Mariners vs. Anaheim Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 12:05 p.m.
Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)
Pitchers: Left-hander Terry Mulholland will start for the Mariners and pitch three innings, followed by right-hander Cha Seung Baek, left-hander Bobby Madritsch and right-hander Julio Mateo.
Pick a pitcher, any pitcher. Something promising came out of Tuesday’s 6-2 victory, when five Mariners hurlers held the Texas Rangers to four hits.
Gil Meche allowed one hit and a run in three innings; Ron Villone pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts; Clint Nageotte blew away the Rangers with two strikeouts in two innings; George Sherrill allowed one hit in an inning; and Aaron Looper gave up a run on an infield single and a grounder into right field.
Nageotte has allowed just one hit in four innings in his two outings.
“Even if he tells you what’s coming, it’s tough to square it up against him,” manager Bob Melvin said of Nageotte. “He’s pitching on a downhill plane, he has plus velocity, a lot of movement and a slider that was rated the best slider in the minor leagues last year. He comes as advertised.”
Closer Eddie Guardado continues to feel discomfort in his left knee and was scratched from today’s B game against the Padres.
Relief pitcher Rafael Soriano felt no pain from his strained oblique muscle when he played catch Monday, but he was a little stiff Tuesday.
Designated hitter Edgar Martinez played Tuesday for the first time since getting a stiff neck during Friday’s game.
“That’s all news to me. You’d think at some point it would come across my desk if there was some validity to it.”
Melvin, saying there is nothing to a recent report that the Mariners are interested in acquiring Ken Griffey Jr. from the Reds.
Less than a week into exhibition games, a half-dozen young players have caught Melvin’s eye. Here are those who have impressed him most:
Matt Thornton, left-handed pitcher: “We’ve been talking about him ever since he started throwing bullpens, how he’s letting it go. He’s finally over the injuries and to the point where he’s thinking about pitching and thinking about results.”
Clint Nageotte, right-handed pitcher: “He’s a guy we expect to be here (in the majors) at some point, and who knows, it may be at some point this year.”
Aaron Looper, right-handed pitcher: “He had a nice outing the other day throwing his changeup a little more. He’s adding a third pitch whereas he was more sinker-slider, sinker-slider, everything down and everything hard.”
Hiram Bocachica, infielder/outfielder: “Not only has he done well in the games, but in all the drills we’ve done he’s been as good at reading balls and doing the things we’ve asked him to do as anybody we have out there, of the non-starting guys.”
Ramon Santiago, shortstop: “He’s a switch-hitter who swings the bat a little better than I thought he did. He’s got good range at shortstop, good throwing arm, works hard.”
Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer
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