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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Today's game Opponent: San Diego Padres When: 1:10 p.m. Where: Safeco Field TV: FSN (cable) Radio: KOMO (1000 AM) Pitchers: Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez (2-4, 3.38 earned run average) vs. left-hander Shawn Estes (1-0, 2.57).   ADDITIONAL ITEMS • Seattle Mariners (External Link) • Schedule (External Link) • Stats (External Link)   CONTACT THE HERALD Report scores and results to 425-339-3470 or 1-866-6-SCORES (Call after 4:30 p.m.) E-mail information including items for Tuesday's Communities Sports Roundup and Thursday's Outdoor Calendar, to sports@heraldnet.com Kevin Brown, Sports Editor kbrown@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, May 18, 2008 M's notebook Mariners manager McLaren still confident in club The Mariners had suffered another brutal loss, 6-4 to the lowly Padres on Friday, and manager John McLaren walked into the clubhouse with something to say. In contrast with the day he aired out the team in New York last month, McLaren gave them his vote of confidence. "Guys, you can't play any harder than you're playing," McLaren told the team. "You've just got to keep believing in yourselves and your teammates. It's going to happen, but it's a matter of when." The unanswered questions are when and how? The Mariners entered Saturday 81/2 games behind the Angels in the American League West and continue to yearn for a consistent stretch of good baseball. "We'll get a win but we don't get two, three and four (in a row)," McLaren said. "Sometimes we're looking for a win just to stop a bad streak. It's such a mental game." One of McLaren's favorite phrases is that he wants the team to "start feeling good about ourselves." "People probably get tired of me saying that, but I believe that," he said. "We need to feel good about ourselves and get on a winning streak, which we're very capable of doing." Too often, the Mariners have fallen behind in the first few innings and the hitters have pressed too hard to make up the deficit. "There's a feeling of 'Here we go again,'" McLaren said. He says the only way out is to remain mentally strong "It's a mental grind. It's a 162-game season, but we're letting some games slip by us that we should be getting. Is it a concern? Absolutely it concerns us. "You've got to have a lot of fight and it's not going to be easy. Everybody's been challenged here to the person, especially me. If you've got the insides, you're going to come out and reach your best. "We're at that point where we've been challenged." Shaking the order: Jose Lopez batted third Saturday night for the first time this season as McLaren sought more spark from that spot in the order. Raul Ibanez, who has batted third in all but nine games, was fourth. Adrian Beltre batted second, Kenji Johjima moved up a spot to fifth and Richie Sexson down to sixth. "We're trying to match up best for that day," McLaren said. "I like playing a consistent lineup but we're still searching a little bit here. We haven't had consistency." Of note: The Mariners are looking at every aspect of Miguel Batista's last three outings -- from his warmup to his mechanics to his pitch repertoire -- to determine why he has struggled so badly in the first inning. One thing is certain: Batista isn't coming out of the rotation. He will start Thursday's game at Detroit. … Carlos Silva will start the series opener at Detroit on Tuesday with Jarrod Washburn pitching Wednesday. … Ichiro Suzuki drew the 118th intentional walk of his major league career on Friday, tying him for sixth for most intentional walks since 2001. Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer

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