Mariners Insider
You will find news, observations, anecdotes, analysis and photographs on this blog. The purpose is to keep readers informed, but also give them a feel for the team and its players, and a place to go to read about baseball.

Contributors:

Ryan Divish has been with Tacoma News Tribune since 2006, covering the Tacoma Rainiers and high school sports. Divish played baseball at Dickinson State University and also earned a journalism degree from the University of Montana.
E-mail Ryan.

Larry LaRue has covered the Seattle Mariners and Major League Baseball for The News Tribune since 1988. E-mail Larry.

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    Friday, September 12th, 2008
    Posted by Larry LaRue @ 07:23:07 pm

    The Mariners safrted Matt Tuiasosopo at DH tonight, and he's their 15th player to man that spot this season.
    If you can name the other 14, you need a more well-rounded life - but here they are:
    Wladimir Balentien, Adrian Beltre, Miguel Cairo, Jeff Clement, Tug Hullett, Raul Ibanez, Ichiro, Kenji Johjima, Bryan LaHair, Jose Lopez, Greg Norton, Jeremy Reed, Richie Sexson and Jose Vidro.
    Meanwhile, Seattle scored in the first - an RBI double for Beltre - then threw out Gary Matthews Jr. at the plate on a fine throw from Yuniesky Betancourt.
    After one: Mariners 1, Angels 0 ...

    One out walk, then a Rob Quinlan triple that scooted by Ichiro in right field and a broken bat RBI bloop single for Mike Napoli.
    Doesn't take much to fall behind the Angels, and Ryan Rowland-Smith has done it.
    One hard-hit ball?
    Angels 2, Mariners 1 ...

    Since Napoli's excuse-me RBI single, Rowland-Smith has retired eight Angels hitters in a row.
    The jury may be out until next spring on starters like Brandon Morrow and Ryan Feierabend - to say nothing of Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva - but Rowland-Smith has been a rock.
    In his first eight starts, he's gone 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA, and pitched 46 innings - an average of nearly six innings a start.
    Tonight, he's looked sharp into the fifth.
    Angels 2, Mariners 1 ...

    With two outs and Miguel Cairo aboard, Betancourt singled, Ibanez singled - RBI No. 106 - and Beltre singled.
    Lopez then hit the hardest shot of the inning, a bolt up the middle that pitcher Joe Saunders caught.
    Yes, that was Saunders shaking his head at the play.
    Mariners 3, Angels 2 ...

    Break for the Mariners, slightly troubling news for the Angels: Vladimir Guerrero has left the game with a tender right knee.
    Meanwhile, Rowland-Smith has gotten through six innings - taking a line drive off his left leg but staying in.
    Mariners 3, Angels 2 ...

    Angels chased Rowland-Smith after 91 pitches, and tied the game on a sacrifice fly against Roy Corcoran.
    All three runs are Rowland-Smith's, who went 6 1/3 innings.
    After six: Mariners 3, Angels 3 ...

    Mike Napoli's two-out, two-run walkoff home run against Miguel Batista won this one.
    Final: Angels 5, Mariners 3

    Categories: Game Updates
    Posted by Larry LaRue @ 02:54:38 pm

    In the case of the Mariners, most of them have been on ghe field for the past hour, working hard.

    Rather than just run the routine wind sprint, the Mariners are running a West Coast offense in right field.

    Pitchers line up - three at a time - then break down field while strength and conditioning coach Allen Wirtala plays quarterback.

    They're running pass patterns hard, stretching for passes, having fun.

    Felix Hernandez, between spints, is rushing the passer - and Carlos Silva is blocking him.

    Felix hasn't reach the QB yet.

    And a little further out in the outfield,

    Erik Bedard is long-tossing, with pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre and trainer Rick Griffin watching.

    There is something to be said in this lost season that Mariners pitchers are still working hard. Something to be said, perhaps, for the comraderie on the field some five hours before a game.

    Silva may be too heavy, but that hasn't stopped him from running early with teammates.

    Bedard's left shoulder may be something of a mystery - and it's certainly the first thing on his mind every morning - but he got to the park at 1:20 today to begin his workouts.

    This isn't to say the Mariners are special, or that they do more than anyone else.

    But the Angels are in a post-season mode, and they're not running conditioning drills, any more - they don't want to risk some freak injury.

    The Mariners? They could take it easy, play it out and go home.

    This pitching staff and its coaches are here early, running pass patterns, running the stairs in the still-empty stands and testing a tender shoulder.

    Why? Because they want to.

    Categories: General