Headed into Game 10, Mariners, Royals and Jays in 1st Place

Does anyone think the Royals or Jays are going to win their divisions?  

Let’s not get too excited, even though last night’s 11-3 drubbing of the Angels, the mighty Angels, will make anyone think the 2009 Mariners are a powerhouse. At 7-2 going into Thursday’s game, the Mariners have the second-best record in the MLB, just behind the Florida Marlins. The difference between those two teams? People are talking about the Marlins being for real and the M’s are still a surprise. Let’s keep it that way, because the first ten games—one sixteenth of the season is behind us—don’t measure the end of any season. 

And the Mariners have always been good when people underestimated them. This is a team that is coming together, learning to play together and could be much better than expected as long as they don’t start taking anything for granted. Don Wakamatsu’s aggressive brand of small ball is fun to watch, whatever the results. These are some good results.

Kenji Johjima is headed to the DL with a hamstring injury. Jamie Burke, who handles the pitching staff very well, replaces him. Jeff Clement begins to look like trade bait, if he can get his numbers up. Burke has started two games to Clement’s five in Tacoma, yet here Jamie is, the “new Pat Borders,” as Mike Snow calls him. 

Sean White joins the team, as well, to shore up the bullpen now that Chris Jakubauskas is in the rotation. The Pullman native will fill in well, but won’t shake the world.

Matt Tuiasosopo goes back to Tacoma, where he will get some much-needed work. After his Spring, he deserves to be with the big club, but he needs to be playing daily. We’ll see him again, soon. 

What’s with Adrian Beltre? His tepid start (.206 average and a paltry .265 SLG with just seven hits in 24 at-bats) suggests he is not fully recovered from off-season surgery. He’s going to heat up soon or, I suspect we’ll begin to hear about his health, again. 

Jakubauskas is pitching sell in the first. He’s thrown 12 of 14 pitches for strikes. Jak strikes out Torii Hunter and Bobby Abreu, after giving up a bloop fly to Chone Figgins and getting Howie Kendrick to ground out. The rookie looks good.

The Mariners lineup tonight, as Jr. and Franklin Gutierrez get a night off:

Suzuki, RF
Chavez, CF
Sweeney, DH
Beltre, 3B
Lopez, 2B
Branyan, 1B
Balentien, LF
Johnson, C
Betancourt, SS

I’ll be at the game Friday. Look for new pictures soon.

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