Who is in Charge Here?

In the midst of watching the Mariners’ Turn Back the Clock game, I got angry. Despite all of the struggles and pitfalls of the Mariners this year, this was the first time I was explicitly mad at the Mariners coaching staff for some seriously stupid decisions in the bottom of the 8th with the M’s trailing 3-2.

Morales pushed a single over the 2nd baseman with one out in the inning.

Jason Bay pinch runs, good. Rauuuuul up to bat, good.

Rauuuuuul gets a 3-0 count, goes to hacking and misses the first pitch.

Instead of a second pitch, SOMEBODY decides to send Bay, trying to steal with only 1out and our best hitter of late at bat. He gets caught stealing and picked at 2nd.

Bay should NEVER be running in that situation. With 1-out it’s just dumb.

Then, Rauuuuuul hits a double, a ball that would have likely scored Bay had he been running on contact.

Now Raul is on 2nd with two-outs. Smoak up to bat.

He hits a single to left, and Rauuuuuul gets sent home. He shouldn’t have been sent home. He isn’t that fast and the ball wasn’t hit hard enough or far enough for him to score from second base.

He gets thrown out at the plate and that is out number 3. Ending any chance the Mariners would have had to tie the game there in the 8th.

Dumb, dumb, dumb coaching decisions made throughout that inning. An inning that could well cost the Mariners the game.

Oh, and Ackley looks like he just snapped his thumb off diving for a ball hit to shallow centerfield.

Go Mariners, good thing we are catching all of the breaks this season.