GOODYEAR, Ariz. — The Seattle Mariners are dropping bunts, moving runners and stealing bases at spring training, doing just what they said is necessary to revive a long dysfunctional offense.
Amid all that, however, remains the need for a big bopper in the middle who not only can drive the baseball with consistency, but force opposing teams to pitch to the hitters around him.
Tuesday, Russell Branyan offered the best evidence that he can be that kind of hitter. Branyan hit two home runs in the Mariners’ 12-4 victory over the Cleveland Indians and, more importantly, hit them against a left-handed pitcher.
That Branyan is even hitting against lefties is a sign of the Mariners’ commitment to at least let him try. He has been the definition of a platoon player, having gotten only 289 of his 2,000 big-league at-bats against left-handers.
He’s a career .204 hitter against left-handers compared with a .234 average versus right-handers. Interestingly, his ratio of home runs per at-bat is nearly the same from either side — one in every 15 at-bats against right-handers vs. one in every 15.2 at-bats off lefties.
“In my big-league career I haven’t faced a lot of (left-handed pitchers),” Branyan said. “When you have 15 or 20 at-bats (per year) off lefties, it gets a little tough. But there’s no excuses. I should be able to go up there and control myself and put the ball in play.”
Until Tuesday, he hadn’t done it all that well for the Mariners.
Branyan entered the game 3-for-20 against left-handers this spring. Against Indians starter Scott Lewis, he grounded out in his first at-bat, then hit two long home runs. The first cleared the roof covering the right-field seats, the second hit the roof.
Nobody was happier to see that than manager Don Wakamatsu, who plans to play Branyan against both right and left-handed pitching — until further notice.
“I believe in him. He’s shown us this spring that it’s a swing that shouldn’t be a 100-plus-strikeout-plus swing, and he has as much power as anyone I’ve seen,” Wakamatsu said. “It’s just the consistency we’re looking for.”
Branyan has seven home runs, tying the Mariners’ spring training record held by Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner and Mike Wilson.
MORROW STRUGGLES
Brandon Morrow hardly showed in the ninth inning Tuesday what the Mariners need to see if he is to begin the season as their closer.
He struggled with his control and gave up a home run to Tony Graffanino, then was saved when Wilson Valdez lined into a double play to end the game.
In his third outing since being shut down with a tight forearm, Morrow threw 20 pitches, nine for strikes. At one point he threw six straight balls before Valdez lined out to first baseman Chris Shelton.
Wakamatsu made it clear that Morrow needs to throw strikes before he’ll trust him with the closer role. Morrow will pitch an inning today in a minor league game.
“Maybe after being used (Tuesday) he’ll have a little more feel,” Wakamatsu said. “He hasn’t thrown a lot in the spring and it’s a little bit what he went through last year, too.”
Last year, Morrow suffered shoulder problems midway through camp and didn’t join the Mariners until mid-April.
JAKUBAUSKAS PITCHES WELL AGAIN
Right-hander Chris Jakubauskas made the most of his final exhibition start, holding the Indians to one run and four hits in five innings. Now he’ll hold his breath to see if his work this spring, a 2-0 record with a 2.08 ERA in 212/3 innings, is good enough to win a spot on the roster.
Jakubauskas, who was pitching independent ball two years ago before the Mariners signed him, is a minor-league invitee and the team would need to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
“We’ll talk about it the next two days and start to make the final decisions,” Wakamatsu said. “You’ve got to look at history along with what he’s done in spring training and try to make the right decision. Everything I’ve seen this spring has been impressive.”
Jakubauskas’ place on the 12-man pitching staff may depend on whether the Mariners keep Miguel Batista, a veteran who has struggled throughout spring training but is guaranteed $9 million this year. Batista failed in his bid to win the closer job, which still hasn’t been claimed, and the Mariners are stretching him out as a long reliever.
“My whole goal was to come in here and show them I can pitch at the highest level and make their decision tough,” Jakubauskas said. “I think I have done that.”
ICHIRO HAS WBC HANGOVER
A week after his basehit won the World Baseball Classic for Japan against Korea, it appears the tournament finally caught up with Ichiro Suzuki.
The Mariners’ right fielder remained ill Tuesday and didn’t report to their spring training complex. On Monday, he played two innings before leaving the game because he was light-headed.
Wakamatsu said he wasn’t sure if Suzuki would play today, either: “He is kind of run down.”
It’s understandable considering the Japanese team had been working out since early February, then played the WBC under a rigorous travel schedule and intense pressure to repeat its championship from 2006.
OF NOTE
Because Felix Hernandez starts against the Indians today, getting him on a five-day schedule to put him in line to start opening day Monday, the Mariners will have Erik Bedard pitch in a minor league game to keep him on schedule. Wakamatsu hasn’t announced his rotation, but Bedard is expected to pitch the second game on Tuesday. … Miguel Batista pitched 22/3 innings in a minor league game Tuesday, allowing one hit, two walks and a run. However, he threw just five first-pitch strikes to the 12 hitters he faced and was pulled after 48 pitches.
Wakamatsu said Tyler Johnson threw the ball well in the bullpen Tuesday morning, but added that there’s no timetable on when the left-hander would be ready to join the team. He missed all of last season because of shoulder surgery. … Right-hander Chad Cordero threw his best bullpen session yet Tuesday in his comeback from labrum surgery. He said he is throwing with full extension for the first time and hopes to be ready to join the Mariners’ bullpen by mid-May. Earlier estimates had him coming back in June.
TODAY IN CAMP
Mariners vs. Indians, 1:05 p.m. in Peoria (KIRO radio, 710 AM and 97.3 FM). M’s right-hander Felix Hernandez versus Indians left-hander Cliff Lee. Both left-hander Erik Bedard and right-hander Brandon Morrow will pitch for the Mariners in a minor league game.
Read Kirby Arnold’s blog from spring training at www.heraldnet.com/marinersblog
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