Ducks Attack Message Board Forum

The early season hole from playing Houston has been a big problem so if they can get the wildcard it will be even more impressive.

Over .500 and only 2.5 games back from last wild card spot.

This was a good example of why having a terrible farm system really hurts... the package the Yankees gave to Oakland for Sonny Gray was not exceptional. It was good, but two of the prospects are coming off major surgeries. It was a beatable offer, but Seattle's farm system is awful and the front office couldn't beat it. Years of bad drafting will do that to an organization.

I have a hard time seeing Seattle nabbing a WC spot. Paxton has been incredible, but every other spot in the rotation is a total wildcard -- yes, even Felix. Kansas City is playing great baseball and I think they'll end up getting one of the spots. The Yankees might run away and hide with the East now that they've finally caught Boston, which makes Boston and Tampa Bay Seattle's two big obstacles for the last spot. The M's play 4 with Kansas City at the end of the week.

It's strange, but, this year's team "seems" to be better than last year's, Dyson, Gamel, Heredia & Diaz, all great aditions, Zunino is playing better but, save for a fantastic run in the last 50 games, will finish substantially under last season's record. Today's game against KC was rained out, will be a doubleheader tomorrow. It also was announced that Hernandez was put on the DL, it now seems that the reign of King Felix is over.

Going 2-2 in KC is actually better than I thought they'd do, considering what KC did to the Mariners in Safeco last month.

1.5 out, a day off today, then two with Oakland before returning home for 7.

Yesterday was a rough day for Dipoto's recent pitching acquisitions. Marco Gonzales and Erasmo Ramirez combined to give up 10 earned in 9 IP, and David Phelps left the early game with elbow tightness.

However, Dipoto did land Oakland 1B Yonder Alonso to platoon at 1B w/ Valencia. Alonso was an All Star this year, and Dipoto got him for Boog Powell, a minor league outfielder. Valencia is mashing left handed pitching, Alonso is mashing right handers, now we have ourselves a good old fashioned platoon.

Considering the starting pitching, I imagine the wild card plan is to outscore teams to the postseason. We shall see how that works. This IS the best hitting team we've had since the early 2000s, but man alive is no lead ever safe with this team. I left home yesterday with the M's up 7-0, and they wound up needing a late Nelson Cruz HR to salvage an 8-7 win.

Thurston wrote:Going 2-2 in KC is actually better than I thought they'd do, considering what KC did to the Mariners in Safeco last month.

1.5 out, a day off today, then two with Oakland before returning home for 7.

Yesterday was a rough day for Dipoto's recent pitching acquisitions. Marco Gonzales and Erasmo Ramirez combined to give up 10 earned in 9 IP, and David Phelps left the early game with elbow tightness.

However, Dipoto did land Oakland 1B Yonder Alonso to platoon at 1B w/ Valencia. Alonso was an All Star this year, and Dipoto got him for Boog Powell, a minor league outfielder. Valencia is mashing left handed pitching, Alonso is mashing right handers, now we have ourselves a good old fashioned platoon.

Considering the starting pitching, I imagine the wild card plan is to outscore teams to the postseason. We shall see how that works. This IS the best hitting team we've had since the early 2000s, but man alive is no lead ever safe with this team. I left home yesterday with the M's up 7-0, and they wound up needing a late Nelson Cruz HR to salvage an 8-7 win.

Yeah in a reasonable spot, but how many times have we said that in August the last decade?

Only one or twice. Seattle is rarely in contention in August.

Virtual 3-way tie in the WC after KC & Tampa lost and Seattle came back to beat the A's. Typical (lately) M's win: starting pitcher gets shelled, offense roars back, relief pitching holds on to save the day.

0.5 game lead in wild card.

tied with Tampa and Paxton gets injured

Lookout Landing did a piece the other day on how a starting rotation as awful as Seattle's has never made the postseason. And they wrote it before Paxton's injury. We don't know the severity of it yet, but knowing the Mariners he'll be shelved for a month.

Unfortunate game last night. Seattle looked dead in the water, then rallied late to tie. But then Diaz was a little wild in the 9th, and the best player in baseball beat him good.

Falling apart. Bullpen threw away the Angels series.

Yeah, they're done. No Pax, Felix, Kuma, Smyly. Miranda and Gallardo have been *awful*, bringing back Erasmo was incredibly uninspired, and Marco Gonzales is pretty good for 3 innings but can never seem to go 5. This all equals an overworked and overtaxed bullpen, which has been pretty solid all year but has definitely begun to crack.

Too bad. A healthy rotation and this is the team that finally breaks the playoff drought. The offense is wonderful, and the bullpen, when not forced to pitch 6 innings a game, is more than capable.

I think it's 2018 or bust. If they don't make the playoffs, pack up and relocate this miserable excuse for a franchise.