Opponent: Oakland A’s
When: 7:05 p.m. today, 1:05 p.m. Saturday, 1:05 p.m. Sunday
Where: Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
TV: Fox Sports Net (cable) all three games
Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)
Pitchers: Today – Seattle right-hander Ryan Franklin (11-13, 3.57 earned run average in 2003) vs. left-hander Mark Redman (14-9, 3.59).
Saturday – Right-hander Gil Meche (15-13, 4.59) vs. right-hander Tim Hudson (0-0, 3.60).
Sunday – Left-hander Jamie Moyer (0-1, 9.53 this year) vs. left-hander Mark Mulder (1-0, 1.29 this year).
Mariners closer Eddie Guardado played catch with pitching coach Bryan Price on Thursday morning and said his left shoulder felt fine.
Guardado, who experienced stiffness in the shoulder while warming up during the final exhibition game Sunday in San Diego, hadn’t thrown since then.
“I felt really strong,” he said. “The ball was coming out of my hand really good and I felt good.”
Guardado will throw about 40 pitches in the bullpen today in Oakland and, if that goes well, he’ll be available to pitch Sunday against the A’s.
Manager Bob Melvin said Guardado’s first appearance in a game wouldn’t come in a closing situation.
“We want to get him a nice inning and put all the health issues to rest before he goes back to his role,” Melvin said. “If we didn’t have anybody we didn’t think could cover that, which we certainly do, we might think a little differently.”
Right-hander Shigetoshi Hasegawa, who saved 16 games last year when former Mariner Kazuhiro Sasaki was hurt, will fill the closer’s role until Guardado returns. Right-hander Rafael Soriano also can close.
Balk move: Every time a pitcher tries the old fake-to-third, throw-to-first move, it seems half the crowd screams, “Balk!” On Thursday, only plate umpire Greg Gibson used those words when he called Hasegawa for a balk that allowed an Angels run to score in the ninth inning.
Who was right this time? The Mariners said it certainly wasn’t the umpire.
Television replays showed that Hasegawa stepped only slightly toward third base when he faked a throw there, although Melvin and Price said the move should have been allowed.
“He got plenty of distance to third base and he had direction to third,” Price said. “The umpire had him as stepping toward home plate.”
It’s a move that rarely fools a baserunner – although Mariners fans may remember John Olerud being picked off first base last year – so why use it?
“We feel like with the aggressive baserunning teams like Anaheim, if you don’t try different things to upset what they’re doing on the bases, they’re just going to run wild,” Price said. “It’s within the parameters of the rules and we’re going to use it.”
That’s not to say Price believes such a move is legal. Baseball rules say pitchers can’t use deception to fool a baserunner, and the third-to-first move is nothing but that even though umpires rarely call it.
“It’s a cheater’s move by the pitcher,” Price said. “It should be illegal. It’s a terrible rule but if they’re going to let us do it, we’re going to take advantage of it.”
On the go: The Angels went 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts in the first two games, but Melvin said that’s not a reflection on catcher Dan Wilson. The Angels were stealing more on the M’s pitchers, Melvin said.
“It seemed like every time they’d run, it was in counts when we were a little slower to the plate,” Melvin said. “I don’t know if we need to slide-step a little more or do something to counter-act that.”
The best strategy, Melvin said, is to keep the Angels from getting a big early lead as they did Tuesday and Wednesday.
“When you have a lead, it’s easier as a manager to be a little more daring,” Melvin said. “If you’ve got a lead and get thrown out, it doesn’t have the effect that it does if you’re down by four and get a guy thrown out. We’ve got to get a lead, and then see how daring they are on the bases.”
Back work: Third baseman Scott Spiezio, on the disabled list with a back injury, did not fly to Oakland with the team Thursday. He’ll remain in Seattle and undergo therapy twice a day.
“Once we get back, who knows, maybe he’ll be able to do some hitting and throwing,” Melvin said.
Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer
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