Thursday, August 12, 2010

MARINERS: The "Brownie" Effect


Even after the firing of former manager Don Wakamatsu, the Mariners have continued to play the kind of baseball we have all become accustomed to seeing in the 2010 season; that of a stressful combination of small-ball and hoping our offense can score one or two runs before our opponents tee off the M’s sub-par pitching.

This style of baseball has turned this season into a long and drawn out spectacle for many Mariner fans, yours truly included. However, with the insertion of a new coaching staff, lead by former Tacoma Rainiers manager Daren “Brownie” Brown, a bit of life has been injected into a season currently on life support.

So far under the new management of the first-timer Brownie, the Ms have played their typical style of 2010, but with better results than earlier this season.


To Continue...


Monday night against the Oakland A’s featured a defensive battle, with the Mariners turning the franchise’s first triple-play in 15 years. Doug Fister earned his first since May 14, throwing six innings of one run ball, scattering seven hits; he walked one and K’ed five A’s batters.

Brown was quoted stating, “If I was going to sit down and draw it up, that’s how I would have done it.” A successful day one for Daren Brown. Brown became the tenth of 17 Seattle managers to win their first game as skipper.

The success continued Tuesday night when King Felix took the mound, and was his normal dominating self. Felix held the A’s offense scoreless through eight innings, striking out a career high 13 while scattering five hits. Hernandez showed why Seattle committed millions to him to stay in Seattle for the prime of his career.

Seattle won the game 2-0, improving Felix’s record to 8-9 and lowering his ERA to 2.71. David Aardsma pitched a perfect ninth to improve to 22 saves over 26 chances. Casey Kotchman singled home Ichiro in the sixth and Gutierrez drove in Chone Figgins in the eighth for the only runs of the game.

Wednesday’s action was not as upbeat for the M’s, whose offense showed its regular dysfunction in a 5-1 loss to the A’s. Dallas Braden was dominant for Oakland in throwing a complete-game, allowing only four hits against the Mariners. The sole run for Seattle came in the seventh off a sacrifice fly by Guti.

Daren “Brownie” Brown will try to continue his winnings ways a major league manager on Friday as the Mariners begin a weekend series in Cleveland. The Mariners stand a favorable chance of winning their third consecutive series against the Indians, as they have had their own troubles this season. Probables for Friday’s matchup are David Pauley (0-4, 3.38) for Seattle and Fausto Carmona (11-9, 3.90) for the Indians.

Stay updated at Next Season Sports to see how “Brownie” does on his first road series as the Mariners manager.

Reach Kyle Fosnes at nextseasonsports@gmail.com