The Mariners play their opening-series opponent, the Rangers, this afternoon with Ryan Feierabend starting on the mound.
No, Feierabend hasn’ t suddenly found his way into the starting rotation. He’s working the Cactus League game because Felix Hernandez is pitching in a minor league game this morning.
Hernandez is scheduled to pitch the second game of the regular season and the M’s don’t want the Rangers seeing him this close to when the games count. J.J. Putz also is pitching in a minor league game this morning.
They’ll do the same thing with Carlos Silva on Sunday, starting him in a minor league game in Peoria while the team goes to Tempe for their final spring training look at the Angels before the regular season.
NOON UPDATE
Hernandez threw 97 pitches in six inning for Class AA West Tennessee against Class AAA Tacoma. He gave up seven hits, four earned runs, walked one and struck out 10. Bryan LaHair poked an opposite-field homer off Hernandez in the fifth inning.
It wasn’t an overwhelming outing for Hernandez, but that happens when the big-league guys go down to the minor league side and pitch in a setting comparable to a city park. Not a lot of adrenaline.
On the contrary, J.J. Putz threw well for 2 2/3 innings and, for at least one at-bat against Willie Bloomquist, was plenty pumped up. Josh Womack had connected with a fastball to lead off the game and Bloomquist, a good friend, let Putz hear about it.
“No. 1 fantasy closer my a—!” Bloomquist yelled from the dugout.
Bloomquist came to bat in the next inning and Putz struck him out with a nasty full-count splitter. Bloomquist walked away shaking his head and muttering to himself. Putz’s expression never changed.
“That was the highlight of the outing, definitely,” Putz said.
Brandon Morrow, who hasn’t pitched in a Cactus League game since March 10 because of a bum right shoulder, felt good this morning after his bullpen session Friday. He’ll pitch in a minor league game Sunday.
Today’s lineup against the Rangers has Richie Sexson in the DH spot again as he deals with a sore right shoulder that has kept him from playing the field all week. It also has Jose Lopez batting second as manager John McLaren considers batting him there. Greg Norton, who’s competing for a bench role, will start at first base. Here’s the lineup:
Ichiro Suzuki, center field
Jose Lopez, second base
Raul Ibanez, left field
Richie Sexson, DH
Adrian Beltre, third base
Greg Norton, first base
Mike Morse, right field
Jamie Burke, catcher
Yuniesky Betancourt, shortstop
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