Tuesday in camp

  • Tuesday, March 29, 2005 9:00pm
  • Sports

A daily look at the Mariners in spring training.

Tuesday in camp

Eddie Guardado pitched in his first game Tuesday since March 7, and he went to the mound with strict instructions from the medical staff. Don’t chase any bunts, bouncers or popups, and by all means don’t sprint off the mound to cover a base.

Then, the second hitter he faced in a minor league game hit a pop foul out of play, and Guardado took four hard strides off the mound before he remembered.

“I forgot,” he said. “But the good thing is, I didn’t feel anything.”

To the Mariners, that’s a great thing.

Guardado’s strained hamstring has resulted in a final-week push to get ready for the season opener next week. He pitched three simulated games with no problems, but was scratched Sunday from his scheduled return to exhibition play when the medical staff feared the hamstring wouldn’t hold up if he sprinted off the mound to make a play.

Besides the foul ball that got Guardado hopping off the mound Tuesday, he held his ground and completed a 25-pitch inning against Class A hitters. In a controlled situation in which the pitch count, not outs, was important, Guardado struck out four and got a ground-ball out.

“I threw strikes, kept the ball down and everything was working,” he said. “The ball was coming out of my hand today better than it has all year.”

Today, Guardado will perform agility drills and work on covering first base. If he completes that without problem, he will pitch in another minor league game Thursday with no restrictions.

“And if everything goes good then, they’re talking about me going back-to-back games,” he said.

That would put him in line to pitch Friday night’s exhibition against the Chicago Cubs in Las Vegas.

Tuesday’s game Today in camp

The game: Mariners vs. Royals, 12:05 p.m. (PST) at Peoria

Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)

Of note: Left-hander Jamie Moyer will make his final exhibition start before he pitches for the Mariners on opening day. Right-hander Shigetoshi Hasegawa also will pitch, along with George Sherrill and Matt Thornton, two left-handers who are trying to win relief roles.

Weather

On team’s next-to-last day in Arizona, the sun will shine and the temperature will reach the mid 70s.

They said it

“There was a scorer in Cleveland who was the head coach at Kent State University. He and I had a couple of legendary arguments over some scoring decisions, to the point where I called him a (expletive). I’d get so mad at him I couldn’t breathe.

“He ended up coaching my kid.”

Ms manager Mike Hargrove

They did it

Like kids watching their favorite toys being taken away, the Mariners said good-bye until next week to some of their most prized possessions: their automobiles. In the first sign that spring training is nearly over, the players’ vehicles – some exotic, some four-wheel-drive behemoths, all sparkling – were loaded on trailers Tuesday morning for the trip to Seattle.

Kirby Arnold, Herald writer

Talk to us

More in Sports

Marysville Pilchuck’s Christian Van Natta lifts the ball in the air to celebrate a turnover during the game against Marysville Getchell on Friday, Sept. 16, 2022 in Marysville, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Prep football roundup for Friday, Sept. 22

Prep football roundup for Friday, Sept. 22: (Note for coaches/scorekeepers: To report… Continue reading

Lynnwood teammates mob senior Abbie Orr (4) after her impressive dig led to a point against Jackson during a volleyball match Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, at Lynnwood High School in Bothell, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Lynnwood volleyball team continues rise to prominence

After ending a 20-year state drought last season, the Royals are surging again and have vaulted to No. 3 in Class 3A in the new WSVCA poll.

Jackson High’s Ben Lee lunges to get to the ball against Kamiak on Thursday, Sep. 22, 2022, at the Kamiak Tennis Courts in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Prep boys tennis season preview: Players and teams to watch

A look at the area’s top athletes and teams on the tennis court this fall.

Austin Roest prepares to take a wrist shot during the first day of Silvertips training camp on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Dad is an NHL bigwig, but Silvertips’ Roest carving his own path

The 19-year-old forward and son of Stanley Cup-winning executive Stacy Roest leads the Silvertips into the 2023-24 season.

Rich Haldi. (County Sports Hall of Fame photo)
County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023 bio: Rich Haldi

The WSU alum and longtime EvCC athletic administrator helped found the Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame.

X
Vote for The Herald’s Prep Athlete of the Week for Sept. 11-17

The Athlete of the Week nominees for Sept. 11-17. Voting closes at… Continue reading

Arlington junior quarterback Leyton Martin throws a short pass during the second quarter of the season opener against Kamiak on Friday, Sep. 1, 2023, at Arlington High School in Arlington, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
3 games to watch in Week 4 of the prep football season

An in-depth look at the best games the area has to offer, plus a full schedule of the local action in Week 4.

Lakewood High School.
Refs blown call means Lakewood football game will restart in 3rd quarter

The Cougars dispute an incorrectly spotted ball by officials on a penalty-riddled play in the 3rd quarter. The game will resume from that point in Week 10.

Longtime Edmonds School District wrestling coach John Casebeer was also a member of the Snohomish County Wrestling Officials Association for 27 years. (County Sports Hall of Fame photo)
County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023 bio: John Casebeer

The 1963 Edmonds graduate spent 30 successful years as a wrestling coach in the Edmonds School District.

Most Read