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Bloops, bleeders (and maybe one hit) in a successful simulated game

Published 5:30 pm Friday, April 16, 2010

By Kirby Arnold

Cliff Lee threw a 51-pitch simulated game this afternoon at Safeco Field, and both he and the Mariners were so enthused that there’s a specific plan for having him pitch in real games.

Well, except for the little issue of that five-game suspension, which the Mariners may not get a final word on until Monday.

“I was hoping to hear today,” general manager Jack Zduriencik said. “My best guess, probably Monday.”

Depending on Major League Baseball’s final ruling on the suspension — whether Lee will serve all five games or have it shortened — the Mariners are looking at starting him May 1 or May 2.

Barring setback, Lee is on an every-fifth-day pitching schedule that will have him throw another simulated game Tuesday, then a minor league game on Sunday, April 25. If the suspension is reduced, he could pitch Friday, May 1, against the Rangers; if he serves all five games, his Mariner debut could be the next day, May 2.

Today, Lee limited Adam Moore, Matt Tuiasosopo and Eric Byrnes to little more than lazy fly balls and grounders in three innings. Tuiasosopo blistered a one-hopper at shortstop that Lee counted as a hit (nobody was playing the field).

“The more I threw, the better I felt command-wise,” Lee said. “I threw all my pitches, I felt fine and we’ll continue to move forward. No pain. I felt perfectly normal.”

How impressed was the Mariners’ braintrust?

“If you can fast-forward to the future, on a Friday night you might have Felix, followed by Cliff and shortly Erik (Bedard) will be back,” Zduriencik said. “It’s exciting to think about that.”

Bedard threw a 50-pitich bullpen this afternoon and the Mariners say he’ll throw another one Wednesday, bumping his pitch count up to 60-65 in that one.

Manager Don Wakamatsu said Wednesday that Bedard would throw 60 pitches today. Holding him to 50 is not a sign of any setback or concern, Wakamatsu said.

Other notes today:

  • Ian Snell is back with the team and threw a bullpen today after going home to Florida on Monday because of a death in his family. Wakamatsu said he’s on schedule to pitch Sunday’s game against the Tigers. Ryan Rowland-Smith will pitch today, which Snell was originally scheduled to start.
  • Reliever Mark Lowe, who had a tight back on Wednesday, is better and Wakamatsu said he’ll be available to pitch if needed tonight.
  • A key to the Mariners’ success against Oakland this week? “Our pitchers avoided three-ball counts like the plague,” Wakamatsu said. Mariners pitchers fell into three-ball counts only 14 times in the three-game series, and after Ryan Rowland-Smith’s five-walk game in the opener Monday, starters Doug Fister and Jason Vargas didn’t walk anyone in the next two games.
  • Utility infielder Jack Hannahan will be limited to third base and DH early in his minor league rehab games with the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers in order to ease him back from a groin injury. Eventually he’ll play second, third and shortstop. Hannahan will need about 50 at-bats before he’s ready to be activated, Wakamatsu said.

    • Tonight’s lineups:

    TIGERS

    Austin Jackson, center field

    Johnny Damon, left field

    Magglio Ordonez, right field

    Miguel Cabrera, first base

    Carlos Guillen, DH

    Brandon Inge, third base

    Gerald Laird, catcher

    Scott Sizemore, second base

    Adam Everett, shortstop

    Right-hander Jeremy Bonderman (of Pasco), starting pitcher

    MARINERS

    Ichiro Suzuki, right field

    Chone Figgins, second base

    Franklin Gutierrez, center field

    Jose Lopez, third base

    Ken Griffey Jr., DH

    Milton Bradley, left field

    Casey Kotchman, first base

    Rob Johnson, catcher

    Jack Wilson, shortstop

    Right-hander Felix Hernandez, starting pitcher

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