Opponent: Toronto Blue Jays
When: 10:05 a.m.
Where: Rogers Center, Toronto, Ontario
TV: FSN
Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)
McLaren shuffles rotation
Manager John McLaren, who has proven he’s unafraid to shake up the Seattle Mariners lineup, made it clear Friday it doesn’t bother him to play with the starting rotation, either.
Horacio Ramirez was scheduled to make his second start since coming off the disabled list here Sunday, but doing so would have forced Felix Hernandez to pitch with an extra day of rest.
McLaren thought the veteran Ramirez could use that extra day more than Hernandez, so he switched the rotation – and Hernandez will start Sunday’s game here, while Ramirez will start Monday in Texas.
“It’s more important to keep Felix on his regular turn than it is with Horacio,” McLaren said. “We had an off-day (Thursday), and I decided to make the switch.”
Open sesame: Once a coach for the Blue Jays, McLaren was with Toronto when Sky Dome – now called Rogers Center – first opened.
“It’s changed quite a bit over the years,” he said. “I remember the first game we played here it rained, and they had to close the roof. I remember the last place the roof protected was home plate.
“Until the roof closed all the way, the home plate umpire, the catcher and the batter had to wait about 20 feet behind the plate. The rest of the field was completely covered and it was still pouring at the plate.”
Turns out, McLaren has been present for the opening of five major league ballparks.
“I was a kid in Houston when the Astrodome opened and I went to the first game there,” McLaren said. “I was in Cleveland with the Mariners when Jacobs Field opened and President Clinton was there. I was here for Sky Dome, I was there for Safeco Field’s first game and we opened the first season in Detroit with their new ballpark.”
One hit wonder: Ichiro Suzuki began the game 11 hits shy of 1,500 in his major league career – and 80 per cent of them (1,199) have been singles.
Of those, 323 never left the infield.
Short hops: The Mariners play a doubleheader Tuesday in Texas to make up a game rained out in April. Jarrod Washburn will start one game, but the team hasn’t announced who will start the second game. … Jose Vidro, who played 449 games in Montreal while with the Expos, has a career average of .326 north of the border. In Toronto, his career average is .349. … After sitting out Wednesday’s game, Raul Ibanez returned to the starting lineup and to left field Friday. … Left-hander George Sherrill has a streak of nine consecutive scoreless innings going, and his 1.24 earned run average is fourth in the American League among reliever. Among the few who have lower ERAs is teammate J.J. Putz (0.79).
Larry LaRue, The News Tribune
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