Rough outing for Mariners’ Fister

PEORIA, Ariz. — The remnants of an 8-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday were a lot uglier on the surface than what they mean to the more global view of what the Seattle Mariners are trying to accomplish at spring training.

Right-hander Doug Fister wobbled through three innings, allowing six hits, two walks and four runs, although only one was earned. It was Fister’s second straight rough outing and, while it didn’t help his quest to win the fifth starter’s job, it didn’t hurt because it’s early.

The Mariners are having Fister pitch out of the windup, and the result was several pitches up in the strike zone. Still, manager Don Wakamatsu wasn’t discouraged.

“There’s a lot of things I liked about that outing,” Wakamatsu said. “It wasn’t real pretty but there were a couple of broken bats in there. We’re working on some things and I’m encouraged.”

In other words, don’t count Fister out of the fifth starter competition, even though Jason Vargas has been by far the leader of that pack.

“When we start stretching them out a little more there will be some concerns if there’s not much adjustment,” Wakamatsu said. “Early, you’re trying to get the pitch count in. It’s tough to judge sometimes because of the ballpark and the way the ball carries. You take all those things into consideration.”

One who isn’t in the fifth-starter race — if he ever was — is left-hander Garrett Olson. He tossed another bad one Saturday, allowing two hits, two walks and two runs while getting only one out in the fourth inning.

Olson is struggling with his control and the resulting 21.60 earned run average this month isn’t something that can be blamed on dry air and hard infields. At this point, the Mariners must get him turned around even to consider him for a long relief role.

“Ten (strikes) out of 23 (pitches), it was a command issue,” Wakamatsu said. “That’s something we’re going to have to work on with him for that long spot possibility.”