Grip on Sports: The M’s are on a roll as their former star finds an opponent he can’t run past
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Four consecutive wins. That’s a good thing, right? Especially when you are the only game in the state right now. Read on.
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• Yes, the Mariners have won their last four games. Three over the Rangers and last night’s domination of the Ichiro – more on him in a minute – and the Miami Marlins.
Ariel Miranda was near perfect on the bump. Better actually, than perfect in that he did actually get into some trouble but worked his way out of it. And was efficient in his workload.
His seven innings of shutout baseball is exactly what the M’s needed. He’s filled in nicely for Drew Smyly, with an ERA a hair above three in three starts. And he’s bidding to make the Mariners find a spot for him when Smyly returns.
But that’s well down the road, not like shortstop Jean Segura’s imminent return. The shortstop is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list – yes, that’s the new disabled list length – this week. And Taylor Motter has been filling in admirably.
How admirably?
How about a .321 average, a 1.173 OPS, three home runs and six RBIs? That good enough in 10 games?
But don’t worry. When Segura comes back – he was hitting .313 when he hurt his hamstring – there is a spot for Motter.
It’s at first base. Danny Valencia, who the M’s acquired from Oakland in the offseason, has been struggling. He’s hitting .163. He has struck out 14 times in 49 at-bats. And he’s yet to go deep.
It’s seems like a no-brainer. Unless Valencia gets real hot, real soon – he’s actually been swinging the bat better lately – than it should be Motter’s turn at first base.
• Ichiro received a standing ovation last night. He said all the right things. He accepted the M’s gifts with grace. All the things a mature individual would do and expect.
And Ichiro is mature. Old, actually, at least in the baseball sense. And it is showing. The 43-year-old actually had a decent year in Miami last season, filling the role of backup outfielder nicely.
But this season hasn’t started well. He’s 1-for-15, including a quiet 0-for-3 last night. A .312 lifetime hitter, he hasn’t cracked the .300 mark for a full season since 2010. With the Mariners.
He says he wants to play until he’s 50. But baseball may have something to say about that. It’s hard for anyone to justify paying $2 million – yes, that’s all Ichiro is making this season and all he will make, if the Marlins pick up his option, next – for a backup outfielder who can’t hit with power or crack the .250 mark.
Remember the Ichiro of 2001? The 262 hits in 2004? The .351 average in 2007, the .352 in 2009? Sadly, he doesn’t exist anymore.
Time wins. It always does.
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WSU: As winning seasons pile on each other, depth is usually built in a college football program. Washington State is no different. The Cougars’ defensive battles, once the weak side of the ball in Pullman, are more intense this spring. Don’t take my word for it. Take coordinator Alex Grinch’s, as relayed by Jacob Thorpe. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12, Washington continued its spring practice yesterday. … Stanford, Arizona State and USC just finished up, so it’s a good time summarize things. … Oregon is still in the midst of practices, with grades coming out daily.
Gonzaga: Mark Few has won another award. This one is kind of different. And Sports Illustrated hands it out. … The Bulldog baseball team cruised past WSU last night, 9-4. … BYU coach Dave Rose comes under a bit of fire in this Deseret News column.
EWU: There are a lot of new faces around the Eastern football program these days. And it seems Jim Allen is hell-bent on introducing them all. He pushes new receiver coach Jay Dumas (pictured) front and center today.
Mariners: Whitney Ogden has the Mariners Log today and we’ve added the other links to the bottom.
Seahawks: Former WSU player Kache Palachio re-signed with Seattle. … There are still spots of concern for the Hawks after free agency. … Garry Gilliam is about to have a lot of money, no matter what the Hawks’ decision is. … Seattle will seemingly take a look at anyone who is athletic, no matter what the football background is. … This is fun. Jon Ryan wants to build a baseball empire.
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• Looking back at Ichiro’s career today, the 262 hits he collected in 2004 stood out. And brought back memories. He was Harry Potter with a bat that year. Until later …