Virtual Baseball Season/Franchise Updates

The Mariners went in to the All Star break at 49-39 tied for 1st in the AL West with the Angels.  

Here are some mid season stats I've posted at FSH

http://www.flightsimhangar.com/fsblog/?page_id=877

I am making a change to my sliders and slowing down my fielders from 35 to 25.  This will create more hits and lower my pitching stats somewhat as I feel they are too good for the quality of my staff right now.  I'm pretty happy with my batting stats so leaving that alone.  Gonna play out the remainder of the season with that change and hope to still make the playoffs.

54-44, 0.5 back from the Angels.

I lost my start 13-6 with Felix Hernandez and we went on to lose 3 of 4 at Cleveland.  On to Detroit where I won my start with Garret Olson 7-1 and we swept the three game series.  Back home to face Cleveland and I lost my start 7-2 with Brendan Morrow and we lost 2 of 3.  Cleveland is the #1 team in MLB right now.

Next series is home vs Toronto and Felix Hernandez to start.

56-45.  We just took over 1st place in the AL west.  0.5 games ahead of the Angels.  It is now July 30 in the game.

We won 2 of 3 from the Blue Jays at home.  In my start Felix Hernandez gave up an early run and then settled down.  We got the run back and then Beltre hit a two run HR to put us up 3-0.  Felix got a little shaky with his control and gave up a two run inning that tied it up at 3 in the fourth inning.  Both the Mariners and the Jays traded a bunch of one or two hit innings, but we ended up going to the 10th inning when Beltre singled and Lopez doubled him home to give us the 4-3 win.

Hernandez ended up going 7.1, giving up 7 hits and 3 ER.  He struck out 6 and walked 3 and also hit one batsman. 

Cordero, our closer, ended up with the win.  Cordero had come in in the 9th inning when reliever Corcoran suffered a fractured metatarsal during Lyle Overbay's AB.

We get Washburn back after over two months on the DL which is nice because we just lost Corcoran for 60+.  We're due to get Aardsma back in about two weeks as well.  Cesar Jimenez and Garrett Olson filled in well for the missing Washburn who had been having a sub-par year prior to his injury.  I'll test him for a couple of starts and if I don't like what I see I'm going to stick with Olson in the 5th spot and put Washburn into LR or trade him.  I could use a left handed utility outfielder with speed so that may be the ticket.

On to Texas for four games and then KC for 3.  Then an extended home stand against the Rays, White Sox, and Yankees.

I honestly don't know the last baseball game I had this much fun with or held my attention so well.  Maybe all the way back to Tony LaRussa in the early 90's.  My favorite part of this version is how I've gelled with my team.  I really enjoy figuring out their strengths and weaknesses and seeing the journeymen types overcome and occasionally have pheonomenal nights.  I might even say that this would be the Sports GOY for me, at least single player.  The only challenger would be NHL 09 and that as multiplayer only.

57-48, 2.0 games back of Angels.  We dropped three of four to Texas. 

I lost my start 4-3.  We took an early 2-0 lead and then increased it to 3-0 in the fourth.  Carlos Silva was pretty strong through 4 innings, allowing no runs and just three hits.  His fifth inning was shaky and he gave up 3 more hits and a walk, but we were able to get out of a bases loaded jam without giving up any runs.

In the 6th inning he gave up a hit and a walk and then got a batter out.  He then gave up two more hits and the score was 3-2.  Cesar Jimenez (L) came in to relieve and face all those lefties in the Texas lineup.  Jimenez gave up a hit allowing the tying run to score before getting the next two outs.

In the seventh inning Texas added another run on lead off double and a later single to go ahead 4-2.  Our bats cooled off until the top of the 9th.  Gutierrez grounded out to start the inning.  Then Ichiro walked and Griffey Jr. pinch hit for Balentien, getting a single and moving Ichiro to second.  Branyan hit a deep out to center which moved Ichiro to third.

Beltre up, two outs, men on 1st and 3rd.  He was 0-4 on the day with 2 K's.  He grounded out to short to end the game.

Just lost to the Nats in the 18th inning (!) after being up 4-2 going into the ninth.  K-Rod gives up two, and then I go through a carousel of relievers including a valiant seven inning effort from Bobby Parnell who eventually gives up a run in the 18th.  We lose 5-4, and while we took two of three from the Nationals, hit a paltry .227 in the series.  In a long ball drought as well.