[nfbwatlk] Mariners Notebook: Good session for relievers

[Mike Freeman]

Mariners Notebook: Good session for relievers
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/308484_mbok22.html

Mariners Notebook: Good session for relievers

Rhodes further along than Putz in nursing sore elbow

Thursday, March 22, 2007

By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER

TUCSON, Ariz. -- There was a little unexpected pain when ailing 
relievers J.J. Putz and Arthur Rhodes threw on flat ground Wednesday 
morning.

The pair threw from distances up to 125 feet, and Putz, in particular, 
was throwing fairly hard.

With one pitch he caught Rhodes flush on the palm, causing Rhodes to 
throw down his glove. On the next pitch, Putz was laughing as he 
airmailed a pitch
about 10 feet over Rhodes' head.

Both pitchers reported feeling good after the session. Putz said he was 
throwing "with pretty high intensity."

The plan is for Putz to throw lightly today for about five minutes, then 
do more long toss Friday.

He likely won't throw off the mound in the bullpen until Monday. Rhodes, 
who is also having elbow problems, is a little further along and could 
throw in
the pen this weekend.

The hope is that both will be in games later in the week and ready for 
the season opener April 2 at Safeco Field against Oakland.

"I think J.J. (in particular) will probably pitch in a minor league 
(spring) game before he pitches in a regular one," manager Mike Hargrove 
said. He also
said he'd like Putz and Rhodes to pitch in back-to-back games.

WINDY CITY: Miguel Batista spent four springs with the Arizona 
Diamondbacks training in Tucson, but he'd never pitched in a Tucson wind 
like Wednesday's.
The wind was clocked at 32 mph with gusts to 44, and that made things 
tough on everybody, Batista included. He allowed four runs in five 
innings, all four
coming in the third.

"I've never been in it like it was today," Batista said. "If it ever 
blows like this in Seattle, at least now I'll know what to do."

Batista gave up 11 wind-blown hits, but wasn't discouraged by the 
outing.

"All in all, it was a good day," he said. "I had to adjust my aim 
because of the wind, and the ball was moving all over the place, but 
after the (third)
inning, I was able to get it back."

OPENING DAY CHATTER: Hargrove might announce his Opening Day starter as 
soon as Friday.

The starter is expected to be Felix Hernandez, whose spot in the 
rotation comes up April 2. Although Hernandez, who is 1-0 with a 3.21 
ERA this spring,
is the favorite, Hargrove said he hasn't yet told the pitcher involved.

"The longer I wait, the more flexibility I have," Hargrove said, adding 
that he's considering changes at the bottom of the rotation. "It's 
possible I will
flip the four and five spots."

That would affect current No. 4, Miguel Batista, No. 5, Horacio Ramirez 
and possibly No. 3, Jeff Weaver. Batista (3.00) and Ramirez (1.50) have 
pitched
well. Weaver has an 8.31 ERA.

Hargrove did say that he would not start the season with a four-man 
rotation.

"My inclination is to go with all five guys," he said. "One thing it 
does is give us the ability to protect Hernandez."

Hernandez, 20, was held to limited innings last year. That restriction 
has been lifted for 2007, but the Mariners don't want him to pitch too 
many innings.

EXTRA BASES: Chris Reitsma and George Sherrill pitched in a minor league 
game for Tacoma against Nashville with vastly different results. Reitsma 
pitched
one inning, allowing one hit. Sherrill, who has an 18.00 ERA in Cactus 
League play, gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in his inning. ... 
Also in
that minor league game, catching prospect Jeff Clement hit his third 
homer of the minor league spring. Wladimir Balentien also homered. ... 
Seattle has
made just 10 errors in 23 games, the fewest in the big leagues at this 
point in the spring. ... Raul Ibanez hit another homer Wednesday and has 
three homers
and eight RBIs in his past four starts.

WEDNESDAY'S GAME IN REVIEW

THE SCORE: Mariners 7, Rockies 4

THE SCENE: It was cloudy, 70 degrees and very windy (32 mph with gusts 
to 44), much different than most games this spring.

STAR OF THE GAME: Yuniesky Betancourt had three good at-bats, including 
an RBI triple, a single that started a two-run go-ahead rally and a 
grounder that
scored the final run of the day.

PLAY OF THE GAME: Pinch hitter Ben Broussard, batting with one out and 
men at the corners, broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI single, setting up a 
two-run seventh.


THE ARMS: Miguel Batista was beaten up for four runs in the third inning 
when the first five batters collected hits, including 3B Garrett Atkins, 
who doubled
home the first two runs. Batista was knocked around for 11 hits in five 
innings. Sean Green, Sean White and Jake Woods closed it out without 
giving up
a run.

THE BATS: Seattle scored two runs in the second inning against Colorado 
starter Josh Fogg, keyed by an RBI triple by Betancourt, but didn't get 
another
hit until the sixth inning. Four of the first six Mariners batters got 
hits off Fogg, but then he sat down the next dozen in order. Ichiro 
Suzuki's double
set up a run in the sixth and Raul Ibanez tied the game with a solo 
homer later in the inning.

THE GLOVES: Catcher Jamie Burke threw out two base runners in the space 
of three innings. Third baseman Adrian Beltre got Batista out of a 
bases-loaded
one-out jam in the first inning by starting a third-to-home-to first 
double play.

THE LEGS: Betancourt's triple forced Richie Sexson to turn on the jets 
to score from first base in the second inning.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P-I reporter John Hickey can be reached at 206-448-8004 or 
johnhickey at seattlepi.com.

© 1998-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer 
-------------- next part --------------
Mariners Notebook: Good session for relievers
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/308484_mbok22.html http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/308484_mbok22.html
 
Mariners Notebook: Good session for relievers
 
Rhodes further along than Putz in nursing sore elbow
 
Thursday, March 22, 2007
 
By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER
 
TUCSON, Ariz. -- There was a little unexpected pain when ailing relievers J.J. Putz and Arthur Rhodes threw on flat ground Wednesday morning.
 
The pair threw from distances up to 125 feet, and Putz, in particular, was throwing fairly hard.
 
With one pitch he caught Rhodes flush on the palm, causing Rhodes to throw down his glove. On the next pitch, Putz was laughing as he airmailed a pitch
about 10 feet over Rhodes' head.
 
Both pitchers reported feeling good after the session. Putz said he was throwing "with pretty high intensity."
 
The plan is for Putz to throw lightly today for about five minutes, then do more long toss Friday.
 
He likely won't throw off the mound in the bullpen until Monday. Rhodes, who is also having elbow problems, is a little further along and could throw in
the pen this weekend.
 
The hope is that both will be in games later in the week and ready for the season opener April 2 at Safeco Field against Oakland.
 
"I think J.J. (in particular) will probably pitch in a minor league (spring) game before he pitches in a regular one," manager Mike Hargrove said. He also
said he'd like Putz and Rhodes to pitch in back-to-back games.
 
WINDY CITY: Miguel Batista spent four springs with the Arizona Diamondbacks training in Tucson, but he'd never pitched in a Tucson wind like Wednesday's.
The wind was clocked at 32 mph with gusts to 44, and that made things tough on everybody, Batista included. He allowed four runs in five innings, all four
coming in the third.
 
"I've never been in it like it was today," Batista said. "If it ever blows like this in Seattle, at least now I'll know what to do."
 
Batista gave up 11 wind-blown hits, but wasn't discouraged by the outing.
 
"All in all, it was a good day," he said. "I had to adjust my aim because of the wind, and the ball was moving all over the place, but after the (third)
inning, I was able to get it back."
 
OPENING DAY CHATTER: Hargrove might announce his Opening Day starter as soon as Friday.
 
The starter is expected to be Felix Hernandez, whose spot in the rotation comes up April 2. Although Hernandez, who is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA this spring,
is the favorite, Hargrove said he hasn't yet told the pitcher involved.
 
"The longer I wait, the more flexibility I have," Hargrove said, adding that he's considering changes at the bottom of the rotation. "It's possible I will
flip the four and five spots."
 
That would affect current No. 4, Miguel Batista, No. 5, Horacio Ramirez and possibly No. 3, Jeff Weaver. Batista (3.00) and Ramirez (1.50) have pitched
well. Weaver has an 8.31 ERA.
 
Hargrove did say that he would not start the season with a four-man rotation.
 
"My inclination is to go with all five guys," he said. "One thing it does is give us the ability to protect Hernandez."
 
Hernandez, 20, was held to limited innings last year. That restriction has been lifted for 2007, but the Mariners don't want him to pitch too many innings.
 
EXTRA BASES: Chris Reitsma and George Sherrill pitched in a minor league game for Tacoma against Nashville with vastly different results. Reitsma pitched
one inning, allowing one hit. Sherrill, who has an 18.00 ERA in Cactus League play, gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in his inning. ... Also in
that minor league game, catching prospect Jeff Clement hit his third homer of the minor league spring. Wladimir Balentien also homered. ... Seattle has
made just 10 errors in 23 games, the fewest in the big leagues at this point in the spring. ... Raul Ibanez hit another homer Wednesday and has three homers
and eight RBIs in his past four starts.
 
WEDNESDAY'S GAME IN REVIEW
 
THE SCORE: Mariners 7, Rockies 4
 
THE SCENE: It was cloudy, 70 degrees and very windy (32 mph with gusts to 44), much different than most games this spring.
 
STAR OF THE GAME: Yuniesky Betancourt had three good at-bats, including an RBI triple, a single that started a two-run go-ahead rally and a grounder that
scored the final run of the day.
 
PLAY OF THE GAME: Pinch hitter Ben Broussard, batting with one out and men at the corners, broke a 4-4 tie with an RBI single, setting up a two-run seventh.
 
THE ARMS: Miguel Batista was beaten up for four runs in the third inning when the first five batters collected hits, including 3B Garrett Atkins, who doubled
home the first two runs. Batista was knocked around for 11 hits in five innings. Sean Green, Sean White and Jake Woods closed it out without giving up
a run.
 
THE BATS: Seattle scored two runs in the second inning against Colorado starter Josh Fogg, keyed by an RBI triple by Betancourt, but didn't get another
hit until the sixth inning. Four of the first six Mariners batters got hits off Fogg, but then he sat down the next dozen in order. Ichiro Suzuki's double
set up a run in the sixth and Raul Ibanez tied the game with a solo homer later in the inning.
 
THE GLOVES: Catcher Jamie Burke threw out two base runners in the space of three innings. Third baseman Adrian Beltre got Batista out of a bases-loaded
one-out jam in the first inning by starting a third-to-home-to first double play.
 
THE LEGS: Betancourt's triple forced Richie Sexson to turn on the jets to score from first base in the second inning.
 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
P-I reporter John Hickey can be reached at 206-448-8004 or mailto:johnhickey at seattlepi.com johnhickey at seattlepi.com
.
 
© 1998-2007 Seattle Post-Intelligencer