NEXT SERIES
Opponent: Los Angeles Angels
When: 7:05 p.m. Friday, 6:05 p.m. Saturday, 12:35 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.
TV: ROOT Sports, all three games.
Radio: ESPN 710 AM, all three games.
Probable starting pitchers: Friday — Seattle left-hander Jason Vargas (6-10, 4.19 earned run average) vs. right-hander Jered Weaver (14-5, 1.88). Saturday — Right-hander Blake Beavan (2-2, 3.24) vs. right-hander Tyler Chatwood (6-7, 3.93). Sunday — Right-hander Felix Hernandez (10-9, 3.36) vs. right-hander Ervin Santana (7-8, 3.32).
Another new position
With Chone Figgins on the disabled list, the Mariners had Jack Wilson field balls at third base during batting practice Tuesday and, if he handled it well, planned to start him at third Wednesday.
Wilson said he barely slept.
“In BP, every ball’s hit pretty hard,” said Wilson, a middle infielder who hadn’t played third base since he was in youth leagues. “My eyes were wide open and I didn’t get much sleep last night thinking that every ball would be coming at me that fast.”
Uh, try faster.
The first ball hit to him Wednesday was a one-hop dart, and Wilson turned it into a highlight-reel moment. He dived to his left and caught the ball, got to his feet and threw out the A’s Josh Willingham.
“What you find out, especially after that first one, is that there’s no real thinking involved on a play like that at third base,” Wilson said. “At shortstop and second base, the ball’s coming and you’ve got to take a certain route to it. At third, there’s really no route to take as fast as it’s coming at you.”
Wilson, who’d played only shortstop going into this season, started the year as the Mariners’ starting second baseman before losing that job with ineffective play and the arrival of rookie Dustin Ackley.
Wilson made another tough play in the fourth inning, diving to catch Coco Crisp’s hard grounder before throwing him out. The challenge on that play was that Wilson had set up at the edge of the infield grass against the speedy Crisp.
He said that play was the result of a valuable lesson taught by teammate Adam Kennedy during pregame infield work Tuesday and Wednesday.
“He said when all else fails on a play like that, just tackle it,” said Wilson, who used Kennedy’s glove, which is larger than the glove he uses at shortstop and second base. “When he (Crisp) hit that ball, I just said to myself, ‘I’m going to smother this thing.'”
Wilson got the start Wednesday because of Figgins’ injury (a strained right hip flexor) and manager Eric Wedge’s decision not to play left-handed-hitting rookie Kyle Seager against Oakland left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez.
Bruise, no break, for Smoak
X-rays on first baseman Justin Smoak’s left thumb didn’t show a break, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t in a fair amount of pain Wednesday after he was hit by a ground ball the previous night.
Smoak didn’t play Wednesday and, even though the Mariners’ worst fears were eased, it may be a few days before he’s back in the lineup.
“He’s very sore,” Wedge said. “Right now, he’s day-to-day.”
Of note
Charlie Furbush became only the 10th player to win his first start as a Mariner. The last was Blake Beavan this year, and before that it was Travis Blackley in 2004. … With three hits Wednesday, Ichiro Suzuki recorded his sixth game this season with at least three hits. He needs 78 hits in the remaining 52 games to extend his own major league record with at least 200 hits, which he has done 10 straight years. … Mike Carp made his first start with the Mariners at first base, although he played there at Class AAA Tacoma after the Mariners sent him down earlier this season. “When we sent him out, I talked to (Tacoma manager Darrin Brown) about making sure he gets more reps at first base,” Wedge said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
