No Soup For Yu: Rangers Series Preview Part 3

By Patrick (Follow the blog on Twitter @Way_Out_In_Left)

Teach me your ways, sensei

Matt Harrison pitched really well last night. So did Hector Noesi. But the difference in last night's 3-1 loss for the M's lay in their ability to score runs with runners on base. The only run of the game for the Mariners came in the first inning when Justin Smoak delivered a timely 2-out single through the hole between shortstop and third. That was a great sign for Smoak, but unfortunately not a sign of things to come for the Mariners on Tuesday. 

Trailing 3-1 in the eighth, the Mariners chased Matt Harrison with back to back single to lead off the inning from Alex Liddi and Ichiro. Presumably, the meat of the order should deliver at least one of those runs. But Jesus Montero flew out to center, and Smoak and Kyle Seager both struck out. Unacceptable if you want to win a game. 

Two more notes. Besides a horrendous third inning that ultimately cost him the game, Hector Noesi pitched admirably. Eight innings and just three hits. He really excelled when he would get ahead in counts, attacking the hitters early on. That will probably be key for Noesi all season as he continues to mold himself into a starter.

Last note. Casper Wells had the bases loaded with two outs in the first and absolutely crushed one to deep center. Josh Hamilton tracked it down at the wall. Alex Liddi crushed one to deep center in the third. Hamilton got that one too, this time crashing into the wall and leaving an indentation. I hate Safeco Field centerfield and Josh Hamilton.

May 23: Old Man Jenkins (2-4, 4.17) vs. Scott "the Replacement" Feldman (0-1, 3.00)

Kevin Millwood has pitched exceptionally his last two times out. Seven innings of one run ball to beat the Tigers followed up by a two-hit complete game shutout against the Rockies in Coors.  But the Rangers are always a completely different animal. Mike Napoli hit eighth last night. Eighth! He hit 30 home runs last year! That's just not fair. But Millwood did succeed last time he face Texas, allowing just one run in six innings after working out of early trouble. All of these signs look positive. Anthony doesn't really want Kevin Millwood to do well. But a win's a win in my book. I'll take anything we can get from Old Man Jenkins. Scott Feldman on the other hand is pretty average. He's replacing the injured Neftali Feliz in the Rangers rotation, and has held down a rotation spot before. He's 3-3 with a 3.54 ERA in nine career starts against Seattle. Not too much to evaluate there. He's pretty much been the definition of decent. This pitching matchup is intriguing to people who like watching paint dray and grass grow. Yet I'm still going to the game. What's my problem?

Players to Watch:

Ichiro: Solid game for Ich last night, with two base hits. His hit in the first made me smile, as he chopped it over Mitch Moreland's head and out of the reach of Kinsler for a base knock. Beautiful stuff really. He's got to keep making solid contact though. The three-hole requires some gap power at the very least, and Ichiro really hasn't shown off much of that. Hopefully he can jump on Feldman tonight like he did against Harrison yesterday. 

Ian Kinsler: Kind of a slow series for Kinsler so far. Rarely does he go two games without being involved in some sort of run scoring play. Hector Noesi bottled him up last night though, holding him hitless and thankfully not walking him. As the leadoff hitter with immunity (meaning he would never get pulled if he struggled since he has been so dominant in years previous) he needs to set the table, and he hasn't done that. As a result, Texas has an absurdly low four runs in two games. I know that sounds kind of OK to Mariner fans, but that sucks everywhere else.

Prediction:

M's 5, Rangers 3: Millwood has been on fire lately. He has notched his two best starts of the year in his last two outings. His third best start? Against the Rangers in April. Need any more proof? OK, I'll give you some. Scott Feldman is about as meh as it gets. He should be good for three runs and maybe Jesus Montero will get into one. Millwood has done a great job of limiting damage in tough pitching situations (Tigers lineup, Coors Field), and will continue to excel in the pitcher-friendly confines of Safeco this afternoon. Boom! Go M's.