NewsMariners kick off crucial stretch
Seattle (37-35) at Los Angeles (47-26), 7:10 p.m. PT
By Christian Caple / MLB.com
06/25/09 8:21 PM ET
SEATTLE -- It may not be make-or-break time yet for the Mariners, who are very much in the hunt for the American League West title as the All-Star Break looms. |
But it's hard not to wonder what those aspirations will look like come the second week of July.
That's when Seattle returns from what figures to be a very telling nine-day road trip, which begins on Friday with a series against the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers. The swing also includes a stop in New York to play the Yankees and ends with three games against Boston. "It will be a good test," Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre said. And it's a test Seattle will have to pass in order to be considered a buyer at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. The Mariners already have put together a better first half than many expected, brushing off a rash of injuries and other player absences recently to hover around the .500 mark. Part of it has been luck. They've had a pretty easy schedule against which to get healthy, using 12 consecutive games against NL West teams to pull themselves back into the division race.They've won by scrapping together late runs and taking advantage of a couple interesting breaks, like when D-backs first baseman Tony Clark dropped a relatively easy throw on the last play of Sunday's 3-2 win over Arizona to allow the winning run to score from third base.
Those are all things that an ailing, pitching-and-defense-minded team needs to stay competitive. But it gets a lot tougher from here. The Dodgers and Red Sox own the two best records in the Major Leagues, and the Yankees are threatening Boston in the AL East race. "The next 10 days are going to give the brass a good idea of where we're at," designated hitter Mike Sweeney said. "And I think how we play the next 10 games will dictate whether we're buyers or sellers." That's something Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu probably tries not to think about. His even-keel approach this season has helped the Mariners focus only on what lies immediately ahead, which has allowed them to avoid distraction amid all of the injuries and subsequent roster moves of late. "If all we focus on is doing things right, I think you're going to end up where you should obtain the goals that you want to," Wakamatsu said. "It's awfully hard if you're worried about other teams, or who you're playing two weeks from now." If they don't take care of business on this road trip, there will be plenty to worry about afterward. Pitching matchupSEA: LHP Jason Vargas (3-2, 3.24 ERA)
The left-hander ended a two-game losing streak with a bang, retiring 20 of the final 21 batters he faced the D-backs in his last start. He was supposed to get an extra day between starts, but when a shoulder ailment sidelined fellow lefty Erik Bedard, Vargas pitched on his regular fifth day and was superb against Arizona. He used his changeup more often, which made his high-80s fastball more effective, and had excellent control, working a walk-free seven innings. LAD: LHP Clayton Kershaw (4-5, 3.76 ERA)
Kershaw seems to have found a rhythm in his past two starts, in which he has thrown 12 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, including seven shutout innings against the Angels on Sunday. He had to overcome a bases-loaded, no-out jam and four walks, but he's also showing the potential dominance that very few 21-year-olds possess. Angels center fielder Torii Hunter called Kershaw "effectively wild." Tidbits
Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt was put on the 15-day DL on Thursday with a strained right hamstring. ... Catcher Kenji Johjima caught nine innings at Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday, was with the Mariners on Thursday and will be activated and start on Friday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. ... Bedard will throw a bullpen session on Saturday, but will not return to the rotation in New York as originally planned, Wakamatsu said. Bedard willl likely throw another side session or a simulated game there, and he'll return against Boston on July 4 at the earliest. ... Injured reliever Shawn Kelley threw a bullpen session on Thursday and is now headed to Peoria, Ariz., for a pair of rehab outings. ... The Mariners lead the AL with 34 sacrifice bunts. Tickets
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• Saturday: Mariners (Felix Hernandez, 7-3, 2.74) at Dodgers (Eric Milton, 2-0, 2.89), 7:10 p.m. PT
• Sunday: Mariners (Garrett Olson, 2-2, 4.95) at Dodgers (Hiroki Kuroda, 2-3, 3.44), 1:10 p.m. PT
• Monday: Off-day
Christian Caple is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
