Next series
Opponent: Atlanta Braves
When: 4:35 p.m. Friday, 4:05 p.m. Saturday, 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
Where: Turner Field in Atlanta
TV: Fox Sports Net, all three games
Radio: KOMO (1000 AM) all three games.
Pitchers: Friday — Seattle left-hander Erik Bedard (4-4, 4.14 earned run average) vs. right-hander Jorge Campillo (2-1, 2.17). Saturday — Left-hander Jarrod Washburn (2-7, 5.83) vs. right-hander Jair Jurrjens (7-3, 3.43). Sunday — Right-hander Carlos Silva (3-8, 5.79) vs. right-hander Tim Hudson (7-5, 3.17).
Suzuki is in right frame of mind in right field
Mariners manager John McLaren was explaining Wednesday afternoon why he moved Ichiro Suzuki from center field to right. Just then, the superstar himself descended the dugout steps to get his bat and helmet for batting practice.
“Right field, huh?” McLaren shouted. Suzuki flashed a big smile, then said, “It’s my yard.”
Suzuki started his third straight game in right field Wednesday and seems thrilled to be back.
McLaren insists there were no orders from high in the organization to move Suzuki to right, where he played so well for 5½ seasons before moving to center after Jeremy Reed was injured during the 2006 season.
“I’d had this idea for a while,” McLaren said. “It’s not that he can’t play center, but he’s the best right fielder in baseball. I’ve always thought that at some point, that’s where he belongs.”
When McLaren presented the plan to Suzuki when the Mariners returned home from their trip to Boston and New York in late May, he braced himself for a reaction.
“As soon as the question was presented to him and I saw his eyes, I knew it was right,” McLaren said. “When his eyes lit up, there was no explanation (needed).”
McLaren also said that he would have made the move even if Suzuki hadn’t been enthusiastic about it. That’s the new approach with this team, which has a can’t-be-worse mentality when it comes to trying new things.
“I can’t put it any simpler than this: Things hadn’t been working,” McLaren said. “We like to show respect, but we’re going to do stuff with or without approval from the other side.”
He believes Suzuki had begun to wear down from having so much territory to cover, especially at spacious Safeco Field. Suzuki roamed both gaps and beyond, often fielding balls that the corner outfielders could have reached.
“That’s a big chore out there to cover that ground,” McLaren said. “Over the two years I’ve been here, he takes so many balls out there that I think the two other guys, whoever they are, they think that he’s got everything. Well, he doesn’t have it. This way, it takes a little pressure off that. Everybody’s got their turf out there; go get it.”
Putz throws: Seven days after he went on the disabled list with triceps irritation in his right arm, closer J.J. Putz played catch Wednesday for the first time since he was hurt.
Putz hadn’t been allowed to throw a ball until he was re-examined on Monday, and he was cleared to begin a throwing program Wednesday.
“We’re starting very slow,” trainer Rick Griffin said. “It’s a progressive throwing program.”
Putz will increase the distance of his throws until he’s beyond 120 feet, then move to flat-ground bullpen sessions and, if all goes well, full bullpen work off the mound.
Griffin said there’s no timetable for his return.
Of note: McLaren moved Jose Lopez, his usual No. 2 hitter, down to third in the batting order Wednesday while Jose Vidro batted second. Lopez, who led the team with a .295 average, had batted third in five other games this season. “We’re trying to get a workable lineup, so to speak,” McLaren said. “Lopez has been our best hitter.” … Pitchers continued their tuneup for nine upcoming interleague games on the road with a round of batting practice, which mainly consisted of bunting. Asked if he was a good hitter in high school, reliever Sean Green said, “Not at all. It was an easy choice for me to become a pitcher.” … The Mariners announced that their Sept. 6 game against the Yankees at Safeco Field will start at 7:10 p.m. instead of the originally scheduled 6:10 p.m. Also, their July 19 game against the Indians will not be part of the FOX national TV package; it will air on radio only.
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