SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners did some more roster shuffling Friday.
Right-hander Hector Noesi and left-hander Bobby LaFromboise were called up from Class AAA Tacoma.
Blake Beavan, who was being used as a long man out of the Mariners’ bullpen, was sent to Tacoma. He will join the rotation there.
Thursday’s starter Erasmo Ramirez was sent to the Class A Everett Aquasox. This isn’t punishment for Ramirez’s dismal outing during which he allowed seven earned runs in four innings when making his 2013 major league debut Thursday.
Rather, it’s to keep Ramirez working over the All-Star break on something close to his regular schedule.
Mariners manager Eric Wedge said Ramirez will rejoin the club after the All-Star break.
Noesi and LaFromboise provided instant help for a worn down bullpen that pitched 151/3 innings in the last three games because of the struggles from starting pitchers.
The club will once again see what Beavan can offer as a starter during his time in Tacoma.
“He has to continue to be more consistent with his fastball,” Wedge said. “When he’s at his best, he spots his fastball. Moves it in and out, up and down, when he’s missed bad, that’s when he gets in trouble.”
Beavan was 0-2 with a 6.13 ERA in 12 games (2 starts) with the Mariners this year.
Historic Bay
Jason Bay played his second full major league season for a woeful Pittsburgh Pirates team back in 2005.
Bay was having a good year. He was an All-Star who hit .306 with 32 home runs and 101 RBI.
He was stealing bases. By the time game 160 rolled around that season, Bay was 21-for-21, tying Kevin McReynolds’ National League record for consecutive stolen bases in a season without being caught.
Sept. 30 against the Brewers, Justin Lehr walked Bay with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. He was poised to break the record.
Rob Mackowiak was on third. Bay had been sensible, and a bit lucky, all season to reach that point. He picked his spots. But, twice he decided to go on the first move from a left-hander, who picked him off. Both times he ended up safe.
Bay was ready to go again on the first move from the right-handed Lehr. After all, Mackowiak had already stolen a base earlier that inning.
Lehr kicked his leg, Bay took off and Lehr faked a throw to third. He pivoted and Bay was dead meat. Streak over on a first-to-third move.
“I was really mad at myself,” Bay said. “I had gotten to that point being smart. I wasn’t sure when I was going to get another opportunity; it was toward the end of the year. So, I kind of felt like I kind of pushed it when I shouldn’t have.
“All the work I had done leading up to that point — that’s a full season’s worth of trying to be smart — ultimately, one bad decision kind of wiped it all out.”
Lehr pitched just 34 innings that year and 1481/3 over three years in the majors.
Another quirk of that game? Current Mariners reliever Oliver Perez was the starting pitcher for the Pirates.
Bay would have lost the record a few years later. Philadelphia’s Chase Utley went 23-for-23 in 2009.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
