LOS ANGELES — First things first: Fernando Rodney remains the Seattle Mariners’ closer. Two straight rocky outings haven’t changed that.
“You got somebody else you want me to put out there?” manager Lloyd McClendon challenged prior to Wednesday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Here’s the deal. People fly off the handle and say, ‘Rodney stinks. We need to change. Get another closer.’ OK, when that doesn’t work out, then what? You want me to go back? Or do you want me to try somebody else?
“That’s how all hell breaks loose.”
So McClendon will stick with the devil he knows.
Rodney points to location issues as the cause for his problems in squandering leads while yielding six runs and seven hits over 11/3 innings in his last two outings.
“My mechanics are not the problem,” he insisted. “I feel like I’m delivering the ball there. But a couple pitches I missed in the strike zone and, here, you can’t miss.”
Rodney blew a save Tuesday for the first time in 24 chances dating to July 20 when the Dodgers sent the Mariners to a 6-5 loss by scoring two runs in the ninth inning.
That followed a big meltdown by Rodney on Sunday in Oakland when he failed to hold a four-run lead in the ninth inning in a non-save situation. The Mariners rallied to win that game in 10 innings.
“I just think he’s falling behind a few guys,” catcher Mike Zunino said. “When you fall behind big-league hitters, and have to throw fastballs for strikes, you get hit or, sometimes, you walk guys.
“His stuff is there. Everything looks sharp. I just think he needs to get into the zone earlier in the count. That’d be the key.”
Rodney’s two rocky outings came after he delivered two scoreless one-inning appearances while closing out victories.
“It’s only eight games,” he said. “I’m going to prepare myself for (Wednesday) and try to be ready — because I know I’ve got my stuff.”
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