Mariners notebook: Ketel Marte a big part of winning streak

With a winning streak usually comes some players finding their groove, and when it comes to the Mariners and shortstop Ketel Marte, that is certainly true.

The Mariners are winners of nine of their last 12 games, including three straight, and their 22-year-old shortstop has shaken off a rough start to build a five-game hitting streak. Not only that, Marte has scored a run in five of the last six games, which also corresponds with the Mariners’ 5-1 record over that stretch.

Mariners announce changes to ownership, front office

Marte proved to be especially important in Tuesday night’s 11-1 win over Houston, delivering an RBI single with the bases loaded to make it a 2-0 game in the fifth, then scoring on a heads-up play when Robinson Cano got into a rundown between first and second to make it 5-0. He was also on base when Cano hit his grand slam in the seventh and drove in a run with a groundout in the eighth.

Mariners manager Scott Servais was complimentary of the second-year infielder’s recent performance before Wednesday’s series finale against the Astros.

“I think we’ve seen as a few hits have come, dropped in, the confidence has grown. He looks much more sure of himself, not just in the batter’s box but defensively as well,” Servais said. “He belongs … (He’s) a big part of our team.”

Servais definitely has confidence in Marte considering he’s in the leadoff spot with Norichika Aoki getting the night off Wednesday.

Lineup

Ketel Marte, SS
Seth Smith, LF
Robinson Cano, 2B
Nelson Cruz, RF
Adam Lind, DH
Kyle Seager, 3B
Dae-Ho Lee, 1B
Steve Clevenger, C
Leonys Martin, CF

Hisashi Iwakuma, RHP

Notes

• Interesting look to the lineup as both sides of the first-base platoon, Adam Lind and Dae-Ho Lee, getting to face Astros starter Collin McHugh. With Aoki getting a rest day and both Nelson Cruz and Seth Smith in the outfield, Servais had an open spot at DH so he plugged in Lind. For Lee, who usually only starts vs. lefties, he gets a chance to show what he can against a right-handed starter.

• Wednesday of course was a big day for the Mariners organization with changes announced for ownership and the front office, but it’s business as usual in the clubhouse as the team looks to keep its winning streak going. “This is all new to me today when I came in,” Servais said of the ownership news. “It is newsworthy, obviously …. I think for us down here, we have a job to do. Don’t really get involved with the stuff upstairs. Obviously the players don’t.”

Follow @BrentStecker