Game of the Week: April 11: VAN @ SEA

[Erick RockiesGM]

Vancouver Mounties (5-1) @ Seattle Mariners (2-5)

VAN: Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 6.75)
SEA: James Paxton (0-1, 14.73)


After a wildly successful opening week in the Mounties inaugural season in Vancouver, they travel to take on their closest geographical rival, the Seattle Mariners. While the Mounties' pitching was feast or famine, with several exceptional performances and several underwhelming ones, every member of the starting lineup was eating comfortably the opening week. C.J. Cron came over from the Angels for Forest Whitley, and hit .407 with three home runs and seven runs batted in in his first week as a Mountie. He had two home runs to christen First Quantum Minerals Stadium in a 5-3 win over Minnesota on Monday, and knocked a home run and two RBI's to help beat Yu Darvish and the Rangers 2-0 on Saturday. Cron is one of seven regulars hitting at least .348 in the early going.

The only game the Mounties didn't win was started by Nathan Eovaldi. Eovaldi allowed six hits and four walks, allowing four runs over 5.1 innings of an 8-7 Mounties loss. He throws hard, and has a good cutter and splitter that makes him effective against lefties, but a so-so slider limits doesn't give him the ability to dominate righties. Four of nine righties reached base against him the first game of the season. 

However, it doesn't matter what hand opposing pitchers are hurling at Seattle, they aren't hitting. Seattle has scored just 13 runs in seven games. While the Rangers have a strong staff, getting shutout twice in the hitting friendly Globe Life Ballpark. While blame can be parsed out universally, the top of the order has been pathetic at getting on base. While Robinson Cano is only batting .200, Jean Segura has a .185 OBP, and Jerrod Dyson has a .276 OBP, plus has been thrown out on two of his three stolen base attempts.

The Mariners will need to find a way to generate more offense. They'll also need to get a better performance from James Paxton. Paxton gave up six runs in a loss at Texas. He throws hard but hasn't developed a consistent offspeed pitch he can use for strikes. Considering how badly he was lit up by Texas, how well the Mounties have been hitting, and how much Seattle suppresses offense, it wouldn't be completely shocking to see each team's fortunes change.


Questions for the GM's:


For Nigel Laverick, this game is obviously on the road, but size up the dimensions of First Quantum Minerals Stadium after your first week of games there. How does it play?

C.J. Cron has really jump started your offense. What did you like most about him when you acquired him?

Nathan Eovaldi really struggled his first start. What do you think about him going forward?

For Troy Allen, obviously your offense has really struggled in the early going. Do you make any changes to jump start the offense?

Jerrod Dyson is hitting .192. He's be caught stealing more often than he's been successful. He's committed an error in the outfield. How long of a leash do you give him.

Guillermo Heredia is a good-looking youngster. What do you see out of him short and long term for your team?

[Nigel_Vancouver]

Vancouver GM Nigel Laverick replies


This game is obviously on the road, but size up the dimensions of First Quantum Minerals Stadium after your first week of games there. How does it play?


When I first saw the FHQ I knew it was just made for our outfielders. They're young fast and just glide over the wide open spaces there. I was a bit worried about the large foul ground but our boys are too busy putting the ball into the "Ball Grabbers" to worry about fouling out ha ha. It's everything I felt it was going to be and I think we could really be dominant at home.


C.J. Cron has really jump started your offense. What did you like most about him when you acquired him?


With a short left porch I knew we needed some righty power bats. Logan Morrison was a good hitter but being a lefty batter I knew he wouldn't crush the ball to that short fence the way a good right handed batter would. So my number one target was that right hand power bat, when I saw CJ on the blocks I knew he was the one. Not only was he the right age group to fit in with the rest of the guys but he was showing signs of developing power and I think three homers in the first week has justified my faith in him.


Nathan Eovaldi really struggled his first start. What do you think about him going forward?

He hasn't perhaps had the luck in his career so far that he would have wished for. He needs to work on his control maybe but he has a clean slate in Vancouver, it's up to him as it is for our entire rotation. They're all still just out of their mid-20's and have the chance to develop into solid pitchers with a long career

[Erick RockiesGM]

Great stuff!

[Erick RockiesGM]

Mounties 3 Mariners 2


WP: Nathan Eovaldi
LP: James Paxton
SV Alex Colome



Kevin Kiermaier has a reputation for making spectacular defensive highlights in center field. Maybe he can carve a reputation for clutch home runs too.

With two outs in the 8th inning, Kiermaier turned around a James Paxton fastball and sent it 400 feet to right-center field, breaking open a 2-2 deadlock and leading to a 3-2 Mounties win. It was Kiermaier's second home run of the year, but his eighth RBI, as he's provided the ability to knock runners in from the top of the lineup. He didn't have the best defensive game, as Seattle had a handful of balls that dropped in center field, but hitting the go-ahead home run more than made up for it.

Vancouver got a stellar performance from Nathan Eovaldi. After struggling in his Mounties debut, he limited Seattle to two runs over 8 innings in his second start. It was a fine bounce back start. He worked a shutout until running into trouble in the 7th. Jean Segura singled before being caught stealing. However, Robinson Cano got a runner back on the bases with a single, before Nelson Cruz smashed a two-run home run to tie the game. Eovaldi was likely tiring at that part, a she gave up doubles later in that inning, plus the 8th. However, he got Mike Zunino to ground out in the 7th, and Jean Segura to strike out in the 8th to keep the Mariners to two runs. Alex Colome worked a perfect 9th for his second save. 

James Paxton also had a much better second start than first. He went 8 innings, allowing three runs, but only two earned. However, two if his runs were a direct result of left handers cracking extra-base hits. Kiermaier's heroics were referenced above, but Corey Dickerson smashed a triple and scored the middle of the Mounties' three runs. Wilson Ramos homered in the first for the first run.

Seattle just couldn't generate much offense. They had one hit until the 6th, getting mowed down by Eovaldi. Cruz' home run was the first extra base hit for the team, and nobody had more than one hit. It's the fifth of eight games where Seattle scored two runs or fewer, and the seventh of eight where they couldn't muster more than three. It's also another game with a runner caught stealing, as Seattle is now 3-8 in stolen bases on the year.


Questions for the GM's:

For Nigel Laverick, Nathan Eovaldi was cruising in the game but ran into trouble late. Do you feel you should have given him a longer leash?

Wilson Ramos hit a home run and threw a guy out stealing. Assess his performance?

Do you feel your lineup should have had more success against Paxton?

For Troy Allen, the game was another example of your offense doing little. Again, is it time to make a move to jumpstart the lineup?

After struggling in his first start, James Paxton was pretty sharp. What do you think the difference was?

Jean Segura struck out, was caught stealing, and committed an error. You have a lot of speed at the top of your lineup, but it seems like Segura and Dyson aren't putting it together as complete baseball players right now. What do you say to that?

[Nigel_Vancouver]

GM Laverick replied:

Nathan Eovaldi was cruising in the game but ran into trouble late. Do you feel you should have given him a longer leash?


We almost yanked him after seven but when Kevin (Kiermaier) launched that homer we gave him the chance to finish the game. He gave up a double then but was strong enough to come back and strike out Segura. He pleaded to be allowed the ninth but this is a results based industry, we threw out Alex (Colome) for the ninth because he's lights out. I knew he'd get us the win and at the end of the day that's all that matters


Wilson Ramos hit a home run and threw a guy out stealing. Assess his performance?


The franchise brought in Wilson (Ramos) at the end of last year because we realised we needed a leader behind the plate to manage our relatively inexperienced rotation, his offence has been a bonus. Like all the rest of the guys he has started the year with a smoking red-hot bat and long may it continue. The runner thrown out? Ramos prides himself on that part of his game, he's a regular shark there gunning out 30-40% of all would-be stealers year after year.


Do you feel your lineup should have had more success against Paxton?

I feel our lineup should have more success against everybody at the moment. Every time we don't pound out at least 10 hits I feel we've let ourselves down ha ha. Of course it can't go on like this, 162 games is a long time to maintain our current form but we're going to enjoy it while we can. Our hitters don't look who's on the mound, they just look at those fences. Their focus is hitting that sweet spot and giving the fans another souvenir ball to take home.