Mariners are up to their usual self

The Mariners have now lost their last 5 games. During their this losing streak the Mariners pitching have allowed 39 runs. The hitting has been just as atrocious, as the team has struggled to hit with runners in scoring position and that has cost them plenty of games. Now the Mariners have been hitting homeruns like crazy but hitting these homeruns has been a problem because most of them have come with no runners on base. Homeruns will win you games but you must have runners on to win and the Mariners for some reason just take a dump when it comes with runners on. This team has been one of the worst teams in the past few years with hitting with runners in scoring position and that is why this team hasn't been in the playoffs as well. 

Now, the pitching has been just as bad, the Mariners have the best 1-2 pitchers in the game in Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma but the M's 3-4-5 pitchers have been one of the worst in baseball. Brandon Maurer has been terrible in his consistency and has control problems, Joe Saunders is horrible on the road and cant win a game unless he's at home, and Aaron Harang is.........well he's Aaron Harang.

Thanks to last night's 12- embarrassment Harang's ERA rose to 8.58 and Lucas  Luetge's ERA jumped to 8.10 as well. The Mariners bullpen must improve if this team has any hopes of trying to get back to .500 or above. Charlie Furbush, Lucas Luetge, Joe Saunders, Aaron Harang, and Brandon Maurer all have ERA's above 5. During the 5 game losing streak the Mariners pitching staff, starting and bullpen, have had an ERA of 7.60 and the Mariners defense has also made some critical errors including a dropped ball by Tom Wilhelmsen that would've have been the final out of the game. The Mariners hitting has been just as bad as the M's have gone 4 for 32 (.125) with runners in scoring position and have left 36 runners stranded on base as well.

The Mariners have done this in the last three years, when they have been on a winning pace or at least have had success they have blown it. 2010 they started out 11-11, they then responded by losing 15 of their next 18 games and finished the season 61-101. In 2011 they finished the first half at .500 by posting a 43-43 record, they then opened the second half of the season by going on their historic not to remember 17 game losing streak and finishing the season at 67-95. Finally last year, the Mariners posted a successful 11-10 April and followed up the next month by losing 13 of their next 18 games and finishing off the season 75-87. The Mariners don't want to finish off the season again bellow .500 and have the seats of Safeco Field to be empty.

Now with Harang's horrible night he is a big target for demotion along with Brandon Maurer, who keeps showing us that he is not yet ready for the big leagues. Now if Eric Wedge is smart enough (hardly doubt it) he will make a move and in my opinion there are three excellent selections for the call ups. Jeremy Bonderman is the first; he made the team thanks to a great Spring Training and has posted some great numbers down in Triple A Tacoma going 2-3 and has posted a 3.79 ERA. Blake Beaven is the next choice in the three possible call ups. Beaven had a tough time while up in Seattle but has had some positive stats in Triple A posting a 2-2 record with a 3.70 ERA. Finally, Andrew Carraway is the last call up that is a great possibility. Carraway was drafted in 2009 by the Mariners and got the call up to Triple A after Brian Sweeney was placed on the DL. Carraway has posted a 4-1 record with a 3.19 ERA. Now for the bullpen I suggest demoting either Lucas Luetge or Charlie Furbush and calling up either Logan Bawcom or Bobby LaFromboise.

The Mariners must either make managerial changes or come together as a team and play as a team again. Wedge to me has to go he's not a great manager or Dave Hansen has to go. What ever the Mariners are going to do they have to do it now to try and get their season back on track.