It’s Ian Snell vs. What’s His Name today in Scottsdale

Ian Snell makes his second exhibition start today against the Giants in Scottsdale against The Man Who Got Away, The Lost Opportunity, The Cy Who Makes Us Sigh … OK, the Mariners are facing Tim Lincecum. Let’s bag that discussion for the next time we see Brandon Morrow.

For the Mariners, this wouldn’t be a bad time for Snell to show the consistency the team needs from him in the middle of the starting rotation.

Yes, it’s only spring training, but the Mariners badly need the starters who follow Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee to pitch deep into games on a consistent basis. If the Mariners can get that, it would make them feel a little easier about going with an 11-man pitching staff, which they’re considering.

Snell would be a key to that. In his 12 starts with the Mariners last year, Snell averaged just over 5 1/3 innings, lasting six or more innings in only half of those starts and never making it out of the seventh.

Snell gave up three hits, hit a batter and allowed one earned run in two innings in his first exhibition start last week against the Padres. Pitching deep into games isn’t the point at this time in spring training; Snell won’t go more than four innings today. What the Mariners want to see is steady, consistent progress that convinces them they have a starter they can depend on.

A few other early notes:

  • Former Mariner Dan Wilson is in camp, visiting this morning with the Mariners’ catchers and taking some grief from Ken Griffey Jr. He’ll work the next few days with the minor leaguers.
  • Among minor leaguers the Mariners are taking to Scottsdale is outfielder Johermyn Chavez, whose 21 home runs last year for Lansing ranked second in the Midwest League. He came to the Mariners with Brandon League in the Brandon Morrow trade to the Blue Jays.
  • Adam Moore becomes the first catcher to start on consecutive days. The Mariners have been pleased with how he has performed so far in camp and want him to see as many of the starting pitchers as possible in the event Rob Johnson isn’t ready to start the season. Because of that, look for Moore to catch Felix Hernandez on Sunday and Johnson catch Cliff Lee on Monday, even though Johnson has all but become Hernandez’s personal catcher.
  • Today’s Mariner lineup:

    Ichiro Suzuki, right field

    Chone Figgins, second base

    Casey Kotchman, first base

    Jose Lopez, third base

    Ryan Garko, DH

    Eric Byrnes, left field

    Ryan Langerhans, center field

    Adam Moore, catcher

    Josh Wilson, shortstop

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