Grip on Sports: If you don’t want to be depressed, maybe it’s better to skip the M’s games right now
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Decided to watch the M’s last night. But it was too depressing. So I switched back and forth between the game and a Mel Gibson war movie. The latter was more uplifting. Read on.
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• What was really depressing was the M’s lack of offense. Again. Mainly, the poor at-bats in key situations.
(For example, Mike Zunino came to the plate in the fifth inning with a runner on third and one out. He struck out. All five pitches were in the dirt. Ricky Nolasco never threw a strike and got an out. Is that what Scott Servais means when he wants the M’s to control the strike zone?)
But really depressed me were a few odd balls/strikes calls from Tim Timmons, the home plate umpire.
You know that really cool box they put up on the broadcast, showing where each pitch passes through the strike zone? Well, if I were a major league umpire, I wouldn’t like it.
It seemed last night pitches that just touched the outside lines were strikes sometimes and balls others. That’s to be expected, borderline calls are usually 50/50 anyway. Has been since King Kelly invented the shinguard. But what was odd about last night was it seemed every time the ball just touched the strike zone when a Mariner was at the plate, it was a strike.
When it was an Angel? A ball.
At least that’s how it seemed.
And two pitches really highlighted the difference.
When Mike Trout came to the plate in the seventh with a runner on and the game tied at 3, Evan Scribner started him out with a strike. The next pitch was a fastball on the inner half, under his armpits. The strike zone box had the pitch touching the lines, and not just barely. But Timmons called it a ball.
There is a huge difference between 0-2, which Trout would have faced if the pitch had been called a strike, and 1-1, which it was.
About a 404-foot difference, actually. Instead of being able to waste a pitch, Scribner followed Zunino’s guidance and tried to throw a fastball in the same area. This time he missed out over the plate and Trout didn’t. Miss, I mean. He hit it to the rocks. And the Angels led 5-3.
No big deal, right? Those calls even out. Except in the eighth, against Robinson Cano on a 0-1 count, JC Ramirez threw a fastball to the same exact spot. I swear. Outside instead of inside – Cano hits left-handed, Trout right – sure, but the same spot on the grid. And Timmons called it strike two.
What the heck? Now Cano came through with a single later in the at-bat, but it was the principle of the thing. And illustrated a baseball truism. When a team is going well, all those calls seem to go its way. When it isn’t, and the Mariners certainly aren’t, then they don’t.
Of course, it doesn’t help that Kyle Seager followed Cano’s single and a Nelson Cruz sacrifice fly by striking out on three pitches, but that doesn’t fit my narrative. So let’s move on.
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WSU: The Cougars scrimmaged yesterday in Martin Stadium and Jacob Thorpe was there. He filed this report on what they accomplished. … Stefanie Loh also has a scrimmage report in the Times as well as a story on Hunter Dale. … There was a lot of football around the Pac-12 yesterday, with Oregon opening a practice to show off the new look – and the quarterbacks. … Oregon State picked up a transfer running back that can play this fall. … Stanford has another player in its two-man quarterback battle. … So what’s going on at California these days? … UCLA lost a senior who will transfer. … Utah didn’t scrimmage but liked its practice. … USC is building an offensive line with the hope of allowing Sam Darnold to take more chances. … In basketball, Arizona may lose another player, one who is a bit of a surprise.
Gonzaga: A friend of mine has asked me a couple times to write a book about Dan Fitzgerald, the former GU coach. I’ve demurred and there is a reason why. There is only one person who should write it: John Blanchette. His relationship with Fitz dates back to near the start of Fitz’s Gonzaga run. And John illustrates again today why he would be perfect for the job in this history-lesson of a column. … Jim Meehan also delves into the past today, though it’s the recent past. This season to be exact. … A trio of Gonzaga players excelled in the classroom as well.
EWU: Portland State has ridden football’s version of a roller coaster the past two years, but coach Bruce Barnum is trying to lead the Vikings off.
Idaho: The Vandals also held their first scrimmage of the spring and Peter Harriman was there. He has this story.
Preps: Gonzaga Prep’s Devin Culp, who was once committed to Oregon, has made another choice. He’s headed to Washington, joining another former Oregon commit, Coeur d’Alene’s Colson Yankoff. … The Times has an interesting Sunday piece on 7-on-7 football.
Mariners: Dave Nichols has his Mariners Log for the day. Since he’s been doing this feature, the M’s are 1-5. Coincidence? I think not. Let’s get out the pitchforks and the torches.
Sounders: Seattle scored a late goal to take a 1-0 lead. But the host San Jose Earthquakes’ Chris Wondolowski found the net near the end of the match and the Sounders settled for a draw at 1. For one Sounder, just being able to play in Seattle is worth it. … It was busy night in the MLS, with Portland routing Philadelphia 3-1 and Real Salt Lake pounding Vancouver 3-0 in a snowstorm. … The U.S. will team with Mexico and Canada on a World Cup 2026 bid.
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• Today is the final day of the Masters, of course. The DVR is set. You never know what might happen. Until later …