The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT April 13, 2011

I know it is still early, but for some reason on Monday night, I found myself looking for the panic button while watching some baseball on television.

Whether it was a six-run second inning by the Tampa Bay Rays in Boston, or watching as Seattle Mariner ace Felix Hernandez got roughed up for seven runs in a start against Toronto, I kept waiting for the hits to come.

They never did.

TO BE fair to Boston, they've played some tough teams with opening series at Texas and Cleveland before returning home to face the New York Yankees.

And while Boston lost three straight to Cleveland, the Indians haven't lost since the first game of the season, entering Tuesday night with 10 straight wins.

Even more amazing was that the Red Sox took 2 of 3 games from the Yankees at Fenway Park, but then got ran out of their home park the following night.

Meanwhile the Mariners, which teased their fans with a two-game winning streak to start the season, proceeded to lose their next seven games.

And with each loss came an even more impressive way to lose, with a 13-2 loss in their home opener on Friday and falling behind again by six runs in four innings against Cleveland on Sunday.

With Hernandez on the mound Monday night, there was at least hope that Seattle could at least be competitive.

Thanks to a bullpen meltdown of epic proportions, the Toronto Blue Jays blew a lead and allowed the Mariners to steal an 8-7 win in a game that was nothing short of awful on both sides.

Things have gotten so bad that Mariner outfielder Milton Bradley has began wearing earplugs so he can't listen to the home fans boo him.

That could be the smartest thing he's done in years.

PANIC MODE could have set in for area athletes had the weather not changed last weekend.

Instead of the constant clouds mixed with rain and snow, the sun came out long enough to break a string of postponements that altered spring schedules of many local teams.

Weather at last Tuesday’s Coeur d’Alene-Lake City baseball game could have been better classified as a state 5A playoff football game instead of baseball, but at least the weather held off long enough to get the game in.

North Idaho’s softball team, which had its previous two series in the Scenic West Athletic Conference moved to Moses Lake (March 4-5) and Finucane Park (March 25-26), actually played on its home field for the first time on Friday.

The Cardinals will be back home this weekend to face Western Nevada in the final home games of the year.

On a professional level, just waiting for some signs of hitting is causing me to worry.

Locally, I’m just wondering who will stop the rain.

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached via telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or by e-mail at jelliott@cdapress.com.