Mariners notebook: Charlie Furbush missed in the bullpen

Joe Beimel was Lloyd McClendon’s choice to face Alex Rodriguez with the game on the line in the Mariners series opener against the Yankees on Friday night. Had Charlie Furbush not been on the DL, would he have been the first choice?

“Yes, that’s his spot,” said McClendon Saturday morning. “It would have been Furbush absolutely.”

Furbush is on the 15-day DL with shoulder tendinitis and may be out a bit longer than expected as he was not able to throw from the mound before the team left for the road trip. He is progressing and gaining strength, according to trainer Rick Griffin. Most importantly, he has resumed his throwing program. It is a big loss for a pen which has struggled this year. Still, McClendon felt Beimel was a good option.

“Beimel still had plenty of success against A-Rod. That was not an issue. I felt very comfortable with him in the game in that spot. He just made a mistake,” he said.

Mark Lowe was up in the pen when McClendon brought Beimel into the game. He was up for Chris Young, however, later in the inning if needed. McClendon made it clear Lowe was not a consideration for A-Rod despite the right-on-right matchup.

“Logistically, there was a problem,” he said. “I wouldn’t worry about Lowe getting A-Rod, but (Mark) Teixeira is four for seven with three home runs and a double in a small ballpark and you have the lefty McCann behind him. Beimel was absolutely the right choice in that situation, it just didn’t work out.”

Beimel went after A-Rod with a sinker that did not sink and with Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller coming in for the 8th and 9th innings. The one run was all the Yankees needed.

Lineup:

Miller 6
Seager 5
Cano 4
Cruz 9
Smith 7
Jackson 8
Trumbo DH
Morrison 3
Zunino 2

Iwakuma

Notes

• According to Elias Sports Bureau, Kyle Seager, who is six for nine with six extra base hits in his last two games at Yankee Stadium, is the first visiting player to record at least six extra base hits over a two-game span at Yankee Stadium, old or new.

• Pitching probables for the remainder of the road trip:

Sunday vs NYY Felix Hernandez vs CC Sabathia
Monday vs DET J.A. Happ vs Alfredo Simon
Tuesday vs DET Taijuan Walker vs Shane Greene
Wednesday vs DET Mike Montgomery vs Anibal Sanchez
Thursday vs DET Hisashi Iwakuma vs David Price

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