Red Sox / Mariners - Games 30 and 31

The Red Sox split a double-header against Seattle yesterday and here are my thoughts and observations on the two games:

Game 1 - Red Sox 6 - Seattle 3

The Red Sox continue to be banged up. Johnny Damon, Edgar Renteria, Ramon Vazquez and now Manny Ramirez are all banged up. Manny had sore quads to begin with and yesterday he was hit by a pitch in the leg by Joel Pineiro and had to leave the game. Luckily Theo Epstein has built in enough depth in the roster and in AAA to weather such a rash of injuries.

I wonder if Mariner fans view the slow start by Adrian Beltre the same way Sox fans view the slow start by Kevin Millar? I know that compared to Beltre - Millar is a cheap contract but their numbers so far this year are similar.

Beltre - .242 BA / 2 HR / 18 RBI / .275 OBP / .339 SLG
Millar - .248 BA / 0 HR / 15 RBI / .362 OBP / .303 SLG

I would never suspect Millar's slow start being related to the new steroids testing but what about Beltre? Beltre hit 48 HR last year. Just saying - but how long before Beltre's slow start and the slow start of players like Eric Chavez of Oakland get attributed to the new steroids testing? Like I said - just saying. Players who hit lots of HR before and who now are showing a lack of pop will be called into question and players who had that HR success playing for California teams will face even more scrutiny.

Chavez hit a HR once every 16.4 AB last year but this year he has just 2 in 121 AB. Some things do make you say hmmm...

I know that speculation on matters like this are pattenly unfair but who is to blame for that? Who allowed steroid use to get so prevalent in the game? The players will have to learn to live with the speculation as far as I'm concerned.

Beltre can claim that he's on a new team in a new league but can't Richie Sexson say the same? Sure I know that Sexson played in the AL before but that was years ago and most of the pitchers are now different.

Like I said - just sayin'.

To be fair - none of the Mariners (with the exception of Sexson) are really hitting the cover off the ball. Sexson leads the team in slugging with a .510 mark but after him there is not a single Mariner player with a slugging percentage higher than Sox lead off man Johnny Damon's .485 mark. Damon's slugging percentage is high for a leadoff man but still you'd expect someone on the Mariner's (besides Sexson) to top it.

Game 2 - Mariners 6 - Red Sox 4

The big story for the Sox in this one was the start by Wade Miller who went 5 inning giving up 2 runs on just 3 hits while striking out 6. Very, very encouraging.

Not to be lost in the shuffle is the continued success of Kevin Youkilis who is hitting .391 with a .517 OBP and a .478 slugging mark. This is not a fluke. Youkilis is good for at least .300 BA and a .400 OBP. The Sox need to find a way to keep his bat in the line-up.