Mariners notebook: A different look for Hisashi Iwakuma

ARLINGTON, Texas – Hisashi Iwakuma was named American League Player of the Week, and little surprise after he threw a no-hitter last Wednesday. It was the first Player of the Week award for Iwakuma and the third for the Mariners this season with Brad Miller picking it up May 18 and Nelson Cruz April 20.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” Iwakuma said before Monday’s series opener in Texas, adding that he only just found out when Rick Rizzs asked him about it minutes before. “I’ve only seen it on the news in the past, it’s obviously an honor.”

Kuma has gone about his business of getting ready for his next start, which will be interesting to see after what we saw last week. The no-hitter aside, we saw a bit of a different Iwakuma as he worked the upper part of the strike zone more than we are accustomed to seeing.

“We talked to Kuma last year about pitching up in the zone a little more than he normally does and he has just been getting better at that,” said pitching coach Rick Waits. “He’s so outstanding at throwing the ball in and out but he can also go high and low. He can climb the ladder against guys he needs to.”

According to Iwakuma this is something he has felt comfortable doing for some time, but Wednesday it became a big part of the game plan against the Orioles.

“Many factors that came into play. That was the third game of the series and (catcher Jesus) Sucre had watched their hitters prior to that start, and when you look at me in general, you have to change eye level to take advantage of the split down in the zone,” he said. “I used it more against the O’s because they weren’t swinging at pitches below the knees and to make them swing you got to change eye level. It was a big part of the game plan.”

For Iwakuma, being able to pitch up in the zone helps his splitter and sinker be more effective. While those pitches have served him well in his first years with the Mariners, Waits believes the mix is important now.

“I think he has seen how hitters have changed a little bit and how they are more vulnerable up there than I think they used to be in the past. It’s something you can use to your advantage. It just gives him another thing for the hitters to look at,” he said.

As a staff, some pitchers have had better success utilizing the upper part of the zone than others. According to Waits, it is a work in progress.

“The good and bad of it is if they foul it off or don’t chase, what do you do on the next pitch?” he asked. “And I think that over the course of the year some of our guys haven’t done as well on that next pitch locating. That’s something we are working on.”

Something that was very effective for Iwakuma a week ago.

Lineup!

Ketel Marte, SS
Kyle Seager, 3B
Nelson Cruz, RF
Robinson Cano, 2B
Franklin Gutierrez, LF
Austin Jackson, CF
Mark Trumbo, DH
Logan Morrison, 1B
Mike Zunino, C

Taijuan Walker, RHP

Notes

• The Mariners have optioned Rob Rasmussen to Tacoma and called up Edgar Olmos. With the bullpen stretched once again in the three-game series in Boston, they needed another arm. Factoring in was that Rasmussen wouldn’t be available for a couple of days after pitching three in a row. Tough to send a guy out who got some big outs and the win Sunday win for them, but manager Lloyd McClendon said that he would be back at some point. Olmos, who has been mostly a reliever in his career, had been stretched out to 75 pitches with the Rainiers.

• Jesus Montero has had a rough go of things at the plate, going hitless in his last 17 at-bats, and he is out of the lineup Monday against Cole Hamels. McClendon is just giving him a little break and Montero made the most of his work day by running stairs at Rangers Ballpark in the 98 degree heat and later taking early infield practice. Since there was no room at first base, he took grounders at third with Kyle Seager, which was fun to watch. Seager could be seen giving Montero instruction at third and he actually made a few nice plays.

• The Rangers have made a change in their upcoming probables. Derek Holland will be activated from the DL and start on Wednesday. Martin Perez was originally scheduled to start that game.

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