Mariners continue the quest to reach home plate

When 9-year-old Kyle Wolden of Mount Vernon made the traditional run around the bases before the Mariners’ home opener this afternoon, a couple of thoughts came to mind.

  • It’s a beautiful sight when a young boy can sprint with such exuberance and slide into the plate after having gone through a near-fatal disease.
  • Would anyone else in a Mariners uniform get as far as Kyle did?
  • About 2 1/2 hours later, we learned that the Mariners wouldn’t even come close, having been shackled by apparent Cy Young Award winner-in-waiting Justin Duchscherer.

    The Mariners got two hits and only Franklin Gutierrez squared one up with his leadoff double to left-center field in the fourth inning.

    What’s up with this offense?

    The Mariners admit they’re pressing and not following the game plan (they were supposed to take Duchscherer the opposite way but didn’t).

    Just an opinion here, but unless there’s a big breakout on the horizon from the middle of the lineup (and right now, it seems that horizon is far, far away), the A’s have figured out how to snuff the M’s. They kept the two instigators, Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins, off the bases. Those two each went 0-for-4.

    You’d like to think Ichiro and Figgins will get on base and create the havoc the Mariners are depending upon. In theory, that’s how the middle hitters will get opportunities to produce.

    In lieu of that Monday, the Mariners were a pretty sullen bunch.

    “These guys care. It’s not a matter of going out there and just winging it,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “What you see a lot of times is guys taking it upon themselves and you see a bunch of individuals and not relying upon one another. We will continue to work and we will come out of this.”

    There’s always tomorrow. Except that the Mariners will face A’s left-hander Brett Anderson, who pitched six shutout innings last week against them.

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