The Mariners ended a long day with a lot of positives tonight, especially in the ninth inning when they put on a hitting show with a four-run rally to beat the Dodgers 8-6.
But there also was the every-other-day conundrum that is Miguel Batista. More on that later.
With Dodgers right-hander Jonathan Broxton on the mound to protect a 6-4 lead, Endy Chavez hit an RBI double, Yuniesky Betancourt a two-run single and Wladimir Balentien an RBI triple off the right-center field wall. Chavez finished 4-for-5 with two RBI and three runs, Betancourt 2-for-5 and Chris Woodward 2-for-4.
Chavez also continued the camp-long theme of injecting small ball into the offense. He bunted for a single leading off the first inning. Now, if the Mariners can just get that other leadoff hitter they have to bunt like that (we’ll find out Thursday, because that’s when Ichiro Suzuki will be back in uniform after the WBC).
No game would be complete without The Adventures of Betancourt, and it happened right at the beginning. After Chavez had dropped that leadoff bunt and stole second, Betancourt struck out looking. Or standing. He didn’t realize the big bender that Clayton Kershaw threw him was strike three, and he froze outside the batter’s box as umpire David Rackley rung him up.
Then Betancourt trudged off to the dugout, gestured a few times and no doubt caught some good-natured flak from his teammates. All was well in the end, though, because it’s spring training and Betancourt eventually was laughing along with them. At the other end of the dugout, manager Don Wakamatsu wasn’t.
This game was just as much about the Mariners’ pitching, most of it positive (more on Batista below, however).
Ryan Rowland-Smith, the probable fifth starter, gave up a couple of long home runs early — Manny Ramirez pounded one over the Dodgers bullpen in left in the first inning and Brad Ausmus hit one out to left in the second. Then Rowland-Smith settled in and went five innings, allowing five hits and three runs.
Brandon Morrow, who would have started the season as the fifth starter had his right forearm not tightened up early in camp, pitched his first inning since March 1 and pronounced it a success. He gave up two hits, including a home run by Casey Blake to straight-away center field, but said his fastball command was good and his breaking ball is coming along.
There isn’t enough time in spring training to get Morrow the work he’ll need to be ready for the rotation, so look for him to start the season in the minor leagues to build his pitch count.
Roy Corcoran also continued his comeback from biceps tendinitis, pitching a scoreless inning for the second straight time. He got the victory when the Mariners rallied in the top of the ninth.
Shawn Kelley gave the Mariners another reason to put him on the opening-day roster with a scoreless ninth inning. He gave up a two-out double to Doug Mientkiewicz before getting the final out for his second save. Kelley has pitched four straight scoreless innings.
In the what-do-they-do-with-this-guy category was Miguel Batista. Again.
The Dodgers got him for three hits and two runs in the seventh inning to take a 6-2 lead. He hasn’t put together two straight scoreless outings all spring. That’s disappointing for a guy who went into camp with an outside chance to win the closer job.
The question now is what the Mariners should do with a pitcher who’ll make $9 million this year. Do they try to get at least a little something out of Batista in long relief but risk having an unhappy guy in what so far has been a blissful clubhouse, not to mention the opportunity it would take from a young pitcher? Do they try to trade him (lots of luck with that)? Or do they set Batista free, have a nice $9 million salad and rid themselves of another huge mistake by the previous regime?
Thirteen days remain before the season opener and the drama is thickening.
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