Mariners Game Notes • MONDAY • APRIL 9, 2012 • at TEXAS RANGERS • Page 2
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GAME INFORMATION Safeco Field • PO Box 4100 • Seattle, WA 98194 • TEL: 206.346.4000 • FAX: 206.346.4000 • www.mariners.com Monday, April 9, 2012 SEATTLE MARINERS (3-1) at TEXAS RANGERS (2-1) Game #5 (3-1) Rangers Ballpark RH Hector Noesi (‘12 debut) vs. RH Yu Darvish (MLB debut) Road #5 (3-1) UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHERS…all times PDT… Day Date Opp. Time Mariners Pitcher Opposing Pitcher TV Tuesday April 10 @TEX 5:05 pm RH Blake Beavan (5-6, 4.27 in ‘11) vs. RH Neftali Feliz (2-3, 2.74 in ‘11) ROOT Wednesday April 11 @TEX 5:05 pm RH Kevin Millwood (4-3, 3.98 in ‘11 w/COL) vs. RH Colby Lewis (1-0, 3.00) ROOT Thursday April 12 @TEX 11:05 am LH Jason Vargas (1-0, 2.31) vs. LH Derek Holland (0-0, 4.50) ROOT Friday April 13 OAK 7:10 pm RH Felix Hernandez (1-0, 4.40) vs. RH Bartolo Colon (1-1, 5.84) ROOT Saturday April 14 OAK 6:10 pm RH Hector Noesi (pitches tonight) vs. LH Tommy Milone (pitches tonight) ROOT Sunday April 15 OAK 1:10 pm RH Blake Beavan (pitches tomorrow) vs. RH Graham Godfrey (pitches tomorrow) ROOT All games broadcast on 710 ESPN Seattle & Mariners Radio Network TONIGHT’S TILT…the Mariners (3-1) take on the Texas Rangers tonight in the first of a four-game IT’S A 5-MAN ROTATION, RIGHT? The Mariners will finally get a chance series…Seattle currently leads the AL West by 1/2 game over the Rangers…the Mariners opened to get to their No. 3-4-5 starting this road trip sweeping the A’s in a two-game series in Oakland, and took Easter Sunday off…the pitchers…Felix Hernandez (1-0, Mariners and A’s split a pair of games to open the 2012 season March 28-29 at the Tokyo Dome as 4.40) & Jason Vargas (1-0, 2.31) have each started two games so far. part of the Gloops Japan Opening Series 2012…tonight’s game will be televised on ROOT Sports in high definition & broadcast live on 710 ESPN Seattle & Mariners Radio Network. HOMER HAPPY IN TEXAS Ichiro has hit 7 career home runs at ODDS AND ENDS…Mariners out-scored the A’s 19-15 in the first four games of the season…the Rangers Ballpark (in 106 games)… first 11 games of the season will be against AL West division teams (7 vs. OAK, 4 vs. TEX). that is the most HR he has hit at an opposing ballpark (hit 5 at LAA & KC). • The Mariners finished spring training with a 16-9-1 record (.635), the 12th winning spring in club history…3rd-best spring winning percentage in club history…see more info on pages 9-10. A LATE HAPPY BIRTHDAY • Figgy -- Chone Figgins has recorded consecutive 3-hit games matching his career high…11th time Felix Hernandez celebrated his 26th birthday yesterday…pretty amazing with 3+ hits in consecutive games, first as a Mariner (previous: 9/22-23/09 w/LAA). to think that Felix made 207 starts • Munenori Kawasaki and Lucas Luetge have made their Major League debuts this season. before turning 26. • Batting Around -- Sent 10 batters to the plate in the 6-run 4th inning April 7 at Oakland. THE ROSTER • Hitting Streaks -- Montero (3 G), Ackley (2 G), Figgins (2 G), Saunders (2 G), Seager (2 G). The current roster includes 12 pitchers, • Bullpen Control -- Mariners relievers have yet to allow a walk in 11.0 IP this season. 3 catchers, 7 infielders and 3 • RISP -- Mariners are batting .370 (10x27) with RISP, including .421 (8x19) over last 2 G. outfielders… 3 players are also on the DL (Mike Carp, Franklin Gutierrez, HOT START…the Mariners are off to a 3-1 start, the 8th time in club history to record at least 3 wins Adam Moore)…the youngest player in the first 4 games of the season…in addition to this season, also opened 3-1 in 1980, 1995, 2000- on the roster is RHP Erasmo Ramirez 02 and 2006…were 4-0 in 1985 en route to club-record 6-0 start. (5/2/90) at 21 years, 11 months+…the oldest is OF Ichiro Suzuki (10/22/73) SEATTLE VS. RANGERS…the Mariners face the Rangers for the first of 19 games between the two at 38 years, 5 months+…12 of the 25 active players have less than one teams this season…Seattle went 1-0 vs. the Rangers in spring training…were 4-15 vs. the Rangers year of MLB service time. last season, including going 1-8 at Rangers Ballpark…have lost the last four season series to Texas, going 27-49 since 2008…Mariners narrowly trail the all-time series 258-264, including going 123- ROOKIES ON PARADE The Mariners current roster features 7 141 in Arlington (66-85 at Rangers Ballpark, 57-56 at Arlington Stadium). rookies: RHP Steve Delabar, RHP BALANCED OFFENSE…each starter recorded at least one hit, and seven different players drove in Hisashi Iwakuma, LHP Lucas Luetge, RHP Erasmo Ramirez, C/ a run in the Mariners 8-7 win over the A’s on Saturday…marked the first time since May 23, 2011 at DH Jesus Montero, INF Alex Liddi Minnesota for every starter to record at least one hit, and just the 32nd time in club history to have & INF Munenori Kawasaki…last at least seven starters record an RBI (first since April 19, 2011 vs. DET). season the Mariners used 18 rookies, and had a club-record 12 players GOOD MORNING, GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD NIGHT…LHP Lucas Luetge (pronounced LIT- make their MLB debut. key) made his MLB debut in style Saturday night at Oakland, striking out the only batter he faced OPENING DAY IN SEATTLE on three pitches (Josh Reddick)…according to STATS Inc, Lucas is the second Mariner going back The Mariners will play their home opener on Friday, April 13 (Friday the 13th) to 1997 (when pitch-by-pitch data became readily available) to strike out the first batter faced in a hosting the A’s at Safeco Field (7:10 MLB career on just three pitches…Michael Pineda struck out Ian Kinsler last season (4/5/11) in his pm)…Seattle is 21-14 in the first MLB debut…records also show that he is just the fourth pitcher since 1997 to record a strikeout on home game of the season…Felix 3 pitches to the only batter faced in a Major League debut (1 BF, 1 SO, 3 pitches). Hernandez will start the home opener and there will be a special King’s Court ROOKIE DH…Jesus Montero has started the first four games at DH…he became the first rookie in section (mariners.com/kingscourt). club history to start at DH on Opening Day, and the first in the Majors since Ken Harvey for Kansas TICKET INFORMATION City in 2003…the club record for starts by a rookie at DH is 52 by Juan Bernhardt in 1977. Single game tickets for the 2012 Seattle Mariners season are on sale NOW… OPENING DAY WINNING STREAK…with the 3-1 win over the A’s on Opening Day March 28 tickets are available without a service charge at the Safeco Field Box Office in Tokyo, the Mariners have won 6 consecutive season openers (a club record), tied with the and at Seattle Mariners Team Stores… Diamondbacks for the longest active Opening Day winning streak in the Majors. Opening Day tickets are available and good seats tickets remain for NOW BATTING 3RD…Ichiro has started all four games this season as the Mariners No. 3 hitter every Mariners home game: in the lineup…entering this season had made 1,720 of 1,733 career starts in the leadoff spot…his www.mariners.com/tickets Opening Day start batting 3rd (3/28 vs. OAK in Tokyo) snapped a string of 1,203 consecutive starts ON THE AIR batting leadoff…that was the longest streak of a player batting leadoff dating back to 1974, with the Mariners will again use a rotation of previous long being Kenny Lofton (1,078). announcers this season, all former partners of HOF announcer Dave WHAT A LONG, STRANGE TRIP IT HAS BEEN…the Mariners opened spring training a week Niehaus…Rick Rizzs, Dave Sims before every other MLB team, with pitchers and catchers reporting to Peoria, AZ on Feb. 11…the and Mike Blowers will work nearly all the games, while Ron Fairly, Ken Mariners will not return to Seattle until the home opener on April 13, and will have played 26 spring Levine, Ken Wilson, Dave Valle, Dave training games, 2 exhibition games in Tokyo and 8 regular season games (including 2 in Japan)… Henderson, Jay Buhner and Dan by the time the Mariners land in Seattle, the club will have traveled over 15,000 miles through the Wilson will mix in…Rizzs and Ron Fairly will be in the radio booth for air, including 11,500 miles round-trip to Japan and nearly 3,800 miles on the current road trip from this road trip, with Sims and Blowers Phoenix-Oakland-Dallas-Seattle. calling the action on TV. FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH…the Mariners current roster was the 2nd-youngest among American MARINERS BLOG League teams, and 4th-youngest in the Majors…according to STATS Inc., the Mariners had an You can follow all the Mariners news on our new blog, From the Corner average age of 28.33 when the Opening Day rosters were set, trailing only Kansas City (27.42), of Edgar & Dave…blog posts will Houston (27.82) and Atlanta (28.27)…the Mariners 40-man roster was the 2nd-youngest among AL go behind and beyond the headlines teams, and 3rd-youngest in the Majors at 26.96, trailing only the Royals (26.83) and Astros (26.87).