MLB Team Report – Seattle Mariners – INSIDE PITCH
The Cleveland series wasn’t a total loss in that a few Mariners bats are continuing to show signs of life.
Shortstop Brendan Ryan, outfielder Raul Ibanez and first baseman Justin Smoak were on the verge of being cast out of the Mariners’ plans before they found some offensive success in recent games.
Ryan had a five-game hitting streak going before Sunday’s 0-for-3, three-strikeout performance, and on Saturday he hit his first home run of the season. His average got all the way up to .178 in the process, providing a dose of hope that he might one day get over the Mendoza Line.
Through Sunday, Smoak had reached safely in 13 consecutive games while hitting .323 in the process. The one-time can’t miss prospect had been getting dangerously close to seeing his last chance go up in –well — smoke, before putting together his best offensive stretch of the season.
Ibanez might have been the closest to losing his spot on the roster when his batting average dropped below .160 at the end of April. But the 40-year-old outfielder has really come on lately. He hit three home runs in the recent Yankees series and is now hitting .333 in the month of May.
The Mariners certainly need more offense if they’re going to make any noise this season, but at the very least the team is finally getting some contribution from a trio of players who are more than happy to leave the month of April behind.
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MLB Team Report – Seattle Mariners – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 20-25
STREAK: Lost four
PAST 10 GAMES: 4-6
NEXT: Mariners (Aaron Harang, 1-4, 7.30) at Angels (Jerome Williams, 2-1, 3.05)
PLAYER NOTES:
–RHP Hisashi Iwakuma pitched six innings Monday against Cleveland and gave up a season-high five earned runs. Iwakuma gave up two home runs. Six of the seven runs he has allowed in his last two starts have come on home runs.
–OF Endy Chavez belted a pinch-hit home run off Cleveland closer Chris Perez in the ninth inning Monday. It’s the first pinch-hit home run by the Mariners this season and the first pinch-hit home run by a Mariner against the Indians in the ninth inning since Jeff Clement hit one off Joe Borowski on Sept. 26, 2007.
–RHP Aaron Harang will start Tuesday vs. the Angels in Anaheim. It will be his sixth start of the season. Harang missed his last start after having back stiffness prior to the start of the game.
–3B Kyle Seager was 2-for-5 with a home run and an RBI Monday. That improved Seager’s career batting average at Progressive Field to .419 (18-for-43).
–LHP Oliver Perez faced one batter Monday and struck him out. He has 12 strikeouts in his last six appearances and 24 strikeouts in 17 innings overall.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “I just took my eyes off the ball. Smoakie made a great play. He threw a perfect ball right to me. I simply took my eyes off it.” — Mariners closer Tom Wilhelmsen, on making a ninth-inning error with two outs that allowed the Indians to tie the game.
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MLB Team Report – Seattle Mariners – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–RHP Aaron Harang (strained back) was scratched from his May 16 start. He did some running and tests on May 20 and will start May 21 in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels.
–CF Franklin Gutierrez (torn right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list April 23. He began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on May 16.
–RHP Josh Kinney (stress reaction in left rib area) was shut down March 10, and he hadn’t resumed throwing through late March. He went on the 60-day disabled list March 25. He was sent on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on May 17.
–RHP Stephen Pryor (torn right lat muscle) went on the 15-day disabled list April 15. He was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 17.
ROTATION:
RHP Felix Hernandez
RHP Hisashi Iwakuma
LHP Joe Saunders
RHP Brandon Maurer
RHP Aaron Harang
BULLPEN:
RHP Tom Wilhelmsen (closer)
LHP Charlie Furbush
LHP Oliver Perez
RHP Carter Capps
RHP Yoervis Medina
LHP Lucas Luetge
RHP Danny Farquhar
CATCHERS:
Jesus Montero
Kelly Shoppach
INFIELDERS:
1B Justin Smoak
2B Dustin Ackley
SS Brendan Ryan
3B Kyle Seager
DH Kendrys Morales
INF Robert Andino
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Michael Morse
CF Michael Saunders
RF Raul Ibanez
OF Jason Bay
OF Endy Chavez
