Butcher'd

Yes. Against right handers I think the lineup should be: Calhoun Trout Hamilton Freese Kendrick Ibanez Pujols Conger/Iannetta Aybar Against lefties: Calhoun Trout Kendrick Freese Pujols Hamilton Ibanez Conger/Iannetta Aybar Pujols needs to be dropped one way or the other

I agree with whoever said Hamilton needs to hit behind Trout against right handed pitchers. I expected Hamilton to bounce back this season, but I just don't feel confident about Pujols. He looks done to me...sad to say but he needs to be dropped in the lineup because his approach is just resulting in rally killing ground balls to the third baseman

I like the Scrivens and Fasth moves for the Oilers. You guys will at least have some competent goaltending for next year. Now if you draft Ekblad in addition to having Darnell Nurse (who looks promising), and sign another veteran blueliner you guys may even compete for a playoff spot as soon as next year.

I agree. I think Santiago's skillset would play well out of the pen too. Very disappointing that Dipoto couldn't get us a veteran arm IMO. Tim Hudson would have been PERFECT. Hell, I would have even taken a chance on Haren at that price. He killed it in the second half last year.

It's funny...I jokingly predicted that this Mike Scioscia run club would start 2-8 again. It's a very real possibility if they lose 3 out of 4 to Houston this weekend. They need to sweep Houston. No messing around, just win the damn games. We have Richards, Skaggs, Weaver, and Wilson pitching...at the very least we should win 3 of these games.

This is more a thread about him pulling outside pitches, constantly getting jammed, and flailing away at the slider than it is about his results. His approach just isn't there, and that's a mental thing...that's the reason I was skeptical about people brushing last year off as nothing because of his injury. This is a mental decline as much as a physical decline. When he does pick out a good pitch, his bat is too slow to really drive it right now which is very concerning in year 3 of a 10 year deal.

I thought the most ridiculous part was that Scioscia decided to go with Smith and Frieri in a blowout rather than send them out in a close game. I guess in Scioscia's world they can ONLY pitch in the 8th and 9th innings.

I know it's early but this is not an encouraging start. His approach looks terrible, same as last year. I'm done with the excuses. Time to accept that he'll never be a good player here.

Agree with this. I think someone posted earlier that the Mariners and Astros make up something like 20% of our schedule. If we don't win the majority of games against bad teams, then we can kiss the playoffs goodbye because beating the Red Sox, Tigers, and Rangers sure as hell is never easy

It also allowed for a ball in the gap to score 3 runs. Oh well, it's not the worst decision he's made but I personally didn't like it.

It's a terrible decision to gift the other team a baserunner that early in the game. And Smoak burned Sosh with a gapper that scored the man he walked (Cano)

I think people just want Scioscia to show some fire and hold some guys accountable for the poor performance. I would have liked to have seen him call Freese out in the postgame for the lack of fundamentals shown (awful defense, getting picked off first trailing by 3). Maybe even bench his ass and send a message like a real manager with balls would do. This manager is more than happy to pat you on the butt after awful plays that little leaguers could even make. There is zero accountability with Sosh. Freese (for example) knows he'll be penciled into the 6th spot playing 3B tomorrow no matter how awful he plays.

I want to be optimistic but there is basically nothing to be excited about with this team right now. Pujols is playing like shit btw, I thought everyone said he was going to mash this year. His approach doesn't look good to me. He looks slow on the pitch inside and is still trying to pull everything...ugh. At least Hamilton is doing well.

You think this is bad. Just wait til this pitching staff has to go against that Rangers lineup in Arlington. The Mariners aren't even a good offensive team

Freese will GIDP

I'm trying to stay positive for my own sanity, but this just doesn't look good at all. We're going to struggle to win 80 games with this pitching staff

Pujols flailing away like usual. I can't stand him

no that's my point. I'm saying as long as he's our #2 starter in our rotation this team will be golfing by October 1st every year.

Cj Wilson is not a #2 starter on a playoff team, sorry. He's a 3

Holy hell that is depressing...team needs fresh blood...it's pretty obvious

Hamilton looks good out there. I have zero confidence in Freese and Ibanez though

Wow, this team is bad. I am sick of this crap year after year, this is the same exact team as last year

I blame Dipoto more than MS. Everyone knows this pen is shit (including Scioscia) except for him apparently. I realize that DDLR and Burnett are injured, but that's part of the problem -no depth

Chuck, I understand that it is early in the season and these guys are professionals. But Kevin Jepsen in 242 career games has a 4.53 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. To me, it's clear he should have been cut loose at the end of last year. I was really surprised and pissed they brought him back

Choosing Kevin Jepsen (who we know is awful) over a guy like Jeremy Berg just seems like the same kind of ridiculous loyalty that has plunged this team into a poor on field product. You can't tell me Berg is worse than Jepsen..