Oh God, Save the King

Little tip to the Mariners, the next time the jewel of your franchise leaves the game with an apparent injury don’t play some happy Van Morrison song about love. Instead, as our friend pointed out, you might want to play something more appropriate, like the Six Feet Under theme.

As of this morning not much is known on the severity of Felix Hernandez’s injury. He removed himself from the game in the first inning after feeling tightness in his elbow.

Yeah, we're pretty sure this woman is a Mariners fan.

From the start of the game he didn’t seem like the same Felix that we had watched dominate this month. He was relying on curves and change-ups, and not his fastball.

He gave up two hits and walk, before finally throwing a slider (a pitch that can be hard on the old elbow). Next thing we knew Mike Hargrove, the team, and about seventeen trainers had gathered around Felix, while everyone at Safeco started to swallow their tongue.

Watching Felix walk off the field we thought back to the game Griffey broke his wrist (which we were also at—lesson, never leave the house). That seemed so much worse; maybe it was because Felix didn’t walk off the field trying to hold a body part together. That ’95 team held things together just enough (13 games out) until he returned. We don’t feel this year’s team can pull off the same fete-- although they can definitely be 13 games out.

This year’s squad was going to ride Felix through the season, and if he is lost for a significgent amount of time it is going to be very tough to see them hang around the Orange County Angels and the East Bay A’s.

The only bright spot of the evening was after giving up five early runs the bullpen was able to shut the Twins down and the M’s came within a bad relay throw of tying the game in the ninth.

So, everyone hold your breath, we will hopefully find out something today. In the meantime as they usually do the brilliant Lookout Landing has us laughing at our fears.