Game 81: 0-for-4 in 4-2 Loss at Baltimore

Patrick Smith / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/72
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 5
Average: .270
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Grounded to second, popped to short, flied to center, popped to pitcher in foul territory.
Next: Game 82 at Minnesota, 8:10 Monday.

Ichiro Pitches for Nintendo

Game 80: 1-for-3 in 11-3 Loss at Baltimore

Patrick Smith / Getty Images

At Bats: 3
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/72
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 0
Average: .274
Box
Notes: Played right, batted fifth… Singled to pitcher, lined to short, walked, lined to right.
Next: Game 81 at Baltimore, 8:05 Sunday.

Ichiro Art #45

Link.

Game 79: 0-for-4 in 4-3 Loss at Baltimore

Gail Burton / AP Photo

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/71
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 4
Average: .273
Box
Notes: Played right, batted fifth… Grounded to short into a force out, struck out swinging, popped to second, grounded to catcher (above).
Next: Game 80 at Baltimore, 7:15 Saturday.

Game 78: 1-for-4 in 2-0 Loss vs. Texas

AP Photo / Bill Kostroun

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/71
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .277
Box
Notes: Played center, batted leadoff… Singled to left, grounded to second into a force, flied to left, flied to center.
Next: Game 79 at Baltimore, 7:05 Friday.

Game 77: 3-for-4 in 8-5 Loss vs. Texas

Mike Stobe / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 2
Hits, Game/Season: 3/70
Runs Batted In: 2
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .278
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Grounded to short into a double play, singled to left, doubled to right, homered to right… Fifth homer (his second in as many games) and twelfth stolen base of the year… Two RBI give him 18 on the year… More, please.
Next: Game 78 vs. Texas, 1:05 Thursday.

Not Sure What Was More Stunning Tonight…

Ichiro’s walk-off homer…

Or his shaved head?

Postgame interview:

Game 76: 2-for-5 in 4-3 Win vs. Texas

Jason Szenes / Getty Images

At Bats: 5
Runs: 1
Hits, Game/Season: 2/67
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 1
Average: .270
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Singled to left, lined to center, flied to right, struck out swinging, home run (above)… The homer, his fourth of the season, was a ninth-inning, two-out, walk-off solo shot… Sweet.
Next: Game 77 vs. Texas, 7:05 Wednesday.

Ichiro Rock #8: Take Care

From the Village Voice music blog comes The Athlete Rap Albums We Should’ve Gotten in the ’90s. I get that these are fictional albums, though I’m not sure if they’re spoofing of any existing albums in particular…

Ichiro Suzuki – Take Care

Track Listing

1 – Over My Dead Ichiro

2 – Shot For Ichiro

3 – Headlines (About Ichiro)

4 – Ichiro Love

5 – Take Ichiro

6 – Ichiro’s Room

7 – Buried Alive (Ichiro)

8 – Under Ground Ichiro

9 – We’ll Be Ichiro

10 – Make Ichiro Proud

11 – Ichiro Knows

12 – Ichiro / Good Ones Go Ichiro

13 – Doing Ichiro Wrong

14 – The Real Ichiro

15 – Look What Ichiro Done

16 – HYFR (Ichiro)

17 – Ichiro

18 – The Ride (feat. Ichiro)

Hypothetical The Source Rating – 1 Mic

You know, for a second this album actually tricked me into thinking it was a classic. That was a close one.

Note that Ichiro didn’t actually play for the Mariners in the ’90s — he was still in Japan.

Game 75: 1-for-4 in 3-1 Loss vs. Tampa Bay

Al Bello / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/65
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 3
Average: .267
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Foul bunt popout to catcher, struck out on foul tip, singled to pitcher, lined to right… Eleventh stole base of the season.
Next: Game 76 vs. Texas, 7:05 Tuesday.

Game 74: 1-for-5 in 7-5 Win vs. Tampa Bay

Rich Schultz / Getty Images

At Bats: 5
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/64
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 1
Average: .268
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Singled to center, grounded to first into a force out, flied to left, grounded to second, struck out swinging.
Next: Game 75 vs. Tampa Bay, 2:05 Sunday.

Game 73: 1-for-4 in 6-2 Win vs. Tampa Bay

Jim McIsaac / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/63
Runs Batted In: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .269
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Singled to right, grounded to pitcher, grounded to pitcher, grounded to first… Fifteenth RBI and tenth stolen base of the season.
Next: Game 74 vs. Tampa Bay, 1:05 Saturday.

Game 72: 1-for-4 in 8-3 Loss vs. Tampa Bay

Mike Stobe / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 1/62
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 1
Average: .270
Box
Notes: Played right, batted sixth… Flied to center, singled to first, grounded to short, grounded to second in to a force out… Nice form (above), though he couldn’t make the catch.
Next: Game 73 vs. Tampa Bay, 7:05 Friday.

Game 71: 0-for-3 in 6-0 Loss vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Mike Stobe / Getty Images

At Bats: 3
Runs: 0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/61
Runs Batted In: 0
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .270
Box
Notes: Played left, batted sixth… Grounded to third, bunt grounded to pitcher, foul popped to third.
Next: Game 72 vs. Tampa Bay, 7:05 Thursday.

Game 70: 3-for-4 in 6-4 Win vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Mike Stobe / Getty Images

At Bats: 4
Runs: 2
Hits, Game/Season: 3/61
Runs Batted In: 3
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 0
Left on Base: 0
Average: .274
Box
Notes: Played right, batted sixth… Singled to second, foul pop to third, homered to right (above), two-run single to left… Third homer of the year… Three RBIs give him 14 on the season… Awesome.
Next: Game 71 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 7:05 tonight.

Ichiro Pitches for Nissan Again

Here’s the first ’90s Ichiro Nissan ad I posted.

Game 70: Rained Out

To be made up with a doubleheader tomorrow.

Ichiro Gordon-Levitt?

Game 69: 0-for-2 in 6-5 Win at Los Angeles Angels

Jeff Gross / Getty Images

At Bats:2
Runs:0
Hits, Game/Season: 0/58
Runs Batted In:0
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 1
Left on Base: 2
Average: .265
Box
Notes: Played right, batted second… Walked, struck out looking, walked, grounded to short… Stole second.
Next: Game 70 vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 7:05 Tuesday.