Mariners notebook: Jarrod Dyson enjoys watching the WBC and Nelson Cruz heroics

PEORIA, Ariz. – A big moment Saturday night in the World Baseball Classic for Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz. If you missed it, stop everything and watch it.

Mariners manager Scott Servais was watching.

“Awesome,” Servais said Sunday morning. “I couldn’t be happier for him. It doesn’t get much bigger for those guys. Certainly, the (Dominican Republic) team was into it and against a very, very good pitcher. It was crazy watching the game. I thought his comment in the postgame interview was pretty cool.”

Cruz’s on-field postgame interview was pure Cruz.

Represent.#TrueToTheBlue @ncboomstick23 pic.twitter.com/y5Emiyb8pA

— Mariners (@Mariners) March 12, 2017

Teammates, including newly acquired Mariner Jarrod Dyson, were also watching.

“That’s Nellie Cruz. You can’t count that guy out,” Dyson said with a laugh. “You can just pencil him in for 38-plus (home runs) a year.”

Dyson pointed out that Cruz had been taking good swings throughout the game, and coming up against Andrew Miller, one of the best relievers in baseball, he had a plan.

“That last at-bat, he looked comfortable in the box to me,” Dyson said. “He looked like he was just hunting something and he wasn’t going to swing until he got it. I don’t think that slider got in enough. You got to credit Cruz with some good hitting right there. Good thing he is on our team. I could get used to looking at that all day.”

Dyson said he had mixed emotions watching the game, as he was pulling for Team USA and former Royals teammate Eric Hosmer.

“It’s a tough loss for us but the Dominican Republic is a great team,” he said. “They got veteran hitters there. Nellie Cruz has been hitting bombs for years. (Manny) Machado, they are studs. Look at that lineup – there is no slouch in the lineup. The same way with the US. We’ve got a great team running out there, we got a great bullpen, we’ve got great starters. It is about who can put it together and hold it together.”

Dyson said he would love the opportunity to play for his country. He believes that those who get to play in the tournament should cherish the experience.

“It’s crazy. There are a lot of people you can’t count out right now,” he said.  “Everybody is playing ball. Look at the hustle. They are playing hard as if their job is on the line. It’s the fact they want to represent their country and you want to go home and get that kind of praise that you repped your country and you did a great job. That’s how I look at it. Anytime you get the opportunity to represent your country, I think you should.”

Lineup!

Leonys Martin, CF
Guillermo redia, LF
Kyle Seager, 3B
Dan Vogelbach, 1B
Boog Powell, RF
Tuffy Gosewisch, C
Mike Freema, SS
Tyler Smith, 2B
Kyle Waldrop DH

Ariel Miranda, RHP

Notes

• The Mariners have acquired minor-league outfielder Joey Curletta from the Phillies in exchange for switch-pitcher Pat Venditte. Curletta, a former sixth-round draft pick of the Dodgers, was the player to be named later in the deal that sent catcher Carlos Ruiz to the Dodgers last season. Curletta has a .261/.329/.407 slash-line in five minor-league seasons. He will report to minor-league camp and is not on the 40-man roster.

• After sitting out Games 1 and 2 for the Dominican Republic in the WBC, Jean Segura is finally in the lineup Sunday. When Segura was a late add to the roster, Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto sought assurances that he would play. The Mariners did not want Segura sitting as he is transitioning back to shortstop. Why hasn’t he been in the lineup? Well, I have got to think that has something to do with Adrian Beltre coming back to the team after suffering a calf strain earlier in spring training. Beltre DH’d during the first two games.

• If you missed my earlier post, right-hander Shea Simmons, who experienced forearm tightness in Saturday’s game, will undergo an MRI to make sure that there is nothing structurally wrong. Simmons believes he is dealing with muscle soreness.

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