ST12 | creeping down to .500

M's 1 | Rangers 9

Everyone knows about the Rangers ability to score runs, but their pitching was pretty impressive today. Ole friend Eddie was the only Ranger hurler to surrender a run (on a Mike Sweeney home run). Other than that, the Rangers only allowed 3 hits and 1 walk.

Jarrod gave up 3 runs (1 earned) and his ERA went down (guess that gives a glimpse of how his ST is going) and Roy had his first rough outing (0.00 - 10.80 ERA in the blink of an eye)

ST11 | hmmmm

M's 2 | Royals 9

Well, you wouldn't think there was much to crow about in a 2-9 loss but....
it IS spring training and I AM Compass Rosy .... so, crow I will - about Chris Jakubauskas!

3.0IP - 0H - 1BB - 2K (2.70ERA overall in 6.2IP so far this spring)

"I knew I was pitching. I did not know I was starting," Jakubauskas said. "It was a pleasant surprise this morning when I walked in the clubhouse and Rick came up and asked me how I was feeling and told me I was starting. I felt pretty good about that. I was excited. I've been a starter my whole life. I'm used to the routine. I felt better than I have all spring. My location was good. I was throwing my off-speed where I wanted to and getting contact early in the count. I'll take three scoreless, hitless innings any day of the week."

And, there WERE 12 hits (only 2 of the extra base variety - Clement and Shelton both had doubles)

But, the not so rosiness ... six runs surrendered by Justin Thomas in the 4th inning :-(

ST10 | next!

M's 1 | Cubs 8

Greg Olson started out well, only two hits and no runs through 3. Then came the fourth, a walk and a double and then Miggy in and it continued to spiral from there. Lowe also with another rough outing.

The bright spots...

• Yuni w/a double and a triple
• Russ and Tui each w/doubles
• Corcoran, Ardsma and Messenger each with an inning, keeping their ERA's at 0.00

ST9 | snake chamers

M's 11 | Diamondbacks 7

It got ugly early for the snakes, but they slithered back into it, inch-by-inch until the M's lit the final blow of the 4-run seventh inning.

• RRS wasn't great, but improved
• Wlad hit his second home run in as many games and recorded 3RBI
  
• Branyan hit a home run and a double and also logged 3RBI
  
• Sean White looked good - pitched two hit less innings recording 2K's and getting the win
• Jr is batting 1000 - walked twice and got a hit in his third AB of his first Cactus League game and of course had to add a little dramatic flair...

Baker's blog...

... I went into the clubhouse to talk to Griffey, and he held court for a long time on scuba diving and other topics. He also addressed his great departure from the game. Leading off the fourth, he singled sharply to left. As Chris Shelton trotted out to pinch-run, Griffey waved to the dugout and trotted down the first-base line, out of the stadium, and into the clubhouse.

" told Don I was going to hit a single, and I was just going to keep running right-field line if I had to beat it out,'' Griffey said. "I hit a single, I turned around, looked at him, saw someone coming out, and gave him a little wave and ran on in. that's all."

ST8 | M's seem to have Manny-less Dodgers number

M's 8 | Dodgers 7

Sloppy game (3 errors each!) but the ending was certainly exciting and despite the Dodgers 4 stolen bases and two DP's there was some good stuff in the beginning and middle as well...

• Gaby started lights out - retiring the first six batters he faced, but then it got a bit rough
• Other good mound performances today: Batista, Corcoran, Messenger (closer battle still wages)
• 12 hits spread up and down the line-up, Morse and Wlad each w/two (Wlad had his 1st ST home run)
• Mike Sweeney made his M's ST debut...
  

"Overall, I felt great. I saw the ball well. I played as hard as I could. I was mentally and physically ready to go."

The legs held up fine, although he didn't have to test them with a sprint around the bases. Even so, he went a few extra steps around first base on his fly ball to center field.

"Traditionally, I would have ran and veered off [to the right], but I did like a Forrest Gump-type thing," Sweeney said. "I just kept running and wanted to see how it felt rounding the base and jogging halfway to second base. It was fine. It felt good."

• Then there was LaHair's home run his first of the spring and the game winner
  

The big blow, though, was LaHair's first home run of the spring.

"To hit a ball like that and put us ahead is a good confidence-builder for him," Wakamatsu said. "That's true power going that way. I think young kids like that get it into their heads that they have to pull the ball.

"But when he can do something like that ..."

ST7 | stomped by the 'phants

M's 1 | A's 12


Seattle Times

Not a lot positive to report today :-(

• Wash looked washed up
• Despite 8 hits only one counted
• A's young arms appeared pretty solid ~ 10 strikeouts, no walks

NewsTribune

What bothered manager Don Wakamatsu most in the loss? “We threw 175 pitches in eight innings,” he said. “That won’t do.”

Yikes - I guess not!

ST6 | Bedard still lookin' sharp, but bats cool

M's 2 | Angels 4

While the Halo fans over at AngelsWin will never let Johnny Mac live down his "statement game" comment from last spring, when the M's beat the Angels, they seemed to be pretty excited for their team to beat the M's today :-)

• Happy Birthday, Eric! Here's to keeping up the good work heading into the season
• GDIP was Halos friend and M's enemy today
• Bats were a bit chilly, but Chris Shelton did hit his 3rd HR in 5 ST games
  
• Halos' speed was certainly on display

Meanwhile, the new M's Skipper weighs in on the playing the ALW rivals...
Baker's blog....

Last year, Seattle manager John McLaren made a big point of emphasizing games against the Angels, wanting to establish a winning attitude against them early. They still finished 39 games behind the Angels. Wakamatsu is somewhat limited in what he could have done Thursday, even if he wanted to. Three starters -- Ichiro, Kenji Johjima, and Jose Lopez -- are off at the World Baseball Classic -- and Ken Griffey and Adrian Beltre are being brought along slowly as they recover from off-season surgeries. The only regulars in Thursday's lineup were center fielder Franklin Gutierrez and first baseman Russ Branyan. I asked Wakamatsu his feelings about playing AL West teams in spring.

"I think it's cat and mouse a little -- what are you going to show?'' he said. "Do you show them a lot or not show them a lot. It's nice later in spring to get your big boys against their pitching as much as possible. Not right now."

ST Exhibition | vs. Team Australia

Chihuly in the Desert - my BFF Lynn

M's 9 Team Australia 11

First Spring loss, then again, it wasn't really a loss (doesn't count in the ST standings).

It was the first televised game from Peoria. Fun to see Ryan Roland-Smith interviewed talking about how he'd known/played with most of the mates on the Aussie side since he was a young teenager.

at the plate

• Griffey makes his Mariner Spring debut (walk and a flyout)
• 16 hits a side (including 3 Mariner EBH)Adrian's bat appears to be smoldering

on the mound

• Nice showing by Garrett Olson (2 scoreless w/4 K's)
• Not so much for Miggy, Roy or Mark (10 combined runs)

exMs

• Travis Blackley started for the Aussies ... less than a G'day for him
• Chris Snelling managed to stay healthy for 5 ABs
  

Oh, by the way - the beautiful photo above? Sent from my best friend's iPhone. Not hard to see why she was more interested in Chihuly in the Desert than Mariners and Aussies in Peoria :-)

ST5 | Washburn strong, bats=xbh

M's 5 | White Sox 3

After 5 games M's have out-scored their opponents 46-19 and have led in 42 out of 46 innings.
I know - it's only spring training. But hey - it's baseball and, so far, so good :-)

Washburn's fastball has a new wrinkle | Seattle PI

Jarrod Washburn likes to make jokes about his breaking pitch -- or lack thereof.

The joke is that the Mariners left-hander isn't throwing a breaking ball at all. Not during the two innings he worked in a 5-3 Cactus League victory over the Chicago White Sox in Glendale, Ariz., on Monday, and not during his side workouts.

"There are five or six weeks left in the spring," he said after facing seven batters, giving up one hit and no runs. "There's plenty of time to refine the pitch. I don't have a great breaking ball, anyway."

Maybe not, but he has managed to survive in the big leagues with a decent amount of movement on his fastball. This spring, thanks to a minor hip alteration during his delivery suggested by pitching coach Rick Adair and bullpen coach John Wetteland, his fastball may have more movement than ever.

"It was something simple they suggested," Washburn said, being purposefully vague. "It allows me to get out in front farther."

That gives the ball a tad more whoosh as it gets to the plate.

:::

On the other hand, movement in the desert air doesn't always translate when teams head north. Most pitchers will tell you that the ball doesn't move as much in Arizona, but Washburn says it's just the opposite for him. So the Mariners won't know until April if Washburn has added a significant wrinkle to his game.

ST4 | the hits just keep on comin'

M's 13 | Rangers 6

Jiminey - did someone put Wheaties in the M's bats?!?!
I know, spring stats mean squat but...

• after four games the M's lead the majors in BA and SLG (and it's still mostly kids playing)
• pitching OK so far, although Felix, Brandon and RRS (today) struggled a bit in their first spring starts

But, it IS early. VERY early.

I wish I could be down in AZ. My best friend is there for a few days enjoying the sunshine and the Red Rocks of Sedona. But, she doesn't like baseball. Imagine, being so close to so many games and now caring! Oh well, I love her anyway ;-)