Opponent: Chicago White Sox
When: 7:05 p.m.
Where: Safeco Field
TV: Fox Sports Net
Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)
Pitchers: Seattle right-hander Joel Pineiro (5-8, 5.83 earned run average) vs. right-hander Jose Contreras (8-7, 4.08).
Basic training
Manager Mike Hargrove and his coaches had several players on the field at mid-afternoon Friday, teaching the sometimes-difficult task of bunting.
It was another step in the continuing education of a young team.
“It all comes back to the fact that we want to get better in all aspects of our game,” Hargrove said. “At the big-league level, the teaching situation is much different than it was 15 to 20 years ago. Kids are being rushed to the big leagues now and there’s a lot of teaching that has to go on. Used to be , if you brought somebody up from the minor leagues, you kind of finished them off here.”
The Mariners have conducted several afternoon fundamental sessions in recent weeks, ranging from infield and outfield play to hitting. The extra work is nothing new, Hargrove said, but doing it outside on the field is.
“The only thing different now from what we’ve been doing since Day 1 is that we’re going outside to do it,” he said. “Not necessarily bunting, but extra hitting, has been going on in the (indoor) cages. It’s a different setting (on the field) and it’s probably a little better outside because you don’t have a cage.”
Something to play for: Amid the drudgery that the final five weeks of a lost season can become, the Mariners have something to play for. They face teams in contention for playoff berths in their next four series.
“If you can’t contend yourself late in the season, you’d like to be as meaningful a part of that process as you can,” Hargrove said. “We’ll take what we can get and see how it goes. It will be a good experience for our young players.”
Outfield experiment: Mike Morse may get a start in left field during this series, although Hargrove said that during the Mariners’ last road trip without putting him in the lineup.
“We’ve got a long homestand here and we might see him in the lineup,” Hargrove said. “I don’t know that for a fact yet, but every day he’s doing things that take away the reluctance or hesitance to put him in the lineup.”
Morse, who has started 49 games at shortstop, fielded balls in the outfield Friday afternoon and Hargrove said he’s getting better at the finer parts of the position.
“From where he was when we first started this project to where he is now is really amazing,” Hargrove said. “I’m looking for a place that makes sense to play him. We got him in a game here before we left on the trip and I thought seriously about starting him in Texas for one game and just didn’t do it.”
With Yuniesky Betancourt considered the team’s top shortstop prospect and getting most of the starts there now, the Mariners would like to try Morse in the outfield in order to keep his bat in the lineup. Morse is hitting .286 with three home runs and 21 RBI.
There’s a chance the Mariners will have Morse play in the fall instructional league or in winter ball.
“I don’t know that he needs to, but it wouldn’t hurt him to do that,” Hargrove said.
Madritsch progressing: Left-handed pitcher Bobby Madritsch has resumed his throwing program with no problems after taking some time off last week when he felt pain in his shoulder.
“He had gone out and got a little carried away with a couple of throws,” trainer Rick Griffin said. “He learned a good lesson. You’ve got to take baby steps.”
Madritsch, on the disabled list since April 6 because of a strained shoulder, is playing catch from about 100 feet and could push it to 150 feet soon, Griffin said.
Of note: The Mariners claimed right-handed pitcher Francisco Cruceta off waivers from the Cleveland Indians and assigned him to the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers. Cruceta was 6-4 with a 5.19 ERA at Class AAA Buffalo this season. … Hargrove said he isn’t afraid to start outfielder Jamal Strong, although it likely will happen against a left-handed starting pitcher. “Has he done enough to merit a start? He had done enough to merit a start when he got here,” Hargrove said. “I just haven’t found the right place to do it. I came close the other day and backed off.” … With Felix Hernandez and Randy Johnson the likely starters when the Mariners host the Yankees on Wednesday, there were about 9,000 tickets remaining for the game on Friday.
Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer
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