A daily look at the Seattle Mariners in spring training:
Thursday in camp
The Mariners lost again, their seventh in eight Cactus League games, but they showed signs of life in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Jamie Moyer gave up three hits and two runs in three innings and left-hander Nate Bland pitched two scoreless innings. Bland, signed as a minor league free agent after he had pitched in the Astros organization, hasn’t allowed a run in four innings this month.
“He’s done nothing but help his cause,” manager Mike Hargrove said of Bland. “He came in here and has kept his mouth shut and done his job. If he keeps this up, he’s going to force our hand on him.”
Two players hoping to wiggle their way onto the roster, Jamal Strong and Greg Dobbs, played well. Strong went 3-for-4 and was on base four times and Dobbs went 3-for-4 with a home run.
Today in camp
The game: Mariners vs. Rockies, 12:05 p.m. (PST) at Peoria Stadium.
Radio: KOMO (1000 AM).
Of note: Gil Meche will become the first Mariners pitcher to work in his fourth game of spring training when he starts against the Rockies. Left-hander Ron Villone and righties J.J. Putz, Dan Reichert and Jeff Nelson also will pitch for the M’s. Right-hander Jason Young will start for the Rockies.
On the trainer’s table
Closer Eddie Guardado suffered a strained hamstring on his right leg while running sprints Thursday morning. The Mariners hope to gauge the severity of the injury today.
Starting pitcher Joel Pineiro, who missed Wednesday’s scheduled appearance because he has a sore right shoulder, continues to undergo therapy and his return is uncertain.
Second baseman Bret Boone missed his second straight game because of back spasms.
Relief pitcher Rafael Soriano played catch at 150 feet as he comes back from elbow surgery last year.
Weather
Sunny and 87. Drink lots of water and pass the sunscreen.
They did it
Roger Jongewaard, a longtime former scouting director for the Mariners, returned to Peoria on Thursday as part of his new job: scout for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Jongewaard retired from the Mariners after last season and moved to a new home near San Diego, but his life of leisure lasted just 30 days before he returned to baseball and signed with the Devil Rays.
“I had thought I would sit back and catch up on my reading,” Jongewaard said. “But every time I had a book in my hands I would think to myself, ‘OK, but what am I going to do when I get finished with this?’”
Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer
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