Carlos Silva, RH (1-0, 1.29/0.86) v. Daniel Cabrera, RH (0-0, 13.50/2.75)
Game time is 3:05 on MASN2. Has anyone heard why this was moved to 3:05, anyway? I know it's tote bags for old fogies day, but still.
That spring jersey is so slimming on Silva.
I'm going to be sad to see Seattle's inept lineup and woeful bullpen leave town, but I'm also chalking today up to a loss in my head because Cabrera's going to be starting. I know, I know. "One start." Try four years. I'm not saying I'm not going to be watching the game and rooting, rooting, rooting for the home team, but this guy's inconsistency is old hat for me. Also, the enthusiasm that maybe he'll turn it around any day now.
When Silva was in Minnesota, he matched up a few times with Cabrera, and I always like to note just how opposite of a style matchup you're seeing. Cabrera lives and dies on strikeouts, power pitching and hopefully not walking everyone. Silva lives and dies on balls not carrying out of the park, changing speeds, and hopefully not walking anyone, because he gets hit like crazy. When Silva is really, really on, as he was in 2005, he's very good. He walked nine in 188 1/3 that season. Cabrera might walk nine today. Since then his groundball rate has dropped some, he's walking more, and he's not quite as good as he was then. But he was pretty good last year after a hideous 2006, when fly balls did carry out of the park with great frequency.
MARINERS STARTING LINEUP
- Ichiro, RF
- Jose Lopez, 2B
- Raul Ibanez, LF
- Adrian Beltre, 3B
Brad Wilkerson, RF
Richie Sexson, 1B
Jose Vidro, DH - Kenji Johjima, C
- Yuniesky Betancourt, SS
ORIOLES STARTING LINEUP
- Brian Roberts, 2B
- Melvin Mora, 3B
- Nick Markakis, RF
- Kevin Millar, 1B
- Aubrey Huff, DH
- Luke Scott, LF
- Ramon Hernandez, C
- Adam Jones, CF
- Luis Hernandez, SS
FUN STATS
- Nick Markakis and Brian Roberts have killed Silva over the years. Markakis is 6-for-9 (.667) with three homers and two doubles. Roberts is 10-for-24 (.417) with two homers and a double.
- Richie Sexson is 0-for-13 with three walks and five strikeouts against Cabrera.
- Ichiro is 2-for-12 this series after murdering the Orioles forever.
- Kevin Millar is 5-for-10 with three walks this series after long struggling against the Mariners.