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Mariners Blog
June 23, 2009

 
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Ailing Beltre can't make the offense's late wakeup call


Posted at 12:01 am by By Kirby Arnold

In the midst of a late-inning offensive surge that fell just short in the Mariners' 9-7 loss to the Padres, there was one interesting omission.

Adrian Beltre missed his last two at-bats when his sore left shoulder barked again. Manager Don Wakamatsu noticed it during Beltre's sixth-inning at-bat, when he popped out to shortstop, and he was lifted for a pinch hitter -- .156-hitting Josh Wilson -- when Beltre's turn came up in the eighth.

Wakamatsu said it's better to be cautious at this point, although caution already cost Beltre games Saturday and Sunday. He hurt the shoulder (it's not on his throwing arm) Friday while diving back into second base.

Any time Beltre comes out of a game, you can bet he must be hurting. He played through considerable pain all last season because of injuries to the shoulder and his left thumb. He reluctantly yielded to surgery on both last September only becuase it would allow him to be healthy when this season began.

Despite eight errors, his fielding has been a boon to the Mariners' pitching-and-defense needs. And his hitting has been coming around. Beltre's average fell to .254 after an 0-for-3 game tonight before Wakamatsu pulled him. But coming into this game he's batted .329 in June with two homers, six doubles, nine RBI and three steals.

Beltre's absence in his last two at-bats didn't lose tonight's game. The Mariners lost this one by giving up five runs in the sixth inning and misfiring in the second when they loaded the bases with nobody out but scored only once.

This is about the long haul, and the Mariners can't afford to play without Beltre. His defense is too important and the recent turnaround in his hitting has been a sorely needed element to whatever offense the M's can muster.

Wakamatsu said Beltre's shoulder "is something we've got to protect a little bit." For the Mariners' sake, a "little bit" is only a day or two.
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