Published: Thursday, August 27, 2009
Mariners notebook
Next series
Opponent: Kansas City Royals
When: 7:10 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday, 1:10 p.m. Sunday
Where: Safeco Field
TV: FSN, all four games
Radio: ESPN 710 AM today, Friday and Sunday, KTTH 770 AM and KKWF 100.7 FM on Saturday.
Probable starting pitchers: Today — Seattle right-hander Doug Fister (1-0, 2.21 earned run average) vs. right-hander Kyle Davies (4-9, 6.12). Friday — Right-hander Felix Hernandez (12-5, 2.73) vs. right-hander Brian Bannister (7-10, 4.50). Saturday — Right-hander Ian Snell (2-1, 5.40) vs. right-hander Gil Meche (6-9, 4.75). Sunday — Left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith (2-1, 4.05) vs. right-hander Zack Grienke (12-8, 2.43).
Simulated success for Silva
For the first time since early May, Carlos Silva pitched off the Safeco Field mound Wednesday. It was a simulated game as he comes back from a strained right shoulder and, no, they didn’t have the grounds crew boo as he walked off the field to make it more realistic.
Facing Adrian Beltre and Ryan Langerhans, Silva threw 40 pitches, induced several ground balls and generally performed well.
“His arm angle is better, and the big thing is going to be when he faces live competition,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “He’s been working on this for so long that he needs to get some hitters in there and get some adrenaline going.”
Wakamatsu said the next step for Silva won’t be determined until today when the club sees how his arm feels. If he’s fine, he’ll probably throw one more simulated game, then go down and pitch with the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers before returning for some action out of the Mariners’ bullpen in September.
After that? Winter ball in Venezuela, probably.
“He’s been dormant for so long, I know it’s important in his mind that he’s able to get to work on things, No. 1 to test his shoulder and No. 2 to get all his pitches to work for him,” Wakamatsu said.
Ichiro misses third straight start
Ichiro Suzuki’s left calf remained too tight for him to start Wednesday night, although that didn’t keep him from trying to talk Wakamatsu into it.
“He wants to play and I want him to play,” Wakamatsu said. “But we want him to be able to play as many games out this year as possible and not risk anything.”
Suzuki, who had dealt with a calf problem more than a week and aggravated it Sunday at Cleveland, didn’t take batting practice Wednesday as the Mariners had hoped.
“He’s feeling much better but we’re going to back off a little bit and not really put a timetable to it,” Wakamatsu said. “We don’t think it’s that serious, but we do want to make sure that he’s 100 percent.”
Suzuki needs 11 hits to reach 2,000 in his major league career and 16 for 200 for the ninth straight season.
Around the horn
For a few minutes before Wednesday night’s game, home plate became a tee box for t here PGA Senior Tour players — Fred Funk, Andy Bean and Jim Thorpe — who are competing this week at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. Those three took part in a closest-to-the-pin contest with Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair. Bean won with a shot, from 100 yards, 8 feet 2 inches from the stick. … Chris Jakubauskas threw another bullpen session Wednesday and probably will pitch in games Friday and Sunday for the Rainiers. He suffered an “impingement” in his right shoulder last week and, rather than putting him on the disabled list, the Mariners optioned him to Class AAA Tacoma and called up Randy Messenger. … Third baseman Adrian Beltre ran the bases before batting practice Wednesday, two weeks to the day since he was hit by a ground ball and suffered a severely bruised right testicle. … Ryan Langerhans’ 10th-inning home run Tuesday gave the Mariners their 11th victory in their final at-bat, tied with the Yankees for the most in the majors this season. The Mariners’ franchise record is 12 in 1986.
Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer
Opponent: Kansas City Royals
When: 7:10 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday, 1:10 p.m. Sunday
Where: Safeco Field
TV: FSN, all four games
Radio: ESPN 710 AM today, Friday and Sunday, KTTH 770 AM and KKWF 100.7 FM on Saturday.
Probable starting pitchers: Today — Seattle right-hander Doug Fister (1-0, 2.21 earned run average) vs. right-hander Kyle Davies (4-9, 6.12). Friday — Right-hander Felix Hernandez (12-5, 2.73) vs. right-hander Brian Bannister (7-10, 4.50). Saturday — Right-hander Ian Snell (2-1, 5.40) vs. right-hander Gil Meche (6-9, 4.75). Sunday — Left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith (2-1, 4.05) vs. right-hander Zack Grienke (12-8, 2.43).
Simulated success for Silva
For the first time since early May, Carlos Silva pitched off the Safeco Field mound Wednesday. It was a simulated game as he comes back from a strained right shoulder and, no, they didn’t have the grounds crew boo as he walked off the field to make it more realistic.
Facing Adrian Beltre and Ryan Langerhans, Silva threw 40 pitches, induced several ground balls and generally performed well.
“His arm angle is better, and the big thing is going to be when he faces live competition,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “He’s been working on this for so long that he needs to get some hitters in there and get some adrenaline going.”
Wakamatsu said the next step for Silva won’t be determined until today when the club sees how his arm feels. If he’s fine, he’ll probably throw one more simulated game, then go down and pitch with the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers before returning for some action out of the Mariners’ bullpen in September.
After that? Winter ball in Venezuela, probably.
“He’s been dormant for so long, I know it’s important in his mind that he’s able to get to work on things, No. 1 to test his shoulder and No. 2 to get all his pitches to work for him,” Wakamatsu said.
Ichiro misses third straight start
Ichiro Suzuki’s left calf remained too tight for him to start Wednesday night, although that didn’t keep him from trying to talk Wakamatsu into it.
“He wants to play and I want him to play,” Wakamatsu said. “But we want him to be able to play as many games out this year as possible and not risk anything.”
Suzuki, who had dealt with a calf problem more than a week and aggravated it Sunday at Cleveland, didn’t take batting practice Wednesday as the Mariners had hoped.
“He’s feeling much better but we’re going to back off a little bit and not really put a timetable to it,” Wakamatsu said. “We don’t think it’s that serious, but we do want to make sure that he’s 100 percent.”
Suzuki needs 11 hits to reach 2,000 in his major league career and 16 for 200 for the ninth straight season.
Around the horn
For a few minutes before Wednesday night’s game, home plate became a tee box for t here PGA Senior Tour players — Fred Funk, Andy Bean and Jim Thorpe — who are competing this week at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. Those three took part in a closest-to-the-pin contest with Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair. Bean won with a shot, from 100 yards, 8 feet 2 inches from the stick. … Chris Jakubauskas threw another bullpen session Wednesday and probably will pitch in games Friday and Sunday for the Rainiers. He suffered an “impingement” in his right shoulder last week and, rather than putting him on the disabled list, the Mariners optioned him to Class AAA Tacoma and called up Randy Messenger. … Third baseman Adrian Beltre ran the bases before batting practice Wednesday, two weeks to the day since he was hit by a ground ball and suffered a severely bruised right testicle. … Ryan Langerhans’ 10th-inning home run Tuesday gave the Mariners their 11th victory in their final at-bat, tied with the Yankees for the most in the majors this season. The Mariners’ franchise record is 12 in 1986.
Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer
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