|
SKIP BAYLESS VOICE ACTIVATED.
I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times: THE SEATTLE MARINERS ARE WHO I THOUGHT THEY WERE.
You had a chance. You had momentum. You had the 2-0 series lead. And what do you do in Game 3? You let a team that couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat in Games 1 and 2—the Minnesota Twins—PUNCH. YOU. IN. THE. MOUTH.
And you let Jose Gutierres do it?? JOSÉ GUTIERRES?? I mean, I’ve seen more explosive swings at a nursing home piñata party, and suddenly this guy’s the spark plug of your collapse? The man hadn’t done a thing all series, then goes 2-for-3, walks, drives in a run, and gets the Player of the Game like it’s Opening Day 2009. GIVE ME A BREAK.
Let’s talk about that 9th inning, shall we?
Seattle’s down 5-3. Runner on first. NO ONE OUT. You’ve got life. You’ve got hope. You’ve got your season hanging in the balance. What do you do?
Mark McCall—your supposed spark plug at short—grounds into a DOUBLE PLAY.
Game. Over. Series now hanging in the balance. Momentum? FLIPPED.
That’s not clutch. That’s not playoff baseball. That’s choking.
Let’s look at Minnesota’s bullpen. Myslinski? Comes in for the final six outs. What does he do? Two innings. No hits. No walks. Three strikeouts. That’s called CLOSING. That’s called mentality. That’s what WINNING teams do in October.
Meanwhile, Seattle? They get eight hits. Walk FIVE times. They strand nine runners. Nine! You can’t win in the postseason when you leave more ducks on the pond than a nature preserve.
And G. Hall? Seven innings, four runs, six walks. SIX WALKS. Are you kidding me? You walk six guys in the playoffs, you’re not pitching—you’re panicking.
Let’s not even get into the THREE double plays turned by the Twins’ infield. Minnesota’s defense played like they were the team up 2-0 in the series. Seattle played like they were trying not to spill their lattes.
So now, guess what?
Seattle? They’re in trouble.
Minnesota? They believe.
And me? I TOLD YOU. This Mariners team has no clutch gene. And unless somebody wakes up tomorrow morning channeling Reggie Jackson, the Twins are gonna flip this series on its head.
Book it.
Seattle blew their shot.
Now the Twins are coming.
And I. AM. NOT. SURPRISED.
UNDISPUTED.
|