Opponent: San Diego Padres
When: 7:05 p.m. today and Saturday, 1:05 p.m. Sunday.
Where: Safeco Field
TV: Fox Sports Net, all three games.
Radio: KOMO (1000 AM), all three games.
Probable starters: Today – Seattle right-hander Ryan Franklin (2-4, 4.20 earned run average) vs. right-hander Jake Peavy (3-0, 2.57).
Saturday – Right-hander Gil Meche (3-2, 5.25) vs. right-hander Brian Lawrence (2-4, 5.24).
Sunday – Right-hander Aaron Sele (2-4, 5.62) vs. right-hander Tim Stauffer (1-0, 3.46).
An old friend returns
When Dan Wilson suffered a season-ending knee injury April 24, the Mariners lost more than their backup catcher. They lost a veteran who was a leader in the clubhouse and a mentor to 25-year-old starting catcher Miguel Olivo.
The Mariners believe they found a capable replacement Thursday, acquiring 42-year-old veteran Pat Borders from the Milwaukee Brewers organization for cash considerations. Borders, in his 23rd pro season, played for the Mariners in the 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Borders was assigned to the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers, although the Mariners are expected to call him up today when they begin a three-game series against the Padres.
“He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to a team,” assistant general manager Lee Pelekoudas said. “He brings a calming influence to guys, especially younger players. There’s so much knowledge and so much experience that he can share.”
Borders played in 19 games for the Mariners last season before they traded him to the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 31 in exchange for minor league outfielder B.J. Garbe of Moses Lake. He signed a minor league contract in the offseason with the Brewers and has played with Class AAA Nashville, batting .245 with three home runs and 14 RBI in 26 games.
Borders won the World Series MVP award in 1992 with the Blue Jays, and he also has played in the major leagues with the Royals, Astros, Cardinals, Angels, White Sox and Indians.
When the Mariners call up Borders, they must put him on the 40-man roster and move another player off it. They also must clear space on their 25-man major league roster, with 21-year-old backup catcher Rene Rivera likely to be sent back to Class AA San Antonio.
The Mariners’ catching has been in a fluid state since Wilson was injured.
They called up Wiki Gonzalez from Tacoma to take Wilson’s backup role, and Gonzalez started four games because of Olivo’s continued hitting slump. Gonzalez batted .375 in those games but he suffered a hamstring injury last weekend and could be out a month or more.
The short-term fix was to call up Rivera from San Antonio while the Mariners shopped around for a veteran backup. Rivera has not played since he was called up Sunday.
Snelling on a roll: There’s no room for him on the major league roster, but Tacoma outfielder Chris Snelling is forcing the Mariners to take a close look at him.
He went into Thursday night’s game against Nashville hitting .391 with five home runs and 21 RBI, and showing little – if any – indication that his recent knee surgery is bothering him.
Snelling had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in February and seemed hesitant early in his return to the field. Tacoma manager Dan Rohn said that’s not a factor anymore.
“Every day is a better day for him, running in the outfield and running the bases,” Rohn said. “I don’t see that look in his eyes anymore. And he’s swinging the heck out of the bat. He’s a flat-out natural hitter and he’s getting better and better every day.”
Short hops: Wilson is scheduled for surgery today to repair the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, injured when he reversed direction while running the bases. … Closer Eddie Guardado, who left the team Tuesday to be with his wife in California for the birth of their third child, is expected back with the team today. … Second baseman Bret Boone needs one home run to reach 250 in his career. … Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki needs 22 hits for 1,000 in his career, 22 runs for 500 and two walks for 200. … Ron Villone’s save against the Yankees on Wednesday was his first since Oct. 3, 1999, when he finished a Reds victory against the Brewers. … Wednesday’s victory over the Yankees was only the Mariners’ second this season when they didn’t hit a home run. They are 2-18 in games without a homer but 14-6 when they hit at least one.
Kirby Arnold, Herald writer
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