Opponent: Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
When: 6:30 p.m.
Where: Volcanoes Stadium, Keizer, Ore.
Radio: KSER (90.7 FM)
Pitchers: Everett right-hander Mumba Rivera (3-5, 3.75 ERA) vs. right-hander Douglas Mackay (3-4, 6.53)
Tui education
There was a rare sight at Everett Memorial Stadium on Sunday: Matt Tuiasosopo in the field, manning the shortstop position.
Sunday was just the third time in 11 games that Tuiasosopo, the Seattle Mariners’ first pick in the 2004 draft out of Woodinville High School, was in the game defensively since joining the AquaSox. The other eight games Tuiasosopo served as Everett’s designated hitter.
And Tuiasosopo’s gradual introduction into the field is by design as the Everett coaching staff works on his defensive mechanics. Before batting practice every day, Tuiasosopo can be found with Darrin Garner, who coaches Everett’s infielders, working on the mechanics of his throwing and fielding.
“He’s picking up on things pretty quick,” Garner said. “Mechanically he’s getting it. He’s just trying to get a feel for it. He was just raw and needed a lot of work on fundamental stuff.
“He’s got good feet,” Garner added. “His feet work pretty well. It’s just a matter of getting a lot of reps, that’s all. He needs reps, just doing the little things and concentrating on the little things.”
In addition to not being polished defensively yet, Tuiasosopo has to contend for time at short with Asdrubal Cabrera and Oswaldo Navarro, both superior defensive players.
Tuiasosopo committed one error in his first two games at short.
“They were pretty good,” Tuiasosopo said of his first two games in the field. “It was good to get out there in a game situation and work on the things I’ve been working on in practice. I made some good plays and I did some things where I could have done better. But it was good to get into a game situation and learn.
“I want to (be out there every day), but I know I have stuff to work on,” Tuiasosopo said. “There’s a lot of things I need to refine before I can be out there.”
Flores update: Everett starting pitcher Ruben Flores is out for the rest of the season.
The right-handed Flores took a line drive off his pitching hand Friday night and had to be removed from the game. He had the injury re-evaluated Sunday and doctors found a fracture to the trapezium bone, where the wrist meets the hand. He’s expected to be in a cast for four to six weeks.
As of Sunday, it was not decided how the AquaSox would fill Flores’ slot in the rotation. Everett pitching coach Marcos Garcia said he was still waiting to find out whether the AquaSox would be getting a new pitcher from Peoria of the Arizona Rookie League. Meanwhile, there are no plans to move one of Everett’s relievers into the rotation. Should Flores’ slot come around and the AquaSox haven’t received a new pitcher, Garcia said he would pitch a series of relievers.
Flores was 2-4 with a 5.20 ERA. In 532/3 innings he gave up 50 hits, 24 walks and struck out 40.
Garner takes leave: Garner left the team Sunday to return to his home in Port Charlotte, Fla., to assess the damage to his house caused by Hurricane Charley.
“The house got messed up a little bit,” Garner said Saturday. ” (The hurricane) came right through my town – I’m five minutes from the water – and did some damage to the house. I have to go home and take care of it.”
Garner said he did not know how long he’d be away from the team. John Moses, one of the Mariners’ roving minor league coaches, took over Garner’s job of coaching first base.
Nick Patterson, Herald writer
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