A Grip on Sports: M’s come up short in Houston, but that wasn’t a surprise
A GRIP ON SPORTS • Baseball began in earnest Friday, leading one to suspect this column would be about that sport this morning. It is, with a lean toward the Mariners’ inauspicious start. But there is more going on in the world these days. Wait, let me clarify that. There is more going on in the sporting world these days.
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• Sure, the world itself is in an uproar. At least in a few hot-spot nations, including this one. But we’re all about keeping our eyes on the prize that is sports and that means we have to talk about the M’s.
Do we have to? Yes, we do.
Remember when your dad told you in Little League you can’t give a good team extra outs? They will take advantage every time? I sure do. Dad, once again you were right, and we offer the Mariners’ 2020 opener, an 8-2 loss at Houston, as evidence.
Matter of fact, it is irrefutable evidence.
There was lefty Marco Gonzales, rolling along as is his wont, mixing speeds and locations, keeping one of the best lineups in baseball off balance. Until the bottom of the third. The M’s led, 1-0, thanks to a Kyle Lewis explosion. But J.J. Reddick led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a ground out.
Gonzales got two strikes on Martin Maldonado and then froze him with strike three on the inner half. Except home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez called it a ball. Given the extra chance, Maldonado singled in the tying run.
The M’s made their first error of the night the next inning, when Michael Brantley hit a ground ball to the right side, Shed Long made a nice play to field it, then, with all the time in the world, rushed his throw, pulled Evan White off the bag and Brantley was safe. Inexplicably, Brantley was awarded a hit. So no E-4 but an E-scorekeeper (even Mike Blowers, doing his analysis from T-Mobile, had written down E-4 in his book, only to correct himself on air an inning later.)
That error didn’t hurt, other than to make Gonzales throw more pitches. The next error, given to Kyle Seager (though Long could have been cited just as easily), opened the floodgates.
After an Aledmys Diaz single, Maldonado hit a slow roller to Seager, who fielded the ball on his knees going to his left. His throw to Long to start what should have been a double play was wide right, went off the second baseman’s glove and, instead of two outs, no one on, there were runners on first and third. In theory, when George Springer tapped out in front of the plate, Gonzales should have been back in the dugout. Instead it took one more batter. Jose Altuve singled to right, tied the game and ended Gonzales’ start. The M’s bullpen proceeded to end the team’s hopes.
A single and a three-run home run later, the M’s had their 14th consecutive loss to the Astros. Yep, M’s baseball was back, in all its (lack of) glory.
• The teams are back at it tonight, with Taijuan Walker making his return start – and we use the word “return” in two ways. The righthander was sent to Arizona a couple years back in the trade that brought Seattle rightfielder Mitch Haniger, who is out with an injury.
Walker understands. He destroyed his right elbow and had to undergo Tommy John surgery, missing all but one start last season. Tonight will be his first start in a Mariner uniform since 2016.
• Washington State athletic director Pat Chun met with the media yesterday, holding an on-line conference call in which he expressed optimism football would happen in the fall.
We appreciate the candor – Chun released numbers of positive coronavirus cases among tested athletes – but wonder if the brave face is really optimism or just whistling into the wind, to use another phrase my dad liked.
Yes, the tests have been overwhelmingly negative, according to Chun, with just three athletes out of 216 tests, coming back positive. And, as we mentioned yesterday, the school moving to on-line instruction for the first semester probably helps sports in a perverse way, as it limits interaction with other, less focused students. But throughout rural Eastern Washington more and more cases are popping up, spreading from county to county in waves. Whether Whitman County can avoid what’s happening elserwhere is still unknown.
Chun did acknowledge that fact, telling our Theo Lawson and others on the call, “We’re cautiously optimistic, but we just know how dynamic this environment is and how things change quickly.”
At least the conference seems to have built a plan that allows for some flexibility, including a few weeks of leeway that could mean a later start or a finish.
“Time is probably the most important variable we have,” Chun told the media. “The schedule, the models we are looking at (do) provide us some time as well as the decision to delay the start of fall sports.”
But no matter what the conference does, Washington State (and Washington) is at the mercy of the state health agencies. The same can be said of every university in the conference, a reality Chun addressed.
“It’s well-documented every state is in a different phase,” he said. “I think we’ve been more focused on what is the uniform date in which we could start and then once we get those dates identified, then we’ll start working with local and state health officials to make sure we’re compliant with everything.”
If the epidemic becomes untenable, the state authorities could, hypothetically, tell the Cougars and Huskies (and possibly the Seahawks) it isn’t safe for football to begin. Unlikely maybe, but it is still a possibility.
As Chun said, “this environment changes day to day, it feels like.”
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WSU: Covering the Chun press conference was not Theo’s only duty yesterday. He also wrote about the latest recruiting news, which included the commitment of a linebacker from the same community college coach Nick Rolovich attended, San Francisco City. … Wait, we can’t skip the daily watch-list story Theo put together. This one covers another Max Borghi honor. … Elsewhere in the Pac-12 and college sports, speaking of recruiting, Oregon’s has gone really well. … The Ducks will look different offensively this season. … Oregon State reported nine secondary violations from the past year. … USC reported its coronavirus numbers yesterday. The key one: zero positives. … Who has the best quarterback? Is it Arizona State? … In basketball news, the WNBA season begins today, with all eyes on former Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu. … Oregon State has a couple of former players who are playing together. … Colorado’s nonconference schedule, like everyone’s, is in a state of flux. … Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley is trying to put himself in his players’ shoes. … One of Arizona’s signees can really shoot it.
Gonzaga: Former GU star Domantas Sabonis will miss some time. He left the NBA bubble to get his injured foot treated. … Around the WCC, former BYU guard TJ Haws will start his professional career in Poland.
EWU: When it comes to the quarterback position, the starter at Eastern is, often as not, the best the Big Sky has to offer. Nothing new this year. Eric Barriere was named the conference’s preseason offensive player of the year. Ryan Collingwood has that story as the Big Sky’s virtual media days wound down. … By the way, the conference moved back the start of every fall sport except football.
Mariners: Dave Nichols kicked off the season with this Out of Right Field column, recapping the opener. … Opening day was anything but normal from the start. Yet, there were a few ordinary happenings (besides the M’s bullpen problems we mean). … Minute Maid Field was eerie without fans. … It took nine years, but Jose Marmolejos made his big league debut last night, starting in left field for the M’s.
Seahawks: Yes, the roster countdown continues. … The players and management agreed to a framework for the upcoming season, so training camp will open on time. … Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara welcomed their newest family member, a baby boy they named Win. They must be fans of the old show “Justified.”
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• I saw the perfect major league position for me yesterday. Nope, I’m too old to be the M’s bullpen catcher anymore, but there was a gentlemen wandering through the Minute Maid stands, orange bucket in hand, picking up foul balls. That’s my type of job. Get to watch the game while getting in steps. Perfect. Where do I sign up? Until later …