Fernando Rodney’s latest meltdown continues M’s disappointing 2015

A broken Fernando Rodney bobblehead appeared in the Moore home after Wednesday's loss. (Jim Moore photo)

When I came downstairs this morning, our Fernando Rodney bobblehead was on the floor. Even worse, his right arm was broken in half, lying next to him, a porcelain disaster in need of super glue.

I like to think he fell off the coffee table accidentally, but I have a feeling that Mikey, my 11 year old who gets mad when the Mariners lose, might have tossed Rodney after he blew the save Wednesday afternoon in Colorado.

The Mariners could have come home with a four-game winning streak to match the Rangers’ – this weekend’s opponent at Safeco Field – but lost 7-5 in 11 innings instead.

I was listening to the game while driving to work and it surprised me when Aaron Goldsmith said Joe Beimel was on the mound for the bottom of the ninth, looking to preserve a 5-3 lead.

Since Carson Smith threw only four pitches in the eighth, I figured he’d be back out there in the ninth, hoping to record a rare five-out save.

But OK, I get it, Beimel against a left-handed batter to start the ninth, and the strategy worked when Carlos Gonzalez struck out. Then when manager Lloyd McClendon decided to make a pitching change, I thought he would summon Rodney to close it out.

Rodney had pitched well on the road trip, allowing only one baserunner in 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven. He had not given up a single hit or single run. It made sense – on some levels anyway – to think he had returned to form and was ready to save another game. Plus he only needed two outs, not three.

And if you really wanted to reach for a reason to think Rodney would close it out, he had to have been the “coolest” reliever in the bullpen after spending some time in the shade of the trees in the batter’s eye area of center field at Coors Field.

I have no idea why he went there when he did – in the middle of the damn game! – but I got a kick out of it and it added to my enjoyment of the Fernando Rodney Experience.

I sped up as I crossed Lake Washington, wanting to get to a TV as fast as I could so I could see Rodney shoot his arrow again. I didn’t think he’d get another opportunity to do it in a Mariners’ uniform, yet here he was in position to fire one in Denver. In my mind, I had even fast-forwarded to the celebration, complete with Logan Morrison joining in like he always does.

I got to Siam on Eastlake in time to see Rodney give up an RBI double to Ben Paulsen, cutting the lead to 5-4. Less than a minute later, he gave up the game-tying single to Kyle Parker, and just like that, you knew the Mariners would lose in nine innings or extras.

Twitter really heated up. MWilson206 Tweeted: “He can take that stupid arrow and SHOVE IT SO FAR UP HIS…”

Afterward, McClendon defended Rodney for the umpteenth time, this time because he was pitching in his fourth game in five days.

It’s easy to second-guess McClendon, but if he left Smith in and if Smith struggled, fans would’ve wondered why he went to a guy who blew a save Saturday in Minneapolis. His right-handed options were limited to Tom Wilhelmsen, Rodney and Mayckol Guaipe, who surrendered the two-run walk-off homer to Michael McKenry in the 11th.

I guess you could say it’s not like it matters anymore anyway. If they had won, what’s the difference between 51-58 and 50-59, their current record? They still would’ve been six games back in the Wild-Card chase behind the Blue Jays (57-52), who, with their acquisitions of David Price, Troy Tulowitzki, Mark Lowe and others at the trade deadline, figure to build on that lead in the next two months.

As much as I still like to hope that the Mariners have a chance with Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano hitting as well as they are and Mark Trumbo and Jesus Montero providing additional sparks, it’s not going to happen this year.

As you’ve noticed, and as they’ve demonstrated for the past four months, they’re just not good enough, especially at home. I wonder what their record would be if they played all 162 games on the road, where they are 28-28 this year? And what if they played all 162 at Safeco Field, where they’re 22-31?

The next general manager needs to build a team that’s better equipped to play at Safeco Field, continuing the focus on pitching but also emphasizing the importance of outfield defense, speed and gap hitters over big boppers.

Chicks dig the long balls, and I do too, but that approach hasn’t worked – Nelson Cruz might hit 45 this year, and the Mariners are on a pace for 182, yet they’re also on a pace to finish 74-88.

I keep looking at how many games they’re behind in the Wild Card when what I should be looking at is something else – they’re closer to being the worst team in the American League than the second Wild-Card team, ahead of Oakland (48-61) by only two games.

I need to face facts. The Mariners have a better chance to finish with the worst record in the league, and if they do, given preseason expectations, you’d have to call it the most disappointing year in franchise history.

The Go 2 Guy also writes for SeattlePI.com and KitsapSun.com. You can reach Jim at jimmoorethego2guy@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @cougsgo.