Notebook: Wade Miley happy he doesn’t have to face the Mariners
May 18, 2016, 3:59 PM | Updated: 4:16 pm
BALTIMORE – The Mariners offense showed up in force last night in the series opener against the Orioles, with Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager combining to drive in all 10 runs scored. It was only the third time in team history that the 3-4-5 hitters combined for 10 or more runs with Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Jay Buhner completing the feat May 24, 1996 against the Yankees and Bret Boone and Mike Cameron combining to do the same against the Yankees on August 19, 2001.
No one was more appreciative of the runs than starting pitcher Wade Miley.
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“We obviously have a pretty, how do I say this, a feared lineup,” he said. “We’ve got a squad. No pitcher is going to feel comfortable going through our lineup. It’s fun to see those guys. I told them I’ve got to take them to dinner. They have been doing that for me a lot.”
Miley has received the ninth-best run support in baseball this year with his offense scoring him an average of six runs per game. So where is he taking them for their reward dinner?
“McDonalds,” he said. “Me and Robbie talked about that last night. He wasn’t happy.”
The Mariners lineup in 2016 has far less holes in it than years in the recent past. While the results won’t always show up as hits, 1-9 at the very least can put up a good at-bat and see some pitches. And the threat of 3-4-5, especially with runners on, can be taxing for the opposing pitcher.
“Any time you are facing a stacked lineup that is seeing the ball well it really puts the pressure on the starting pitcher to really execute pitches and that’s kind of what we have going right now,” said Miley. “Any pitcher facing us, it’s definitely in the back of their head, these guys are swinging the bat well and you have got to lock it in.”
Notes:
• Adam Lind continues to struggle at the plate, with pitch selection being his biggest problem right now according to manager Scott Servais. “Getting strikes to hit,” he said. “When he gets up there very anxious and starts chasing he is an easy guy to get out like many players in the league. When he gets strikes and he is a little bit more patient he gets into better counts and that’s when he does his damage.” Servais said the effort level is there, the work is being put in and there is nothing mechanically wrong. He also made it clear that Lind will remain in the lineup. “He’s gong to play,” he said, pointing out the number of right-handed starters in the league. “The anxiousness or whatever that is coming from within, we are supporting him. He continues to work his tail off and figure it out. He’s going to be fine.”
• One game Lind most likely will not start will be Saturday in Cincinnati as the Reds have made a change in their pitching probables and will throw the lefty John Lamb on Saturday. Before the change, Servais had been looking at starting his righties, Dae-Ho Lee and Franklin Gutierrez, in a game against a right-hander to get them work.
