The regular season will begin two weeks from today and Chris Jakubauskas is doing everything to force the Mariners to keep him around by then.
Jakubauskas continued his run as the most impressive pitcher in camp today, holding the Giants to three hits and a run in five innings. Pablo Sandoval’s solo home run in the first inning — with a healthy breeze blowing out — was the only hard-hit ball off Jakubauskas.
The 29-year-old right-hander gave up two singles in the second inning, then got out of the inning with a double-play ball that began a string of 3 2/3 hitless innings before Jakubauskas took a seat.
Jakubauskas, signed out of the independent leagues two years ago, has a 2.16 ERA in 16 2/3 exhibition innings. How good has he been? Good enough to have thrust himself into consideration for a rotation spot that may or may not exist.
Brandon Morrow probably won’t be ready to begin the season and the assumption has been that Ryan Rowland-Smith would fill that spot. That may be, although Rowland-Smith has some serious competition now, especially after his last outing.
He up-chucked a 10-hit, six-run outing in four innings in his last start Thursday against the Cubs. He’ll start Tuesday night’s game against the Dodgers and get two more outings before the regular season begins.
Rowland-Smith has a 9.00 spring ERA and if he doesn’t get his stuff together these final three outings, somebody else may jump ahead in consideration for the rotation while Morrow is out.
That somebody just might be Jakubauskas, who certainly has pitched his way into the picture. However, he’s a non-roster invitee and that could work against him. There are other non-roster players who have an excellent chance of making the team — namely DH Mike Sweeney and right-handed reliever Shawn Kelley.
All Jakubauskas can do is pitch well, and he’s done that better than anyone else so far.
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