the M's have helped him out, stranding four runners so far.

5:20 p.m.: Felix Hernandez just breezed through a 1-2-3 first inning, notching two groundouts and a strikeout on Mark Teahen.

Jose Lopez hit a one-out single to left off Luke Hochevar in the top of the first, but Raul Ibanez went down swinging after that and Jose Vidro -- after Lopez stole second -- flied out to left.

The lineups:

MARINERS (36-56)

51 Ichiro RF
4 Jose Lopez 2B
28 Raul Ibanez LF
3 Jose Vidro DH
29 Adrian Beltre 3B
8 Jeremy Reed CF
13 Miguel Cairo 1B
9 Jeff Clement C
5 Yuniesky Betancourt SS

34 Felix Hernandez RHP

ROYALS (41-52)

9 David DeJesus LF
30 Mike Aviles SS
24 Mark Teahen RF
16 Billy Butler DH
15 Mark Grudzielanek 2B
4 Alex Gordon 3B
7 Ross Gload 1B
14 John Buck C
2 Joey Gathright CF

44 Luke Hochevar RHP

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Submit a comment

Posted by markus

5:53 PM, Jul 11, 2008

All I want out of my new son is to be left handed and hit 85 on the radar gun, because then he will be able to finance my world travels and never have to have an ERA under 8. Luck son of a gun Ramirez

Posted by twoOHsick

6:01 PM, Jul 11, 2008

i'm watching the game on tv.. and it's funny how i want to see the offense off the field and watch felix pitch instead.

Posted by Vidro

6:02 PM, Jul 11, 2008

Release me. Ease my pain!!!!!!!

Posted by Batter Up!!!

6:03 PM, Jul 11, 2008

Felix is Awesome!

He is the KING.

Show them all how the bull goes throw the buckwheat Felix. You have the potential to the best there has ever been...

Posted by 11Records

6:05 PM, Jul 11, 2008

Do they get to face HoRam in the series?

If they do, I'm sure they'll be missing Sexson's 1.046 OPS vs lefties!

Seriously -I'm not making that up. And they couldn't get ANYTHING for him? Even with picking up his salary? Even from teams like Pittsburgh and Florida with LH hitting 1B like Jacobs and LaRoche who are terrible against lefties?

Remember a few years ago, when the M's were desperate for an additional RH bat, and they gave up Asdrubal Cabrera for 2 months of Eduardo Perez's corpse? Shame there's no one else like Bavasi out there to give Pelekoudas a gift like that.

Posted by 11Records

6:15 PM, Jul 11, 2008

One more thing -

Geoff - I know it's only July and not August, but ask Ichiro how hot it is in Kansas City.

Posted by Future

6:28 PM, Jul 11, 2008

Sexson sucks and no one will ever miss him!

Guillen is history and we will all miss him.

The future is now, forget the history it has nothing to do with winning today or tomorrow.

Posted by GripS

6:30 PM, Jul 11, 2008

Ouch.... Felix falls apart in the 5th. The Royals scored the only run they are gonna need the way the M's are hitting. Bummer.

Posted by smith

7:17 PM, Jul 11, 2008

I've tried to remain positive and optimistic but this Mariners offense is downright horrible. Would Tug Hulett produce more than Vidro? I find it hard to believe that he could do worse.

Neil Young said "It is better to burnout than fade away"

some of these Mariners are definitely burnt out, now it is time for the Mariners FO to fade them away.

Posted by Batter Up!!!

7:21 PM, Jul 11, 2008

Felix will rise again.

He's a kid that wants to play and has come back to soon again...

He's 22 and has no one in this organization looking out for him. F*** the FO. Too bad he's no respected for the star he is.

How about stepping up for the kid Jeoff?

Posted by headliner

7:25 PM, Jul 11, 2008

must be the KC heat........or another cy young pitcher. pretty pathetic looking.

Posted by GripS

7:27 PM, Jul 11, 2008

OK. How many games does Vidro have to be ABSOLUTELY worthless before he is released? Really.... it's downright frustrating to see this guy making the lineup game after game.

Good job by the bullpen YET AGAIN. Terrible job by the offense. WTF man!!???

Posted by Mad Dog

7:27 PM, Jul 11, 2008

It's nice to see the M's finally cut Sexson. Now we get to watch two guys (Vidro and Cairo) with worse numbers play firstbase. At what point does the M's braintrust start auditioning young players such as LaHair? Oh wait, we picked up Craig Wilson. Is Bavasi secretely running this team?

Posted by Idaho Invader

7:29 PM, Jul 11, 2008

Vidro already is worthless. He and Cairo are having a contest to see who's more worthless. The winner? Bill Bavasi, lol

Fwiw, why not try Wells out a little and put Batista on the bus back to Seattle, er uh, I mean the DL.

We already know he's pathetic this year. Why would we want Batista in the game if the situation is "dire?" In fact, it automatically qualifies as "dire" if he is in, right?

Posted by BrianL

7:31 PM, Jul 11, 2008

Wells doesn't have the stuff that RRS or Dickey has. It would be better to get extended looks at those two.

Posted by George

8:17 PM, Jul 11, 2008

I just heard Riggleman's postgame comments. I swear, I could close my eyes and see John McLaren

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