There was not much to cheer for as the Mariners tallied another loss after J.J. Putz gave up 4 earned runs in the 9th inning, earning his fourth blown save of the season and ballooning his ERA to 5.60. However, fans could leave the game with some optimism after seeing another electrifying, but familiarly short outing from Brandon Morrow.
Morrow pitched a perfect 8th inning while striking out two and displaying his 100 MPH fastball. The 23 year-old right-hander has dazzled in limited time this year, pitching 15 innings while giving up only 2 ER on two solo home runs. Meanwhile, as Morrow seizes each opportunity he gets on the mound, Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista are stinking up the joint. Washburn has posted a 2-6 record with a 6.54 Batista is 3-6 on the season with a 5.90 ERA. While I do believe Washburn will play better as the season progresses, Batista really shows no sign of turning things around. First off, he is 37 years old, quickly losing velocity on his already sub-par fastball, and even in the prime of his career his ERA was consistently in the 4.6-4.9 range.
What frustrates me the most about Batista though, is his lack of emotion and passion while playing the game. It just doesn't seem like he cares when he goes out there and pitches. Take today's game for instance. Batista walked the very first batter of the game, Curtis Granderson, and Granderson later scored in the inning. When something like this happens, I can't help but feel like Batista is unprepared and unfocused when he enteres the game. Recognizing that Batista is probably one of the better people in baseball today (doing extensive charity work in his native Dominican Republic), as a fan I would much rather see a young pitcher like Morrow, who challenges hitters with straight gas, rather than a pitcher that tries to pitch around batters inning after inning. On top of that, Morrow will pump his fist after a big strike out, while Batista sulks to and from the mound, clocking in and out of the game like a factory worker.
I understand that players express their emotions differently. Batista, for example, has written a book of poetry in Spanish titled "Feelings in Black and White" and a thriller called "The Avenger of Blood." But as a baseball fan, I would much rather see a young phenom express himself than a philosophizing veteran in the twilight of his career. Especially considering the M's are 12.5 games out of first, fans could use some excitement in a season filled with disappointment.
And for the record, you could never convince me to read a "thriller" written by Miguel Batista.
