SEATTLE — Daren Brown has his hands fairly full managing the Mariners the rest of this season, but he has paid close attention as his former team, the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers, closed on a division championship in the Pacific Coast League.
Brown managed the Rainiers for 116 games and into first place in the Pacific North Division before the Mariners named him their interim manager Aug. 9 after firing Don Wakamatsu.
From afar, he watched a onetime sizable division lead come down to the final weekend. Tacoma defeated Fresno 9-0 on Sunday night to win the Pacific North Division title.
The yo-yo effect in the standings happens a lot at the Triple-A level, where rosters change often because players are called up to — and sent down from — the big leagues. The Mariners’ roster includes 13 players who’ve been with the Rainiers at some point this season.
“We had an eight- or nine-game lead at some point in July,” Brown said. “But with the roster turnover and the way things go there, it’s going to change. It always does. Fresno is another club down there that had a 12-game lead at one point and Sacramento just clinched that division yesterday.
“Things change. You build a big lead when you’re good and at some point, two or three guys are taken and it’s going to change. We had a nine-game lead when we had (Chris) Seddon and (Luke) French down there winning 10 and 11 games in our rotation. You take those guys out, some other guys have to step in and sometimes it takes a little bit of time. In the end it usually all equals out.”
Ichiro closes on 200
With two hits Sunday, Ichiro Suzuki needs 22 in the final 25 games to reach 200 for the 10th straight season. It would extend his own major league record for consecutive 200-hit season, and also tie him with Pete Rose with 10 seasons in a career with 200 hits and break Ty Cobb’s American League record for 200-hit seasons in a career.
He singled to left field in the first inning, then got a gift infield hit in the fifth.
On that one, Suzuki grounded a ball up the middle with Josh Wilson on first base. Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera caught the ball and swiped his right foot across the bag before Wilson reached it.
However, second-base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt said Cabrera didn’t get the bag with his foot and everyone was safe, including Suzuki with his 178th hit this season.
Cabrera argued fairly loudly before Indians manager Manny Acta took up his cause and, eventually, was ejected from the game.
Of note
Center fielder Franklin Gutierrez didn’t start for the second straight game because of an upset stomach, although Brown said he was feeling better Sunday and should be able to start today at Oakland. Michael Saunders started his second straight game in center field. … Brown was trying to connect the dots after he heard that Tacoma catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, a “purposeful” runner at 5 feet 11 inches and 220 pounds, had hit a triple in the Tacoma Rainiers’ game Saturday night at Fresno. “I’m trying to picture the Fresno ballpark to figure out how he did that,” Brown said. Added Mariners pitcher, and former Rainier, Luke French: “The left fielder must have fallen down.” … Brown said pitching prospect Michael Pineda probably would remain with the Rainiers in order to experience the atmosphere of a division race and the playoffs. Pineda has been shut down for the season after reaching the innings limit the organization had set for him. … The Oct. 2 home game against the A’s will start at 7:10 p.m. The starting time had been listed as TBA on printed schedules. … Shortstop Carlos Triunfel was placed on the disabled list because of a sprained finger on his right hand and will miss the Class AA West Tennessee DiamondJaxx’ first-round series in the Southern League playoffs. Shortstop Nick Franklin was promoted to West Tennessee from Class A Clinton.
Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer
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