Box Score

Well, it was a pretty quiet clubhouse after the game. Manager Don Wakamatsu put it best when he said ... “If you would have told me that we would have got 10 hits and six runs, then we’d definitely win this game."

I think most would agree. Jarrod Washburn, who has the worst run support of any starter in the AL since 2005, got run support. He had a 3-0 lead, then a 4-1 lead. But everything fell apart in the fifth inning.

Washburn was clearly miffed on a missed strike call on a 2-2 change-up to Juan Rivera. On his next pitch, he left a fastball up and Rivera hit it out. And he had strong words with umpire Dana DeMuth following Riveras's home run.

“I was upset,” Washburn said. “Unfortunately I lost my cool a little bit and made a bad pitch after that."

As for the rest of the inning, both Washburn and Wakamatsu said that his anger didn't cause him to lose focus.

"The rest of the inning had nothing do with that at-bat, well, unless if he makes the call and there are three outs and the whole inning doesn’t happen.”

But it did and perhaps the worst mistake he made was walking Bobby Abreu. Sure there was a bag open but you don't want to bring Torii Hunter up with bases loaded. Yes Washburn had struck him out earlier in the game, but Hunter came in 3-for-5 this season with a homer and double and five RBI off of Washburn, he leaves 4-for-6 with a two doubles, a homer and eight RBI.

"I lost command for four pitches to Abreu and walked him and that hurt,” Washburn said.

Washburn said he was trying to work Hunter in, and after Hunter took two pitches that were a little inside, Washburn tried to sneak a ball on the inside half for a called strike, but it wasn't in far enough.

"I just got too much of the plate and left it up," Washburn said.

manager Don Wakamatsu said. “It was really game split in half. I thought we’d played our best baseball in the first half … and then obviously our pitching let us down a little bit.”

As for Brandon Morrow, Wakamatsu had mixed feelings. He was obviously not impressed with the two runs in the sixth, but he like that Morrow battled back and pitched out of a jam in the seventh.

"This guy will be a big part of our bullpen as we go forward," Wakamatsu said. "So I look at that as a positive that he battled through that. Overall I'm happy with that."

ANGELS NOTES:
• The Angels hit 3 home runs, tying their season high (last: 4/11/09 vs. BOS)…also recorded a season-high tying 7 extra-base hits in today's game, their 3rd of the season (last: 4/28 at BAL).
• Kendry Morales had his first career 2 home run game, going 3x5 with his 7th and 8th home runs of the season...since April 22nd, his 8 home runs are tied for 2nd best in the American League…his 3-hit game also ties his career high… Morales is the 2nd Angel to have a two home run game this season (last: Mike Napoli, 4/11/09 vs. BOS)
• Juan Rivera went 2x4 with a home run with an RBI, walk and a career-high tying 3 runs scored...had scored 3 runs in a game in 6 previous games (last: 7/4/06 at Seattle)...each of his last three 3-run games have come at Safeco Field.
• Mike Napoli's double in the 2nd inning snapped a string of 17 consecutive singles for the Angels...they had not recorded an extra-base hit since a 3-run home run by Kendry Morales in the 9th inning on May 15 at Texas.
• Bobby Abreu had his 14th stolen base of the season, and remains 4th in the AL.

MARINERS NOTES:
• With his leadoff home run in the 4th, Russell Branyan extended his home hitting streak to 10 games…he has now recorded an extra-base hit in 9 consecutive games, tying the club record (Alex Rodriguez, 1997; Rupert Jones, 1979)…home extra-base hit streak is also tied for 2nd longest in the Major Leagues since 2000.
• Ken Griffey Jr. went 2x4 with an RBI including 2,700th hit of career with 1st inning single …two hits tied a season-high.
• Jarrod Washburn allowed a season-high tying 6 runs (last: 4/26 at LAA)...lost his 2nd straight start against the Angels and has allowed 14 earned in 16.1 innings for a 7.72 ERA in 2009...since the start of the 2008 season, Washburn is 1-5, 5.97 ERA (23 ER, 34.2 IP) in his last 6 starts against the Angels.
• Ichiro Suzuki went 2x5 with a run scored and extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the 5th inning…during the streak he is hitting .377 (20x53) with 4 runs, a double, 2 home runs, and 3 RBI…both of his hits were of the infield variety, his 6th and 7th in his last 10 games, and he leads the Major Leagues in infield hits with 13.
• Kenji Johjima had a bunt single in the 2nd inning, it was the second bunt single of his career (last: 9/14/07 vs. TB).
• Wladimir Balentien went 1x3 with a double in the 8th inning…it was his 8th double of the season and his 7th in May...is tied for the American League lead in doubles during May.

Not much else to write ... but for MOO, who asked about Rob Johnson, he's fine. He's got a metal splint on top of his index finger on his throwing hand. Apparently there was a nasty and rather large blood blister on the finger that he had them pop yesterday. He'll probably sit out a couple days and be fine, but said that he could play if needed.

Top of 1st
No trouble for Washburn in that inning.

Bottom of 1st
Hold on a second, the Mariners got an RBI from the clean-up spot. After back to back singles from Jose Lopez and Ken Griffey Jr., Wlad Balentien hit a high fly ball to left deep enough to score Lopez, who tagged up on the play. Maybe it's not a three-run homer, but it's a run, something the Mariners didn't get from that clean-up spot all weekend.

Top of 2nd
Wlad Balentien delivers a "seed" into second to get Mike Napoli. Wlad has impressed me with his defense this year. He's obviously lacking the range of Chavez but he's not Ibanez either.

Bottom of 2nd
Well the Mariners get two runs with out hitting a ball out of the infield, in fact the only time it did leave the infield is when Mike Napoli picked it up on Ronny Cedeno's bunt and fired it out there. Three bunts, a walk and an error get two runs.

Top of 3rd
Well, Washburn gives up a run on a Chone Figgins double, that might have been negated had Branyan been able to hang on for a tough catch on foul pop up near the dugout.

Bottom of 3rd
Not much going there ...

Top of 4th
Washburn coasting along nicely ...

Bottom of 4th
Russell Branyan with a moonshot of a homer to right, his 10th of the season. I have never seen someone who hits home runs that high. They look like pop ups that just keep carrying.

Top of 5th
Well that inning wasn't too much as Washburn got squeezed a little by home plate umpire Dana DeMuth before Juan Rivera hit the home run. The other issue though is that Washburn was leaving the ball up in the strikezone and he simply can't afford to do that.

Bottom of 5th
Ichiro extends his hitting streak to 12 games with an infield single. And Griffey later drives him, going with an outside pitch and driving it up the middle, similar to his first at-bat.

Top of 6th
Well, Brandon Morrow continues to struggle he's gave up a hit to Juan Rivera and then Kendry Morales crushed a 96 mph fastball to center for a home run. Morrow got hit around pretty good that inning, he's also started going from the full wind-up again.

Bottom of 6th
Mariners get a run back as Branyan leads off with a double and he later scores on Gutierrez's sac fly.

Top of 7th
Morrow again works himself into so me trouble with a walk and a single but gets out of it.

Bottom of 7th
A quick and quiet inning.

Top of 8th
Kendry Morales' absolutely punishes a ball out of the park for a solo blast off of Denny Stark.

Bottom of 8th.

Yesterday’s Results --- Standings --- Winner/Loser/Save
Tacoma 9, at Oklahoma City 1 --- 20-17, 3rd, -4.0 --- W-D. Fister (1-0)
#1 Birmingham 4, at West Tenn 3 --- L-T. Parker (1-2)
#2 Birmingham 4, at West Tenn 2 --- 13-22, 5th, -4.5 --- L-S. Bray (0-2)
Stockton 9, at High Desert 7 --- 23-14, 1st, +2.0 --- L-P. Aumont (0-2)
#1 at Wisconsin 7, Clinton 0 --- L-K. Kasparek (1-4)
#2 at Wisconsin 8, Clinton 3 --- 20-16, 2nd, -3.0 --- L-S. Penney (0-1)

AAA Tacoma Rainiers (Pacific Coast League)
BOX SCORE
Here's Mike Curto's game story
Pitching Lines:
RH Doug Fister (W, 1-0) 7.0,9,0,0,0,5
RH Steven Shell 2.0,2,1,1,2,5
With the Bats:
2B Callix Crabbe 1x3, 3B, 3RBI, BB
DH Jeff Clement 3x5, 2 2B, 2 RBI
RF Prentice Redman 4x5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI
Rainiers Notes: The Rainiers won going away, as Doug Fister tossed 7.0 shutout innings and the Rainiers posted a 5-run third inning. Callix Crabbe (pictured) keyed the third with a three-run triple. DH Jeff Clement collected his 6th extra-base hit in last 4 games w/a pair of doubles and had 2 RBI. Clement is hitting (.464/13x28). Prentice Redman extended his hitting streak to 9 games (17x44/.386); he was 4-for-5 with a double and a HR yesterday. C Adam Moore went 1x3 with a BB; he’s hitting .357 (5x14) over his first four PCL games.
Today’s probable starters:
G#1 - RH Luis Munoz (0-2, 7.82) at Oklahoma City
G#2 - RH Doug Mathis (2-2, 3.76) at Oklahoma City

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After a tough weekend at the plate, third baseman Adrian Beltre is out of the line-up tonight against the Angels. Ronny Cedeno will get the start at third.

Manager Don Wakatmatsu said it will be only one day, but didn't say whether or not Beltre would go back into the clean-up spot when he came back.

“No one cares about this club or works harder than him and I think the last couple of days it is evident by the way he’s going about his at-bats where I think he is trying a little too hard," Wakamatsu said. "We'll use today to let him sit back a little bit and do more work with Alan (Cockrell( and get him back in there (tomorrow). We saw some good things from him on the last road trip and I just felt today would be a good day. He hasn’t had a day off since the end of spring training, plus the injuries he’s had, felt it was good time to just rest his body.”

As for Wakamatsu sitting down and having a meeting with Beltre similar to what he did with Yuni Betancourt and Wlad Balentien, that probably isn't going to happen.

“You have to give him the benefit of the doubt because of his stature," Wakamatsu said. "But it’s also when you get to this point, you talk about on-base percentage and it’s like anybody else, no one is immune to that. If we want to get out of slump, we're going to talk to everybody about the best way to get out of that slump: Early work. Review at-bats."

But Wakamatsu believes this isn't so much physical as mental.

"I think of lot of his struggles right now is about how much he cares and how much pressure he’s putting on himself," he said. "That’s basically the reason for sitting him today.”

I know some people tend to downplay such ideas, but players have pride and they are aware when they struggle and they don't want to be looked as a reason for a team's losses. And oh yeah, Beltre is in a contract year too. That's always some incentive.

It's pretty obvious that Beltre is guessing up there. Wakamatsu can see all the signs in Beltre.

"You see guys where they’ll swing and not maintain their stance and maybe fall across the plate or you’ll see their over-agressiveness, especially in the 3 or 4 hole," Wakamatsu said. "You look at Griffey’s at-bats and he’s selective enough to get on base because of the walks. That’s what is tough, do you want to walk when your average dips below a certain amount. That’s tough, but it starts there. It starts with trying to get on base whatever way you can and the patience obviously helps.”

A few other notes ...
Erik Bedard will start Thursday's game against Joe Saunders (great match-up). ... Carlos Silva had an MRI on his shoulder, but Wakamatsu didn't have the results of it. ... Cesar Jimenez (shoulder) is rehabbing with the Mariners and will stay up with the big club for the rest of the homestand before going out to Arizona. ... Shawn Kelley is ahead of schedule but he's still two or three weeks away from even throwing a ball. But Wakamatsu was still pleased with his progression. ... Ryan Rowland-Smith will throw innings today or tomorrow and then be with the Rainiers for a rehab start on May 23rd.

Mariners
Ichiro RF
Jose Lopez 2B
Ken Griffey Jr. DH
Wlad Balentien LF
Russell Branyan 1B
Kenji Johjima C
Franklin Gutierrez CF
Yuni Betancourt SS
Ronny Cedeno 3B
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Jarrod Washburn P

Angels
Chone Figgins 3B
Erick Aybar SS
Bobby Abreu LF
Torii Hunter CF
Mike Napoli C
Robb Quinlan DH
Juan Rivera LF
Kendry Morales 1B
Howie Kendrick 2B
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John Lackey P