MLB Team Report – Seattle Mariners – INSIDE PITCH
Don’t blame the Mariners’ new veterans for their offensive woes this season.
Designated hitter Kendrys Morales and outfielders Raul Ibanez and Jason Bay have done everything in their power to put runs on the board, especially as of late.
Morales has been on an offensive tear for more than a month now, having hit a team-leading .307 with 18 doubles, eight home runs and 35 RBIs this season.
Ibanez is tied with Michael Morse with a team-high 11 home runs, including nine that have come since May 10. He went deep against the White Sox in back-to-back games this week, including a Monday homer that ended an epic, 13-pitch at-bat.
Bay has been Mr. Clutch for Seattle this season, with a walk-off RBI single to win one game, a go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth of another, and a score-tying homer in the seventh inning of a game against the Angels. He’s also filled in as a more-than-capable leadoff hitter despite never before filling that role at any point in his 10-year career.
While Seattle, losers of a heartbreaking 7-5 game on Wednesday vs. the Chicago White Sox in 16 innings, continues to look for consistency from some of its once-regarded prospects, the veteran additions have been carrying the load as of late.
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MLB Team Report – Seattle Mariners – NOTES, QUOTES
RECORD: 26-34
STREAK: Lost one
PAST 10 GAMES: 5-5
NEXT: Yankees (Phil Hughes, 2-4, 5.37) at Mariners (Aaron Harang, 2-5, 5.82)
PLAYER NOTES:
–C Brandon Bantz was promoted from Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday, providing depth behind Kelly Shoppach while C Jesus Sucre recovers from a bruise on the back of his left hand. Bantz played only three games in Tacoma after hitting .178 at Double-A Jackson, so the recent promotion seems to signify that the Mariners aren’t ready to expose 2013 first-round pick Mike Zunino, a catcher currently playing in Tacoma, to the majors. Zunino was the third overall pick in last year’s draft and is, by all accounts, Seattle’s catcher of the future.
–2B Carlos Triunfel was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to make room on the roster for C Brandon Bantz. Triunfel is hitless in 13 at-bats over five games with the Mariners this season.
–CF Franklin Gutierrez was transferred to the 60-day disabled list Wednesday, marking yet another injury setback for the 30-year-old outfielder. Gutierrez, who struggled with stomach issues earlier in his career, is having problems with his legs. He was placed on the 15-day DL on April 23 and recently completed a rehab stint at Triple-A Tacoma but continues to have leg discomfort.
–C Jesus Sucre will miss three to four days, manager Eric Wedge said, because of a bruise on the back of his left hand. Sucre suffered the injury in the fifth inning of Tuesday night’s win over the White Sox, having been hit in the hand by the bat backswing of Chicago’s Alexei Ramirez while Sucre was behind the plate. X-rays for a possible fracture came up negative on Sucre’s left (non-throwing) hand.
–RHP Josh Kinney, who’s currently on the 60-day disabled list, is scheduled to pitch a simulated game this weekend and could be available to begin a rehab assignment as soon as next week.
–RHP Hisashi Iwakuma saw just three baserunners over eight innings of work Wednesday, and only one of those was left on base because of a caught-stealing and double play. He threw 99 pitches, 69 of which went for strikes, before handing the ball over to the Seattle bullpen with the score tied 0-0 to start the ninth.
–1B Kendrys Morales, who entered the game with a .367 batting average with runners on and a .400 batting average with runners in scoring position, had a rare day of struggles driving in runners Wednesday. He had runners in scoring position on each of his first two at-bats, only to go 0-fo- 2 while grounding into a double play, and then he struck out in the sixth inning with a runner on first. Morales did get a 10th-inning single with a runner on first base, sending Kyle Seager to third in the process.
–2B Nick Franklin got his first two steals at the major league level Wednesday, when he followed a second-inning walk by swiping second and third base before getting stranded there on a Kelly Shoppach strikeout.
–C Kelly Shoppach threw out baserunner Alejandro De Aza trying to steal second base in the first inning. That was the seventh baserunner caught stealing by Shoppach in 20 attempts on him this season. Seattle’s other two catchers had caught just one of 26 attempted base-stealers this season.
–RHP Hector Noesi finished Wednesday’s marathon game against the White Sox despite throwing 64 pitches and taking a line drive off his pitching elbow. Noesi went three innings and gave up the game-winning runs in the 16th, including one that was scored on an Alex Rios line drive that bounced off Noesi’s right elbow. Team trainer Rick Griffin came out to check on Noesi, who stayed in the game because the only remaining reliever, closer Tom Wilhelmsen, was getting the day off after pitching in back-to-back games.
–RHP Aaron Harang has faced every team in baseball except the New York Yankees, against whom he is scheduled to start Thursday. It could come at a good time, seeing as how the 35-year-old Harang is coming off his two best starts as a Mariner. He held Minnesota to one earned run in his last start, which came after a complete-game shutout against the Padres on May 27. Once in serious danger of losing his spot in the rotation, Harang has as much job security as he’s had all season.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “Kuma was outstanding, as usual We just needed to give him a couple of runs and couldn’t get the big (hit).” — SS Brendan Ryan on RHP Hisashi Iwakuma.
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MLB Team Report – Seattle Mariners – ROSTER REPORT
MEDICAL WATCH:
–OF Michael Morse (strained right quad) left the May 28 game, and he didn’t play May 29-June 4. He is day-to-day.
–C Jesus Sucre (left wrist) left the June 4 game. He will miss three to four days, manager Eric Wedge said, because of a bruise on the back of his left hand. X-rays for a possible fracture came up negative
–1B Justin Smoak (strained right oblique) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 30.
–CF Franklin Gutierrez (torn right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list April 23 and transferred to the 60-day DL June 5. 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 began 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, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on May 17.
–C Jesus Montero (torn left meniscus) is expected to be out until late June or early July after undergoing surgery in early June. He isn’t on the disabled list because he was optioned to the minors before he got injured.
ROTATION:
RHP Felix Hernandez
RHP Hisashi Iwakuma
LHP Joe Saunders
RHP Aaron Harang
RHP Jeremy Bonderman
BULLPEN:
RHP Tom Wilhelmsen (closer)
LHP Charlie Furbush
LHP Oliver Perez
RHP Carter Capps
RHP Yoervis Medina
RHP Danny Farquhar
RHP Hector Noesi
CATCHERS:
Kelly Shoppach
Jesus Sucre
Brandon Bantz
INFIELDERS:
1B Kendrys Morales
SS Brendan Ryan
3B Kyle Seager
INF Nick Franklin
INF Alex Liddi
OUTFIELDERS:
LF Michael Morse
CF Michael Saunders
RF Endy Chavez
DH Raul Ibanez
OF Jason Bay
