Game 76: Reds 2, Mariners 3
By
Amanda
Posted at 7:57 pm
The Reds dropped yet another series today to the Mariners when they lost 2-3 in Seattle. As is a tradition with the Cincinnati club, they lose two of the three games, but outscored their opponent 19-13 over the series, thanks to the 16-1 drubbing they administered in the opening game on Friday.
Bronson Arroyo took the mound after a little more rest than usual, and he certainly did seem to hold up better than he has been. Still, it was he who allowed the three runs (earned) on 10 hits that were his undoing. Marcus McBeth pitched the eighth and didn't allow a run. Todd Coffey was constantly warming up in the bullpen but never saw the mound.
Ken Griffey, Jr. titillated the Seattle fans with two solo home runs that accounted for all of the Reds' runs. Griffey's tenure in Seattle was, by definition, before I started watching the sport--the Crack Technical Staff returned to the sport because Griffey came to Cincinnati--so I didn't know to expect the kind of reception that they gave him there. If there was any negativity at Safeco, it was drowned out by the standing ovations. Every time I see Griffey play, it seems like there's someone yelling at him about how he doesn't hustle or makes too much money or something. I know it's far from home, but I'd have to wonder if Junior doesn't have some nostalgia after this weekend's trip.
One more thing: there was finally room in the line-up for Javier Valentín tonight. He went 2-for-4 on the night. The CTS told me that he's more enraged about the way Javy's been mis-utilized than the way that the pitchers have. I'm not prepared to go quite that far, but he has a point. Javy is the best bat off the bench, so every time Juan Castro or Chad Moeller has been used to pinch hit is a sort of abuse of Javy.
You could also make an excellent point that debating which deficiency of the management is the worst isn't terribly useful. This loss brings their record to 29-47. They take tomorrow off to travel back east to Philly before coming home for the weekend series with the Phillies. It would seem that Narron needs to come back with a sweep to continue to keep his job (but then, I would have thought that a month back). Homer Bailey goes up against Kyle Kendrick.
Congrats to Kenny! He’s having one helluva season top cement his place in the HOF and I regret not having watched today’s game.
Can’t resist pointint out that Big Mac got his home runs with illegal juice while Junior got his with heart and natural talent.
I think Junior definitely had some nostalgia. Tonight, he said he owes it to himself and the people of Seattle to retire as a Mariner.
Dunno if he means a one-day contract, a la Jeff Nelson, or if he wants to be traded or something.
In other news, Freel DHed for the Bats tonight. He went 1 for 4, with a run scored and a stolen base. He slid in head first to second on the stolen base. That boy’s going to kill himself one of these days.
Well Griffey’s contract is up at the end of this season. He will not be in a Reds uniform in 2008 it just makes no sense at his age and with his injury history. The American League is the logical place for him to finish up and it sounds like he already has chosen the club he wants to play for. It might be nice to trade him now if it is inevitable he won’t be here anyhow, but more likely he just signs as a free agent. He may have 2 or 3 good season left in him if he plays in the AL.
Isn’t griff signed through 2008 ??
Freel led off and DHed for the Bats again tonight. He was 1 for 6, but the one hit was very clutch. Bases loaded double, that scored the go-ahead runs.
They were playing the Pawtucket Red Sox. Their starter was Jon Lester, the guy who had cancer last year.
The CTS looked it up during the podcast. He’s under contract through 2009 with an option for 2010.
[url=http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/redsinsider/2007/06/mariners-3-reds-2.asp]John Fay[/url] says “Griffey has another year on his Reds contract and the club has an option for 2009.”
He quotes Junior as saying, “That’s a lot of decisions that have to do with the front office. All I can do is keep playing. If something happens, it happens.”
Kinda sounds like he wants a trade to me.
Hmmm that is news to me… I’ve been saying forever that tis would be Griff’s final year and no one has corrected me till now? Yea this would be a good time for a trade… his stock is high, the Mariners fans still love him, he said he’d like to retire a Mariner… we should be able to work something out. But I don’t think I want another Putz in our bullpen. 😀
Yeah, Jon told me tonight that the article he pulled up the other night had neglected to count 2000 as one of the years in the contract.
Apparently a contract that long is just hard to remember the details of.