That hot-hitting kid from the Tacoma Rainiers is starting tonight for the Mariners in their series opener against the Angels at Safeco Field – Mike Carp, not Dustin Ackley.
Carp, batting eighth tonight as the DH, was called up from Tacoma last Tuesday, ending questions by many fans who
wondered if he was ever going to get a call. Carp said he actually remained patient as he hit the cover off the ball at Tacoma, even though player after player (particularly outfielders Carlos Peguero and Greg Halman) were being called up.
“I’ve been up and down before,” he said. “I knew there wasn’t a necessity for me at the time. I knew that when it came my turn, I’d be there waiting.”
Yeah, but a lot of people were beginning to think if the Mariners weren’t calling up Carp now, his turn might have to come with another organization in another season. Carp admitting having that thought in the back of his mind, too, especially when he put together a 22-game hitting streak at Tacoma. He even spoke with Rainiers manager Darrin Brown and hitting coach Alozno Powell about it.
“I had a job to do in Triple-A and that’s what I was trying to do, help that team win,” he said. “Now that I’m here, I’m trying to help this team win.”
Speaking of hitting a ton at Tacoma and waiting for the call to Seattle, I asked Carp what it was like to witness first-hand the hitting tear Rainiers second baseman Dustin Ackley has been on. Here’s his enthusiastic answer:
“He is raking,” Carp said. “He has a different kind of sound off his bat this year than last year. He struggled a little bit in the beginning but he still had good at-bats. He just wasn’t getting hits. Now he’s getting three, four hits a game.”
And defensively, is Ackley ready? Do bears and trees do things in the woods?
“I’ve been watching him progress out there,” Carp said. “Him and (shortstop Sean) Kazmar up the middle have a really good relationship. They put their work in every day and talk. It’s really helped him out a lot. He looks really good out there.
“You go from full-time outfielder to playing second base — playing Triple-A second base all in the same year — that’s a pretty tough task. He handled it really well and he looks really good out there, especially turning two. He gets rid of the ball quick. I got to see a different angle of him (from left field) compared with when I was playing first base. Being in left field, I got to see how he moved on balls, and he got a lot of balls that you don’t see a lot of guys get to. He’s a special talent.”
A few other pregame notes:
• That move earlier today when the Mariners shifted closer David Aardsma (right elbow injury) from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL has no impact on when he’ll be able to pitch. The DL time is retroactive to March 22 (when Aardsma was placed on the 15-day DL because of his recovery from hip surgery), so he’s eligible to come off at any time.
Aardsma, in fact, began playing catch today.
• Catcher Adam Moore, recovering from surgery on a torn medial meniscus in his right knee after being hurt the first week of the season, also started to play catch today. Moore said he’s scheduled to begin running on July 5.
• Carp has stayed in touch with former M’s pitcher Ian Snell, who signed with the Dodgers late last month and joined the Class AAA Albuquerque Isotopes. Snell retired after he didn’t make the Cardinals’ major league roster out of spring training. But Carp said Snell also dealt with a medical issue that has since been solved, and he’s ready to start pitching again.
Here are tonight’s lineups:
ANGELS
Maicer Isturis, third base
Torii Hunter, right field
Bobby Abreu, DH
Vernon Wells, left field
Howie Kendrick, second base
Erick Aybar, shortstop
Mark Trumbo, first base
Peter Bourjos, center field
Jeff Mathis, catcher
Starating pitcher: Right-hander Dan Haren (5-4, 2.41 ERA)
MARINERS
Ichiro Suzuki, right field
Brendan Ryan, shortstop
Justin Smoak, first base
Adam Kennedy, second base
Miguel Olivo, catcher
Carlos Peguero, left field
Franklin Gutierrez, center field
Mike Carp, DH
Chone Figgins, third base
Starting pitcher: Left-hander Jason Vargas (4-3, 3.94)
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