When the music played, Aardsma got too amped-up in rehab outing

Published 12:06 pm Wednesday, April 20, 2011

A few notes after a short night (many thanks to the woodpecker outside my window) and a quick turnaround before this afternoon’s Mariners-Tigers series finale at Safeco Field:

bull; I caught up with closer David Aardsma this morning after his rehab outing last night with the Tacoma Rainiers. It was the first time he’d faced hitters this year after January surgery on his left hip.

Aardsma said he felt great physically and that he’ll pitch again Friday with the Rainiers. “From there, I don’t know,” he said.

Interesting story about Aardsma’s outing last night.

He said he was extremely nervous knowing it was his first time to face hitters since last season with the Mariners. And, as the innings passed leading up to his appearance in the eighth inning, he got more nervous and really charged-up emotionally.

A lot of times, closers on rehab assignments will start games, but not Aardsma.

“I can’t do it,” he said. “I can’t deal with the time. I deal with three outs 162 times a year. When you’re a starter, they tell you, ‘You’ve got 15 minutes. You’ve got 10 minutes. You’ve got five minutes.’ I don’t know what five minutes is. Five minutes doesn’t relate to me warming up. I’ve got 10 pitches. I have to be ready.

“Part of it was being out there (in the bullpen) hearing that phone ring and them saying, ‘Aardsma, you’ve got it.’ ’”

Aardsma said a heavy flow of adrenaline replaced his nervousness once he settled into his routine, especially when he trotted to the mound. The folks at Cheney Stadium played his heavy-metal entrance music, “Ladies and Gentlemen” by Saliva, and that got him too amped, Aardsma said.

“They played the video, too,” he said. “I liked it, but I was already so amped and excited to go out there, it got me to a different level. I was way too amped.

So, that’s where the leadoff walk came from?

“No question, because I got ahead of him,” he said. “I was ahead in the count and then I tried really hard to strike him out and blow it by him. I wasn’t even close.”

Aardsma followed that by allowing a two-run homer by Colorado Springs’ Mike Jacobs, plus another walk and a hit before getting out of the inning. He finished with 22 pitches, 10 for strikes.

Post-script on Aardsma’s appearance: For a closer whose foundation for success is built partly on an ability to forget the bad moments on the mound, pitching at Cheney Stadium brought back one vivid memory.

“Until last night, the last pitch I threw there was a grand slam (by A.J. Zapp) in 2004,” he said. Smiling.

• Carlos Peguero, called up yesterday from Class AAA Tacoma after first baseman Justin Smoak went on the bereavement list, will make his first start today. He’s playing left field and will bat seventh.

Someone asked manager Eric Wedge about his first big-league start, and he told this tale:

“Mine was against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway. Randy Johnson starting. I remember before the game I’d said to myself, ‘I’m not going to cheat. I’m not going to cheat. I’m going to wait and see it first.’

“Hell, I struck out on three pitches the first time — swinging, so I got my cuts in. Next time I fouled one off but I struck out on three more pitches, also free-swinging. And the next time I started a little bit earlier, made a little adjustment, and flew out to deep center. Griffey went up and caught it on the wall. Next time, he (Johnson) was out of the game and I hit a home run.”

• Another rehabbing reliever, right-hander Shawn Kelley, threw a 35-pitch bullpen this morning in Peoria, Ariz., and wrote via Twitter that he felt great. Kelley is expected to be in Seattle tomorrow and finish his work with the team. He had elbow surgery last season and is eligible to come off the 60-day disabled list May 30.

Here are today’s lineups:

TIGERS
Austin Jackson, center field
Ryan Raburn, second base
Magglio Ordonez, DH
Miguel Cabrera, first base
Jhonny Peralta, shortstop
Brennan Boesch, left field
Brandon Inge, third base
Casper Wells, right field
Omir Santos, catcher

Starting pitcher: Right-hander Rick Porcello (0-2, 6.19 ERA)

MARINERS
Ichiro Suzuki, right field
Chone Figgins, second base
Adam Kennedy, first base
Jack Cust, DH
Michael Saunders, center field
Luis Rodriguez, shortstop
Carlos Peguero, left field
Jack Wilson, second base
Chris Gimenez, catcher

Starting pitcher: Left-hander Erik Bedard (0-3, 8.56)