GAME THOUGHTS START HERE:
1:57 --- Gentlemen, gentlemen if you want to go in there and start firing fastballs at their head every pitch, please be my guest. But the problem is sometimes you are going to need to talk to them again. And my job as a beat writer is more of a reporter, than opinion guy, that's what the columnists are supposed to be for. But that being said, we have more freedom than ever as beat writers to express opinions, especially on the blog. I think I've been pretty tough on the Mariners when I felt it was necessary.

But if you think we weren't going to ask JJ about throwing that ball, you guys are insane.

Of course we asked.

"I never had had it in my hand," he said. "I just got caught up in the moment. I probably should have eaten that ball."

As for Ichiro, we went up and asked specifically if there was communication issues, and he said, "No." in english, which doesn't happen too often. What he said happened is that they were playing Molina a little up because he's not known to have great power. And when the ball was hit off bat, Ichiro said he took off running immediately because he knew it was going to be over his head. And because of that, his angle to where the ball would be was a little off. That's why it looked awkward. And the sun also played a minor factor as well.

And also dropped this smart ass comment to a cute woman reporter from New York

"If I had spiritual powers and knew the ball was going to be landing there, I would have positioned myself better, but I don't have those spiritual powers," he said, which set the girl into a giggling spell.

1:05 -- Absolutely unbelievable what is happening right now. I just don't know how to explain it.

First of all, JJ has lacked some of his usual velocity from the the first pithc, I don't know if he's trying to save for the ninth. But it won't matter because with Cano's sac fly to center and now Jose Molina's double to right-center. Jose Molina? Are you kidding me? And did Ichiro lose the ball in the sun a little. This is really brutal.

I don't want to go in the clubhouse too badly now.

12:35 -- And Richie's average now drops to .198 with that strikeout, that's all the hat trick for this game. Mariners baseball: The Mojo's Risin'

12:19 -- Turbo!!! with a couple of RBIs. Actually, I know it makes some fans cringe seeing him do well

11:51 --- Well that had the potential to end badly for Washburn with runners on second and third and the top of the order coming up, but a couple of nice plays by Richie at first base kept the game at 3-2 for the Mariners.

11:22 --- Well, with bases loaded, Yuni was typical Yuni, first swinging at a pitch six inches off the outside corner, and then swinging at a pitch that almost hit him and then fighting off a few to get an RBI single to left.

Shelley Duncan with an error to give the Mariners a lead.

That has to be the strangest double play ever a 3-2-6... I don't even want to describe it.

11:06 --- The Mariners 1-0 lead was brief. Wlad Balentien misjudged a line-drive off the bat of Johnny Damon that went for a double and then Jeter doubled home Damon to tie the game.

Jeter's hit snappped an 0-for-18 streak, which seems impossible considering how the Yankees have treated Mariners pitching.

10:50ish - Ichi-Bomb and the Mariners have a lead

10:39 - This is why I'm hot, this is why I'm hot, this is why, this is why, this is why I'm hot. I'm cause I'm fly, you ain't cause you not. This is why, this is why I'm hot.... There's the lyrics to A-Rod's walk-up music. I think I'm going to go vomit now.

10:30 --- Not much going on here. The MAriners have had a few baserunners, but other than that pretty boring. Since I have nothing to post about here's Mike Curto's story about the Rainiers fourth straight loss.

10:20 -- It's best to mention that manager John McLaren was asked about doing with Brandon Morrow what the Yankees are doing with Joba Chamberlain, which is transitioning him to a starter.

McLaren said that it's something they've talked about in the past. And could possibly do this season. That wouldn't mean that Morrow would necessarily be shipped to Triple A Tacoma. They could do it at the major league level like Chamberlain is doing.

Here's the lineups ...

CF Ichiro Suzuki - nothing like a cool refreshing beer Papua New Guinea after a long day at work.
2B Jose Lopez - He was visibly upset following last nights game, perhaps knowing how costly his error was.
DH Jose Vidro - .233 average, three homers and 22 RBI, that's standard DH numbers there.
LF Raul Ibanez - Continues to show up early for extra BP to get out of this mini-funk
3B Adrian Beltre - Lead's the team 10 homers, but hitting .125 with runners in scoring position
C Kenji Johjima - Wonder what he's thinking when he calls this game, should I go with the fastball, or the fastball?
1B - Richie Sexson - position in the order continues to go down, much like his batting average of late.
RF Wlad Balentien - When was the last time he hit a home run? The last time he saw a fastball.
SS Yuni Betancourt - still believes the strikezone starts at his ankles and ends at his eyebrows.
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P Jarrod Washburn - He says he always pitches well in Yankee Stadium. We shall see.

Yankees
LF Johnny Damon - HE throws a baseball like Uncle Rico threw a football on Napoleon Dynamite.
SS Derek Jeter - maybe the Mariners could borrow him for a series or two as a reminder of what true leadership is all about.
RF Bobby Abreu - i have no interest in him
3B Alex Rodriguez - In greed he trusts
DH Jason Giambi - Is it really the gold thong or the Mariners pitching that is getting him hits.
1B Shelley Duncan - one of the most homely players in baseball
2B Robinson Cano - Remember when somebody on ESPN picked him to be the MVP of the league? Good call.
C Jose Molina - He's gotta be faster than his brother Bengie. But so is a man with two broken legs.
CF Melky Cabrera - A long way from Mickey to Melky.
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P Chien-Ming Wang - read the article on him in SI, he makes ERik Bedard look like Robin Williams in terms of outgoingness.