“I don’t think it’s in our best interest to do that,” Zduriencik said on a conference call Tuesday. “I ologize. I wish I could tell you a little more, but I don’t think it’s fair for us.”

Zduriencik spoke ahead of baseball’s winter meetings, which get started Monday in Dallas. Zduriencik said his priorities remain adding a bat to the lineup, getting a left-hander for the bullpen and trying to find a veteran starter for a young rotation that includes ace Felix Hernandez and promising right-hander Michael Pineda.

But when the topic turned to Fielder, Zduriencik picked his words carefully, saying he did not want to talk specifics. He added that in a situation like Fielder’s, where he is one of the top free agents available and a player Zduriencik has known since he was a teenager, relationships are important but probably become secondary.

“A lot of times these come down to what the player and agent views as the best opportunity for them and they have to gauge that on many fronts,” Zduriencik said. “I’ve known Prince since he was a young kid in high school, but in the end, Prince or any other player has to do what’s best for their best interest.”

Among the many issues for Zduriencik’s young team, Seattle’s offense had a serious lack of power in 2011. The Mariners hit just .233 as a team and finished last in the American League in batting average, runs, hits, total bases, RBIs, slugging and on-base percentage.

Only three Seattle hitters reached double figures in home runs — none had more than Miguel Olivo’s 19 — and the Mariners hit 109 for the season. Fielder wouldn’t solve all of Seattle’s offensive woes, but he fits the profile of the left-handed slugger the team has lacked in the past.

“There are a few options out there that would fill some needs that we have. But on any of these things you’re going to have to figure out where it ends up at. Often times the years of the contract are factors, the dollars tied in are factors and where you currently stand is a factor as well,” Zduriencik said. “There is a point with any player that you can go down a road a certain distance and find out it’s not exactly as far as you want to go. I think a lot of that ends up in the air. I think we will explore several options, even via trade if possible.”

Zduriencik said the team doesn’t have an offer out to any free agents right now. Seattle did complete a trade last weekend, sending right-handed reliever Josh Lueke to Tampa Bay for backup catcher John Jaso. He added that getting an experienced starting pitcher to complement Hernandez, Pineda and a handful of other options may need to come via trade.

“We have a couple of very nice pieces,” Zduriencik said. “It would be good to add a veteran guy to this. How we get there, I don’t know.”

___

Follow Tim Booth on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ByTimBooth

Copyright 2011 The . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Of all the batters for Felix Hernandez to make a mistake against, it had to be Adrian Beltre.

It was bad enough that Beltre’s two-run homer was his 27th of the season and the deciding blow in the Texas Rangers’ 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.

What makes it worse is all the smack talk Hernandez will have to hear from his good friend and former teammate.

“(It’s) always, always going to be like that,” Hernandez said of the trash he talks with his friend. “He got me with his bat today and we’ll get another one in Texas.”

Hernandez and Beltre became part of the attraction Sunday when Hernandez missed with a two-strike, two-out fastball in the fourth inning and Beltre lined a two-run shot into the bullpen in left field. By the time Beltre rounded third, he was already jabbering with Hernandez as the two friends traded barbs.

“It was nice because he’s always talking smack to me. We talk smack back and forth and he got my number,” Beltre said. “I told him all I wanted to do was take him deep and I did it so I was yping back to him.”

While the Hernandez-Beltre battle became a little side story to Sunday’s loss, the bigger concern is Seattle’s continuing issues with striking out. Texas starter Matt Harrison (13-9) struck out a career-high nine and the Mariners finished with 14 strikeouts on the day.

Seattle batters have struck out at least nine times in nine of the past 10 games and over those 10 games, Seattle has struck out 120 times.

The Mariners currently have 1,201 strikeouts for the season, setting a new team record. It’s also the 14th most in American League history and if the problem doesn’t change over the final 10 games, the Mariners could be climbing much higher on the all-time list.

“We’re facing playoff teams right now, some tough teams, playing their ‘A’ game every time out. Not to say we’re not, but they have their best guys going and they are doing everything they can to win so they are going to be tough,” Seattle’s Mike Carp said. “It’s good for us – not to struggle but to remember it going into next year. We’ll face these guys and not let them beat us like that.”

In his final home start of the season, Hernandez (14-13) wasn’t his sharpest. The reigning AL Cy Young winner gave up nine hits and struck out five, but lost his second straight decision.

He also lost for the third time to Texas with one more start against the Rangers coming next weekend.

“They have a pretty good lineup and you’ve got to respect that. You have to make good pitches,” Hernandez said. “You don’t get a break in any spot from first to ninth. They can hit – hit homers – so you have to make good pitches.”

Only once did Seattle advance a runner to third base against Harrison and that came in the seventh inning. Harrison left with two outs after Ichiro Suzuki’s infield hit glanced off Harrison’s glove and Elvis Andrus couldn’t get to it in time. Suzuki’s 173rd hit of the season loaded the bases for Luis Gonzalez, who had doubled off Harrison in his previous at bat.

Instead of risking it, Rangers manager Ron Washington went to Koji Uehara. The move worked as Uehara struck out Rodriguez to end Seattle’s best scoring chance.

Carp nearly ended the shutout in the eighth, but Josh Hamilton robbed him of a homer with a leing catch at the wall in left to end the inning. Neftali Feliz then picked up his 28th save in 34 chances, pitching the ninth and adding a couple of more strikeouts to the ledger.

“Going up against that guy you know it’s always tough,” Harrison said of Hernandez. “You just try and keep the game close and make your pitches and try and stay in the game as long as possible.”

It was an important victory for Texas, remaining 4 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West after the Angels beat Baltimore earlier Sunday.

Notes: Texas is 12-4 vs. Seattle this season with three games left in Texas next weekend. … Seattle 3B Chone Figgins will not play again this season with a hip flexor injury, manager Eric Wedge said. … Seattle will make a detour to Cleveland for a makeup game on Monday. The game was one of two makeups after the Indians and Mariners were rained out on May 14 and 15. Seattle then opens a three-game series in Minnesota on Tuesday. … LHP Charlie Furbush will start for Seattle against the Indians. He is just 2-6 in eight starts since coming over in late July in a trade with Detroit. … Sunday was the first time since July 31 most of a Mariners game has been played with the Safeco Field roof closed. It was closed in the top of the first inning on Sunday after closing in the eighth inning of Saturday’s game.

LARRY LARUE; Staff writer |
• Published September 12, 2011

When the Seattle Mariners came home from their six-game trip through Oakland and Los Angeles, they brought rookie pitcher Steve Delabar with them – and he’d never laid eyes on Safeco Field until then.

“I was amazed at the size of it,” Delabar said Sunday. “This place is enormous.”

Against the Kansas City Royals in a one-run game, Delabar came out of the bullpen Sunday to make his major league debut, and did it with style – a 1-2-3 ninth inning with two strikeouts.

“I wasn’t nervous until the phone rang in the bullpen and they called my name,” he said.

For those unfamiliar with his story, Delabar was a Single-A pitcher with the San Diego Padres until he broke his elbow while pitching two years ago.

Doctors implanted all kinds of hardware in his right arm – he carries an X-ray of it on his cell phone – and wished him luck.

When the 2011 season began, Delabar hadn’t pitched again, and was a part-time substitute teacher in Kentucky, coaching the boys baseball team after hours when a friend called a Mariners scout.

The scout set up a one-shot, indoors tryout. Delabar threw to his high school catcher – and hit 94 mph.

Not long after, Delabar was signed and began his career in Single-A Clinton, then Double-A Jackson and, last month, Triple-A Tacoma. Successful at each stop, the Mariners kept moving him until he landed with Seattle last week.

“I hadn’t pitched in a week, so I was a little nervous about that. I took a lot of deep breaths out there,” Delabar said.

He threw 13 pitches, 11 of them strikes. That works whereever you pitch.

“Throwing the first pitch for a strike really helped,” he said.

There was irony to his pearance. His parents and wife had flown to Seattle in hopes of seeing him pitch, but couldn’t stay the whole weekend.

“They all flew home last night,” Delabar said. “There’s always the MLB Network.”

SHORT HOPS

Just in time to welcome the fabled New York Yankees, right fielder Ichiro Suzuki is three hits shy of Mickey Mantle (2,415) on the all-time hits list. … Michael Pineda is averaging 9.22 strikeouts per nine innings this season, second among American League starting pitchers. Who leads? Toronto’s Brandon Morrow (10.41), a former Mariner. … Brendan Ryan’s first-inning steal was his 12th of the season in his 15th attempt. … In the four-game series against the Royals, the Mariners struck out 51 times. … When Seattle scored one run Sunday, it marked the 39th time this season they’d scored one run or fewer in a game. … Since returning from the disabled list, Justin Smoak is batting .333 in 39 at-bats, with two home runs and six RBI.

ON T

Seattle hosts New York in a 7:10 p.m. game that will be broadcast on Root Sports. Probable starting pitchers: Phil Hughes (4-5, 6.41 ERA) for the Yankees against Felix Hernandez (14-11, 3.15).

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

SEATTLE () – Alex Gordon hit a pair of RBI doubles and four Kansas City pitchers combined to hold the Seattle Mariners to six hits in the Royals 2-1 victory Sunday afternoon.

Rookie left-hander Everett Teaford (1-0) pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking one and striking out five to pick up his first big league victory in his first career start after 23 relief pearances.

Blake Wood took over in the seventh and tossed two hitless innings, retiring six straight, four on strikeouts.

Greg Holland gave up a two-out RBI double to Ichiro Suzuki in the eighth.

Joakim Soria pitched the ninth to pick up his 28th save in 35 opportunities.

Kansas City got a break in the third inning when Alcides Escobar stroked a two-out single to left and Gordon lifted a routine fly to Mike Carp. The left fielder battled to track the ball in the sun, finally losing it to his right.

Escobar never broke stride, scoring without a throw and Gordon was credited with a RBI double.

Anthony Vasquez (1-3), who entered with a 9.00 ERA in his three previous starts, went six-plus innings – his longest career outing – allowing seven hits, two runs with two strikeouts and no walks.

Vasquez put down a couple of minor threats in the middle innings. In the fifth with one out, he hit Chris Getz and Escobar followed with a single to center. He then struck out Gordon and Melky Cabrera lined out to center when Casper Wells made a nice sliding catch.

In the sixth, Eric Hosmer launched a one-out double into the right-center g, but Jeff Francoeur popped out to second and Yamaico Navarro bounced out to short.

Vasquez, however, couldn’t esce a self-induced jam in the seventh. Brayan Pena opened with a single to center then Getz laid down a sacrifice bunt. Vasquez booted it, putting runners on first and second with no outs.

Shawn Kelley took over. Escobar struck out when he failed to put down a bunt with two strikes. Gordon followed with his second double, a shot against the left-center wall. Pena scored while Getz held up at third and Kelley got out of the jam without more damage.

The Royals displayed their defensive prowess in the fourth. With Dustin Ackley on first, Carp lined out to right-fielder Jeff Francoeur. He quickly threw to first to double off Ackley.

It was the Royals’ 50th outfield assist, most in the majors. It also was the most in the big leagues since 2002 and three short of the club record.

Notes: Seattle hosts the AL East-leading New York Yankees for three games beginning Monday. The Mariners will start their ace, RH Felix Hernandez (14-11, 3.15), Monday, followed by lefties Charlie Furbush (3-8, 4.84) and Jason Vargas (8-13, 4.49). The Yankees have a 2.5 game lead over Boston. Hernandez is 6-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 10 career starts against the Yankees. … The Royals have Monday off before beginning a six-game homestand against Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox. Bruce Chen (10-7, 4.30) takes the mound. He is 1-4 with a 6.59 ERA in 15 career starts against the Twins. … Royals DH Billy Butler singled in the fourth to break a 0-for-17 slide. … The Mariners struck out 12 times. In the four-game series, Royals pitchers struck out 51 Mariners. … RH Steve Delabar made his big league debut for the Mariners in the ninth. He is the 12th player to debut this season for Seattle.

SEATTLE () — Alex Gordon hit a pair of RBI doubles and four Kansas City pitchers combined to hold the Seattle Mariners to six hits in the Royals 2-1 victory Sunday afternoon.

Rookie left-hander Everett Teaford (1-0) pitched five scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking one and striking out five to pick up his first big league victory in his first career start after 23 relief pearances.

Blake Wood took over in the seventh and tossed two hitless innings, retiring six straight, four on strikeouts.

Greg Holland gave up a two-out RBI double to Ichiro Suzuki in the eighth.

Joakim Soria pitched the ninth to pick up his 28th save in 35 opportunities.

Kansas City got a break in the third inning when Alcides Escobar stroked a two-out single to left and Gordon lifted a routine fly to Mike Carp. The left fielder battled to track the ball in the sun, finally losing it to his right.

Escobar never broke stride, scoring without a throw and Gordon was credited with a RBI double.

Anthony Vasquez (1-3), who entered with a 9.00 ERA in his three previous starts, went six-plus innings — his longest career outing — allowing seven hits, two runs with two strikeouts and no walks.

Vasquez put down a couple of minor threats in the middle innings. In the fifth with one out, he hit Chris Getz and Escobar followed with a single to center. He then struck out Gordon and Melky Cabrera lined out to center when Casper Wells made a nice sliding catch.

In the sixth, Eric Hosmer launched a one-out double into the right-center g, but Jeff Francoeur popped out to second and Yamaico Navarro bounced out to short.

Vasquez, however, couldn’t esce a self-induced jam in the seventh. Brayan Pena opened with a single to center then Getz laid down a sacrifice bunt. Vasquez booted it, putting runners on first and second with no outs.

Shawn Kelley took over. Escobar struck out when he failed to put down a bunt with two strikes. Gordon followed with his second double, a shot against the left-center wall. Pena scored while Getz held up at third and Kelley got out of the jam without more damage.

The Royals displayed their defensive prowess in the fourth. With Dustin Ackley on first, Carp lined out to right-fielder Jeff Francoeur. He quickly threw to first to double off Ackley.

It was the Royals’ 50th outfield assist, most in the majors. It also was the most in the big leagues since 2002 and three short of the club record.

Notes: Seattle hosts the AL East-leading New York Yankees for three games beginning Monday. The Mariners will start their ace, RH Felix Hernandez (14-11, 3.15), Monday, followed by lefties Charlie Furbush (3-8, 4.84) and Jason Vargas (8-13, 4.49). The Yankees have a 2.5 game lead over Boston. Hernandez is 6-3 with a 2.82 ERA in 10 career starts against the Yankees. … The Royals have Monday off before beginning a six-game homestand against Minnesota and the Chicago White Sox. Bruce Chen (10-7, 4.30) takes the mound. He is 1-4 with a 6.59 ERA in 15 career starts against the Twins. … Royals DH Billy Butler singled in the fourth to break a 0-for-17 slide. … The Mariners struck out 12 times. In the four-game series, Royals pitchers struck out 51 Mariners. … RH Steve Delabar made his big league debut for the Mariners in the ninth. He is the 12th player to debut this season for Seattle.

Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Charlie Furbush throws to the plate during the first inning of their baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2011, in Anaheim.

Maicer Izturis hit a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth inning, rewarding Jerome Williams for pitching eight innings of one-hit ball in the Los Angeles Angels’ 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.
Peter Bourjos added a run-scoring single in the eighth as Los Angeles trimmed the Texas Rangers’ AL West lead to 2½ games with a dramatic rally for its 10th win in 12 home games.
Williams (3-0) narrowly outdueled Seattle rookie left-hander Charlie Furbush (3-8), who held the Angels scoreless until the eighth.
Trayvon Robinson’s sixth-inning leadoff homer was the Mariners’ only hit off Williams, a journeyman right-hander who has made three strong starts for Los Angeles down the playoff stretch.
All-Star closer Jordan Walden pitched a hitless ninth for his 29th save as the Angels again gained ground on the defending AL champion Rangers, who lost 5-4 to the Tampa Bay Rays earlier Wednesday.
Williams struck out five and walked one in the latest step of his improbable comeback. He hadn’t won in the majors since Sept. 25, 2005, before beating Baltimore on Aug. 21, and he has filled a ging hole in the Angels’ top-heavy roster since Joel Pineiro and Tyler Chatwood both struggled in recent weeks.
Williams retired 15 of the Mariners’ first 16 hitters, yielding only Mike Carp’s leadoff walk in the second inning until Robinson connected. The Los Angeles native’s drive to right field was caught on the fly by a fan in the front row of the short porch in right field.
Both starters worked quickly and smoothly in the series finale on another uncomfortably warm night in Orange County until the big finish.
Furbush yielded five hits and one walk, throwing 100 pitches in the longest start of his career. The rookie has lost four straight starts with the club that acquired him from Detroit in late July, but he thoroughly dominated the Angels until his final inning.
The Angels finally rallied when Erick Aybar reached on a one-out infield single in the eighth, advancing to second on a wild pitch. After pinch-hitter Alberto Callaspo walked, Izturis put a drive into the left-center g, easily scoring Aybar and pinch-runner Jeremy Moore.
Bourjos then connected against reliever Tom Wilhelmsen, scoring Aybar. The speedy Bourjos motored to third base when Wilhelmsen’s pickoff throw went past Justin Smoak, but Ichiro Suzuki bounced off the wall to make a leing catch on Torii Hunter’s inning-ending drive to right.
One night after Felix Hernandez limited the Angels’ surging offense to four hits and one unearned run in the Mariners’ skid-snping win, Furbush got agonizingly close to an impressive win. Despite his pedestrian record, Furbush has showed signs of dominance this season, notably pitching seven innings of one-run ball against the mighty Boston Red Sox last month.
The Mariners backed him with exceptional infield defense, including third baseman Alex Liddi’s difficult stop and throw to nip Hunter in the seventh.
NOTES: Liddi went 0 for 2 in his major league debut. The Italian-born infielder is the first graduate of the MLB European Academy to reach the majors. … The Angels have Thursday off before opening a weekend series against the New York Yankees, while the Mariners return home Thursday to face Kansas City in a four-game series. … Los Angeles has just one homestand left after facing New York. The Angels finish the regular season against AL West rivals Oakland and Texas.