By Avinash Kunnath

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Aug 31, 2011 – Jack Zduriencik has had a rocky time as general manager of the Seattle Mariners since he arrived in October 2008. Here’s his list of accomplishments since he arrived in Seattle.

• An 85-77 team that somehow finished THIRD in the competitive 2009 AL West. Unlucky there.
• A 61-101 team that unsurprisingly finished last in the 2010 AL West. Felix Hernandez kept this team from reaching historic lows.
• A 2011 squad that, after teasing the Mariners with the promise of the postseason and were within striking distance of the Texas Rangers, dropped 17 straight games and pretty much drained the last of the enthusiasm out of their fanbase.

But it’s not enough to convince the Mariners ownership that its his fault. In fact, he’s done quite well to ensure that the organization is moving forward in the right direction. Although his job was described as less than secure a month or so ago, Shannon Dryer of ESPN 710 reports that sources close to the team say that Zduriencik will be returning to the team next year.

And it makes sense. Zduriencik has done a lot of good for this team particularly at the farm system level, and it’d be silly to pull the plug on him before he gets to inject his prospects into this unit.

For more on Mariners baseball, check out Lookout Landing.

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SEATTLE — The one thing that had been the Seattle Mariners strength during this otherwise challenging 2011 season is the one thing that failed them Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels.Despite being 20 games under .500, Mariners pitchers had been consistently around the plate, with the third fewest walks in the American League. But Seattle walked seven batters and five would score in the Angels’ 13-6 rout.Mike Trout homered twice — the second one a three-run job after two batters walked ahead of him — and drove in five runs to spark the onslaught.The youngest player in the majors at 20 years, 23 days, Trout started it in the second with a solo shot into the left-field bullpen on a 3-2 pitch from Anthony Vasquez (1-1).Vasquez, making his second big-league start, walked the first two batters in the fourth before Trout added a three-run blast into the left-field seats for a 4-0 lead.Since his recall Aug. 19, Trout has gone 9 for 21 with four home runs. He has three home runs in the past two games and now five in his 65-at-bat career.He is the youngest Angels player to hit two home runs in a game.”He hit some good pitches tonight,” Vasquez said. “I made a full-count changeup down the first at-bat and he stayed on it and put it out. The next one was down, a curve ball that the catcher might have had to block for crying out loud. He kind of just stayed on it.”Those things you don’t get upset about. It’s the two guys before that were on because of walks that you get mad at yourself about.”Mariners manager Eric Wedge that Trout “is a very talented young man and has some strength in that swing,” but said “the walks hurt us.”And we just kept giving them extra opportunity,” he said, “and that is where they were able to separate.”Seattle scored two in the fourth to cut the lead in half but it blew up for Vasquez and the Mariners in the Angels’ eight-run fifth inning.The first eight hitters all scored and again walks were heavily involved as the Angels sent 12 batters to the plate.Vasquez, the son of an Angels area scout, gave up the first two runs — he was charged with eight overall — and left with runners on first and third and one out.Jeff Gray entered and walked three straight batters, forcing in two runs. Erick Aybar had the inning’s biggest hit, a two-run double.It was the Angels’ biggest inning this season and the most runs in an inning since scoring nine on Aug. 16, 2009 in the 13th at Baltimore.”He hasn’t had the command up here that we saw underneath,” Wedge said of Vasquez. “He is kind of an add and subtract guy, too, keeping you off-balance and pinpointing the baseball where he needs to. And we just haven’t seen that.”This was the third time the Mariners have allowed eight runs in an inning this season.All those runs gave comfort to Jerome Williams (2-0), who, like Vasquez, was making his second career start for the Angels. He disposed of nine straight Mariners on just 23 pitches over his first three innings.”He is a strike thrower, maybe a bit overly so at times, but I’ll take that versus the other,” Wedge said of Williams. “Their guy did a good job. We were in there ready to hit. He made some pretty good pitches. He was pounding the zone.”The Mariners reached Williams in the fourth. Mike Carp hit a RBI double into the left-field corner and Miguel Olivo beat out a RBI infield single to deep short.The Mariners added another pair in the seventh on a two-out, bases-loaded single by Ichiro Suzuki. That extended his hitting streak to 13 games.Williams went seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out six.Olivo, who had three hits, picked up his second infield-hit RBI in the Mariners’ two-run eighth off Bobby Cassevah.Notes: Mike Carp has recorded 23 RBIs in August. With one game left this month, he is two off the club’s all-time monthly RBI record of 25 set by Danny Tartabull in July 1986 … Ichiro has recorded 265 hits in his career (197 games) against the Angels. That ranks fourth all-time behind George Brett (282), Carl Yastrzemski (281) and Cal Ripken Jr. (266).

The loss dropped the Angels 3½ games behind idle Texas in the AL West with 28 games to go.

Mike Carp connected on a first-pitch slider from Hisanori Takahashi (3-3) in the eighth inning for a long two-run home run, providing the Mariners with the deciding margin.

Rookie Dustin Ackley, who had three hits and a pair of RBIs, opened the eighth with a double. Carp then hit the pitch into a fan’s l in the second-deck restaurant in left field.

“After he hit it I just stopped. I’m just going to watch this ball and see where it ends up,” Ackley said. “Even in BP you don’t see many balls land up that high, especially a first-pitch breaking ball like that. That’s pretty impressive.”

The ball was estimated to have traveled 432 feet.

Takahashi said his pitch to Carp was in the wrong zone.

“I wanted it down and away,” Takahashi said through an interpreter, “but it was on the opposite side.”

Rookie Tom Wilhelmsen (2-0) earned the victory with one inning of relief. Brandon League finished the ninth for his 32nd save in 37 opportunities.

First baseman Mark Trumbo hit his team-leading 24th home run, a two-run shot in the fourth.

Ichiro Suzuki had two doubles and extended his hitting streak to a season-high 12 games.

Suzuki has had 40 career double-digit hitting streaks, tied with Pete Rose for the fifth most since 1918. The others in front of him are Ty Cobb (65), Hank Aaron (44), Al Simmons (42) and Stan Musial (41).

“It’s one of those nights he (Takahashi) just didn’t get one pitch where he wanted and that was it,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Scioscia was asked before the game whether Seattle, at 57-76, is still a dangerous team to play. He said Seattle “has a lot of talent. A lot of it is young but it’s good, good young arms … (but) I want our guys to play free, to play easy and that’s what we’re going to focus on.”

The Mariners took the early lead with a pair of sacrifice flies, but the Angels charged ahead with a three-run fourth.

Torii Hunter singled just before Trumbo launched his ball off the left-field upper-deck facade, on a 1-0 pitch from rookie Blake Beavan. The Angels have had at least one home run in 19 of their last 20 games.

The Angels added another in the inning. Vernon Wells singled to center followed by Erick Aybar’s RBI double into deep right-center.

The Mariners tied it in the fifth, also with two outs. Suzuki doubled into the g in left. Ackley drove a run-scoring triple into the g in right for a 3-3 score.

“That was a big pitch,” Joel Pineiro said of his pitch to Ackley. “I was not going to give him something to hit but the ball stayed up in the zone, a sinker that stayed up and he made me pay for it.”

Scioscia said Pineiro, who hasn’t won since he beat the Mariners July 9, will continue to get the ball.

“He’d get another start. He gave us a chance to win,” he said. “He’s not locked in where he was earlier in the season but he first came off the DL but he has made strides from when he was taken out of the rotation.

“Hopefully, he will continue because we are going to need him,” Scioscia added. “We need depth in the rotation.”

The Mariners played exceptional defense to stymie potential rallies.

Shortstop Brendan Ryan made a barehanded grab of Peter Bourjos’ spinning groundball to finish the Angels’ threat in the fourth.

Casper Wells threw a hard, accurate strike on the fly to second base in the third inning to nail Bourjos trying to stretch a single.

Then in the seventh Wells did it again. The Angels had something going with speedy Aybar on first and one out. As Aybar broke for second, Bourjos hit a line shot to left. Wells raced in, caught on the run and quickly fired to first to double up Aybar.

“That’s my favorite thing to do,” said Wells, in his first season, “come up throwing.”

Notes: The Angels have lost three of their last four after winning six straight. … Trumbo leads the team in home runs (24) and RBI (71). No Angels rookie has ever led the team in both categories in a season.

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SEATTLE () — The Los Angeles Angels are not going to get any help from the young Seattle Mariners in their pursuit of the firs-place Rangers.

The last-place, nothing-to-lose Mariners, with a roster bulging with eager-to-prove rookies, played what manager Eric Wedge called “our best game” Monday night in a 5-3 victory over the Angels.

The loss dropped the Angels 3½ games behind idle Texas in the AL West with 28 games to go.

Mike Carp connected on a first-pitch slider from Hisanori Takahashi (3-3) in the eighth inning for a long two-run home run, providing the Mariners with the deciding margin.

Rookie Dustin Ackley, who had three hits and a pair of RBIs, opened the eighth with a double. Carp then hit the pitch into a fan’s l in the second-deck restaurant in left field.

“After he hit it I just stopped. I’m just going to watch this ball and see where it ends up,” Ackley said. “Even in BP you don’t see many balls land up that high, especially a first-pitch breaking ball like that. That’s pretty impressive.”

The ball was estimated to have traveled 432 feet.

Takahashi said his pitch to Carp was in the wrong zone.

“I wanted it down and away,” Takahashi said through an interpreter, “but it was on the opposite side.”

Rookie Tom Wilhelmsen (2-0) earned the victory with one inning of relief. Brandon League finished the ninth for his 32nd save in 37 opportunities.

First baseman Mark Trumbo hit his team-leading 24th home run, a two-run shot in the fourth.

Ichiro Suzuki had two doubles and extended his hitting streak to a season-high 12 games.

Suzuki has had 40 career double-digit hitting streaks, tied with Pete Rose for the fifth most since 1918. The others in front of him are Ty Cobb (65), Hank Aaron (44), Al Simmons (42) and Stan Musial (41).

“It’s one of those nights he (Takahashi) just didn’t get one pitch where he wanted and that was it,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Scioscia was asked before the game whether Seattle, at 57-76, is still a dangerous team to play. He said Seattle “has a lot of talent. A lot of it is young but it’s good, good young arms … (but) I want our guys to play free, to play easy and that’s what we’re going to focus on.”

The Mariners took the early lead with a pair of sacrifice flies, but the Angels charged ahead with a three-run fourth.

Torii Hunter singled just before Trumbo launched his ball off the left-field upper-deck facade, on a 1-0 pitch from rookie Blake Beavan. The Angels have had at least one home run in 19 of their last 20 games.

The Angels added another in the inning. Vernon Wells singled to center followed by Erick Aybar’s RBI double into deep right-center.

The Mariners tied it in the fifth, also with two outs. Suzuki doubled into the g in left. Ackley drove a run-scoring triple into the g in right for a 3-3 score.

“That was a big pitch,” Joel Pineiro said of his pitch to Ackley. “I was not going to give him something to hit but the ball stayed up in the zone, a sinker that stayed up and he made me pay for it.”

Scioscia said Pineiro, who hasn’t won since he beat the Mariners July 9, will continue to get the ball.

“He’d get another start. He gave us a chance to win,” he said. “He’s not locked in where he was earlier in the season but he first came off the DL but he has made strides from when he was taken out of the rotation.

“Hopefully, he will continue because we are going to need him,” Scioscia added. “We need depth in the rotation.”

The Mariners played exceptional defense to stymie potential rallies.

Shortstop Brendan Ryan made a barehanded grab of Peter Bourjos’ spinning groundball to finish the Angels’ threat in the fourth.

Casper Wells threw a hard, accurate strike on the fly to second base in the third inning to nail Bourjos trying to stretch a single.

Then in the seventh Wells did it again. The Angels had something going with speedy Aybar on first and one out. As Aybar broke for second, Bourjos hit a line shot to left. Wells raced in, caught on the run and quickly fired to first to double up Aybar.

“That’s my favorite thing to do,” said Wells, in his first season, “come up throwing.”

Notes: The Angels have lost three of their last four after winning six straight. … Trumbo leads the team in home runs (24) and RBI (71). No Angels rookie has ever led the team in both categories in a season.

(Sports Network) – The LA Angels of Anaheim look to get back on track when
they begin a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

The Angels lost two of three meetings with Texas over the weekend and are
three games behind the Rangers for first place in the American League West. In
a 9-5 loss on Sunday, Angels ace Jered Weaver had an usually poor outing and
was reached for seven runs and eight hits in six innings.

“I don’t think I missed a spot in the bullpen,” Weaver said. “Come out to the
mound and wasn’t quite there. Obviously, I was battling all night and tried to
keep us in the game.”

Howie Kendrick finished 3-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored, while
Bobby Abreu went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Anaheim, which had won six straight
games before visiting the Rangers.

Joel Pineiro gets the nod tonight for the Halos and will try to get his team
back in gear. Pineiro is 0-3 in his last eight starts and has posted four
straight no-decisions, including a 9-8 win versus Baltimore last Saturday. He
allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings.

Pineiro, a righty, defeated Seattle on July 9 this season and is 3-1 with a
4.57 earned run average in five career games (3 starts) against the Mariners.

Seattle was just swept in three games versus the Chicago White Sox and had won
two straight and three of four games before hosting the Pale Hose.

In Sunday’s 9-3 loss at Safeco Field, Jason Vargas was rocked for nine runs
and 10 hits over 5 2/3 frames to absorb the loss. Josh Bard hit a two-run
homer and finished with three RBI for the Mariners.

“We didn’t execute,” said Mariners manager Eric Wedge. “We didn’t go out there
and do what we needed to do offensively or on the mound.”

Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki had two hits and extended his hit streak to
11 games, during which he’s batting .360.

Blake Beaven draws the start for the Mariners tonight and is 0-2 with a 7.27
earned run average over his last three starts. The rookie did not record a
decision in Tuesday’s 7-5 loss at Cleveland and permitted three runs and eight
hits in six innings of work.

Beaven, who is 3-4 with a 4.14 ERA in nine starts, defeated the Angels on Aug.
6 with eight innings of one-run ball in a 5-1 triumph. He is 1-0 with a 1.88
earned run average in two starts against Anaheim.

The Angels have won eight of 12 meetings with Seattle this season and are 23-8
in this series since the start of the 2010 campaign.

The Sports Network

The Seattle Mariners would have given most anything to be in a pennant race their final 30 games.

As it turns out, they’re in several – just not their own – and it may wreak havoc with what remains of their season.

Against a Chicago team still in the American League Central hunt, the Mariners were beaten on Sunday, 9-3, as the White Sox completed a three-game sweep at Safeco Field and headed for a showdown with the Minnesota Twins.

The Mariners? They jump into someone else’s race tonight, when they begin a four-game series with the Los Angeles Angels.

Yes, they’re in the same division – but the Angels are playing for a postseason.

Seattle is playing out its season.

“This time of year, teams in it know your weaknesses and attack them,” manager Eric Wedge said.

Looking ahead to their final 30 games, the Mariners face the Angels (seven games), Rangers (six), Yankees (three), Indians (one) and Twins (three) – 20 games against teams still playing for a shot at the playoffs.

The other 10 games will be with Kansas City and Oakland

What hpened Sunday could be a preview of coming destructions:

Jason Vargas, who said, “I didn’t feel I pitched badly,” gave up 10 hits – one of them a grand slam – and nine runs in 5 2/3 innings.

The Mariners’ offense, shut out on three hits a night earlier, began the eighth inning with two hits and no runs.

Which reflected what Wedge was saying. As the season winds down, teams with the chance to play into October are seized by a feeding frenzy – and what they eat first is bad teams.

The Mariners, at 56-76, qualify.

Yes, the infusion of young talent has made them a more intriguing team to watch and given the franchise and its fans some measure of hope for the future. But the four rookies in the Seattle starting lineup on this day went a combined 2-for-12.

And struck out eight times.

“Taking nothing away from their pitching, I didn’t think we did a very good job offensively,” Wedge said. “We gave away too many at-bats, we made some easy outs.”

Shortstop Brendan Ryan agreed.

“(Gavin) Floyd threw a good game, but we’ve all got to look in the mirror today,” Ryan said. “There were not many adjustments made out there. He threw a lot of fastballs, and you’ve got to be ready to hit the heater.”

Rookie outfielder Treyvon Robinson went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

“Fastballs away, sliders in,” he said of the pitches he saw. “Did I have good at-bats? I thought I had some good swings, but they were spotting their pitches pretty well.”

And Vargas was not, which made the job of White Sox hitters easier – and much harder for the Mariners.

In a scoreless tie through three innings, Vargas gave up a pair of singles in the fourth, then a home run from outfielder Dayan Viciedo. It put Seattle in a hole, down by the same 3-0 score the Mariners had lost by a night earlier.

Had Vargas faced Viciedo before? Yes, but it didn’t help.

“You don’t need a book when you throw it down the middle and he hits it out to straightaway center,” Vargas said.

Point taken.

The sixth inning finished Vargas and his teammates. Two singles and a one-out walk loaded the bases for Chicago and brought up catcher Tyler Flowers.

“I threw him a cutter in, it was where I wanted it,” Vargas said.

Flowers hit it out for one of those four-run-homer things.

By the time the Mariners awakened a crowd of 25,630 with their offense, it was 9-0 and in the eighth inning. Then, after rookie Kyle Seager struck out on a wild pitch then scrambled to first base, veteran reserve catcher Josh Bard homered.

An inning later, Bard’s ground ball scored Ryan, who’d walked. It gave Bard three RBI and all other Mariners none.

In the end, with a man on second and two outs in the ninth inning, it came down to Ichiro Suzuki.

The right fielder already had two hits – his 150th and 151st of the season. This time, against former Mariner Matt Thornton, he grounded out.

Among the intrigues of their final month will be Ichiro’s drive for an 11th consecutive 200-hit season. With 29 games remaining, he needs 49 hits.

“The last week or 10 days, he’s been squaring the ball up,” Wedge said.

Not the gaudiest of endorsements, but Wedge is likely more concerned about how many more games his team can win, how well the 12 rookies on his roster play the rest of the way.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners