RYAN DIVISH; Staff writer |
• Published June 11, 2011

DETROIT – A night without Ichiro Suzuki atop the order? Well, the Seattle Mariners survived just fine, thank you.

Because unlike the slumping 10-time All-Star, the Mariners’ pitching – both starting and relief – has not been struggling of late. In fact, the pitching has been pretty darn good all season. Seattle has relied on it to inch above .500 this season and to remain relevant in the American League West race.

On Friday, the pitchers came through again, while the batters scored just enough runs to eke out a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Despite banging out a season-high seven extra-base hits, the Mariners couldn’t manage more than the three runs. They were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranded six men on base.

But it didn’t matter as starter Erik Bedard and a trio of relievers made those three runs stand up as Seattle improved to 33-31.

“It was that type of ballgame,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. “One play either way could have made a difference.”

Two instrumental plays came from rookie Carlos Peguero, who took Ichiro’s spot in right field for the game. The powerful slugger, who couldn’t be more opposite of sl-hitting Ichiro, smacked a triple in the fifth inning and provided the deciding run in the seventh with a towering solo home run to right field. It was Peguero’s fifth home run this season, and significantly, it came off a 1-2 slider from Tigers starter Brad Penny.

After being exposed as a fastball-loving hitter early in the season, Peguero has figured out he needs to tag off-speed pitches with the same consistency.

“They throw me a lot of off-speed pitches, and the last couple of games I made an adjustment,” Peguero said.

Not swinging as hard as possible may be the answer. Wedge labeled Peguero’s swing as violent. Lately, Peguero has taken some of the anger out of it.

“Now I feel more relaxed,” he said. “My timing is better. I feel like I don’t have to swing really, really hard to hit a ball far. Everybody told me that. I just listened to that and put in into practice.”

The two runs driven in by Peguero, along with Justin Smoak’s first-inning solo home run, comprised all of the Mariners’ run-scoring offense. Two doubles from Adam Kennedy, another double from Chone Figgins and a double from Franklin Gutierrez were wasted.

But on a night when those extra-base hits didn’t result in extra runs, the pitching staff, particularly the bullpen, was the real difference.

Bedard fought his way through five innings, giving up a two-run homer to Victor Martinez in the fifth that tied the game at 2-2. But his pitch count continued to climb in the fourth and fifth.

“I threw a lot of pitches, a lot of foul balls, but I tried to limit the damage,” said Bedard, who exited after 96 pitches.

Bedard was sharper in his previous starts, but Wedge wasn’t the least bit displeased.

“Bedard, I thought was tough,” Wedge said. “He did a great job of controlling the ballgame, but we needed to get him out of there after five innings.”

Generally, it’s not ideal to utilize the bullpen halfway through a game, but the unit that’s exceeded expectations all season did it again.

Chris Ray, who lost his setup role early in the season, continued an outstanding run of relief pearances, throwing two hitless innings and striking out two hitters. Ray hasn’t allowed an earned run since May 4 – a span of 11 innings pitched.

“I’m able to get a little more leverage on my pitches and able to locate my fastball and getting that extra hop at the beginning of the year,” Ray said.

Wedge then went to David Pauley in the eighth. The right-hander, who lives in Michigan during the offseason, gave up an infield single to pinch-hitter Don Kelly on a bouncing ball off his glove. A sacrifice bunt and a ground-ball out to first moved Kelly – the tying run – to third. But he stayed there as Pauley struck out Brennan Boesch to end the inning.

Closer Brandon League came on in the ninth. After allowing a two-out single to Jhonny Peralta, he survived a deep foul ball to right from pinch-hitter Ramon Santiago to earn his 18th save.

“They’ve done a really good job,” Bedard said of the bullpen. “The reason we are in the position we are now is because of them. A lot of credit to them.”

But the big story of the day was Wedge starting a lineup without Ichiro. That doesn’t mean a trend will develop; he’s back in the lineup today.

Ichiro, who seemed perfectly fine with having the day off, spoke with both Janese and American media after the game.

Instead of relaxing and watching on the bench, he spent most of the game in the batting cages underneath the dugouts. He was prepared to pinch hit or play the field in the late innings, but Wedge never made the call.

“When you talk about our skipper, he’s very stable,” Ichiro said through his translator. “His feelings will never change. More than my will, I felt his will stronger than ever. It’s a tight ballgame, but I thought I would be in there. But he completely gave me the day off. That’s a very strong feeling when you get a feel for his proach.”

Ichiro wasn’t always sure where he stood with prior managers.

“When you look back, we had managers that would say, ‘OK, you are having the day off,’ but at the end of the day you would be playing in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning. Now I know how he truly feels. From here on, when he does give me a day off, I can sit the bench all day,” he said, chuckling.

Ryan Divish: 253-597-8483 ryan.divish@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners

TODAY

Seattle (Michael Pineda, 6-3, 2.33 ERA) at Detroit (Max Scherzer, 7-2, 4.68), 4:05 p.m., Root Sports, 1240-AM, 1030-AM

MINNEOLIS – The Seattle Mariners are as hot a team as they’ve been in years, winning five of six games on the road despite a lack of production from the top of their lineup.

When Erik Bedard, David Pauley and Brandon League shut down the opposition, and Franklin Guiterrez homered and scored twice, the Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins, 3-0.

And did it without Ichiro Suzuki or Chone Figgins reaching base.

“We’ll get Ichiro and Figgy going again,” manager Eric Wedge said. “It’s a long season, and at various times the top third of your lineup, the middle third and the bottom third will get hot.

“Eventually, we want to be consistent one-through-nine. We’re not there yet. Winning without much help up top, that says a lot about our team.”

Those five road wins in six games got the Mainers to 24-25 and kept them in the middle of the American League West standings – although some players flew home dispointed.

“The goal was .500,” closer League said. “We’re pretty close.”

League was asked if he liked this trip – when he saved two games – was more enjoyable that the last, when he lost three games.

“No, I really liked that Baltimore-Cleveland trip,” he deadpanned, referring to earlier this month when Seattle lost four in a row, two in extra innings when League got the loss. “Over the course of a season, you have blips. That was one. My consistency is better now, the results are better.”

Gutierrez is getting past a “blip,” too – irritable bowel syndrome – and this was only his sixth game of the season. He walked to open the second inning, then scored from first base on Adam Kennedy’s double.

Leading off the fourth inning, Gutierrez hit his first home run of 2011.

“We’re doing the little things it takes to win, and any time I can help the team put a run on the board, that’s good,” he said. “We got an awesome game from Bedard.”

Six innings, no runs – despite six hits and a walk – produced Bedard’s third win, and after missing most of the past two seasons to arm injuries, the left-hander pears to be back at full strength.

In his past five starts, Bedard is 3-0 with a 1.09 earned- run average, and has pitched 33 innings.

“Winning is fun, always,” Bedard said. “You get momentum, guys show up every day expecting to win. I hadn’t pitched in a long time, so it took awhile to get strong, to find my command. I feel great right now.”

And giving the game to the bullpen after six innings and 96 pitches?

“All Pauley does is put up zeroes,” Bedard said.

He wasn’t kidding.

Over 17 pearances this season, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA and has gone from a long reliever to setup man. He pitched two scoreless against the Twins and handed off to League, who earned his 12th save.

Still, that glossy 5-1 record didn’t get much production from Ichiro and Figgins.

Ichiro was 4-for-25 in the six games, a .160 average. Behind him, batting second, Figgins was 2-for-27, a .074 average. For the season, Ichiro is at .281 – on pace for 188 hits – and Figgins is at .202.

Neither wanted to talk Wednesday, but those aren’t numbers associated with winning streaks.

Seattle won with great pitching, yes, but still needed runs. They got many on this trip from the bottom of their order, not the top.

Shortstop Brendan Ryan had 12 hits in the past six games. He singled home a run and tripled Wednesday. His average on the trip: .571.

“We’re excited, this is fun baseball,” Ryan said. “We’ve won 24 games, and I don’t know how that works out to what we need for 95 wins, but we’re all playing for the same thing – getting to the post-season.”

Wedge was asked if he knew where Ryan – a man in constant movement – got his energy.

“When you find out, let me know,” Wedge said. “He has the same attitude, the same proach every day. Brendan is fun to be around, for everybody, on the field, in the clubhouse, the dugout.

“You’re beginning to see this thing change. We’re not there yet, obviously, but we’re getting better.”

A year ago after 49 games, the Mariners were 19-30.

Next up: the New York Yankees starting Friday.

“We have to stay away from the buildup and just play the game the way we play the game,” Wedge said.

“We’re not just out there working on things,” Pauley said. “We’re competing. We’re trying hard to win games and improve as we do that.

Will it get tough on the next homestand, playing New York, Baltimore and Tampa Bay?

“It’s supposed to be tough,” Pauley said. “Winning isn’t easy at this level.”

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com

NEXT

N.Y. Yankees (A.J. Burnett: 5-3, 4.02 ERA) at Seattle (Michael Pineda: 6-2, 2.16), 7:10 p.m. Friday, Root Sports, 710-AM

LARRY LARUE; Staff writer |
• Published May 26, 2011

MINNEOLIS – The Seattle Mariners are as hot a team as they’ve been in years, winning five of six games on the road despite a lack of production from the top of their lineup.

When Erik Bedard, David Pauley and Brandon League shut down the opposition, and Franklin Guiterrez homered and scored twice, the Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins, 3-0.

And did it without Ichiro Suzuki or Chone Figgins reaching base.

“We’ll get Ichiro and Figgy going again,” manager Eric Wedge said. “It’s a long season, and at various times the top third of your lineup, the middle third and the bottom third will get hot.

“Eventually, we want to be consistent one-through-nine. We’re not there yet. Winning without much help up top, that says a lot about our team.”

Those five road wins in six games got the Mainers to 24-25 and kept them in the middle of the American League West standings – although some players flew home dispointed.

“The goal was .500,” closer League said. “We’re pretty close.”

League was asked if he liked this trip – when he saved two games – was more enjoyable that the last, when he lost three games.

“No, I really liked that Baltimore-Cleveland trip,” he deadpanned, referring to earlier this month when Seattle lost four in a row, two in extra innings when League got the loss. “Over the course of a season, you have blips. That was one. My consistency is better now, the results are better.”

Gutierrez is getting past a “blip,” too – irritable bowel syndrome – and this was only his sixth game of the season. He walked to open the second inning, then scored from first base on Adam Kennedy’s double.

Leading off the fourth inning, Gutierrez hit his first home run of 2011.

“We’re doing the little things it takes to win, and any time I can help the team put a run on the board, that’s good,” he said. “We got an awesome game from Bedard.”

Six innings, no runs – despite six hits and a walk – produced Bedard’s third win, and after missing most of the past two seasons to arm injuries, the left-hander pears to be back at full strength.

In his past five starts, Bedard is 3-0 with a 1.09 earned- run average, and has pitched 33 innings.

“Winning is fun, always,” Bedard said. “You get momentum, guys show up every day expecting to win. I hadn’t pitched in a long time, so it took awhile to get strong, to find my command. I feel great right now.”

And giving the game to the bullpen after six innings and 96 pitches?

“All Pauley does is put up zeroes,” Bedard said.

He wasn’t kidding.

Over 17 pearances this season, the right-hander is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA and has gone from a long reliever to setup man. He pitched two scoreless against the Twins and handed off to League, who earned his 12th save.

Still, that glossy 5-1 record didn’t get much production from Ichiro and Figgins.

Ichiro was 4-for-25 in the six games, a .160 average. Behind him, batting second, Figgins was 2-for-27, a .074 average. For the season, Ichiro is at .281 – on pace for 188 hits – and Figgins is at .202.

Neither wanted to talk Wednesday, but those aren’t numbers associated with winning streaks.

Seattle won with great pitching, yes, but still needed runs. They got many on this trip from the bottom of their order, not the top.

Shortstop Brendan Ryan had 12 hits in the past six games. He singled home a run and tripled Wednesday. His average on the trip: .571.

“We’re excited, this is fun baseball,” Ryan said. “We’ve won 24 games, and I don’t know how that works out to what we need for 95 wins, but we’re all playing for the same thing – getting to the post-season.”

Wedge was asked if he knew where Ryan – a man in constant movement – got his energy.

“When you find out, let me know,” Wedge said. “He has the same attitude, the same proach every day. Brendan is fun to be around, for everybody, on the field, in the clubhouse, the dugout.

“You’re beginning to see this thing change. We’re not there yet, obviously, but we’re getting better.”

A year ago after 49 games, the Mariners were 19-30.

Next up: the New York Yankees starting Friday.

“We have to stay away from the buildup and just play the game the way we play the game,” Wedge said.

“We’re not just out there working on things,” Pauley said. “We’re competing. We’re trying hard to win games and improve as we do that.

Will it get tough on the next homestand, playing New York, Baltimore and Tampa Bay?

“It’s supposed to be tough,” Pauley said. “Winning isn’t easy at this level.”

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com

NEXT N.Y. Yankees (A.J. Burnett: 5-3, 4.02 ERA) at Seattle (Michael Pineda: 6-2, 2.16), 7:10 p.m. Friday, Root Sports, 1240-AM, 1030-AM

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SEATTLE – The Seattle Mariners have scored two runs or less in 14 of their 35 games, and manager Eric Wedge seemed ready to strangle someone’s bat after a 5-2, 10-inning loss Sunday to the Chicago White Sox.

The Mariners managed nine hits, but none in the final three innings.

“We’re not going to go all year scoring two and three runs a game. That sure as hell is not going to hpen,” Wedge said. “We’ve got to get better, to a man, of squaring up the baseball and doing a better job.”

Much of the credit Sunday went to White Sox starter Mark Buehrle, who stifled the Mariners with a fastball/cutter/changeup combination that limited them to a two-run fifth inning and nothing more.

But they had numerous chances. The Mariners had baserunners in five of the eight innings against Buehrle, including the leadoff man four times.

They scored only on Brendan Ryan’s RBI single and Ichiro Suzuki’s sacrifice fly in the fifth to tie the score 2-2, a scoring spree that came one inning after the Mariners handed the White Sox a run and also robbed themselves of one.

The fourth was a hhazard inning for the Mariners.

In the top of the inning, the White Sox had runners on first and second with one out when Ramon Castro hit an RBI single to left field. Milton Bradley’s throw home bounced away from Mariners catcher Miguel Olivo, who sprinted away from the plate to retrieve the ball. But so did pitcher Erik Bedard, who was backing up the play, and Alex Rios scored a gift run.

“They both went after the ball,” Wedge said. “Somebody’s got to stay home there.”

In the bottom of the fourth, Ichiro led off with a single and the Mariners peared to be on their way to a first-and-third, one-out situation when Bradley grounded a single toward center field.

However, as Ichiro proached second base, the ball glanced off his left foot. He was called out and, after Olivo followed with a single that would have scored Ichiro, Justin Smoak flied out to end a missed opportunity.

There were more opportunities lost.

Bradley started the bottom of the sixth with an infield hit but Buehrle retired Olivo, Smoak and Jack Cust. In the seventh, Ryan hit a hard smash down the third-base line that peared to be a double, but the ball struck umpire Mark Wegner and Ryan had to hold at first with a single. He never left the bag.

The Mariners didn’t get another hit off Buehrle or White Sox closer Sergio Santos, who walked one in two innings.

“We had our opportunities and we’ve got to find a way to scre more across,” Wedge said. “We’ve just got to continue to grind and put up better at-bats, to find a way to score runs. We were in a position to win that ballgame.”

Bedard and the bullpen gave the Mariners a chance.

The White Sox worked the count on Bedard and extended at-bats with numerous foul balls and he lasted only five innings, needing 100 pitches to get that far.

David Pauley pitched two scoreless innings of relief, Jamey Wright worked a scoreless eighth and closer Brandon League, 9 for 9 in save opportunities, a perfect ninth.

Wedge sent League out for the 10th and the White Sox got him with the winning rally.

Brent Morel led off with a single and, after Juan Pierre’s sacrifice bunt, Alexei Ramirez and Adam Dunn each hit RBI doubles. Wedge brought in left-hander Aaron Laffey, who allowed two more hits, including Rios’ RBI single, before getting out of the inning.

“(League’s) pitch count was such that we could send him back out there,” Wedge said “We still felt good about sending him out there. It just didn’t work out.”

The loss ended the Mariners’ streak of three straight series victories, and this one stung even more because the Mariners had won the opener Friday on Ryan’s game-winning hit in the ninth inning.

“It’s frustrating because that was a very winnable series,” Ryan said. “We just can’t let games slip away.”

Even when Ichiro takes a day off, he’s still working.

Part time, at least. The Seattle Mariners right-fielder was still the team’s leadoff hitter on Sunday against Oakland, but manager Eric Wedge decided to give Ichiro a bit of a rest by using him as the designated hitter.

It was the first time this season that Ichiro hasn’t started in right field. Ryan Langerhans was out there instead.

It makes sense. The Mariners finished a string of 17 consecutive games without a day off on Sunday – they also played 23 games the first 24 days of the season – an odd bit of scheduling for the month of ril. They have Monday off before beginning a three-game series in Detroit on Tuesday.

“It felt like after talking to him a little bit, it might be the best thing to do, to couple it with the off day,” Wedge said of Ichiro’s DH duties. “So it gets him off his legs for a couple of days here.”

Sunday was Ichiro’s 28^th career pearance as a designated hitter. In his previous 27 games as a DH, he hit .368 with three home runs, three doubles, two triples and 12 RBI, to go along with an OPS of .910.

As for the scheduling, it’s also strange because the Mariners have now played Oakland seven times already, and will see the Detroit Tigers three more times in the coming days after completing a three-game set against them at Safeco Field earlier this week.

The Mariners will also see the Texas Rangers during the first week of May. Those two teams faced each other the first week of the season, as well.

“There’s no rhyme or reason to it anymore,” Wedge said. “There’s been times where we don’t play a team until the middle of August, and then we’ll play them two or three series in a month and a half. Do I like it? I think there’s positives and negatives to it. If you play a team early and you play them again early, you’ve got a pretty good feel for them because the personnel doesn’t change a great deal.

“The flip side of it is you like to play as many different teams as you can early on just to get a feel for everybody and get a feel for where we’re at too. You play them later on, more times than not the cast of characters change a little bit and it can be a little bit tougher, too.”

CUST STRUGGLING

Ichiro’s semi-day-off meant a full day off for Jack Cust, the team’s regular DH.

And you could argue that Cust needed it more than Ichiro. Cust is hitting just .171 this season, has yet to hit a home run and leads the team in strikeouts with 25.

So, yeah, that’s kind of a concern.

“He’s been a little bit off early on here,” Wedge said. “He’s working on it. I think he feels like he’s getting a little bit closer. We’re not seeing the results we want to see from Jack right now, obviously the middle of the lineup, we need him to get it going. I’ve had conversations with him, I’ll continue to have conversations with him.  I think that he’s still confident, he still feels like it’s going to come. I still feel like it’s going to come for him. When you talk about hitting with runners in scoring position, obviously we need everybody to do their part, particularly in the middle of the order.”

The good news: Cust has managed to remain patient despite the slump, evidenced by a .326 on-base percentage in spite of his poor hitting. Four of his seven RBI have come via a bases-loaded walk, meaning he’s at least not over-trying in an attempt to break out of his struggles.

“He’s always been kind of an exact type of hitter,” Wedge said. “He’s always had a great eye. I think that sticks out a little more now because he is struggling a little bit. I’d like to see him be a little bit more aggressive at times, but I think part of him getting himself going is walking that line.”

Cust isn’t alone below the Mendoza Line. Three players in Seattle’s starting lineup on Sunday also carried batting averages below .200: Chone Figgins (.167), Miguel Olivo (.169 — and he batted cleanup) and Langerhans (.152, though he leads the team with three home runs).

For more Seattle Mariners news, visit the front page of the Seattle Mariners blog.

PEORIA, Ariz. – With Gold Glove winners in center and right fields, the line to join Seattle Mariners outfielders Franklin Gutierrez and Ichiro Suzuki starts on the left – and it’s a crowded field, indeed.

This spring the team has used Milton Bradley, Ryan Langerhans, Greg Halman, Michael Saunders, Johermyn Chavez and Carlos Peguero in the outfield and a seventh candidate, Jody Gerut, retired.

For the Mariners, the who’s-in-left question may come down to offense and whether any of their candidates can produce it.

Saunders is the incumbent, a 24-year-old left-handed hitter who played 100 games in 2010 and batted .211

Bradley is a combustible 32-year-old switch-hitter coming back from knee surgery, anger-management counseling and a .205 average in 2010.

Langerhans is the perfect fourth outfielder, a left-handed hitter who can play anywhere, but isn’t considered a serious candidate to start.

Which leaves rookies Halman, Peguero and Chavez.

“All three can swing the bat,” hitting coach Chris Chambliss said. “They’re aggressive hitters, and like most guys with power, they swing and miss a lot. We’re working with them (at) making more contact.”

A short look at the three begins with their hitting, and an international feel:

 • Halman, 23, was born in the Netherlands. A right-handed hitter who had 33 home runs in Tacoma last season, he also struck out 169 times in 112 games.

 • Peguero, 24, is a physical specimen – 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds – and a left-handed hitter from the Dominican Republic who had 23 home runs in 130 Double-A games. He struck out 178 times.

 • Chavez, 22, is a right-handed hitting Venezuelan who came to the Mariners from Toronto as part of the Brandon Morrow deal. In 136 Single-A games, he batted .315 with 32 home runs, 96 RBI and 131 strikeouts. He had 23- and 26-game hitting streaks in 2010.

It’s unlikely any of the three will be on Seattle’s opening day roster this year, but all three are close – and if the Mariners’ offense remains as big an issue as it was in 2010, any one of them could get a call.

Saunders knows it.

“I’ve been in their position, and in the past I put too much pressure on myself, tried to do too much – especially in the big leagues,” Saunders said. “I dispeared last year. I tried to hit for power so much I started pulling off the ball, getting away from what I do best, and just nose-dived.

“I look at the other outfielders in camp, I can see their talent. I love the competition. All of us do.”

Manager Eric Wedge has said taking a long look at Saunders will likely extend beyond spring training, that the Mariners need to know if he can harness the potential they’ve seen in him.

He’s also seen Peguero and Chavez hit long spring home runs.

Neither likes to talk about himself, but each sees something to like in the other.

“We can both run, we both have speed,” Chavez said. “He probably has more power, I’m becoming more of a contact hitter with some power. Carlos is so strong, it’s fun to watch him hit.”

Peguero’s scouting report on Chavez?

“He’s a good player, I see him improve since last spring, I see him get better every day here,” he said. “His swing is better, his play in the outfield is better.”

Chavez said the two are supportive of one another and competitive at the same time.

“He’s like family,” Chavez said. “If he made it to the big leagues before me, I’d be hpy for him. He hustles, he plays hard, and I do too. That’s important, showing energy on every play.”

The irony for Saunders and Halman is that their toughest competition isn’t from a grizzled veteran ahead of them – but from players coming up from behind.

Defensively, Halman may trail the other three by a bit, although he can and has played center field and is far from a defensive liability. Chavez and Peguero each have great throwing arms, and Saunders, at 6-4, covers left with long, lanky strides.

With only one power bat in the infield and neither Ichiro nor Gutierrez considered a home run hitter, the battle for left has to take that into account.

Saunders will likely open the season in left field, perhs in a platoon with Bradley. But hitting like he did last year won’t keep him in the Mariners’ plans for long.

The Mariners now have options, and if Wedge and his staff have to go through Saunders, Chavez, Peguero and Halman to find what they’re looking for, they are willing to do it.

In fact, it’s a big part of what this spring is about.

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