News
Ichiro racking up infield hits
Seattle (21-26) at Oakland (18-25), 12:35 p.m. PT
By Jim Street / MLB.com
05/27/09 2:29 AM ET
OAKLAND -- Ichiro Suzuki leads the Major Leagues in infield hits this season and is on pace to have the most hits that don't leave the infield since 1992, when Brett Butler had 72 infield hits, most of them on bunts, with the Dodgers. Most of Ichiro's infield hits are slow grounders hit right at infielders. It is something teams have been battling for more than eight years, and even at 35 years of age, Ichiro has speed infielders have to contend with. "The first-step quickness might not be quite as fast as it was when he first came here," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said, "but once he's up and running coming out of the box, I think he's just as fast." When Ichiro arrived in 2001, almost every ball he hit that took three bounces was a hit. He had 63 infield hits that season and has averaged 49.75 infield hits a season. He currently has 21 infield hits, putting him on pace to set a personal best of 74. "I don't think he has lost any speed," said Mariners assistant general manager Lee Pelekoudas. "There are times he gets down the line better than other times, but when he has to, he'll get down the line as good as ever. "I haven't put a clock on him recently, but even at 35, when we're all supposed to get slower as we get older, he gets down the line better than most." Pelekoudas attributes Ichiro's speed to the way he keeps himself in shape. "He's in phenomenal shape and has never hurt his legs," he said. "To be 35 and still have that kind of speed is amazing. I think there are other guys who have maintained their speed as they got older, but Ichiro is kind of in a different category." Ichiro had three infield hits in Monday afternoon's game against the Athletics, giving him 13 in his past 17 games. He added one hit on Tuesday night, a run-scoring line-drive single to left field in the seventh inning of what became a 4-3 loss to Oakland. That single extended his hitting streak to 20 games. Pitching matchupSEA: LHP Erik Bedard (2-2, 2.64 ERA)
It wasn't the number of hits Bedard surrendered in his last outing, but how far those hits went. Juan Rivera hit a solo home run in the first inning and Gary Matthews Jr. hit a solo shot two innings later for the only hits off Bedard during a five-inning start. The veteran missed one start because of a sore right hamstring, but the layoff didn't seem to adversely affect his control, as he walked just two batters. OAK: RHP Trevor Cahill (2-4, 4.62 ERA)
Cahill pitched one of the best games of his young career in his last outing and still didn't win. He allowed two runs on six hits and one walk, recording a career-best five strikeouts in a career-high 7 1/3 innings against the D-backs on Friday night. Cahill did show that he could put subpar outings behind him, as he lasted just 2 1/3 innings, giving up seven runs, in his previous start. He's making his third start of the season against the Mariners, having given up two runs on nine hits over 13 innings against Seattle thus far. He lost, 1-0, on April 12 and took a no-decision in a 3-2 A's win on May 2. Tidbits
Right-handed reliever Roy Corcoran, currently on the 15-day disabled list with a sore neck, pitched a simulated game prior to Tuesday night's game against the Athletics. He felt fine physically, but lacked command of his pitches and might throw another "sim" game before beginning a rehab assignment in the Minor Leagues. ... When Ichiro and Adam Kennedy each went 4-for-4 in Monday's game, it was the first time the leadoff hitter from both teams went 4-for-4 (or better) in 38 years. Rod Carew went 4-for-4 for the Twins and Indians third baseman Graig Nettles went 5-for-5 on June 16, 1971. ... Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt has seven walks this month, matching his career high. He had seven free passes in September 2005. He had no walks in his first 97 plate appearances this season and seven in his last 63. Tickets
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• Thursday: Off-day
• Friday: Mariners (Jason Vargas, 1-0, 1.29) at Angels (John Lackey, 1-0, 6.00), 7:05 p.m. PT
• Saturday: Mariners (Felix Hernandez, 5-3, 3.76) at Angels (Matt Palmer, 5-0, 4.82), 6:05 p.m. PT
Jim Street is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
