SEATTLE MARINERS

M’s notebook: McClendon calls Chavez at-bat biggest of the year

Aug 23, 2014, 12:17 PM | Updated: 2:34 pm

...

BOSTON – Day game after night game and lots of pre-game duties for me so the notebook will be short. I spent the morning putting together a highlight package from last night with Rick Rizzs’ calls and some player interviews that ran on the show. Some of you have requested it so here is the link.

The one note of note from the morning media session is Logan Morrison was feeling under the weather so he is out of the lineup today. As a result Kendrys Morales is at first base and Endy Chavez is the DH. I don’t expect Morrison to be available for pinch-hitting duties. He did not look good this morning.

The topic for the pre-game media session with Lloyd McClendon was of course the game the previous night. Five runs in the bottom of the ninth with two outs is not something you see every day. McClendon could not say enough about the at-bat by Endy Chavez that kept the rally going and wore out closer Koji Uehara. For McClendon, he had the right hitter up in the right situation.

“It’s why I have said this before,” he said. “Give me a veteran that is 70-75 percent over a rookie that is 100 percent. They bring so much to the table. There is nothing like experience. He never panicked in that situation. Looking back at that at-bat, he threw him some very tough pitches, and a couple of them he barely fouled off. Probably the biggest at-bat of the year for us.”

Another big play for the Mariners was Dustin Ackley scoring from first on the Robinson Cano single to right. McClendon called it a great send by third base coach Rich Donnelly and pointed out that, in his opinion, if your third base coach isn’t getting anyone thrown out he is not a good one. Always playing it safe is not the right way to go in McClendon’s eyes.

“Rich is willing to take the right chances in the right situations and that was just an unbelievable send,” he said. “Too often third base coaches don’t get the credit for those kinds of things and that was tremendous.”

Ever wonder what goes through the mind of a third base coach’s mind in these situations? After the game Donnelly talked about what he saw, why he sent Ackley and just how rare an opportunity is was. The audio can be heard here.

Mariners Roof Report

Brought to you by
Mostly Sunny
High 56° | Low 41°
Roof is open
Red Sox at Mariners today at 6:40pm

Seattle Mariners

Seattle Mariners Mitch Haniger Dylan Moore...

Brandon Gustafson

Mariners Highs and Lows: What stands out from opening day loss

The Seattle Mariners fell to the Red Sox on opening day, and there were some takeaways – good and bad – to be had from the loss.

7 hours ago

Seattle Mariners Boston Red Sox Tyler O'Neill...

The Associated Press

Mariners drop opener 6-4 as Boston’s O’Neill makes history

Tyler O’Neill homered in his fifth straight opening day game to set a major league record, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-4.

7 hours ago

Seattle Mariners Mitch Haniger...

Brandon Gustafson

Welcome Back: Mitch Haniger blasts homer in Mariners return

Mitch Haniger kicked off his return to the Seattle Mariners with a bang, blasting a 2-run home run to right field in his second at-bat.

9 hours ago

Nelson Cruz Seattle Mariners...

Brent Stecker

After throwing out 1st pitch, Nelson Cruz retires as a Mariner

Nelson Cruz threw out the first pitch at Seattle Mariners opening day, then signed a one-day contract to retire with the team.

10 hours ago

Seattle Mariners Julio Rodriguez...

Brandon Gustafson

Mariners Notebook: ‘Consistent pressure’ theme for lineup in 2024

Scott Servais expects big things from the Seattle Mariners' lineup in 2024, as he shared ahead of their opener against the Boston Red Sox.

13 hours ago

Seattle Mariners lineup Julio Rodríguez...

Brent Stecker

See the first Mariners lineup of 2024 for opening day vs Red Sox

The Seattle Mariners' batting order for opening day of the 2024 MLB season against Boston showcases an improved amount of length.

16 hours ago

M’s notebook: McClendon calls Chavez at-bat biggest of the year